Dy-No-Mite! Benelli Unveils Tnt Naked Bike
DY-NO-MITE! BENELLI UNVEILS TNT NAKED BIKE
ROUNDUP
BENELLI HAS FINALLY found its way. Nine years after acquiring what was left of the famous Italian bike-maker, Andrea Merloni has steered the 80-plus-year-old firm back to its original vocation: motorcycles. No more scooters, just motorcycles, strong in personality and performance, characteristics for which Benellis were known before the de Tomaso takeover in 1972.
The first sign of this renaissance is the new TNT, a stunning naked bike evolved from the Tornado Tre repliracer. Rest assured this is not merely a stripped version of the star-crossed Tre, but a much-changed, more highly sophisticated machine that should greatly strengthen the company’s credibility among potential buyers.
The TNT is powered by an 1130cc version of the Tre’s fuel-injected, 898cc, dohc inline-Triple. To achieve the larger displacement, stroke was increased by 12.8mm to 62mm; bore remains 88mm. To retain the engine’s existing deck height and exterior dimensions, the connecting rods were shortened by 6.7mm to 109.8mm, with crank and balance shafts modified accordingly. Up top, the previous pent-roof combustion chamber is gone, replaced by a hemispherical layout with deeply seated 33mm intake and 29mm exhaust valves. The induction system uses the Tre’s 43mm throttle bodies, but with longer 55mm runners. Milder cam timing, intake and exhaust butterfly valves, and a more capable, tuned-in-house ECU further up refinement.
According to Benelli, the end result is 135 horsepower at 9250 rpm and a stout 86 foot-pounds of torque at 6750 rpm. The fat torque curve-66 ft.-lbs. at 3000 rpm!-marks a drastic, muchneeded change in Benelli engine-tuning philosophy, as the Tre, particularly early versions, has never been known for its tractability.
The Tre’s frame, with its unique tubular-steel front section screwedand-glued to castaluminum swingarm pivot plates, was retained and is mostly unchanged.
Not so the swingarm, which is now a braced steel-tube affair finished to match the frame. Wheelbase remains 55.7 inches, and there are no modifications to steering geometry.
Much to the delight of shorter-legged riders, seat height is just 30.7 inches, a full 2.4 inches less than on the Tornado. Brembo supplies the five-spoke wheels and brakes (dual 320mm rotors up front with conventional fourpiston calipers), while Marzocchi’s new 50mm inverted fork makes for a massive front end. Don’t look for any adjustments, though; there are none. Tires will be Pirelli Diablos, a 120/70-17 front and 190/50-17 rear.
Reminiscent of something from Starship Troopers, styling borders on being excessive, particularly the multi-faceted headlight pod hung off the front of the bike. Motocrosser-esque shrouds locate the front turnsignals, and cover the leading edges of the side-mounted radiators. A snaking exhaust runs from the front of the engine and under the bike before looping around and up under the tailsection, finally exiting through a single muffler outlet. All in all, the bike is quite daring, but if it indeed represents a renaissance for Benelli, why not?
Merloni hopes to produce 2400 bikes this year, and is looking for new markets. At presstime, a U.S. distributor had not been named. In Italy, the TNT will go on sale in April for the current Euro equivalent of $16,395, which is a good bit more expensive than the three other exotic Italian naked bikes, the Aprilia Tuono, Ducati Monster S4R and MV Agusta Brutale. -Bruno de Prato
