Benelli: a story that started in 1911 [VIDEO]

Perspectives from above, men, specimens of the past and present, dynamic sequences and industrial phases to underline the long journey of Benelli.

Another interesting story

It starts from six brothers (Giuseppe, John, Filippo, Francesco, Domenico e Antonio equally known as “Tonino” Benelli) and a mechanical workshop created thanks to the family capital invested by the mother Teresa, widowed, in the spring of 1911. From an initial point of repairs, precisely after eight years, the brothers gave shape to something broader and more ambitious. In the 1919 the first two-stroke engine was created Benelli da 75 cc, mounted on a bicycle frame. The first motorcycle was assembled in 1921: “Velomotore”. A vehicle equipped with a new two-stroke unit 98 cc. Together with the version Tourism, a variant was also given shape Sport with a more powerful engine from 125 cc and later in the 1932 to another with an even more generous engine from 147 cc, as mentioned. Precisely on this example the same “Tonino” Benelli began to win the first competitive victories and make the brand known even outside ofItaly.
Other models followed thanks to the ideas of Joseph Benelli, which outlined new models for other triumphs until the harsh period of the war, which stopped the brothers' path for a few years. After Second World War, the Benellis rebuilt both their productive and competitive activities, culminating in 1950 with the conquest of World Championship of 250 class with the hired person Dario Ambrosini. At the end of Years' 40 it also gave life to Motobi, reality meanwhile changed further even with the arrival of Lion cub in 1951, a prominent name also in the current production and with a first change of ownership in 1972 and increasingly important Japanese competition towards the end of the years '80, when the company was once again taken over by a new industrialist from Pesaro, with a further relaunch favored by yet another group in the second half of the '90, until the new century and December of 2005. Benelli then becomes part of QJ group A renewed path with the corporation Qianjiang, observing the development of new specimens introduced in recent years and in the recent edition of EICMA.

The present

Lion cub, as mentioned, remains the protagonist even in the most recent production. A family of models that includes one specimen 250, until renewed Lion cub with units from 500 cc and the version 500 Trails dedicated to off-road, reaching the new ones 800 e 800 Trails distinguishable by the refined LED light signatures, a distinctive aesthetic and a connotative setting.
At the exposition of EICMA in 2019 updated ones have also been proposed Tornado Naked T 125 e BN 125, Then BN 250 in addition to 302 S, also in the sports variant 302 R and again 752 S, without forgetting the cruiser 502 C and the “classic” Imperial 400. Speaking of versatile mechanics, we also highlight the TRK251, TRK502 e TRK502X.

Photos and videos: Benelli