The upcoming motorcycle seen in the patents could be part of the Tornado range of sports bikes from Benelli
Benelli and its parent company Qianjiang have been on a rampage as far as development of new models is concerned. In recent times, we have come across several spy shots and design patents floating on the internet. Most of these design patents have been filed by QJ Motor, a subsidiary of Qianjiang.
The Chinese bikemaker is currently at the helm of operations for itself as well as Benelli. In addition, QJ Motor has partnered with several international brands which include Harley Davidson, MV Agusta for their respective entry-level premium offerings. The latest addition to the list of upcoming bikes is a 400cc sports bike from Benelli.
Benelli Tornado 400cc Motorcycle – Patent Leak
This new bike is expected to be retailed under Benelli’s supersport Tornado range. A wide range of Tornado bikes is expected to be added in the future including a 550cc twin and a 650cc four-cylinder. Expected to be called Tornado 402R, this fully-faired motorcycle is most likely based on GS400RR from QJ Motor which made its debut in China recently.
The bike shown in the patent follows the design language seen in Benelli Tornado 252R. This includes a vertically oriented headlight cluster with LED DRLs on both sides and shape of the front fairing that are clearly borrowed from the quarter-litre sports bike. That said, the upcoming 402R flaunts some distinct styling attributes, the most prominent of those is a single-sided swingarm.
It also indicates QJ Motor’s hold on drawing board operations since similar single-sided swingarms have been seen in recent small capacity motorcycles at the budget end of the spectrum. Other highlights include split seats, a clip-on handlebar, a muscular fuel tank and a sleek side fairing. Overall, the 402R appears to be quite a handsome motorcycle.
Hardware Configuration
Underpinnings seem to be borrowed from QJ Motor’s GS400RR which includes a tubular steel frame suspended on upside-down front forks and a rear mono-shock mounted on the swingarm. The Benelli iteration gets slightly lower specifications due to its cost-effective nature. For instance, 402R receives a single front disc brake and axially mounted caliper, compared to the dual front disc setup seen in GS400RR.
Expected Powertrain Specs
Powering Benelli 402R will be a 399cc parallel-twin motor which also has been borrowed from its QJ cousin. While left-side engine covers appear slightly different from the one in GS400RR, the right-side engine covers are very similar. This motor also looks uncannily similar to Kawasaki’s 400cc parallel-twin motor powering Z400 and Ninja 400.
If that is the case, this unit should be capable of dishing out 45hp at 10,000rpm and 38 Nm of peak torque at 8,000rpm while being mated to a 6-speed gearbox. A few days back, QJ Motor unveiled the new SRK 400 in its home market which looks to be based on similar underpinnings and powertrain. It will rival the likes of KTM RC 390 upon launch.
SOURCE
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
