Italian two-wheeler maker Benelli is all set to introduce its all new sport bike, the Tornado 302R in the Indian motorcycle market. The company will launch the Benelli Tornado 302R, the fully-faired sibling of TNT 300 in the country by June 2 (Friday) this year. A report of Motoroids claims that the company has also started accepting bookings for the motorcycle against a down-payment of Rs 50,000 across its dealerships in the country. It was earlier reported that DSK Benelli had necessary clearance from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) but the launch has been delayed due to various reasons. Now the company has confirmed the launch date.
Design wise, the elegant and muscular Benelli Tornado 302R is based on a traditional Steel Trellis frame chassis that makes the motorcycle weigh less than its naked sibling, the TNT 300. The Benelli 302R comes equipped with a full fairing body and split headlamp setup, a beefy fuel tank, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lamp with clear lens turn blinkers.
In terms of specifications, the fully faired Benelli Tornado 302R is powered by a liquid cooled 300 cc twin-cylinder, 4-stroke engine. The mill is mated to a 6-speed transmission and produces 36 bhp of peak power at 12000 rpm and 27 Nm of maximum torque at 9000 rpm. In terms of safety, Benelli Tornado 302R comes with ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) technology as standard in India. Other safely and comfortable features include 41mm upside down forks at front, rear mono suspension, dual front 260mm floating discs with a four-piston caliper brake and a single rear 240mm disc with a single piston caliper brake. The fully faired two-wheeler’s body dimension measures at 2175mm in length, 746mm in width, 1146mm in height, and weighs 180kg.
The Tornado 302R is expected to be launched in India at a price tag of close to Rs. 3.5 lakh (thanks to its local manufacturing) and will be made available for purchase in four body colour options – Red with White, Red with Black, Green and Silver. Once launched in India, the Benelli Tornado 302R will compete with the Yamaha YZF-R3, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the KTM RC390 in its segment.
