Italian-branded, Chinese-made, road-focused adventure tourer offers 95bhp performance, 230kg mass and extensive tech spec – for just £7,699
Benelli is one of those classic old Italian marques which had a bit of a renaissance in the late 1990s – then hit the skids. And like a few others, it’s ended up owned by a deep-pocketed firm in the Far East. This time it’s Quianjiang Motors – also known as QJ Motors – which has taken the brand and applied it to a whole range of up-to-date motorcycle designs.
Including this – the new Benelli TRK902 Stradale. As the name suggests, it’s the road-biased variant of the firm’s new TRK902 adventure tourer range, with the usual adaptations for the asphalt, while maintaining the comfort, ease and capability of a taller dual-sport design.
At the heart of the new 902 Stradale is a now-familiar engine: the 904cc parallel twin unit seen on other QJMotor machinery, including that firm’s SRK900 naked and the SRT900 adventure bike. It’s a modern unit, with DOHC head, four-valves per cylinder, plus Euro 5+ compliant emissions and is also shared with the TRK902 Xplorer off-road version.
The firm says it’s ‘optimised for long journeys’ (whatever that means) and offers its best performance at low and medium revs. Claimed torque is strong in the midrange, peaking at 9.2 Kgm (90 Nm) at 6,500 rpm, whilst maximum power is reached at 9,000 rpm, standing at 93 bhp or 68.5 kW.
The intake system is new, featuring dual 46mm diameter electronic throttle body operated by a Ride By Wire system controlled by a Bosch Motronic ECU. There’s also a slipper clutch as standard, while the 21 litre fuel capacity should give excellent touring tank range of well over 200 miles if you’re steady on the gas.
The chassis is fairly unexceptional stuff: a steel tube trellis frame with dual-sided aluminium swingarm, and basic running gear. You get a preload-adjustable rear monoshock and rebound damping adjustable front fork, both badged as Marzocchi parts, while the brakes are also carrying Italian branding.
There are Brembo radial mount four-piston front calipers and a single twin-piston rear, with Bosch cornering ABS functions. Tyres are also from a premium marque: grippy Pirelli Angel GT sport-touring rubber with a very solid bias to tarmac operation rather than the dirt.
As with most of the new Chinese-built bikes, there’s a very decent suite of electronics, both in terms of touring luxury and rider safety/performance aids. There’s an electrically-adjustable windscreen which is a nice touch, as well as a seven-inch colour TFT LCD dash with the usual Bluetooth and Wifi connections.
There’s a radar-assisted lane change assist with collision and blind spot warning system, heated seats and grips, USB sockets, cruise control and tyre pressure monitoring.
On the safety front you get Bosch cornering ABS and traction control, three rider power modes, and an up/down quickshifter. That’s a very solid spec indeed, and would genuinely shame bikes twice that price in similar performance brackets.
The TRK902 Stradale is also a pretty good-looking unit. It comes in white, grey or green colourways, with smart graphics, and classy bodywork design. It’s a little fussy in places – but then that’s arguably true of most of the modern adventure touring bikes out there right now.
Best thing of all? Probably the price. Just £7,699 plus on the road charges will turn many a head that may be considering pricier options from Europe or Japan. And while the new Chinese kit isn’t always a match for premium marques when it comes to refinements like low-speed fuel mapping, gear shifting and overall engine/chassis ‘feel’, they’re getting closer, and that price difference makes up for a lot.
The new 902 Stradale is hitting dealers now: more info at the UK importer: www.benelli.co.uk.
TRK902 Stradale specifications
Price: £7,699
ENGINE
ENGINE TYPE: parallel twin, four valves per cylinder four-stroke, DOHC
DISPLACEMENT: 904cc
BORE X STROKE: 92x68mm
COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.5:1
CLAIMED PEAK POWER: 93bhp@9,000rpm
CLAIMED PEAK TORQUE: 90Nm@6,500rpm
LUBRICATION: forced lubrication with wet sump
FUELLING: EFI with double electronic throttle body
EXHAUST SYSTEM: catalytic converter with triple Oxygen sensor
CERTIFICATION: Euro 5+
CLUTCH: multi disc servo assisted slipper clutch
GEARBOX: six-speed
FINAL DRIVE: chain
IGNITION: Bosch Motronic
COOLING SYSTEM: Liquid cooled
SPARK PLUG: NGK CR9E
STARTING: Electric
PRIMARY DRIVE: Chain
CHASSIS
MAIN FRAME: steel tube trellis
FRONT SUSPENSION: 43mm Marzocchi USD forks with adjustable rebound
FRONT SUSPENSION TRAVEL: 130mm
FRONT BRAKE: dual 320mm discs, Brembo monoblock radial calipers with Bosch cornering ABS
REAR SUSPENSION: aluminium rear swing arm, Marzocchi monoshock with adjustable preload
REAR SUSPENSION TRAVEL: 130mm
REAR BRAKE: Brembo twin piston caliper, 260mm disc with Bosch cornering ABS
WHEELS: cast aluminium alloy
TYRES: 120/70 17 (f), 180/55 17 (r)
Dimensions
LENGTH: 2,220mm
WIDTH: 945mm
HEIGHT: 1,410mm
GROUND CLEARANCE: 190mm
UNLADEN WEIGHT: 230kg
PERMITTED TOTAL WEIGHT: 464kg
USABLE TANK VOLUME: 21L
RESERVE: 3L
WHEELBASE: 1,510mm
SEAT HEIGHT: 820mm