The Benelli TNT 899 and 1130 are being imported from Italy via CKD and CBU routes respectively and will be the flagship offerings from the manufacturer.
After showcasing its first range bikes late last year for the Indian market, Benelli set the hopes quite high with as many as five high-performance products announced. Almost five months down the line, Benelli has kept its word and launched its entire range today including the TNT 899 and the 1130 high-performance motorcycles priced at Rs. 9.48 lakhs and Rs. 11.81 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively. Both the bikes are being imported from Italy, but while the TNT 899 is a CKD import, the top-of-the-line TNT 1130 is a CBU.
Starting with a tad bit more humble Benelli TNT 899, the Kawasaki Z800 competitor carries a distinctive Italian styling with the grasshopper shaped headlights equipped with LED DRLs, massive side fenders on either sides with integrated turn indicators, under-seat exhaust and an exposed trestle and aluminium sub-frame finished in red that compliments the muscular styling on the bike. In terms of power, the TNT 899 employs an 898cc inline 3-cylinder, 4-valve, liquid cooled engine that produces 118 HP of power at 9500 RPM and 88 Nm of torque at 8000 RPM, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The 0-100 km/hr run is achievable in 3.50 seconds while the top speed is rated at 240 km/hr.
Suspension duties are performed by 50 mm Marzocchi USD forks at the front and the rear gets a Sachs monoshock set-up. In terms of stopping power, the TNT 899 gets 320 mm twin floating discs at the front with 4-piston calipers while the rear gets a 240 mm single disc with dual piston calipers. Riding on Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, ABS is highly missed on the TNT 899, especially for a bike this powerful and this expensive. The centre mounted under-seat exhaust sounds fantastic to the ears.
Coming to the larger TNT 1130, the absolutely feisty three-cylinder bike is tuned to offer the best performance on the road as well as track and carries a meaner design language very similar to the TNT 899. The street fighter is powered by the 1131cc inline 3-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine producing 157 PS at 10,200 RPM and 120 Nm of torque at 8400 RPM, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The TNT 1130 gets 50 mm Marzocchi USD forks at the front and Sachs adjustable monoshock suspension at the rear. The 1443 mm wheelbase ensures the bike is agile at high speeds as it rides on 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels wrapped in 120/70 front rubber and 190/55 rear tyre.
The TNT 1130 is the legendary manufacturer’s flagship bike in the country and is produced at the company’s facility in Italy. Owned by the Qianjiang Group, Benelli is sourcing its other middleweight capacity bikes for India from its facility in China via the CKD route and the entire range is available through nine dealerships set-up in the country that is set to expand further in the year. The company will also launch three new bikes in the second half of 2015 which include the BN 251, Keeway cruiser and TreK Amazonas that were showcased at the India Bike Week last month.
Make sure to read our review of the Benelli TNT 899 HERE.
