The Benelli Tornado 302 is the full faired version of the TNT 300 sold in India and will be locally assembled when it arrives in the market some time next year.
Benelli has managed to create quite a storm at the ongoing 2015 EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan with the unveil of the Tornado 302. The full faired offering has made a comeback to the Benelli stable since the Tornado 1130 and is the manufacturer’s newest supersport bike coming after a span of over a decade. What makes the Tornado 302 extremely special is its underpinnings shared with the TNT 300 and it is bound to make its way to the Indian market.
Targeted at A2 license holders in Europe, the 2016 Benelli Tornado 302 is looking to tap the Kawasaki Ninja 300, KTM RC 390 and Yamaha R3’s market share and gets a neatly designed fairing offering a big bike appearance. The single headlight cluster tends to give a bulky feel but does lend a unique styling different from the rivals. In terms of mechanicals, the Tornado 302 uses a tubular steel frame with 41 mm USD front forks and a monoshock setup at the rear. When launched in India, the supersport could be called ‘Tornado 300’.
Power on the Benelli Tornado 302 comes from a 300cc twin-cylinder engine tuned to churn out 35.4 PS of power at a whopping 12,000 RPM and 27 Nm of torque at 9000 RPM, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Benelli claims an unofficial top speed of around 170 km/hr which does seem optimistic considering a dry weight of 180 kgs. The fuel tank capacity stands at 14-litres. In India, Benelli could opt for the same configuration as the TNT 300 churning out a higher 38 PS at 11,500 RPM and 26.5 Nm at 10,000 RPM.
Other mechanical bits include dual 260 mm petal front discs and a single 240 mm disc at the rear with ABS offered as standard. The Benelli Tornado 302 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels that are wrapped with 110/70 front and 150/60 rear Metzeler tyres. The Italian automaker will be revealing the final production model at the 2016 Auto Expo while sales in India are expected to commence in the following months. Like the TNT 300, the Tornado 302 will also be locally assembled and is likely to get ABS from the start.
Pictures Source – Vikrant Singh on Twitter