[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by Haroon

Even with all the uncertainties of Benelli, DSK etc, already I read here 130 bookings in western India on the opening 2 days. Thats India!

All the more better for the rest of us. Let them test out, brag, rant and rave. We can observe

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by Haroon

Even with all the uncertainties of Benelli, DSK etc, already I read here 130 bookings in western India on the opening 2 days. Thats India!

Agree with you Sir, no second thoughts.

Sales have really taken off from them in the form of 600i. We Indians always liked Inline 4 Dont you

[apachelongbow]

Good to see the increased booking activity, it will encourage Benelli and DSK to be serious about their Indian tenure. This also shows there is sufficient demand for well priced machines, what ever the brand, it should encourage other players to get more value for money offerings in the higher segment space.

[//M]

DSK Benelli has received 300 bookings in 10 days.

Saw this pic in their fb page:

[djpeesh]

I rode the 600 GT yesterday and while I'm no bike guru, here are a few thoughts. Short ride so didn't get too long with the bike.

The engine is very smooth, brakes despite no ABS are pretty good (and the dual discs in front give it better stopping power than the Bonne),and the pick up is staggering.

The not so good are the really Crap turning radius, the way the boxes protrude and the fact that the rider pegs aren't spring loaded, so when you take a turn or your feet down, they get pushed back and you have to remember to unfold them before riding. The instrument panel is basic and the fit and finish not so great.

[mohan]

Good to see many gentlemen sailing in the same boat as I do, " To Benelli" or " Not to Benelli".
Here are my thoughts over this debacle.
1) I have owned and ridden a Hyosung Aquila-GV 650 for 2 years and 16,000 km respectively, and I have had no issues with the DSK service. Having a good confidence in the dealership, I need to think only about the Brand.
2) Most riders here, especially those who have done long hauls, something like 600-800 kms a day , would know the value of a smooth engine, a mid range torque quality and the suspension. The GT 600 has it all, did take a TD here at the Pune dealership , however the suspension part is extrapolated from other sources, since I did not get to ride over any rough patch to deal with. It's sounded like a bumble-bee weaving through shrubbery .
3) Somebody mentioned about poor turning radius, but frankly the bike is front loaded, has different characteristics ,initially appears unwieldy and hence , the precarious turning radius.

4) The bulk is evident although and wind drag characteristics couldn't be tested since it was a crowded city ride.
5) Benelli is not new to Touring bikes and it has its own knowledge base. For those who don't know , Benelli had a good bike called as 'Amazonas' which indeed was a good tourer.
6) Each bike is made for the individual rider, sit on it, talk to it, touch it and you would know if it's meant for you. No wonder Rossi still talks to his bike
Opinions formed over reviews done by others and the spec sheets dosen't really collate into a "Good buy".
I was advised against buying a Hyosung Aquila over a Harley, but retrospectively, I am glad I made the choice.

BTW, weight, does matter, especially during city rides.
On long tours, one necessarily HAS to pass through crowded junctions and cities.
But weight does add to stability on longer drives.
For me its easy to explain myself.
I had a nasty fall off a Duke 200 trying to save myself from a head-on-collision with a speeding, wrong sided Tata Sumo as it nicked me on the side. Had it been a heavier bike, that graze by the vehicle would have had less impact, less off-balance and probably better control and no collar bone fracture.
7) I will be picking up the GT 600 soon, there is a significant price difference between Mumbai and Pune invoice , since I stay in between, Pune is cheaper and hence more attractive.
Will keep you guys posted over the scenario.

[sovenkat]

The TNT 600i seems to be good buy. A 2005 R6 inline 4 Engine sounds really good.

I have a couple of questions, Since Benelli is coming in the CKD way to india and since Benelli is bought over by a Chinese company now,

how much of the parts locally sourced ? and
For non locally source parts, are the parts imported from china or Italy ?

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by mohan

Good to see many gentlemen sailing in the same boat as I do, " To Benelli" or " Not to Benelli".
Here are my thoughts over this debacle.
...

The 600 is not a Benelli. It is re branded to Benelli with some proven last gen parts/tech on it that produces an awesome note while being priced very well.

It is a great machine for Indian conditions. Bulk will not trouble within a few weeks.

If you had a bulkier machine, maybe you wouldn't be able to swerve far enough and instead of a side on graze, it might have been more of a head on, god forbid.
I think carving traffic is not a big thing after use of few weeks.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by mohan

Good to see many gentlemen sailing in the same boat as I do, " To Benelli" or " Not to Benelli".
Here are my thoughts over this debacle.
1) I have owned and ridden a Hyosung Aquila-GV 650 for 2 years and 16,000 km respectively, and I have had no issues with the DSK service. Having a good confidence in the dealership, I need to think only about the Brand.

Why do you not consider the naked 600? Same engine, much less weight (and bulky plastic), similar riding posture, and no protruding boxes. Just a smaller tank and no wind protection. But honestly, the front of the GT makes me wonder how aerodynamic it really is ....

It was heartening to hear real life feedback from a user like you about DSK's service and attitude.

[//M]

I test rode the Benelli GT600 in Pune a couple of days back. It was a typical short test ride, so the first impressions are:

1. Super comfortable seats, typical of tourers.
2. Smooth motor, very linear power delivery. No sudden burst of acceleration.
3. No vibrations from the gearbox.
4. Fit and finish needs improvement, but feels better put up than other Benelli's on display which had flimsy panels.
5. Old-school instrument panel.
6. I was interviewed about the bike by fellow motorists at a red light during the test ride. So yes the size does attract attention.
7. The sales staff are friendly, typical of new dealerships.
8. It is a heavy motorcycle, difficult to take quick turns.
9. Brakes have good bite. No ABS though.
10. Wanted to check the ride quality but the test ride route had no potholes or speedbreakers as such so cannot comment about the ride quality, in general felt great over smooth surfaces.
11. In the short test ride, I did not feel any heat even though I had to crawl in traffic for some distance.

[wanderlustindia]

My 2 cents on the Benelli range of bikes, particularly the 600 lot which seems have to generated the most interest.

I along with a friend visited the DSK Benelli Mumbai showroom last Saturday. The sales person (designated as Product Manager) seemed like a guy who had done his homework on the bikes. And he was genial and patiently heard us, provided us with all the information we sought. Full marks to him!
We were particularly interested in the 600i. We were allowed a few runs in the block (they'll be offering full test rides once the RTO approves the registration on the test bikes which we were told is another week away).

First impressions are:
1. Fit and finish is good, perhaps not upto the levels of the Japs and the mainstream Europeans. But for the price they're asking, I think it is acceptable quality.
2. Seats are generously sized. The quality of the seat seems good too (although hard to tell outright if they will work well for long hauls).
3. The engine is sans vibes and sounds refined.
4. The exhaust note is sweet both at idle and at revs (IXIL aftermarket exhaust will be available soon and going by the Powerdrift video, it's pure music!)
5. The clutch lever is on the stiffer side and the reach is a bit of an issue. Will need to get used to it.
6. The brake lever is adjustable.
7. Brakes seemed to offer decent bite. My friend said they have very little bite. Then again, it was a new bike, perhaps that is the reason.
8. Acceleration is linear, no sudden surge of power. Perhaps well suited for newbies who are graduating from the 250cc class.
9. Motorcycle is heavy at stand-still but it didn't feel heavy on the move.
10. Turning the bike did not seem to be very difficult. We took ample amount of turns and never felt the weight of the bike to bother us.
11. Gearshifts were smooth (although we could only hit upto the 3rd gear). No false neutrals.
12. The front end looks a bit dull but the rear end is smashing! The under-seat exhausts come with a well put-together heat shields.
13. Suspension is adjustable for pre-load and rebound. The pre-load adjustment requires special tools but the rebound can be adjusted quite easily.

We intend to visit again and do a full test-ride. Will update this thread again with the details of the full test-ride when it happens (hopefully this weekend).

Overall, I and my friend are inclined to go for it. But we'll take the final decision after the full test-ride. Fingers crossed!

[mohan]

Took a test ride of the Triumph Tiger XRX yesterday.
While the GT600 Benelli can't be compared to the XRX, directly owing to the obvious price difference, the TD was awe inspiring.
The TC, ABS could be tested on a 500 metres broken unpaved road, near Pashan Pune.
The RBW(Ride-by-wire) throttle response both in the 'Road' and 'Sport' mode to an outrageous 96bhp triple motor was simply amazing.
The lighter, well poised bike could cruise at 30kmph on the 6th and pick up effortlessly.
Not getting off-topic, over my dumbstruck rambling, I booked the XRX Triumph Tiger.
So NO Benelli for me as of now, although the ride quality of the GT600 was good, I needed a bike which ' I could ride anywhere, everywhere, whenever and forever -since this is the bike I would keep for many many years to come '

[n_aditya]

I checked out the Benelli 600 today and found the fit and finish pretty good. Engine sounded very refined and felt smooth as well. Did not ride it but sat on the bike while the engine was running and I revved it a bit too. No harsh vibes on the bars, seat or pegs.

Overall quality looked and felt good.

Will I consider buying this?

It is priced well and quite competitively too but I prefer sportbikes more than nakeds and mainly the lack of service network is not confidence inspiring.

So for now, not my cuppa but I do look forward to seeing them on the roads soon.

[rahul4321]

I went to the Benelli showroom in Ahmedabad yesterday to check out the 300 and the 600. I am planning to buy a new motorcycle. From a Pulsar 180 to a Electra; I sort of miss the feeling of getting up to high speeds very quickly. I love the Bullet over long distances but for my 60 kilometers commute to work on the highway daily- I am looking at picking up something which can hit 100-120 very quickly and cut down my commute time by almost 35-40%

Why the Benelli? Well, I am a short guy around 5'5 and the super arrogant guys at Kawasaki refused point blank to let me test ride the Z250, er6n and the Ninja 300. They said its 'Kawasaki policy' not to give test rides. And with my height, I don't want to put down 3L+ on a bike and then find out later I am not comfortable with it.

Benelli- ahhh what a surprise!!! They have two showrooms side by side; DSK Hyosung and DSK Benelli (the older Hyosung showroom owned by someone else was revoked of its license by the Hyosung management and the dealership for Hyosung too was given to these new people who have been given the Benelli dealership. Good to hear that!! The older dealer wanted me to put down a refundable 5k for test driving the Hyosung GT250 some years back).

Anyway- back to Benelli. So I parked at their Hysoung-Benelli showrooms and entered the Benelli one. The guy there called Navik is very good. He asked me for my requirements and answered all my questions as best as he could. A couple of times he even answered 'I am not sure, I will check and get back to you'. I like that! No false promises or vague approximations. Without me asking, he also offered me a test drive of the 300 and the 600. Just as I went out, I spotted the Hyosung GT250 and the GT650 also parked in the same test drive section and requested a test drive of those bikes too. Over a span of the next 1 hour, I took a 4-5 kilometer test drive of each of the 4 motorcycles.

Now here is where I need advice and also want to provide all of you with some details on how I felt the bikes performed as well as the treatment from the staff there.

The GT650 was too high for me. I had to tiptoe to balance it. But it handled well apart from when I had to take a U turn and I had a first hand feel of its boat like turning radius.. Then I hopped on to the GT250. I immediately felt the lack of power. It was also a little tall and the same huge turning radius as well as its height (shorter than the GT650 but not by much) made me think twice. Also the seating position was very aggressive and I wasn't sure if I would be able to ride long distance over it comfortably.

I hopped on to the Benelli 300 next. Ahh; what an exhaust. What a wonderful riding position. Seated upright, grippy tyres, slightly clunky gearshift (maybe the engine was cold) but an impressive motorcycle. I hit 100 easily and was cruising at 120 without a care in the world. The best thing is the power which starts from way down the rev range and all through the range and thus gives the motorcycle a very linear acceleration (no gut wrenching acceleration like the Duke 390 or even the Benelli 600 at high revs which I would ride later). Absolutely loved it.

Next up the 600i. Taller than the 300 and way more heavy too. I had to tiptoe on this motorcycle too but it wasn't as bad as the GT650. (I think i'll get used to it). However here is where the problem lies. I have been riding a Bull for the past 5 years and I don't like high revs. The motorcycle felt like it was running restricted at a lower power. So I asked the sales guy about it and he said that the peak power and thrust is produced upwards of 4-5k rpm. He was right. It hurried frantically when I gave it the whip in every gear. But revving high is second nature to me; I usually upshift at the first opportunity (Bullet conditioning + Bolero DI conditioning). I was cruising at 120 in the 4th gear with 2 more gears in the kitty but zero guts left. So I backed down and bought it back to the showroom.

My question: I cant buy without a test drive. So out go the Kawasaki's. The Duke 200 felt 'allright'. No idea about the Duke 250; when will it be launched? The Duke 390's acceleration and the fact it needed high revs was not to my liking. The Benelli 300 impressed me. It has everything I want in a motorcycle (fit and finish excluded) but I am just wondering 'will I get used to it too soon and start looking for an upgrade'. However, another side of me says 'I anyway don't ride above 120 km/hr so a higher capacity motorcycle or an upgrade would just 'get me to 120-130 faster' but I know for sure I wont exceed that self imposed speed limit'. The Benelli 600- like the Duke 390 produce thrust and power at high revs which I am not fond of. But another side of me thinks- I might get bored of the 300 in an years time and then I might just kick myself for not having bought the 600'. In the middle of all this is the question; where is the Bajaj CS400 and the SS400. Should I wait for them?

Confused confused confused!! Please help!!

But oh- full marks to the guys at Hyosung and Benelli at their Ahmedabad dealership. Even when I told them I would think about it and maybe come back for another test ride; they greeted me with a smile and told me to take my time and come back for as many test rides as I want. Absolutely non pushy to close the sale and a 100% customer centric. Kawasaki- learn something!!! As a kid, I had the wallpaper of the Kawasaki ZX-6R in my bedroom but if this is how you are gonna treat your potential customers and your loyal fans, why would I want to buy your motorcycle?

[man_of_steel]

Originally Posted by rahul4321

..However here is where the problem lies. I have been riding a Bull for the past 5 years and I don't like high revs.

Can very well understand that feeling, but may be you will start to love the high revs of the inline 4 and the background music associated with it! If you are sure that would'nt be the case sadly, you have only the ER6-n or the GT650N as options. And other options are much costlier! And you might have to catch hold of some existing owners to get a TR! Kawasaki giving a bike for TR is out of question!

..The Benelli 300 impressed me. It has everything I want in a motorcycle (fit and finish excluded) but I am just wondering 'will I get used to it too soon and start looking for an upgrade'.

That is a dangerous thought, IMHO. If you doubt that you will outgrow a motorcycle soon, then you seem to have set your heart on a bigger and powerful motorcycle! But still, even if you buy yourself a bigger motorcycle, the hunger for power is eternal.

Hope I have confused you more!