Benelli’s New ADV Brings The Fight To Triumph, Kawasaki and Suzuki

After tasting success with the TRK 502, Benelli took the wraps off the TRK 800, a maxi-ADV at EICMA last year.  And now, the details of yet another middleweight adventure bike by the Italian bike maker has emerged thanks to type-approval documents. The new middleweight is being called the TRK 702 and will be slotted between the TRK 502 and TRK 800. Interestingly, the new proposition is a bit more exciting than its bigger sibling, well at least on paper. Here is what you can expect from the TRK 702.

The biggest differentiator between the TRK 702 and TRK 800 is the engine. While the TRK 800 sports a 754cc twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine borrowed from the Leoncino 800, the TRK 702 packs a 693cc twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor similar to that of CFMoto’s 700CL-X. The difference in power isn’t all that stark either, with the TRK 800 making 77.2PS and 67Nm, and the TRK 702 most likely to produce 70.7PS and 61Nm, same as the CFMoto 700CL-X. But the bus does not stop there. A different engine has demanded a redesigned steel trellis frame, a different swingarm and while the bodywork shares resemblance to the TRK aesthetics, the styling is more or less new with a sleeker profile over the bulky TRK 502.

What’s most exciting about the TRK 702, especially for hardcore ADV enthusiasts, is that Benelli could throw in a pair of tubeless spoke rims to up the premium quotient. They appear to be similar to the ones we saw on the TRK 800 with a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear setup and should be a big draw for potential buyers given the fact that this is likely to be cheaper than the TRK 800! There will be a road-biased version running 17-inch alloy wheels front and back but both versions essentially appear to share hardware like the Brembo brakes and meaty Marzochhi suspension with the TRK 800. 

Lastly and more importantly, let’s talk about weight. Benellis aren’t the lightest bikes and while the TRK 800 tips the scale at 226 kg dry, the TRK 702 is likely to sit somewhere at 220 kg wet. That in our opinion is fair. If the TRK 702 makes its way to India, we see it taking on the likes of the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, Kawasaki Versys 650 and Triumph Tiger Sport 660. Moreover, if Benelli does bring the more hardcore off-road variant of the TRK 702 to India, it will be the only alternative to the Suzuki within this segment. With the ADV sentiment rife in the market today, this could be a decent proposition especially considering Benelli’s fairly accessible pricing strategy.