Benelli Imperiale 400 Review
Bike Tested: Benelli Imperiale 400; Road Test No. 1157; Test Location: Mumbai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 2,10,500/-
Imperiale is a retro-styled classic motorcycle, a first from Benelli in India
We Indians love retro classics when it comes to motorcycles. You can’t deny the fact that a retro-styled motorcycle has a special place in our hearts. No wonder bikes from Royal Enfield sell in huge numbers even though they don’t have the best to offer all the time. Now Benelli has decided to try its luck in the classic retro-styled motorcycle market with its Imperiale 400. Unveiled at EICMA 2017, Benelli finally launched the Imperiale in the Indian market in October 2019. The Imperiale 400 is one of the first single-cylinder motorcycles from Benelli after it made its comeback.
Motor Quest: In the early 1900s, Benelli has produced cruisers in the past. While they entered India with their high-performance motorcycles in naked sport and adventure category, the Imperiale is the first single-cylinder retro-styled cruiser motorcycle by Benelli in India.
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The Imperiale has an attractive old-school styling
Styling – The design language of the Imperiale 400 screams only one thing and that is “retro”. With design elements inspired from the past, the bike is tastefully designed and sets a bar for what a retro classic should look like. Imperiale has round headlamps, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, oval tail light, and round indicators. Subtle chrome accents all over the body keep it modern with a blacked-out engine and exhaust pipe along with a split seat. The design of the bike would definitely make heads turn wherever you go. The bike is also quite huge giving it a lot of road presence.
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Dual-pod analogue-digital instrument cluster work pretty well
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The Benelli has dual-pod analogue-digital instrument cluster. It has analog needles for both speedometer and tachometer. Using an analog instrument cluster goes well with its classic design, twist the throttle and needles going up would definitely make you satisfied. At the same time, it keeps itself modern and user-friendly with a digital console that consists of an odometer, a trip meter, fuel gauge, and a gear position indicator. The quality of the switchgear is decent and up to the mark. It feels solid and well built while it is easily accessible on the go. There are no LEDs, all halogens.
