Benelli TRK 502, the roar of the lion of Pesaro [ROAD TEST]

Benelli TRK502 – Urbino, Pesaro, land of engines. There's no point in denying it, but when you pass through these parts it's impossible not to hear the "call" of the land of motors. If people like Valentino Rossi (just to name the most famous) were born in these parts, there must be a reason. However, central Italy, with its hills and its curvy, uphill and downhill roads, is not only the hotbed of talent understood as "men", but has also been, and wants to become again, the "land of mutur" understood as production.

And in fact today we are right here, in Urbino, for the test of the new born TRK 502 by Benelli. After the absurd story of an open and (rightly) revoked failure for a disputed invoice, the amount of which was a small fraction of the liquidity available in cash, also thanks to the partnership with the Chinese giant QJ, owner of the Italian company since 2005; we return to talking about Benelli for what is dearest to us, his motorcycles.

In fact, Benelli is important part of Italian motorcycling history, a company that still envies us today for the glories of the past and for its creations (the now legendary "six" - a 750 cc forward-facing six-cylinder is unforgettable) and which wants to return to being a protagonist on the European market. This last detail is not trivial because, even if not everyone knows it, Benelli currently sells a lot in emerging countries, thanks to its new small displacement products. However, he decided to return to the European market and to do so he pulled this one out of the hat "mid-size crosstourer".

So let's analyze this new addition from Benelli in detail. Right from the start, both in its presence and in the technical characteristics that we discovered, we noticed that the bike, in its simplicity, has nothing to envy of its competitors on the market.

THEABS mandatory by law there is, but we also find a double front disc with radial calipers, mixed analog-digital dashboard, it is then compliant with the regulations Euro 4 and it already is prepared for mounting side bags. Not bad for original equipment. If we then consider that the version presented, which we then tested, comes standard with the 17 ″ tires, both front and rear, but that is the more off-road version with a 19" front wheel is in the final stage of development and the spoked wheels, I'd say we're right on the right track.

During the presentation a lot of emphasis was given to the market segment this TKR 502 is aiming for. The twin-cylinder engine is a 500 cc (the 2 in the model code is the cylinders), capable of 47 horsepower and was chosen because this motorbike is intended for a very large and heterogeneous audience of users, due to its ease of driving, economy of use and low price. Benelli's idea is to exploit the TRK 502 as a "lever for the masses", make big numbers and bring the brand back to the forefront of the general public, and then continue with new displacements (there is already talk of 700/740 cc and 900), so as to be able to position itself in the most requested market segment today. Motorcycle intended for a large audience as we said and we discover with the road test that this characteristic is completely maintained.

The engine never intimidates the driver, even the least experienced, but this does not mean that it is "stopped" or "stopped", on the contrary. The provision of small 8-valve twin-cylinder 35 kW (47,5 hp) è smooth and lively right from the lowest revs. Taking a look at the tachometer (analogue), from 2 to 6 thousand the thrust is good, more than enough to move with agility in city traffic, but also to move happily on the smoother roads of the Marche hinterland, the scene of our test. Pushing beyond 6 rpm, up to the red zone at 8.500, however, doesn't make much sense, because the thrust runs out quickly and the vibrations become much more consistent.

Engine ok therefore, for beginners who will never find themselves in difficulty, but also for those who want something to use every day, perhaps for the home-office journey, without spending too much and perhaps leaving something more "driven" in the garage use on weekends. However, the TRK 502 is a motorbike that can also be used for out-of-town trips, even for two, thanks to the comfortable, two-level saddle, which makes the passenger's position higher and not "against" the rider. Speaking of riding position, this also shows how this TRK wants to be a bike for everyone. The seat is very low (800 mm from the ground), perhaps too much for the style of motorbike that it is, but this makes it work maneuvers when stationary are very simple even if you are not particularly tall. However, the low seat does not make it unsuitable for tall people (editor's note: I, who drove it, am 190 cm tall and could fit without any problems), but with the shape of the tank, riding while standing is almost impossible.

Il 20 liter tank in fact, it tends to be very protective from the air, diverting the flows from the rider's legs with a refined shape, but which tends to make the legs spread too much if you stand up on the footrests. Perhaps a more rearward footrest would be enough to solve the problem (it will probably be a solution for the version with 19 rim), but in the 17 configuration the best thing is to stay seated and let it slide. Thus the small TKR can be guided between one bend and another without too much effort, absorbing potholes in the road well and filtering out the various bumps, thanks to the soft suspension with generous travel. The chassis is based on an upside-down fork with 50 mm stanchions, with a travel of 145 mm and an oscillating swingarm with a central monoshock adjustable in spring preload. However, we must note that, if you start pushing hard, you notice a small limitation of this bike, i.e. a set-up that is too devoted to comfort/relaxation. Let's not misunderstand, due to the limits imposed by the code the bike runs more than well, but on a couple of occasions we would have liked to have a slightly more composed and precise chassis, precisely because the ease with which this bike can be handled invites you to slide the bike turns a lot, entering increasingly faster speeds. However, if you enter the road very decisively and come across a depression or a change in asphalt, the suspensions struggle to keep up as well as possible. During the test we worked on the rear monoblock and we had confirmation of this, because by adjusting the preload we made the little TRK more "composed", even in the fastest corners.

The aerodynamic protection is good, the standard high windshield provides good protection and there is no need to mount anything oversized, which happens on other motorbikes, while the vibrations on the handlebars and footpegs (the latter covered in rubber) are never annoying. The maximum speed is around 150 km/h, but at motorway speed the bike runs well, thanks to a 6-speed gearbox with excellent ratios. The bikes on test were really brand new and we had some uncertainty in some gear changes, but we blame it on the low mileage. Proof of this is the fact that, even during our test, the gearbox gradually improved.

Beautiful and useful, not being able to count on a large torque (46 Nm at 6.000 rpm), have a clear gear indicator on the dashboard (in the digital portion), which helps to make the most of the small twin-cylinder. Braking is good, thanks to the two 320 mm front discs with Brembo calipers with radial mount and 260 mm rear disc, aided in their action by ABS. The initial braking attack is rather "soft", precisely so as not to create inconvenience for newbies with exaggerated aggressiveness. Braking then becomes powerful, even if not too modulable, when you squeeze the lever with greater pressure. The tires are a classic 120/70 at the front and a 160/60 at the rear which helps make the TRK 502 more manageable and quicker.

Both mount on 17" rims and allow you to have a wide range of tires to choose from, even if the excellent Pirelli Angel as original equipment they are a choice that many will certainly replicate. The weight of the motorbike is 235 kg in running order and, to conclude, we can confirm that it is a motorbike that wants to attack the market by aiming at a very broad audience and that therefore, for obvious reasons, it has had to make compromises (such as the low seat, the "docile" engine, a simplicity and a general essentiality), but which can be fun, especially if understood and appreciated for the bike it is. If you are looking for a specialist motorbike you will be disappointed, but it is not his fault, because that is not the objective that Benelli wants to entrust to it. This TKR wants to bring the Benelli brand back to the top in Italy and the path taken seems to be the right one. If the "Off" version manages to smooth out some limits, the goal could become even easier.

It starts from 5.990 euros of the list price, which also include the structure for the side bags, which however are optional. An attractive and "discounted" price significantly compared to the main competitors that come to mind.

Test clothing:
Jacket: Dainese D-Explorer Gore-Tex Jacket
Trousers: Dainese D-Explorer Gore-Tex Pants
Gloves: Dainese Ergotour Gore-tex X-trafit Gloves
Boots: Dainese Latemar Gore-Tex Boots
Helmet: AGV AX-8 Dual Evo