[ITZ_Zeta]

Hello Readers,

It's Zeta here, and welcome to yet another ownership review. This time, I’ll be sharing my thoughts and experiences about my latest acquisition, the 2017 Benelli TNT 600 GT.

At the time of writing this, I have covered almost 10000 km in 7 months.



Things I like about the 600GT

• Sweet sounding and smooth Inline 4 engine
• Road presence and looks
• Comfortable ergonomics and suspension
• Handles well for a heavy bike
• Overall Build quality
• Part analog part digital dash

Things I don’t like about the 600GT

• Weak stock brakes
• No ABS
• Weight and top heaviness nature
• Weak low beam output on headlights
• Spare Parts availability
• Heat management

[ITZ_Zeta]

Prelude

With my quarter litre upgrade to Suzuki Gixxer SF250 from my Yamaha FZ back in 2020, I was in the mental state that this was enough for me and it sort of was for touring around in Kerala. You can read about my SF250 here. (Ownership Review | My Pre-owned Suzuki Gixxer SF250).



But once I started exploring the open highways outside Kerala, the SF250 was no longer that fulfilling. I wanted better refinement, more power and better crusing speeds. An upgrade was imminent and these where the things I had in mind regarding the next one.

Criteria

• Pre-owned
• Multi Cylinder
• Middleweight segment
• Fully faired or semi faired motorcycle
• On a budget of 5 lakh

Alternative Considered

Honda CBR650F

When the plan for the upgrade came around, my first preference was the Honda CBR650F.
The ideal candidate for middleweight sports touring. Honda reliability coupled with easy maintenance and cheap spares was the thing I was gunning for. But the same scenario happened to me when I was going around looking for CBR250R during my hunt for a 250cc motorcycle. Overpriced! Every 2015 - 16 CBR650F I encountered had a higher ODO reading (more than 40k), more than 3 owners and questionable service records. However, the asking price did not reflect these facts. Some of them were even quoting prices higher than the ex-showroom prices of the bike.

The only reasonable one that I found was a Tbhpians ad here, but the bike was in UP and I was not exactly in the mood for long travel and NOC transfer works.

I couldn't find any KL registered ones. The itch for 650F was so bad, that I even tracked down a 650F that used to be in my riding circle and attempted introverted persuasive techniques to make them sell it. I think the current owner might be a Tbhpian. If you got a call out of the blue from previous owners, the chances are, I might’ve triggered it. Sorry, not sorry.

Kawasaki Ninja 650

This was yet another promising candidate. The twin-cylinder engine was a proven piece of equipment. I was looking for the 2017 - 2019 version of Ninja 650 and I did test ride a few examples as well. But for some reason, the Ninja 650 didn't resonate with me. It might be because I went expecting the Ninja 300 level smoothness, but I didn't exactly experience that with the Ninja 650s that I test-rode. Then expensive Kawasaki spares and service were also a downer for me. Did not check any Versys 650, because I couldn't find reasonably maintained one in my budget.

Wild card entry - 2003 Honda VFR800 vtec

While I was browsing OLX for Honda 650F, came across a legally imported 2003 Honda VFR800 in Pune. The bike had clocked almost 30k km and had all the legal documents. For some reason, I remembered Ryan F9's video about engines and he claimed that the V4 engine is the best motorcycle engine available in the market.

https://youtu.be/aOTz0Ol8fLA?si=E_Yc96KIh1oDHmCs

Then I went down the rabbit hole of extensively researching the VFR800, figuring out all the ups and downs of the specific model. This would've been a good project bike but ultimately decided not to go for it since I wasn't yet confident enough (Skill wise or monetary wise) to undertake the project. Maybe next time.

[ITZ_Zeta]

Benelli TNT 600GT

During my search for inline 4, I did encounter many Benelli 600i for sale. But my need for a faired motorcycle kept me away from those and that's when I came across the Benelli TNT 600GT.



Benelli usually doesn't have that aspirational values in India and for some reason, I see the brand frowned upon and I understand that too. There might have been some reliability related issues with their TNT 250/300 models and the parent company being Chinese did not help the case for the brand.

I would like to believe the 600i/600GT was their proper attempt at a reliable motorcycle and they have sort of made it. 600i was very popular with the upswept exhaust and sweet sounding Inline 4. But for some reason, the 600GT remained sort of hidden from the spotlight.

When my search for a 650F was leading nowhere, I came across an ad for a 600GT for sale in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. I was around that region during a ride, so decided to take a detour and have a test ride of the bike with no serious thought. The example was a 2015 model, 3rd owner, 17000 km run bike and not that well kept at all. But the engine was rather remarkable for a not so well maintained bike. The bike started up in a single crank and was running rather neatly.

I did a quick test ride around the block and my first thought was why the front brakes are so weak for a bike with twin calipers upfront. The bike was heavy. Pushing it around in the parking lot requires some serious fitness levels and strategies. But once you start moving, the sweet inline 4 engine took care of all the problems, the ergonomics were comfortable and I was sold on the idea about 600GT.

Went back to the drawing board and started researching about the GT and the parts availability for the Benelli’s as well. Was able to find that there are still some vendors left who sell the parts for the bike. Common consumables are still available at ASC.

In June 2024, came across an ad for a 2017 model 2020 registered Benelli 600GT posted by a Bengaluru based pre-owned super bike dealer. This was probably the last 600GT sold in the country, ran 14000 km, single owner, with service all done at Benelli ASC and records meticulously maintained, even the original invoice. Some day in June of 2024, went to the dealer showroom with a friend to check the bike and the bike was exactly as described by the dealer. The only issue that I could see was excessive play in the front brake lever, which I figured out to be a failing master cylinder and a bank hypothecation that needed to be closed, Other than that, I didn't see any issues.



After inspection, went back to Kerala and started to weigh the pros and cons of the bike and the long term upkeep of the bike. This was the first bike ever that I had come across that was this clean in my quest for a middleweight tourer for almost a year and finally decided to bite the bug and fulfill the inline 4 dream.

Negotiated with the dealer and I got myself the Benelli TNT 600GT for 4.3 Lakh. The dealer also took upon himself the task of closing the hypothecation and RC transfer to my name as well.

As soon as I took the delivery of the bike, a few kilometers into the city, the front left fork started to leak. The bike had aftermarket fork covers which were in bad condition and the disintegrated dust of the fork cover might have comprised the seal. The dealer did offer to fix the leak and the leak might have been sorted with just the dirt removal, but I already had plans to take the bike for a major service before I took it back to Kerala and the fork oil change was already in the books.

Since I had to get back to Kerala that day itself, I kept the bike at my friend's house in Bengaluru and went back. Life commitments kept me away and I was only able to come after 1.5 months.

On 23 Aug, I went to Bengaluru and picked up the GT from my friend's place and promptly headed to Highlander Bengaluru, but ultimately, I ended up at Benelli ASC itself.

The reason being, that Highlander wasn't able to source the fork oil seal in time and Benelli ASC did not do over the counter sale. So in the end, I decided to take the bike to Benelli ASC itself for the service and it took a full day for the work to be done.

The next day, I returned to Wayanad with the GT and it was a 290 km long ride thru open roads, forest curves and occasional bad roads where I tasted all the things the GT has to offer and I am a happy man.

[ITZ_Zeta]

Design and styling

Whenever I see the bike, the word BiG comes to mind. Coming from the Gixxer, the GT is a pretty big bike. The semi fairing with integrated indicators looks very good in my eyes. Originally, the bike had a puny visor, which the previous owner tastefully modified to a taller visor with clamp for phone/camera mount.



The bike does gather attention from people, but not at the level the Green machines catch. But I do get the usual questions that all big bike owners get. Park it with the sea of commuter bikes and it will blend in with the white tank and dark grey fairings. But the height of the bike and those crash guards will give it away. I have removed the Benelli logo from the tank since the logo was yellowing and I preferred decals. So people now walk around trying to guess the bike, which is fun to watch. Usually, it's either of these four reactions

• That's a rare Benelli you have
• Oh, never knew Benelli had this model
• Who is Benelli
• I’ll do you one better….Why is Benelli

Unlike the naked sibling 600i, the GT comes with an underbelly exhaust and I feel it could've been designed better with the welds or properly hidden with an underbelly panel or something. Not sure why, but whenever I see the exhaust, I start comparing it against the exhaust setup of the Fazer 600/1000 and wishing for it.



The tank is huge and fully metal. The seat is a single setup with a slight step and has ample space for the rider and pillion. The GT also has rather chunky looking grab rails which at first I thought it was metal, but is plastic and well built.

The rear gets an all LED Tail Lamp unit with integrated indicators which are very bright and end with a long plastic mudguard. Personally, I think the tail lamp could’ve been designed better. But it does give a distinct character to the bike.



The bike also had a tyre hugger on the swing arm near the shock, but it seems the previous owner removed it by cutting it off and lost that part. Due to that, mud and dirt get thrown against the back of my leg during rainy rides. I am not able to find a new one and as per Benelli spares website, it costs almost 61 euros. So the hunt for an alternative is ongoing. For the time being, I have set up some jugaad with a piece of plastic that was lying around.

The frame has mounting points to hook up a saddle stay. The Benelli had a GTS model which had the saddle stay and panniers as stock.

The GT also gets a chrome crash guard as stock which is wide. It exceeds a bit more than the handlebar, so squeezing through traffic will need a bit of caution. But boy is this functional. I have already dropped the bike at the parking lot and the GT just leans on this crash guard. The fairings nor the handlebar doesn't even touch the ground, so lifting the bike back up doesn't require excessive effort.



I wish I could repaint it to black, but when I checked, they said the repaint won't last. My friends have started to call it angel wings now.

[ITZ_Zeta]

Engine and Transmission

The GT has a liquid cooled 600cc Inline 4 engine with 84 PS of power and 56 Nm of torque as per the service manual. I hear it's sort of based on the older Yamaha R6 engine.



Performance is very linear and predictable. The low end torque is low, which is the common case with inline 4, but this catches you off guard if you are not careful in very slow speed manoeuvring, due to the weight of the bike.

The 6-speed gearbox is rather nicely spaced and hasn't caused much of an issue. I felt anything below 2500 rpm to cause knocking in higher gears and I generally shift down around 3000 rpm. The shifts are smooth at lower revs when compared to my SF250, but not that smooth when compared to CBR 650F. On higher revs though shifts are butter smooth and fun.



The clutch is on the heavier side and you will hate it during traffic.

100kmph comes around at 5250 rpm at 6th gear, so you can cruise at a relaxed pace all day long with plenty more power to overtake and perform quick dashes. The GT is fuel injected and its throttle response is rather good. But I feel the fueling could've been better during the ON-OFF transition

That being said, the GT doesn't exactly set the spec sheet on fire with performance, especially when compared against the competition. It doesn't give the shove back effect like the Ninja 650 or Z650. But it still dishes out respectable performance which will satisfy a relaxed tourer like me, with occasionally controlled blasts. I for one, haven't felt the bike is underpowered and maybe it might be due to the fact that I am upgrading from a 250.



The heat management could've been better for a 600cc bike, especially when compared to CBR 650F. The operating temperature usually stays between 85-91 degrees when the bike is moving. The radiator fan kicks in after 91 degrees and then turns off at 86. During riding, most of the time, the fan remains off. But at slow speed with no airflow, the temperature spikes quickly. The bike hit 100 degrees, twice. Both times, it was in Bengaluru, stuck in a gridlock with no airflow. But the bike never overheated and turned off as you see in some YouTube videos for 600i. It seems the GT manages heat better than the 600i. When the fan comes on, it doesn't direct the heat to your legs and roast it. But in general, you will feel a bit of warmness that comes with the big bikes below the waist areas.

Speaking of coolant, the Italians royally messed up the placement of the coolant overflow/reservoir tank for the GT. They somehow figured out the centre of mass of the bike and chose to keep the coolant reservoir there. I really can't properly check the coolant levels. It's really in an inconvenient location right in the middle of the bike and if you want to refill it, the fuel tank has to be lifted off.



This reminds me of this video of Jeremy Clarkson.

https://youtu.be/MMqKlr5rsJA?si=t0TFkI10TFDuJfX0

Build quality:

I very much like the build quality of the GT. Every panel and metal part feels built to last. The body panels have a nice solid feel to it and the paints have a nice glossy finish. Most of the panels are bolted on, so no worries about clips breaking away. Most of the bolts and bits are Allen key type and have a nice quality to them as well.



That being said, Benelli being Italian, there are bound to be a few niggles as is the case with all Italian bikes. I did feel a few components could have been designed or made better such as the two-part chain slider, both of which disintegrated at 15000 km, and transparent plastic turning yellow such as the logo, sheath of the brake line etc.



Also, it's a common issue with the 600i and 600GT that the ignition coil cracks and shorts out at low rpm, causing missing. During the service with Benelli Bengaluru, one of the coils developed a crack. OEM ignition coils cost 4123Rs for one and to replace four, that's almost 16500 Rs right there. The newer ones have steel covering instead of brittle plastic.

I replaced the cracked one from Benelli ASC.
Then I sourced aftermarket ignition coils which cost 2500 per piece. The quality of aftermarket ones was comparable to OEM and I replaced the remaining three as preventive maintenance myself at around 15500 km.



Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room i.e. The weight. Except for a few rubbery parts, most of the bike are very well built. But it seems to follow the old philosophy that “If it ain't built heavy, it ain't built strong”. Fully filled up, it weighs 243kg. That's 7kg away from a quarter ton and its lot of weight for a 600cc bike.

[ITZ_Zeta]

The Ride / Suspension:

The GT comes with 50mm upside down forks up front and don't have any adjustability. Not sure if it's made in house or from the brand marzocchi. The thick and heavy forks do take punishment rather well and you only feel the very bad bits of the road on the handle.



I did get a leaky left fork when I got the bike, not exactly sure what the cause is, might have been the dust from the disintegrating aftermarket fork covers it had, but I was mentally prepared to replace the fork oil and seals since the bike was after all kept in a warehouse for long time.

The rear is supported with a side mounted mono shock with preload and rebound adjustability. The rear suspension too does take up undulations rather well, without majorly compromising the handling. Even though it's more comfortable than my SF250 in my mind, I still feel the ride could've been plusher. Might be due to me not adjusting the preload to my weight.

The ground clearance on offer is 150mm, so I can cross over moderately challenging potholes and humps that big bikes find difficult, with ease.



The seat Height is 800mm and I am able to flat foot with the GT. I feel the seat is wider than SF250, but it's a bit too soft for my liking. The foot pegs are right below the rider and are not rearset as the 600i. I find it to be a little bit forward set when compared to my SF250. The seating position is fairly upright and relaxed.

People who can't flat foot this bike will find it very difficult to manage at very slow speeds. I am 5 ‘11 and I am able to flat foot and that is one of the main reasons I decided to go for the bike, even with the 243 kg weight. But the good thing is you will only feel the weight during very slow speed manoeuvring. When you are moving, you won't notice it that much.

One point to note is both rider footpegs do not have spring in them, so once folded up, they will remain as such. I take it that this is Benelli’s way to help in pushing the bike around with your legs. But there are times I forget to put it back down and have to do it on the move.

Given the 243 kg weight of the bike, top heaviness is something to be expected, which is something I have seen with the Tiger 800. But for some reason, it's not that bad. Maybe it's because I can flat foot it and it's not something that is unmanageable for me. Couple of my friends felt the Himalayan 450 to be much more top heavy than the GT.



Does the weight compromise on handling? Surprisingly no. It handles rather brilliantly for a heavy machine. I was taking corners and hairpin turns on Wayanad ghats very confidently at slow speeds (above 5kmph) without losing composure at all and it was awesome. But I have to say, as a person coming from the nimbler SF250, sure, the bike will feel heavy to handle at first, but I got used to that dynamics in like 30 minutes of riding.

That being said, you have to be very careful during very slow speed manoeuvres - below 5kmph. Since I can flat foot the bike in normal scenarios, I can get by. As I said, I did drop the bike two times, because I misjudged small inclines in the curb when taking the bike out of parking and I wasn't quick enough to flat foot/ throttle it out. After a few degrees of lean on standstill, the top heaviness increases exponentially and a few seconds later the bike will rest comfortably on the crash guard and you stand there in embarrassment. Plus point about fully geared, they won't see your embarrassed face. The Gixxer has spoiled me with its lightweight build and I might have to take some slow speed lessons soon.

[ITZ_Zeta]

Tyres

When I got the bike 14000, it was on the second set of tyres. The front was 120/70 r17 vredestein centuro and the rear was 180/60 r17 michelin road 5. I believe the stock ones that came were dry rotted and changed prematurely, and I am not sure how much the previous owner got out of it.

At 23000 km, the front tyre was worn out and the rear was showing microscopic leaks so changed to TVS Roadhound tyres of the same spec. The RoadHounds are performing rather remarkably with the GT. In my mind, I sort of feel the last pair might have worn out rather soon. Will update about the RoadHounds after logging a few more miles.



Both the rims are alloy, thick and heavy. Almost as if they are over engineered to take punishments.


Brakes

The bike has two 4-piston radial calipers up front coupled with 320mm floating discs. The caliper has Benelli branding on it but I think it is rebranded brembos because it seems to look identical to the Brembo units found in the BMW S1000RR (asymmetric version).



The front master cylinder is a 16mm axial setup with adjustable levers and I don't understand why Benelli decided to go with an axial MC for radial calipers. It's widely known that the 600i/600GT has weak brakes and when I got the bike, the front MC was already on its way out at 14000 km. And yet for some weird reason, Benelli doesn't sell MC repair kits and should replace the entire Master cylinder and lever for 7000 Rs.



I was not in the mood to spend that money on the axial unit again, so I decided to experiment with an RCB 17mm radial master cylinder, which cost me 10000 Rs and some new steel braided brake lines. Although the RCB is a bit underwhelming because it's a bit sponge for a radial MC on the GT, the bite and available feedback from the radial unit are awesome. Anchors are dropped very fast and reliably. After the unit change, my Braking confidence with the GT has improved phenomenally.



I am now on the lookout to get my hands on a stock radial unit from another bike, preferably a Brembo or Nissin without breaking the bank.

The rear has a double piston caliper with a 260mm disc and speedosensor is also coupled to the rear wheel. The brake has great bite and feedback for a heavy machine. The GT doesn't have ABS which is a downer.



During my visit to Benelli ASC in Cochin, the service advisor mentioned that someone had fitted the RE interceptor's ABS unit in their GT. Did not ask much about asking specifics, since the aftermarket addition of ABS is a gamble and I'd rather not take it.

[ITZ_Zeta]

Fuel Efficiency

I am able to get an average fuel efficiency in between 18 and 22 kmpl in mixed driving conditions in Kerala and around neighboring states. The highest I got was 23 kmpl, riding from Theni to Cochin in a very relaxed manner, not exceeding speeds above 80. The lowest I got was 15 kmpl when riding around In Bengluru traffic.

The GT has a huge 27 litre tank, the biggest I have encountered and as per the service manual 5L is reserve. With this, the fuel stops will be rather minimal, if you drive sedately. Drive super enthusiastically and Benelli will drink it up rather quickly.



Also, there were reports with 600i that when fueling up to the brim, the fuel leaks out via the overflow duct. I haven't encountered this issue with the GT. But to be on the safer side, I always fuel up with the bike on the side stand and don't fill it to the brim by leaving some space on top.

The manual says to use RON95, but I tried both normal and XP95 and wasn't exactly able to notice much of a difference. The compression ratio is 11.5:1 though.

Lights and Instrumentation

The headlight has a halogen projector setup for low beam and a halogen reflector for high beam. The low beam is Always on headlamp and I am finding the low beam to be severely lacking. The high beam is fairly powerful for a reflector setup, but civic sense prevents me from using it excessively when oncoming traffic is involved.



The rear tail lamp and indicators are all LED and are very bright.

Benelli has also provided holes in the frame upfront to allow mounting of aux lights under the headlamp. Like almost as if they know the headlight won't do a good job. Or it might have been for the number plate holder. But anyway, I'll be adding AUX lamps soon. I have already added a wiring harness from Vaishnu and I am currently researching which AUX light to go for.

The dash is a part analog part digital setup which is my favorite. The tacho is analog along with a few important telltale lights. The rest is digital. The digital panel shows speed, time, coolant temperature and fuel level. The temperature is shown in numerics which I highly prefer. The fuel gauge is typical bars and could've been more accurate in my humble opinion. The large 27 litre tank does not have any baffles, so sloshing fuel tends to give out inaccurate readings. But as a thumb rule, always fill up in between half and quarter capacity. The bike has two buttons, one to cycle between 2 trip meters and the other to display the data in imperial units. I would have prefered the bike to show voltage instead of imperial units.



The switch gear is pretty basic and I feel it could've been of better quality. The lettering is already fading with use. That being said, the switchgear appears to be different from the other GTs I have encountered and this is more in line with the ABS version of the 600i.

The mirrors are aesthetically pleasing but functionally useless. I can only see my elbows. Need to upgrade to an aftermarket one and I am currently researching for a suitable option.



The bike has no rider aids like ABS or traction control. The bike does have two ECUs though. Not sure why. Is it an old bike thing?

NVH

It might be a surprise for some, but the exhaust of the GT is rather muted for some reason. Most come expecting the bike that sounds similar to the 600i, but the 600i is way louder than the GT in stock form. Even the new Honda CBR650R is louder than the GT. The exhaust note is very sweet and you need to be at a very high rpm range to invoke the screamer from the inline 4 with stock exhaust.

The Benelli dealer didn't give the previous owner the IXIL exhaust that they usually provided at extra cost and I sort of want to add one too. But, Kerala MVD terrifies me, so I won't, well at least for some time.



As far as vibrations are concerned, the bike does have a little bit of buzz, between 5000 and 6500 rpm, which I'd like to believe is caused by secondary vibrations, but it's not annoying. During the rest of the rpm range the bike is smooth. After 7000 rpm is the place to be. Butter smooth performance accompanied by an awesome inline 4 exhaust note is just spectacular. I don't think I would've been able to experience this with Ninja 650.

[ITZ_Zeta]

The ASC experience

Benelli ASC Bengaluru, KA

When I got the bike, I decided to do a major service in Bengaluru itself, before riding back to Kerala. My original plan was to go to Highlander, but the lack of part availability at Highlander and urgency from my side caused me to end up with Benelli ASC.

The following works were done:

• Front fork overhaul with new seals
• Engine oil and oil filter change
• One ignition coil change
• Fuel filter and throttle body cleaning
• Air filter
• Spark plugs

The total bill came out to be 24,339 Rs, With 13,224 for the parts and consumables and 11,115 for the labor.

Parts cost (OEM)

Air filter - Rs 605
Oil filter - Rs 308
Fork oil seals - Rs 456 for one
Spark Plug - Rs 900 for one
Ignition Coil - Rs 4122 for one

The labor charges left a bitter taste in my mouth, to be honest. Benelli Bengaluru does not sell parts over the counter, so that's another bummer.



They also did something to the front master cylinder which almost fixed the excessive play, but the fix didn't last long and by 21000 km, the front brake was fully spongee.

Benelli ASC, Cochin, KL

Benelli has another ASC in Cochin as well. I believe it is run by the same management as the one in Bengaluru. I have done a small job with them to replace the disintegrated chain sliders which required the removal of the swingarm.



Plus point with Benelli Kerala was they were willing to sell the parts over the counter for me at a nominal extra charge. But now it seems if I want to buy the parts, I need to give labor charges for those parts as well.

The good thing is, I have found an independent workshop in Cochin itself called Marikar Service World, which does a very good job in servicing the Benelli's and they also source and sell parts. The rear wheel and sprocket bearing were shot at 15000 km, which the Benelli ASC Bangalore wasn't able to predict beforehand and the job was carried out by Mr. Bilal and his team perfectly.

I also performed a general service at 23000 km from Fmotors Cochin, whom many Tbhpians are familiar with. During that, the rear brake pad was changed to EBC since the previous set was worn out.

The service interval is every 6000 km as per the manual.

The story of RCB and Spongeness

When I got the GT, I got the RCB 17mm master cylinder as well in parallel, assuming the stock master cylinder was completely gone. But I only went about fixing it after 7 months because the Bengaluru ASC was able to do some temporary fix and I needed to source additional parts such as a double banjo bolt, new brake lines etc since the stock brake line was sort of degrading and the length wasn't sufficient to couple it to the radial MC.



I went the DIY route to change the MC and decided to go for raceline setup, with two separate lines going to the calipers from the master cylinder itself. But when I fitted it along with new steel braided brake hoses, I wasn't able to completely remove the air in the system, so the lever was sponge. I wanted to try to reverse bleeding but apparently, medical stores won't sell me a large syringe because as per the govt, druggies thrive on abnormally large syringes.

So I figured I'd drop by the LRL workshop at Cochin. After all, they are the official importers of the RCB parts in Kerala. But for some reason, even they couldn't figure out why the brake lever was sponge. They said they couldn't replace it as the warranty was only for 6 months and I missed it by a month, so instead, they tried to use a new MC repair kit for the RCB. But still no luck.



Then when I dropped by FMotors for general service, I thought I'd let Sanju give it a try. Sanju performed his magic and voila, no more air. The spongeness is 85% gone and the bite has improved remarkably. Turns out, the brake line I used was a little bit longer and air was trapped at a hose bend. All it needed was good tapping and shaking a few times at those bends to dislodge the air and normal bleeding again. Sanju also said RCBs tend to be a hit or a miss, so I am now actively searching to find suitable radial units from other bikes.

The best option for me is to find a used radial MC from other bikes, like Kawasaki, Triumph or Suzuki. Preferably from bike owners who have upgraded to superior units. I really don't want to spend 40000 Rs on newer Brembos since I am not exactly going to be a speed demon with the GT. The search is ON and leads are appreciated.

Works to be done

• The throttle cables need to be changed.
• The chain and sprocket need to be changed. It's running on factory stock ones, and it's nearing 25000 km
• Coolant flush
• Master cylinder upgrade V2
• Mirror Upgrade
• Fog light addition

[ITZ_Zeta]

Conclusion

The Benelli TNT 600GT is a great bike for a relaxed tourer. The first of the mechanically reliable offerings from Benelli and it's a great bike to munch miles. In a span of 7 months, I have covered 10000 km and that is something. Truth be told, most of these Kms logged are just me traveling to Cochin from Wayanad and back every fortnight thanks to hybrid work, but you can't do something like that if the bike is not engaging. Even with the weight, it's very comfortable and the sweet inline 4 will take you places.

Is it a bit expensive to maintain for a 600cc bike? Sort of yes. I personally feel the service cost skyrockets due to these hour-based labor charges. I feel the parts prices are comparable to the competition like Kawsaki and Triumph. If you have access to regular consumables parts and like wrenching on bikes to sort out a few minor Italian niggles or have access to a reliable independent workshop, then go for it.

As always, research and testrides are the key when going for any bike (New or Pre-owned) and this will definitely reward you.



Will be back with more updates. Until next time, cheerio!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Vikram8891]

Nice to see one more Benelli thread here on TeamBHP.

I owned a ABS TNT 600i for an year and close to 11,000 kms and had put up a thread on it here as well.

I was honestly tired of the spongy and weak front brakes and tried so many things to make it better including changing the front brake pads. However, eventually till the day I sold it, this was a gripe.

I had had the opportunity to test ride a 600 GT and was in the market for one in 2019. The sellers were a pair of riding brothers who had upgraded to a Multistrada after riding the GT for 3 years or so and 30,000 kms. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the weight too despite being able to flat foot it. They were selling it with massive Givi panniers at an unbelievably low price but the lack of ABS kept me away and I eventually got the 600i.

One thing to take care of - please be wary of potholes. I ended up bending both the alloys of my 600i when I hit a pothole on the highway around 80-100 kmph. They are very expensive.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of bikes have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[swami.n]

Congratulations Zeta on the new acquisition. Wishing many happy miles on the bike. Though I haven't ridden the 600 yet, it sounds lovely

Regarding the service cost, if you can source spares for the regular service, a trusted fng would keep the cost of service lot lower than A.S.S considering the bike would be out of warranty.

I do the same for my Suzuki Inazuma, but anyways I don't have a choice as Suzuki big bike service is not available in Chennai