Benelli Reveals Three New Bikes in 250cc and 500cc Segments at EICMA 2022
The Tornado Naked Twin 500, BKX 250 S, and BKX 250 adventure bikes are the three all-new models that Benelli has unveiled for the 2023 model year. All three bikes feature fundamentally innovative designs that will set them apart from the competition. They were displayed at the current EICMA 2022.
- The Tornado Naked Twin 500 shares the same 500cc engine as the Benellis BKX 250 S naked bike.
- It has supermoto vibes.
- A small-capacity adventure motorcycle with wire-spoke wheels is the BKX 250.
Benelli Tornado Naked Twin 500: Details
The 500cc parallel twin engine inspired by the new Leoncino 500, TRK 502, and 502C is used in the 2023 Benelli Tornado Naked Twin 500, a new naked roadster. Like its siblings, this motorbike produces 47 horsepower and 46 Nm from its engine, and you can anticipate a deep exhaust tone from it. Apart from updating the airbox and exhaust system, Benelli has also changed the design of the clutch and transmission cover.
What is new and more interesting about this bike is the quirky design aesthetic, especially the face, which looks like something out of a motorbike custom shop. The Benelli Tornado Naked Twin 500 sports one of the most aggressive head-on views of any production motorcycle, with prominent winged DRLs flanked by vertically stacked LED low and high beam lights. According to Benelli, this will be the overall design motif for all its upcoming motorcycles.
The remainder of the motorbike is more conventional, with an aggressive European road naked appearance, a larger (14-litre) fuel tank, and a split seat configuration. To give the motorbike the look of a big bike, the Benelli Tornado Naked Twin 500 receives a redesigned frame, a thicker 50mm USD fork, a mono-shock, and a twin 320mm front disc. The front and rear tires ride on 17-inch alloy wheels with 120 and 160 classes, respectively.
The company claims that users can answer and end conversations using the controls on the handlebar of the Tornado Naked Twin 500, which features a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. In the second half of 2023, this new motorcycle will go on sale overseas; At the moment, it is not clear whether it will be offered domestically as well.
Benelli BKX 250, BKX 250 S: Details
The Benelli BKX Twins are, to put it mildly, a strange-looking pair, especially with the flashy bright yellow wheels. Benelli’s native Italy, Pesaro, has been in charge of the styling. The 249cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces 21Nm at 8,000rpm and 25.5hp at 9,250rpm powers both variants. This engine is paired with a 6-speed transmission. A 41mm USD fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock, though with different amounts of travel – 150mm for the BKX 250S and 180mm for the BKX 250 – handle the suspension duties on both models.
Intended use and wheel diameter are where these models diverge. With its short nose and upward-facing exhaust muffler, the BKX 250S is a naked bike with a hint of supermoto styling. It runs on 17-inch rims with tire sizes of 110/70ZR17 (front) and 150/60ZR17 (rear) (rear). A single disc is used for braking at each end, with a 240 mm disc at the rear and a 280 mm disc at the front, clamped by a four-piston caliper.
On the other hand, the BKX 250 has some mild off-road ambitions, supported by wire-spoke wheels shod in all-purpose rubber and some minimal crash protection. The front and rear tires of the BKX 250 measure 100/90-19 and 140/80-17, respectively. Except for the suspension travel, the rest of the hardware is identical to the BKX 250 S.
Both the bikes get the same 13.5-liter fuel tank, which Benelli claims can support a range of over 400 km, along with the same digital LCD cluster and USB charger. The BKX twins will go on sale in mid-2023, at the same time as the Tornado mentioned above, Naked Twin 500, and it is unknown whether the company will sell these motorcycles in the U.S only.
