Benelli TRK 251 launching in 2019; Hero XPulse, Royal Enfield Himalayan won't have it easy

Italian motorcycle maker Benelli is all set for reboot in India with the new alliance partner Hyderabad-based Mahavir Group. The company has revealed its expansion plan on August 7 and it confirmed that they will foray into the affordable adventure bike segment of India.

The model in question is the TRK 251 which Benelli revealed at the EICMA show in Milan last year. Benelli TRK 251 features proper adventure bike styling in line with the bigger capacity TRK 502. Benelli has been long rumoured with the TRK 502 launch in India which is also expected to happen by the end of 2019.

Benelli TRK 251 gets beak-like front fender flanked by muscular tank extensions. The high-set headlamp is a projector unit while the tail light and the indicators are LED. It has larger 17-litre fuel tank ideal for touring while generous ground clearance of 200mm is spot on for off-road jaunts.

Benelli TRK 251 is powered by a single-cylinder liquid cooled engine with electronic fuel injection. It produces maximum power is 25.8hp at 9,250rpm and peak torque of 21.2Nm at 8,000rpm. The mill comes mated to a six-speed transmission.

Based on the traditional steel tube trellis frame, the motorcycle is fitted with an upside-down fork up front and a monoshock at the rear with 51mm travel. The TRK 251 features a braking system consisting of a single floating 280mm disc on the front and 240mm on the back. The 17-inch aluminium alloy rims are wrapped in a 110/70 tyre on the front and 150/60 at the rear.

Competition check

In terms of displacement, Benelli TRK 251 will go up against the upcoming Hero XPulse. Hero MotoCorp's adventure bike will be powered by a 200cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that develops 18.2bhp. Hero XPulse which is expected by the end of 2018 will be significantly cheaper as well.

When it comes to Royal Enfield Himalayan, power delivery is neck and neck. The Himalayan has a bigger displacement 411cc oil-cooled single-cylinder mill, which is tuned to dish out 24.5bhp. Benelli is expected to price the TRK 251 at around Rs 2.3 lakh ex-showroom and in that case, it will be around Rs 62,000 more expensive than the Himalayan.

Being a premium adventure bike, Benelli TRK 251 will also pose challenges against BMW G 310 GS and Kawasaki Versys X-300. However, both the BMW and Kawasaki bikes are significantly expensive at Rs 3.49 lakh and Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively.