Benelli seems to believe more than ever in the medium-displacement sports bike segment and, from what we saw at EICMA, it’s not even the only manufacturer to predict that this is a category ready to make a comeback, after having been on the sidelines for a few years. It’s clearly aimed above all at young people, and it doesn’t do so with a single model, but with three different bikes. The Tornado name returns on the bodywork of three models equipped with three different twin-cylinder engines: 300, 400 and 500.
Benelli Tornado 300
Compact and dynamic, Benelli’s “small” fairing is an easy sports bike that bets on fun and aims to win over those who approach the world of “full-fairing” and is a bike, as they say in these cases, global. The heart is a 300cc four-stroke twin-cylinder, an evolution of the in-line twin-cylinder already present in the 302S and 302R. Power is 35 hp (26 kW) at 11,000 rpm and torque is 27 Nm at 9,000 rpm. The gearbox is a 6-speed with chain final drive. The frame is made of tubular steel lattice with an inverted fork with adjustable 41 mm diameter rods and 120 mm of travel. At the rear is a swingarm with a preload-adjustable spring monoshock with 147 mm of wheel travel. The 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels have 110/70 tires at the front and 150/60 tires at the rear. Also noteworthy is the tank capacity for a bike of this type, with an impressive 14 liters. The brakes are handled by a 260 millimeter diameter semi-floating double disc with a four-piston caliper on the front wheel, while at the rear there is a 240 millimeter diameter disc with a single-piston floating caliper. ABS is, of course, present.
Moving on to the equipment, we find a full-led headlight unit with a polyellipsoidal headlight combined with a reflective parabola for maximum visibility in all conditions. The instrumentation is entrusted to a 5-inch TFT color screen with remote control on the handlebar, which has a Bluetooth connection to connect to the cell phone, indicating incoming calls and notifications. What’s more, by downloading the app to your phone and connecting via Wi-Fi, you can turn your bike’s dashboard into a navigator. There is also a TPMS function for monitoring tire pressure. This small sports bike is also equipped with a USB socket. The fuel tank has a capacity of 14 liters and the seat is 800 mm off the ground.
Benelli Tornado 400
Like its 300 sibling, the Tornado 400 is a compact supersport bike for new generations of motorcyclists, but it definitely raises the bar, and not just because of its displacement. First of all, it’s lighter (172 kg, ten less than the 300) and is equipped with technical elements developed by Benelli R&D exclusively for this bike. Starting with the completely new engine, through to a totally new frame geometry and the use of a single-sided swingarm. A bike with a bold, modern and engaging design, enriched by sporty lines. The engine is still a 399 cc four-stroke twin-cylinder, but, as already mentioned, it has been designed specifically for the Tornado 400. Power is 47.6 hp (35.0 kW) at 10,000 rpm, and torque is 38 Nm at 8,000 rpm. Due to the stroke ratio (51.8 mm) and bore (70 mm diameter) of a “superframe” engine, defining a displacement of 399 cc, it is capable of reaching over 10,000 rpm, achieving true sports bike performance. The frame is based on a tubular steel structure and steel plates bolted to the crankcase and engine head, so that their structure contributes to the overall rigidity of the frame. There is also an inverted fork with a diameter of 37 mm and 115 mm of travel and a new single-sided aluminum swingarm with progressive linkage and a single central shock absorber adjustable for spring preload (141 mm of wheel travel). The 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels feature a modern design and are fitted with 110/70 tires at the front and 150/60 at the rear. The brakes are fitted with a 300 mm diameter semi-floating double disc at the front, with a radial master cylinder and a two-piston floating caliper, while at the rear there is a 240 mm diameter disc with a two-piston floating caliper. ABS is included. The fuel tank is 14.8 liters and the seat height is 795 mm.
In terms of equipment, the Tornado 400 also has a full-led headlight unit, but with the latest generation of overlapping poly-ellipsoidal double headlights. The instrumentation is entrusted to a 5-inch TFT color screen with remote control on the handlebar, which has a Bluetooth connection to connect to the cell phone, indicating incoming calls and notifications. What’s more, by downloading an app to your phone and connecting via Wi-Fi, you can turn your bike’s dashboard into a navigator. There is also a TPMS function for monitoring tire pressure. This small sports bike is also equipped with a USB socket.
Benelli Tornado 500
Finally, we move on to the “biggest” of the three Tornado sisters, the 500. Here too we find aggressive lines and compact dimensions for a modern design aimed at the global market. In this case, the technical base is shared with the Tornado Naked Twin 500, both in terms of the engine and the frame, and here too the bike has been developed entirely by R&D and the Benelli Design Center in Pesaro, which wanted to add a certain originality to the style, not only by modeling larger shapes compared to the other Tornados, but also with a special lighting signature: the position lights draw the fangs of a lion, the Benelli symbol. At the rear, on the other hand, the lights are integrated into the turn signals. The Tornado 500 has a 500 cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder engine. Maximum power is 47.6 hp (35 kW) at 8500 rpm and torque is 46 Nm at 6000 rpm. The engine is an “old” – so to speak – acquaintance, but it has already been updated to the Euro 5+ standard. For the frame, we find a traditional tubular steel trellis layout (the same as the naked bike), the fork is an inverted Marzocchi 41 mm in diameter, adjustable spring preload, hydraulic brake in compression and extension, capable of offering a stroke of 115 mm. At the rear, on the other hand, we find a swingarm with a central shock absorber with adjustable spring preload and extension damping. The travel in this case is 125 mm at the wheel. The 17″ aluminum alloy wheels are fitted with 120/70 tires at the front and 160/60 at the rear. The Brembo brakes are provided by a 320 mm diameter semi-floating double disc with radial master cylinder and four-piston radial monobloc caliper on the front wheel. At the rear, there is a 260-millimeter diameter disc with a single-piston floating caliper. ABS is standard. The instrumentation includes a high-resolution 5-inch TFT color screen, which has a Bluetooth connection to connect to the cell phone and with which, thanks to the handlebar-mounted knobs, it is possible to connect and disconnect calls. Via the Wi-Fi connection, you can also turn your bike’s dashboard into a navigator. There’s also a TPMS function for monitoring tire pressure. USB socket and USBc as standard. We conclude with the last important data: the weight is 186 kg, the fuel tank is 16.5 liters and the seat is 790 or 810 mm.