Benelli Working On A New V-twin Adventure Motorcycle

Benelli and its sister company QJMotor have co-developed quite a few adventure motorcycles based on their parallel-twin 500cc and 750cc engines. Now, leaked patent design images reveal that the bikemakers will soon come up with a new 650cc ADV, which could be the first of their new range of motorcycles.

The new motorcycle will be the first mid-displacement motorcycle to sport a V-twin engine. So far, the only motorcycle with a V-twin heart is QJMotor’s 300cc cruiser. Though no details of the new 650cc mill are out yet, the design and dimensions are very close to the V-twin motor that powers the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT. Moreover, if Benelli’s new engine is inspired by the Japanese brand’s unit, it is likely to produce a similar power output of around 70PS.

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Complimenting the new engine is the new design language. Unlike the current crop of bulky ADVs, the new motorcycle appears to be quite lean. Even the fascia and the absence of the “beak” front fender is a fresh approach. The single-piece headlight unit, flanked by intakes (or LED DRLs) is a new element, though eerily similar to the Honda CRF190L that debuted last month in China.

However, despite the hardcore adv-style approach with the design, Benelli appears to have opted for a 19/17-inch wheel setup, instead of the 21/18-inch setup favoured for hardcore ADV bikes. That said, it sports other elements like the big bash plate, tubeless wire-spoke rims, and the high-mounted exhaust, all of which make the ADV’s intentions clear.

Benelli has utilised its 500cc platform in multiple formats including that of an ADV (TRK 502 and TRK 502X), a Scrambler (Leoncino 500) and a power cruiser (502 C). Earlier this year, we reported that the 500cc engine may soon be updated to 550cc. So, Benelli is likely to reserve the 650cc V-twin platform for more premium offerings.

Will we get this bike in India? Given Benelli’s portfolio in India, it is likely that the new ADV may grace Indian roads. However, given that these are patent images, we may be a couple of years away from seeing the production-ready version.

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