The upcoming 650cc ADV bike from Benelli is likely to be a road-biased tourer rather than a hardcore trail-bashing adventure motorcycle
Benelli has its hand full with many upcoming models on the verge of rolling out from its assembly line. This has been possible thanks to the multiple models designed and conceptualised by its parent company Qianjiang Group. The Chinese automaker has filed numerous trademarks and design patents for upcoming motorcycles which are likely to wear brand names of both its subsidiaries- QJMotor and Benelli.
While bikes with the former brand name will specifically cater to consumers in China, the letter will be developed keeping in mind the various international markets. Qianjiang has filed another design patent, this time for an all-new adventure motorcycle featuring a 650cc V-Twin engine.
Benelli 650cc Adventure – Brand new design
From the leaked patent images, it is very evident this is a brand new motorcycle that is very unique from contemporary middleweight ADVs currently in the market. Upfront, the bike gets a small flyscreen, a single pod headlight flanked by twin LED DRLs on each side, long semi-fairing and handguards. However, it marks a stark departure with the absence of signature beak in modern adventure tourers replaced by a tyre-hugging front mudguard.
The saddle is a split-seat affair with a very accessible rider seat and raised pillion seat. It also gets a chunky pillion grab rail that extends into a large luggage mounting rack thus expressing its touring capabilities. Other notable styling highlights include a high-set exhaust canister with heat shields, a massive fuel tank and a huge engine underbelly cowl.
As of now, it is very uncertain for which brand- Benelli or QJMotor, this patent has been registered for. However, on a closer inspection, one can spot a tiny ‘Benelli’ logo on the lower left of the front fork. Use of Brembo brakes also hints towards this machine being developed for the Italian brand.
Expected Specifications
Coming to specifications, the bike is underpinned by a 650cc platform which is a completely new tubular steel trellis frame and unlike any other architecture shared between Benelli and QJMotor. Currently, these two brands share the same 500cc and 750cc parallel-twin engines among themselves while there is also a new 600cc four-cylinder engine in the making. The new 650cc V-Twin motor is expected to dish out around 70 horses.
While patents show the bike standing on wire-spoked rims with 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, they are shod with road-going tubeless tyres which makes it more of a tourer than an adventure bike. Even then it should be capable enough to tackle mild off-roading conditions. This is thanks to longer suspension travel from the inverted forks at front and breaking hardware from Brembo.
This new 650cc adventure tourer could be positioned in between TRK502 and the upcoming TRK750 in Benelli’s international lineup and could possibly be named TRK650. When it debuts, it will be pitted against the likes of other middleweight ADVs such as Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650 and the upcoming Triumph Tiger Sport 660.
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
