Menus
- A trail cut for adventure and nevertheless accessible to all
- Twin-cylinder in-line, 500 cm3, 48 hp at 8,500 rpm, 46 Nm at 6,000 rpm, 213 kilos dry, € 6,799
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Engine and transmission
- In the city
- On motorways and main roads
- On departmental
- Off-road
- Part-cycle
- Braking
- Comfort and duo
- Consumption / autonomy
- Conclusion
A trail cut for adventure and nevertheless accessible to all
Twin-cylinder in-line, 500 cm3, 48 hp at 8,500 rpm, 46 Nm at 6,000 rpm, 213 kilos dry, € 6,799
A2 motorcycles are on the rise: normal, from 7 to 77 years old (that’s an expression), any new biker must therefore go through these bridged machines. And bikers, there are all kinds: show offs, shy and poseurs, but also those who love freedom who want adventure. As such, we salute the fervor of the small trails segment, all of which have already been tried at Le Repaire. If we go by increasing displacement, let’s mention the Honda CRF 250 L and CRF 250 Rallye, the Suzuki V-Strom 250, the Kawasaki Versys-X 300, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 410 and, above the basket, the Honda CB 500. X. Basket which is again capped by this Benelli TRK 502 X, which obviously has long-distance travel skills. It should be noted that it constitutes, in fact, the "Adventure" version of the TRK 502, already present in the catalog..
Discovery
And how do you tell the difference between a TRK 502 and a TRK 502 X? It’s quite easy: the fittings are more "baroud" type, with a 19-inch front wheel instead of the 17-inch wheel of the standard version, wire wheels, more generous crash bars, an exhaust in the higher position, a larger luggage rack, as well as modified optics at the front with LED position lights. The suspension settings are revised and the ground clearance has been improved, with 220 mm instead of 190 mm, enough to encourage crossings, in accordance with the vocation of this machine as an adventurer. All these changes are responsible for a weight that is up 3 kilos: it goes from 210 to 213 kilos. Except that here, we are talking about dry values: add 20 liters of gasoline, the fluids and we are at 235 kilos with the full ones. That’s a lot for a 500 A2 bridle, but we’ll talk about it again.
Look side, we can not blame Benelli for not being in the canons of the genre: at the limit, they are even too much in the canons of the genre, because the TRK 502 X seems to have pumped all the references of the segment. The front still looks quite strongly (where then it is a pure coincidence) to that of a Ducati 1260 Multistrada, the tank would not appear on a Triumph Tiger 1200 and the rear part seems to be interchangeable with that of a BMW R 1200 GS, cardan shaft apart.
In the saddle
Similarly, the saddle height is up: we go from 800 to 840 mm, which starts to get a little high for short legs. A 1.70 driver will therefore not put both feet on the ground. However, we console ourselves with a rather well-designed saddle and a narrow tank in its lower part, and, if we have talked about the weight, we realize that the bike is still well balanced and does not seem too heavy to maneuver. . The dashboard is complete with a tachometer on the left and a digital keypad on the right, in which fuel gauge, water temperature, time and gear indicator are present.
Engine and transmission
This in-line twin is common to the TRK 502 and the Leoncino. It thus develops 48 hp at 8,500 rpm and 46 Nm at 6,000 rpm, but in fact, these fairly high speeds nevertheless demonstrate good availability at legal speeds. If it is not a thunderbolt and has a fairly linear character, the engine however never gives the impression of being on the handlebars of a motorized motorcycle. In fact, it tows from the lowest revs, is quite voluntary and pleasant and vibrates little (except very high in the revs). The gearbox 6 is flawless, whether in its gear ratio or its approval.
In the city
Quite bulky for an A2 motorcycle, the TRK 502 X is however quickly forgotten in the context of urban use. Smooth engine, smooth controls, good turning radius, well positioned mirrors, the TRK 502 X is at ease.
On motorways and main roads
And that’s not all: the TRK 502 X is also at ease on the main roads: nice protection provided by the screen, comfortable saddle, surprisingly accommodating suspensions (they are flexible enough without being soft), contained vibrations, space generous on board, this is already enough to consider cutting the road! Second, the engine is efficient, as we have said, and handling and stability are no surprise. In short: the TRK 502 X leads the way.
If the 48 horses are necessarily limited, at one time or another, we can still hold the 130 km / h cruising without forcing, around 6000 rpm.
On departmental
The supernatural agility of the trails compared to other categories of motorcycles is not an empty word: the TRK 502 X plays with the secondary network, passing from one bend to another without forcing, just look and have desire. Easy to handle, easy to use, it will not exhaust you after a day full of small roads in the depths of the Morvan, the Alps or Kazakhstan! Admittedly, on the attack, the suspensions remain quite flexible and the crutch ends up quickly rubbing the ground, but the point is not there. The TRK 502 X is a real good trail, insofar as it is easy, where it plays with terrain and bumps, where it is reassuring. In short, it will undoubtedly flourish and its crew with, on the beautiful small country roads.
Off-road
The riding position while standing on the footrests is quite natural, although the angles above the tank can possibly be a little protruding for the inside of the legs. If the suspension travels are quite limited (145 mm at the front and at the rear), the quality of the damping means that the machine does not heel easily. The 19-inch front wheel is a bit more certain compared to the 17-inch element of the classic TRK 502.
Finally, the engine, always as efficient, is quite flexible in the winding while towing with good will at the exit of a curve and its modest power makes you forget the lack of traction control. Finally, the generous crash bars do their job well: a colleague (whom the fraternal charity prevents me from naming) wallowed in TT, missing himself in a bloodletting stashed in a bend and the bike had nothing.
Part-cycle
Chinese motorcycle does not rhyme with cycle parts at a discount: large inverted fork 50 mm in diameter, it’s tough, large spoked rims and Metzeler Tourance tires as standard (110/80 x 19 at the front; 150/70 x 18 behind, which provide good grip.
Braking
The device is correct: dual 320mm front disc and 2 piston calipers, 260mm rear disc and 1 piston caliper. The set is easy to dose and its level of performance is in line with the philosophy of the bike, even if fans of trapper braking will find the device a bit fair; but this is a false debate.
Comfort and duo
That’s good here: generous saddle, substantial space on board, room and large handles for the passenger, everything is fine. It should be noted that the vibrations are felt only at high speed (from 6 to 8000 rpm), that is to say outside the range of natural use of this type of machine. And that the suspensions are rather flexible, which is favorable to the development of a duo.
Consumption / autonomy
With 20 liters of gasoline in the tank and a consumption that Benelli claims to be less than 5 liters / 100, the machine therefore allows in theory 400 kilometers of autonomy. Not bad at all, no !
Conclusion
It has many positive points, this Benelli TRK 502 X: first, the quality of its manufacture and its design make that never on the handlebars one does not feel like driving a "chinoiserie", that is to say a something roughly engineered in which we feel that the failure is not very far. There, everything is well calibrated: smoothness of the controls, smoothness of the engine, a well-balanced chassis and a general feeling that overflows with good manners..
Then, it has enough to convince the target of young adventurers: between effective protection and effective protection too, the pleasant engine, good road qualities and versatility difficult not only to fault, but in addition, to beat in the segment, the TRK 502 X speaks to those who dream of an R 1200 GS (or even an R 1250 GS now) but for whom it is out of reach.
All these qualities come at a price: 6799 euros, which is 100 euros more expensive than a Honda CB 500 X, admittedly less efficient, less comfortable, less versatile, less prepared for trips on the roads … and less rewarding too , because the TRK 502 X remains a beautiful piece. Now Benelli will have to do a lot of work on the image, the network, the resale of his motorcycles, the reliability to be demonstrated … this is a long-term job. But Benelli has ambition, as evidenced by the announcement of a 750 range (with a vertical twin) which will extend the Leoncino and TRK range upwards. We can not wait to see it.
Strong points
- Nice versatility
- Full equipment
- Overall comfort
- Efficient motor
- Ease of handling
- A2 license
- A 750 version should appear soon and that’s cool !
Weak points
- Price a nothing high in absolute terms
- Image, network: everything to be reconstructed
- Resale ?
- Look uninspired (or too inspired, in fact!)
- High weight in absolute terms
The technical sheet of the Benelli TRK 502 X
Test conditions
- Itinerary: a day of driving on the road and in the paths in Italy
- Motorcycle mileage: 1,300 km
- Problem encountered: none
The competition: Honda CB 500 X, Kawasaki Versys-X 300
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