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Benelli TRK 502 in the top test
Clothes make the man
The visual appearance is right. Adult, self-confident, with lavish disguise. The Benelli TRK 502 enters the entry-level bike stage. As a road enduro suitable for touring, it claims its place alongside the established competition. That raises expectations.
KJust three-cylinder with a smoky timbre, extravagant, independent styling, refreshing sportiness. Until five or six years ago, the machines from Pesaro were still known. The Chinese QJ group has now taken over the Italian manufacturer. The three-cylinders are a thing of the past, mass-compatible two-cylinders now determine the model range. The youngest offspring: the TRK 502 made in China.
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Benelli TRK 502 in the top test
Clothes make the man
Benelli is murmuring comfortably through the city in the sixth.
Time and opportunity to get acquainted with the Chinese-Italian. The 502 is easy to navigate through the urban turmoil. The mirrors offer a large field of vision, even if it is partly distorted due to the non-planar mirror glass.
Spartan but clear cockpit, red area at 10,000, limiter at 9,300 rpm.
The cockpit only offers the most necessary information, at least supplemented by a gear indicator, but remains silent on things like outside temperature, consumption or range. The operation via two small push buttons is a fiddly affair with thick gloves. But it is clear and easy to read. The butted aluminum handlebar looks really good compared to simple, chrome-plated tubular steel, and LEDs glow in the rear / brake lights, parking lights and indicators. You will look in vain for a helmet lock or electronic goodies such as traction control or various mappings. In view of the 48 hp, this is not really important. More like the lack of a main stand. After all, take-up rollers on the swing arm allow jacking up using the assembly stand. In addition, the 502 offers two USB charging sockets as standard and a solid, boyish, welded luggage rack that can withstand a load of five kilograms. And the Bosch ABS can be switched off for detours into unpaved terrain. But due to the dimensions of the suspension travel and 17-inch wheels, the determination of the 502 is likely to be based on a relaxed stroll on paved paths rather than on detours into the terrain, despite its enduresque appearance.
The city gates are now behind the Benelli. Even on open country roads, it offers a willing turn-in that does not turn into annoyance even at higher speeds. As the lean angle increases, however, it requires increasingly corrective counter-pressure on the inside of the handlebar. As long as the asphalt is smoothly ironed, the Benelli pulls its course with relatively little steering effort. However, the Benelli reacts to bumps and faults with wobbly and dwindling neutrality. Hitting and holding turn-in points and lines therefore always requires some input from the pilot.
The unbalanced coordination of the spring elements may also play a part in this. The non-adjustable fork with its imposing 50 mm immersion tubes is not very sensitive to small bumps and looks stucky. It is decently dampened in the compression stage (compression), but quite tightly damped in the rebound stage. The spring strut, which can be adjusted in preload and rebound, is also not particularly sensitive. It copes well with long bumps, but less with short, hard bumps, which doesn’t seem particularly comfortable. The fact that the usable adjustment range of the rebound stage is played out within two clicks is only mentioned here for the sake of completeness.
Placed deep and more at the rear, the pilot puts little pressure on the front wheel when doing a curve twist, which increases the static weight distribution, which is already slightly rear-heavy, and allows feedback and steering precision only within a manageable range.
When the boom of the side stand touches down, the limit in the curves has been reached.
Sports activity finds its limits early on. Even if the lean angle would allow swift cornering. However, caution is advised in left turns. Because without warning, the boom of the side stand hits hard and levered the load out. In corners that are approached too quickly or when a bump crosses the path on a steep slope, this is not without it. In any case, the grip of the Pirelli Angel ST made in China would allow even more weird drifting. And the rubbers adhere perfectly even in the rain.
Speaking of rain: The fairing protects the pilot perfectly and largely free of turbulence from the wind and the ailments of the weather – even at high speeds. But the pillion passenger is also well protected. The splash guard on the rear wheel reliably prevents the back of the crew from getting wet when driving in the rain. And if the trip takes late into the night, the good high / low beam combo doesn’t leave the driver in the dark.
Wacker definitely beats the twin in the row. The QJ in-house development, equipped with a balancer shaft, works its way through the speed range from the lowest engine speeds. Its even power development with a strong center, plus the well-damped load changes and the clean throttle response will be particularly appreciated by beginners. Although only 45 of the 48 promised horses trotted on the test stand. They still help the Benelli to achieve torque values that don’t have to hide in this class. And that, although the two-cylinder has to haul hard. Because with a full tank of 239 kilograms, which still leaves air for a 188 kilogram payload, the Benelli is anything but a lightweight.
In the pull-through exercise, the 500 twin also benefits from its relatively short overall gear ratio. At 100 km / h it already rotates 5700 rpm. On the autobahn, the Benelli only reaches its top speed of 161 km / h just before the limiter, which waits at 9300 rpm.
The short translation does not even have a significant impact on consumption. At least on the country road. So the Benelli approved a moderate 3.9 liters per 100 kilometers on our consumption lap. Which, in conjunction with its 20-liter fuel drum, increases the range of action of the 502 to an enormous 513 kilometers. Only on faster stretches of the motorway with tempos beyond the recommended speed does the twin develop a real thirst. Tempo 130 means around 7500 rpm. Up to this speed the twin runs surprisingly smoothly. In addition, however, it begins to produce annoying, sensitive vibrations, which is why you regulate your travel speed by yourself at 130 km / h. From 7000 rpm, the twin continues to turn rather dispassionately anyway, which is then also reflected in the acceleration values.
Light and shadow can be found in the braking system. With a 320 double disc and radially mounted four-piston calipers, it is more than appropriately equipped. The brake calipers are visually reminiscent of renowned Italian components, but – like the spring elements, by the way – come from QJ’s own production. The stoppers are monitored by a Bosch ABS, whose control behavior at short intervals gives little cause for criticism. Whether solo or with an additional passenger, the Benelli remains stable on course in the event of emergency braking, the fork braces itself well against diving too deep or rapid bottoming out thanks to the tight compression stage. The rear wheel maintains contact with the ground and stays on track. Good conditions for short braking distances, but the TRK 502 only comes to a stop after an average of 43.4 meters from 100 km / h.
In everyday use, the brake system is criticized for the long idle travel on the hand lever before it grabs with a spongy pressure point. The four-way adjustable lever with position “2” only offers one setting, in which two-finger brakes cannot pull the hand lever up to their knuckles. It’s best to grab the brake lever with your whole hand. In terms of pressure point and controllability there is still plenty of room for improvement.
But things like this can be brought under control with a manageable amount of effort. And that Benelli is serious is already shown by the fact that, following TRK 502 and Leoncino, a 750 series is due to come onto the market at the end of the year.
MOTORCYCLE conclusion
In China, too, the trees do not grow into the sky. Others still set the bar in terms of balance and quality impression. But the solid appearance of the self-developed engine shows that Benelli could be expected under Chinese leadership. Provided that you consistently tackle the detailed work that is still necessary.
The competition
factstudio.de, Buenos Dias
The competition: Honda CB 500 X (top left), the Kawasaki Versys 650 (top right) and the Suzuki V-Strom 650 (bottom).
Honda CB 500 X
Two-cylinder in-line engine, 48 hp, weight 196 kg, 0–100 km / h 5.6 seconds, Vmax 175 km / h, consumption 3.3 liters, 6405 euros
Kawasaki Versys 650
Two-cylinder in-line engine, 69 hp, weight 220 kg, 0-100 km / h 4.5 seconds, Vmax 185 km / h, consumption 3.9 liters, 8045 euros
Suzuki V-Strom 650
Two-cylinder V-engine, 69 hp, weight 216 kg, 0-100 km / h 4.3 seconds, top speed 185 km / h, consumption 3.9 liters, 8390 euros
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