DSK-Benelli BN 302: First Review

Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturers; in fact, it is even older than Ducati and MV Agusta. For those who don’t know, Benelli has had a tremendous history at the famous Isle of Man race too. And thanks to its association with DSK MotoWheels, it is now set to mark an entry in the Indian motorcycling scene. The Italian marque will make its debut in the Indian market with its entry-level model, the BN302. A single glance at the DSK-Benelli BN 302 is enough to tell you that it has been targeted at young riders.

The large v-shaped headlights complimented by the puny windscreen above it makes the BN 302 look like a robot straight out of the movie i-Robot. The dual disc and golden upside down forks gives it a masculine personality. Moving on to the side, the 16-litre tank is nicely shaped with well cut out knee recesses to grip the tank at. The arrow-head shaped cowl that extends from the front of the tank gives it a proper ‘big-bike’ feel. The underseat exhaust similar to the one on the Kawasaki’s ER-6N is a good addition. 

At 795mm it does sit fairly high, but the tall handle bars and the wide seats make for comfortable riding posture. The pillion seat is pretty wide too. The chunky grab rails and the large tail light flows well with the rest of the design. The DSK-Benelli doesn’t just have the sporty looks; it has a big heart too. Powered by a 300cc twin-cylinder DOHC engine, it makes 36.7PS of power and 27Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. To put things into proportion, the Kawasaki Ninja 300 makes about the same amount of power and torque. That said, at 185kg it is 13kg heavier than its Japanese rival, and that despite the fact that the DSK-Benelli is a naked.  

The steel trestle frame supported by the upside down fork and swingarm type suspension at the back is expected to provide a fine balance between quality ride and handling. A bike that promises to go fast, needs to have equal prowess in terms of braking, two 260mm discs up front and a single 240mm disc at the back perform braking duties on the DSK-Benelli BN 302. 

When the DSK-Benelli BN 302 gets launched in India, it will take on the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Hyosung GT250R and the Suzuki Inazuma in the battle of twins. The DSK-Benelli is scheduled to be launched in India before the end of the year. Whether or not the Benelli BN 302 will bring in the kind of numbers that DSK is expecting it to is a question only time will answer, the its entry into the Indian market sure gives enthusiasts something to look forward to.