Benelli Imperiale 400 motorcycle test

Menus

• EVO Classic
• 374 cc single cylinder, 21.1 hp, 29 Nm, 205 kg, 4,399 euros
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Test
• Cycle part
• Braking
• Conclusion

EVO Classic

374 cc single cylinder, 21.1 hp, 29 Nm, 205 kg, 4,399 euros

Benelli is the oldest existing brand in Italy. But we should no longer say Benelli but Benelli QJ, since the brand has been owned since 2006 by Qianjiang (which is now part of the vast Geely empire). In the meantime, after years of disappearance, the brand returns with a range of new models. Rather well priced, well designed, stylized and available in several displacements, these motorcycles are still developed in Italy, but built in China..

The medium-capacity road trail TRK 502 was thus the third best seller on the Italian market behind the BMW R1250GS and the Honda Africa Twin with more than 3,000 registrations allowing it to precede Yamaha, Ducati or Kawasaki in the segment. But beyond the trail, it is its Leoncino 500 roadster that has allowed the brand to gain recognition in the world, with global sales growth of 6.70% last year with 63,200 motorcycles delivered. Historic results for the company, which for the first time exceeded the milestone of 60,000 motorcycles, with no less than 10,000 machines sold in Italy alone, an increase of 35% over one year for the country !

Test of the Benelli Imperiale 400

But the last bike to land at Benelli dealerships also marks the start of a whole new platform with bigger ambitions. With l’Imperiale 400, Named after a 125/175 cm2 model from the early 1960s by Motobi (sister brand of Benelli), Benelli will face the best-selling over 250 cm3 motorcycle in the world, of which millions have been built since its debut in 2008: the Royal Enfield Classic 350, model produced at around 432,000 units in India during the last fiscal year (and for which, a few years ago, it was necessary to go through a waiting list of more than two months for local buyers). This single model alone represents 53% of the manufacturer’s annual sales volume (806,870 units in 2018-2019), so attempting to carve out a share in this juicy market was too attractive for the Chinese manufacturer. Hence the recent construction by Benelli of its own assembly plant in India, to avoid import costs, hence 4,000 first Imperiale sold immediately despite a price slightly higher than that of the Enfield (around € 2,185 against € 1,990). This call rate has been maintained for the launch of the Imperial 400 in Europe since it is displayed at 4,399 euros in France, which constitutes a rather good value for money..

The objective of the Imperial is above all to conquer the Indian market

Discovery

The new Benelli is not a cheap, redesigned counterfeit of the modern Indian Classic despite having the same two-valve air-cooled single-cylinder engine format. Instead, we find a more "modern" version of this praise of simplicity that develops its own, but limited, neo-retro style. As such, it is likely to appeal, especially at this price point, to a wide range of customers, from older bikers looking for a reliable motorcycle to younger ones for whom the Imperial will be an attractive platform for them. customization.

No doubt, the retro style is applied to the letter

Stefano Michelotti, R&D director of Benelli, explains to us during our visit to the Benelli factory in Pesaro that it was the demands of Asian distributors that pushed the creation of motorcycles that wanted to combine the style of the 60’s with the engineering of the 21st century. . He also specifies that the 374cc engine can be safely bored up to 500cc without modifying the bottom engine and that versions of 250 and perhaps even 125cc will emerge. Restyled versions are also in the boxes. Inspired as I was by my visit to Rossi Central in Tavullia near the factory to inspect the Valentino track extension, I can’t help but think that an Imperiale Street Tracker could be a great variation. , with maybe even a competition version to teach kids and adults the art of track racing at an affordable price.

Rossi’s trail behind makes us think a ‘tracker’ version of the Imperial could be fun

The new Benelli 374cc single cylinder, air-cooled, single overhead cam, wet sump engine has bore and stroke dimensions of 72.7 x 90mm while to reduce overall dimensions the fitted crankshaft of two thin flywheels pivot in two lubricated plain bearings rather than a more common rolling bearing. There is a single counterweight up front to reduce vibration, driven by gears on the left of the crankshaft, while the one-piece connecting rod carries a three-ring piston at its top, providing a low compression ratio of 8.5. : 1. The cylinder head has an old-fashioned combustion chamber housing a simple pair of valves, but large in diameter with 37mm for the intake and 33mm for the exhaust, each receiving two springs and being actuated by rocker arms. wedged by the chain driven camshaft on the right side of the cylinder. To widen the flame and ensure homogeneous combustion, there is a double ignition, plus a 37 mm throttle body with electronic injection including a Delphi computer and a lambda sensor on the exhaust. This includes two catalysts, one on the manifold and the other at the inlet of the silencer, each protected and / or dressed in a rather unpleasant-looking metal heat shield. The main drive of the 5-speed gearbox is provided by a cable-actuated oil-immersed multi-plate clutch..

The Imperial 400’s 374cc single-cylinder

Benelli claims a power of 21.07 hp (15.5 kW) at 5,500 rpm and a torque of 29 Nm at 4,500 rpm, against 20.08 hp and 28 Nm for the Royal Enfield 350 Classic. So there are quite a few differences in terms of engine performance between the two, but it should be noted that the Benelli is a bit heavier at 205 kg with the 12 liter tank 90% full against 192 kg dry for the ‘Indian. This weight also takes into account the center stand (easy to use), the side stand as well as brackets for hanging saddlebags which, along with the windshield, are the only options available for the Imperial when the bike is launched..

The round headlight of the Benelli Imperiale 400

What Stefano Michelotti calls the Imperial’s "traditional" chassis design is actually a modern Italian-Chinese interpretation of the legendary Norton Featherbed frame invented 70 years ago, particularly with its dual rear shocks tilted forward at around 40 °, as we did on the Dresda, Dunstall or Rickman cafe racers from the Swingin ’60’s. This provides a certain degree of progressive damping despite the fact that these combinations are only adjustable to 5 preload levels and offer reduced travel to 55mm. At the front, the 41mm fork set at an angle of 25 ° is not adjustable, but offers a wheelbase of 1,440 mm with the steel swingarm.

The frame of the Benelli Imperiale 400

In the saddle

With the (very well padded) 780mm high saddle, also fitted with a few springs underneath to limit road shocks, the riding position is surprisingly spacious and comfortable, even leaving enough room for additional passengers in the seat. places like India where three or more riding a motorbike is a way of life.

The saddle-handlebar-footrest triangle has been well thought out, at least for someone 6 feet tall, and the wide, but relatively flat handlebars with grips to the rear, provide a comfortable upright position. The passenger folding seat is relatively accommodating for short distances with a metal handle at the back and a few points to hang your luggage if necessary. However, the purchase of saddlebags is still preferable..

The saddle is quite comfortable and is even mounted on springs.

Regardless of where it was produced from, the Imperial’s build quality is quite good, especially at this price point, with improved stems and turn signals compared to other Benelli models. The analogue dual-dial instrument panel is very retro but well designed, although the speedometer digits are difficult to read in the sun, as they are too small and not enough contrast against this white background. Conversely, the row of light indicators at the bottom of the tachometer proved to be readable under the sun, as was the small central LCD screen indicating the gear engaged (hurray!), The fuel gauge and the screen. Speed ​​dial LCD.

The speedometer lacks visibility in the sun while driving

Test

Press the starter and the SOHC engine cranks immediately, settling into an idle speed of 1,500 rpm without any vibration. It’s really ultra-smooth, way smoother than its competitor Enfield and also quite quiet, with a moderate beating from the exhaust. This lack of vibration comes not only from the counterweight and heavy bar ends, but also from a Norton invention that was adopted here by Michelotte and his team, namely the Isolastic style rubber mounts that we found on the parallel Norton twins from the end of the 1960s, in particular on the Commando. Erik Buell took that up with his Uniplanar system. So there is no shame in Benelli doing it too, especially since it works well..

The very smooth motor is distinguished by its absence of vibrations

The Imperial’s five-speed gearbox has well-spaced ratios, although there is a small gap between fourth and fifth, so the highest gear is more of a cruising gear. However, despite the format of the long-stroke engine, I was surprised to find that you have to use the clutch regularly to get the Imperial 400 engine to spin above 3,500 rpm. There is very little actual torque below, although this is sufficient for slow solo evolutions in traffic. It is far from being a torquey engine, even if once you exceed 4,000 revolutions the performance becomes pleasant, up to the breaker at 6,800 rpm. Michelotti claims that Qj’s engineers ran the single cylinder at 6,000 rpm, non-stop, for 200 hours to prove its reliability and that it survived, which is pretty impressive. But you will have to be careful in traffic when accelerating from 50 to 80 km / h because there is a risk of running out of speed in third gear and triggering the switch, in which case the momentum is at a standstill and you have to slow down. A 6,000 rpm gearshift indicator would be a nice additional feature. As befitting for a simple neo-retro model like this, there are no electronic aids other than the two-channel ABS required for Euro 4 compliance..

The single cylinder develops 21.1 hp and 29 Nm

The Imperial’s classic frame design extends to a 19-inch front wheel to match the rear of a very traditional 18-inch, especially with the spoke aluminum rims. These help provide extra ground clearance and that sense of space, at the expense of a slightly lazy steering feel, which isn’t much of a problem. Cordial 100 / 90-19 and 130 / 80-18 tires feature tread patterns reminiscent of the old Pirelli Phantoms. Anyway, after gradually gaining self-confidence on a morning stroll along the winding and demanding Strada Panoramica road along the Adriatic coast between Pesaro and the resort of Cattolica, I finally found myself in first rub the Imperial’s footrests, then the exhaust and finally the frame! These tires grip well, at least in the dry. Their round profile also improves the easy direction changes of the Benelli in more normal daily use..

With 205 kg in motion, the Imperial remains easy to take on the road

The handling at low speed is excellent, combined with the lightweight clutch and makes this bike an ideal tool for everyday use in the city..

The Benelli is quasi-imperial for the city

Cycle part

Still, the Benelli’s ride quality isn’t imperious when encountering bumps and other road blemishes, although the extra springs in the saddle help smooth out some of them. But the relatively smooth settings of the fork, however, give enough confidence to maintain speed in curves and in any case enough to rub the footrests. For the type of use of this motorcycle, handling is more than sufficient.

Shock absorbers struggle to smooth out imperfections in the road

Braking

The same goes for braking, which is sufficient for a motorcycle of this weight, which is supposed to evolve at a smoother pace. But here you have to apply pressure to the front brake lever to access the braking power of the unique two-piston floating caliper pinching a 300mm disc. At the rear, the 240 mm disc and its single-piston floating caliper offer more bite.

Braking is sufficient but requires significant pressure on the front lever

Conclusion

Benelli Qj has already improved its game to match the quality of Western productions with its range of 500cc DOHC 8-valve parallel twin cylinders, with its TRK502, 502C and Leoncino. Now the manufacturer is embarking on a mano a mano with the Indian world leader in medium displacement by delivering a real gateway to its range which will soon include 750 cm3 twins as well as a brand new 1,200 cm3 three-cylinder, which has already been approved in China and is on its way to production.

Basic, the Imperial 400 offers good value for money

For its price, the Benelli Imperiale 400 offers a lot and above all a journey through time. It’s a basic bike in design, but fun to ride. It is an affordable, accessible and everyday use mount that will appeal to all types of bikers, men and women, with all levels of experience, from beginners to elders, but who do not expect a thunderbolt or the latest technology. Like all other modern Benelli this is a well priced motorcycle, this time maybe even more.

Strong points

• Look
• No vibrations
• Maneuverability
• Ease of handling
• Dry tires
• Price

Weak points

• Lack of punch
• Readability of the counter
• Rear shock absorbers

The technical sheet of the Benelli Imperiale 400

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