Here’s Everything You Can Expect From The India-Bound Benelli 302R

Benelli recently unveiled its completely overhauled baby sportbike, the 2021 302R. Although it was revealed in China, the 302R is bound to set foot in India soon. So, what should you expect of it? Here’s everything we know:

Striking Aesthetics

The 2020 Benelli 302R wasn’t really a bad looker, but the company has surely upped its game this time around. The 2021 302R bids adieu to its bulky big-bike appeal and takes on a much sleeker fascia. Its dual-headlamp setup has been replaced by a vertically stacked projector headlamp with sleek LED DRLs on both sides. Other bits include a revised tail lamp with integrated grab rails, split seats, Y-shaped 10-spoke alloys, and refreshing graphics. The design may not have a mass appeal,  but we think it’ll definitely turn quite a few heads on Indian roads.

Plenty Tech

Along with the new styling, the 2021 302R also gets a revised instrument cluster. It now features a fully digital TFT instead of the earlier digi-analogue setup. We think it can surely outperform the KTM RC390 in this aspect, but it wouldn’t be enough to shake up the TVS Apache RR310’s dominance. Benelli has also provided the bike with backlit switchgear like the one seen on the BS6 Benelli TRK 502 and Leoncino 500. Dual-channel ABS and slipper clutch are also expected.

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Eco-friendly Heart 

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The most obvious change for 2021 is that the Benelli 302R is now Euro-5/BS6-compliant. It employs a 302cc twin-cylinder motor churning out 35PS and 27Nm -- 3.5PS less power and 0.5Nm more torque than the BS4 version. The drop in power is significant, but thanks to its sleeker profile, the 302R now tips the scales at 182kg (22kg less than before). This improves its power-to-weight ratio, which should make it an exciting bike to ride.

Impressive Underpinnings

The 2021 Benelli 302R features the same frame as before -- sprung on a 41mm USD fork and monoshock. However, the front fork is now adjustable, making it a more modern package than the Kawasaki Ninja 300, which still features a non-adjustable telescopic fork. Braking hardware on the 302R comprises dual front discs with 4-piston callipers and a single disc at the rear. Neither the KTM RC390 nor the Ninja 300 offer dual front discs, making the 302R again a slightly better option.

Pricing

The 2021 302R was launched in China at CNY 29,800 (approximately Rs 3.38 lakh). We expect it to be priced slightly higher in India at about Rs 3.60 lakh (ex-showroom). That said, most of Benelli’s BS6 bikes have received a price cut, and if the Chinese manufacturer can do that this time again, it surely has a winner in the 302R. We expect the bike to make its India debut by the end of 2021.