Available in other markets for a few years now, Benelli’s middleweight adventure models TRK502 and TRK502X are finally arriving at U.S. dealerships. Reasonably priced at $5,999 for the road-focused 502 and $6,399 for the more dirt-capable 502X, these bikes seem to offer good value.
The engine is a modern, fuel injected DOHC 500cc twin with a claimed 47 horsepower and 34 foot/pounds of torque. These look like fun bikes, and we hope to have the chance to sample at least one of them.
Here is the press release from Benelli Motorcycles USA and SSR Motorsports:
Norwalk, CA (September 22, 2020) – Benelli Motorcycles USA and SSR Motorsports are proud to reveal the all-new Benelli TRK502 and TRK502X motorcycles, the ideal midsize mounts ready to head out for adventure. Wherever the roads may take you—across town or across the country—the TRK502 and TRK502X have the smooth power, comfortable ergonomics and versatile suspension for whatever journey your adventurous soul craves.
At the heart of the aggressively styled TRK502 and TRK502X beats Benelli’s all-new 499.6cc parallel twin engine. Designed with four-valve technology, the four-stroke fuel-injected, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine produces the ideal amount of midsize muscle, ensuring a broad spread of useable power and excellent fuel efficiency. Power is put to work by a six-speed transmission, ensuring a broad spread of useable torque, capable of carrying you through diverse road conditions.
The chassis of the TRK502 starts with the steel-tube trellis frame, which not only provides excellent handling and balance both on and off the tarmac, but also adds an aggressive flare to the adventure styling. Long-travel suspension is provided by a rugged 50mm inverted fork up front, with 5.3 inches of travel. The single shock rear suspension offers preload adjustability along with compression and rebound adjust so you can tune your ride for the road ahead, or the luggage on board.
The TRK502 features 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, front and rear, with 120/70 and 160/60 tires for a smooth ride and efficient road handling capabilities. The more adventurous TRK502X features wire-spoke wheels, 19-inch up front and 17-inch in the rear. When crossing over to the adventurous side, the aggressive Metzeler Tourance tires help tackle more versatile terrain. The TRK502X stands a bit taller, with 8.6 inches of ground clearance, while the TRK502 provides ample clearance of 7.5 inches.
Both the TRK502 and the crossover TRK502X offer generous 5.28 gallons (20 liter) fuel capacity, allowing you to go the distance. Ride in comfort with amazing wind and weather protection from the sleek windscreen, wrap-around hand guards and stylish bodywork. Ergonomics provide all-day comfort as well as an easy reach to the ground with a 31.5-inch seat height (33-inches on the TRK502X).
“We are very excited to introduce these all-new Benelli TRK motorcycles to the United States,” said Jeff Li, General Manager of SSR Motorsports, U.S. distributor of Benelli Motorcycles. “The TRK502 models provide much-needed midsize options in the adventure touring segment, and we feel that the Benelli TRK’s will offer a fun, versatile and comfortable ride for a wide range of riders.”
Maximize your touring possibilities with EVO Aluminum Cases available from Benelli. The top case and two side cases integrate seamlessly with the Benelli TRK502 and TRK502X, offering generous onboard capacity to pack whatever you need for your adventure. The full set retails for $999.
List prices are $5,999 for the TRK502, and $6,399 for the TRK502X. Both models are becoming available at SSR/Benelli Motorcycle dealers now.
This bike was actually the top selling bike in Italy last year and the reviews I have read are very good with no major reliability issues. I will own one of these.
Best selling MC in Italy? Look again. . .https://www.statista.com/statistics/827580/motorcycles-sold-in-italy-by-brand/
Let’s support China some more. YAY!
I will do my best not to buy products from China. Look what they’ve done to USA and the world! On purpose!
I’m totally with you on this one. Don’t buy from China period.
Thankfully, when you buy this: you are supporting your local dealer and his technicians with new young families, the guy who delivered it from the regional distributor -who also employs a number of people- and you paid for his gas at some station managed by an aspiring immigrant. You’re helping pay the salaries of struggling home-town marketing and logistics companies. If you take out a loan, there’s all the underpaid people at the credit union who are trying to survive off the interest on your $6,500 loan and the poor DMV clerk who has nothing else to look forward to than to enter your information into their 20 year old computer system… Over seas, your money is helping pay a budding group of Italian designers and engineers who aspire to work for Ducati or Aprilia some day. The remaining $300 finally makes its way to China to pay the factory for putting the bike together.
I used to live near Long Beach, CA and would drive by the port and watch the ships being unloaded. The amount of “China Shipping” containers being off-loaded from the ships is staggering. Also, check out the trade deficit between the USA and China and you may begin to take issue with the problem of yet another high-dollar item being shipped from China to the USA.
Isn’t that radiator huge for a 500cc parallel twin?
The better to catch stones with!
Another Italian product support problem. Yawn.
Actually a Chinese support problem. So, even worse.
Say hello to the new H-D middle weight ADV bike …
I grew up when Fix It Again Tony cars were pretty common ( mostly on the side of the road). So the thought of taking anything Italian ( except a 6 pack of Peroni ) outside the bounds of suburbia make me nervous.
It’s Chinese.
Brand, design, engineering, production standards, and quality control are all Italian. This makes it an Italian motorcycle just as much as Toyotas are Japanese in spite of being manufactured in the US.
Toyota has Japanese ownership. Benelli has Chinese ownership, not Italian.
You say that as if it’s a good thing (having worked for Fiat once, I could go on….)
I grew up when Fix It Again Tony cars were pretty common ( mostly on the side of the road). So the thought of taking anything Italian ( except a 6 pack of Peroni ) outside the bounds of suburbia make me nervous.
How reliable are Benelli motorcycles? That certainly something to consider when choosing a motorcycle. Pass
This would be a tough choice against a KLR. I know there’s a ton of support for those but this is more unique and interesting. This is more powerful than my old VW Bug (when it had a stock motor…) and that had no problem on the highway or on long trips. I didn’t try to race anyone but it was still very fun to drive. I imagine this would bring the same level of satisfaction, if not the same long term reliability.
“ The top case and two side cases integrate seamlessly…” ok, that’s a stretch.
LOL todd, have you ever owned anything with any power?
Sure: Saab 93, GTI, and my ‘86 Westfalia that I converted to a 3.3 flat six with 230 hp…
Is okay todd, I greatly enjoyed my 1980 Corolla with the 1.8 3TC and a 5 speed. Some folks have forgotten that it is FUN to drive ANY DAMN THING. I love driving my 18 hp Shibaura SD2200-D tractor. As long as it has an IC engine, I love driving it. Even if it is a forklift running on propane. We are spoiled. REPENT you heretics! lol
We gearheads love mechanical things, especially that have engines. Along with that, we tend to be competitive, and sometimes forget we don’t have to have the newest, biggest, fastest, strongest, most expensive machine to still have a great time. We ARE spoiled.
“Sure: Saab 93, GTI, and my ‘86 Westfalia that I converted to a 3.3 flat six with 230 hp…”
I’d say that means “no.” 🙂
It’s far more fun to run a slow machine fast than to run a fast machine slow.
So run the fast machine fast! Why would you run a fast machine slow?
Made in China, either you accept that fact and live with it or choose something else. Covid is the first thing China ever invented that worked and it seems to be lasting longer than anticipated. I’d buy the Honda CB 500 X and be happy.
I second that. I’m just not interested in ANYTHING from China at this point. The sooner we move our manufacturing base from under the control of the CCP, the happier I’ll be. I understand why we can’t make “everything” in the U.S.A.. But there’s no reason we can’t make more than we do currently and then split up the rest of it around the globe. Make more stuff in Mexico and Canada.
My Harbor Freight hammer has been pretty reliable.
The CB500X is a great bike. I’ve owned everything from a Sportster to a Gixxer to Beemer, and my current first gen CB500X is towards the top of my list of favorites. It feels like a bicycle in terms of how easy it is to use.
I’m also considering the Honda CB500x as well.
“The full set retails for $999.” – That’s funny my local dealer wants $1250 for just the side-cases. Yeah no.
That rider is either very small or that is one bulky 500. The price is right however.
I had to search the dealer network. I had no idea where Benelli is sold. Within 250 miles, I found 7 dealers. 5 had none in stock. 2 had nothing but TNT135s and 1 of those had a single 302S.
Much like MV Agusta, finding a dealer that carries them is going to be an issue, and because they don’t carry them unless you special order one, it means that the dealer really knows nothing about them so if you need service other than an oil or tire change, the techs will just fumble away at it and hope they get it right. They’ll have no specialized training. And that’s what’s kept me from buying an MV TVL.
Nice looking bike but I’ll bet it will struggle if you fill all those panniers, add a passenger, and try to keep up with traffic on any interstate highway. The “dirt capable” version might be a good option for a solo trip to the north woods as long as you don’t break it.
Anyone that intends to buy ANY 500cc bike, load up the panniers and the passenger seat, and head for an interstate highway…is buying the wrong bike. That’s what the bigger ones are for.
That is a beak’s beak!
Must be designed in Sicily. They’re known for their schnozes on that island.
40.8 miles to my nearest dealer. Not undoable.
Wow. At first look, she looks busy. Second look. Wow. That is a TON of scooter for the money. If these have any distribution and the price is really that low, I bet Himilayas will gather dust!
I’d have one of these over an Enfield any day of the week. There is really no comparison.
Are the Enfields really that bad? I hate to hear that. I keep looking at their 650 twin.
Nothing wrong with the Enfield, just saying that these two bikes are worlds apart in both design and manufacture.
Thanks for the response. I don’t really need the best or brightest…I just want something to ride : – (
I can’t see cross shopping this bike with a Himalayan. If you want a primarily sub 60mph bike get the Himalayan, it has it’s own character. If you want something more capable of freeway speeds and are more street focused this offering would be a better choice. It all comes down to how you plan on using your $5-6k bike.
47HP? should be a lot of fun! C”mon man!
Yeah, and after a little digging, it appears that that 47hp is way up high in the rev range, not good…
One can expect peak horsepower readings to be up higher in the range, what’s of greater importance with this type of bike is the torque curve. Forty-seven horsepower from a 500cc twin is not that exceptional, maybe peaking around 8k rpm or so (redline is @ 9k). Still very normal. With that rather modest output I’d expect torque production to be sufficient down low and relatively flat throughout the rev range.
Europe limits A2 license holders to 47 hp.
These have been in Australia for a number of years now and seem to have gained a pretty good rep. Pricing is excellent.
Physically, a much larger and bulkier machine than the Honda 500X
Yeah but how many sold in a year? low single figures I bet
Looks like their designers took a shortcut and just copied Triumphs adventure models
The Japanese have been ripping off Harley for years so they’re just following their lead. 😉
By the way. Benelli also uses this motor in the Leoncino 500 Scrambler. It looks pretty cool too and is also quite affordable.
Scrambler? Off to Duck Duck I go! Thanks Kermit!
Well. Looks more like a cruiser. No high pipes.
235 Kg according to their website. That’s heavy for a mid-size adventure bike. The world needs more adventure bikes in this cc range, but not at 500+ lbs.
213kg/470lbs per the website https://usa.benelli.com/product/trk-502-2020-usa (unladen weight, which I suspect is wet weight)
The CB500X is listed @ 197kg/434lbs https://powersports.honda.com/street/adventure/cb500x/specifications (all fluids, full tank of fuel)
If Benelli’s “unladen” weight is dry weight, then your 235kg would be correct.
Either way, the TRK502/X is heavier, but 35lbs isn’t that big of a deal.
“Either way, the TRK502/X is heavier, but 35lbs isn’t that big of a deal.”
Maybe not. Although, I’m not sure those 47 horses would agree with you.
235kg makes this bike utterly pointless. The whole idea of a small engined adv bike is less weight – how could Bennelli not figure this one out?
Suzuki claim their B-King-I have one-weighs 235kg Dry. why so much I dont know, but its a heavy mutha for a naked
agreed.
IMO they really priced it to sell. Looks to fill a sweet niche in the market.
Overall it looks great, superb even, minus maybe the beak. Beaks on such bike remind me of the hood of a late 50s/early 60s US passenger car, minus everything below the hood’s forward 1/4; IOW no grille, bumper, radiator, fan, forward section of the front fenders, etc. Just a funky looking hood out there all alone, pushing through the air.
where are they made????? China???
Since 2005 Benelli is owned by a Chinese group named Qianjiang and the bikes are manufactured in China.
Italian design & headquarters, Chinese manufacture & factory. The Qianjiang purchase took place in 2005, so this is not exactly recent news.
Italian design, well, that is hard to really quantify or see in this particular bike. The pre-Qianjiang Benelli bikes looked very Italian, and original. These traits seem to be waning over time. I’m guessing there is increased influence and control coming into Italy from corporate headquarters. This bike looks like a Multistrada/Yamaha/Tractor mashup. That doesn’t say “Italian design” to me.
Holy crap, a dealer that I used to work for shows up on their locator in North GA, I’m still friendly with them and they’re aggressive on pricing so maybe I can snag one if they look nice for a decent price.
Great riding where you live. Any road ending in “Gap” is guaranteed fun, especially on a sportbike. I used to love visiting my cousin when he lived in Cumming so I could ride all day in the foothills. Never took my adv out that way so I’m not familiar with how much trails are available to the public.
Oh yeah, recently took a weekend trip up to Clayton GA, it’s gorgeous up there! Have done some paddling on the nearby Chattooga as well (Section II)
500 cc and 47 horsepower? My CB500X does that now. I will admit that I’d like the larger fuel tank that this Benelli has. I’m not sure it’s worth getting the Multistrada wannabe beak in the trade, however.
It looks like the CB500X would be its target competition. It would be interesting to see a comparison test between them. Personally, I would prefer the non-X model, both for the price and the 17″ wheels, but the X looks a bit better (non-worse, anyway), because of a smaller gap between the front fender and the (ugly) beak.
IMHO, Honda probably doesn’t have much to worry about, but I’d take a serious look at the TRK502 if I were in the market. None of my local SSR dealers appear to have the bike in stock. Most of them just carry the itty-bitty SSR’s.
Mine is a ’16 so still a 17″ front. I bought it for long distance and touring so I wanted the riding position.
As to the non-X models, I really wish Honda would give the CB500F the same “Neo-Sports Cafe” styling as other naked
models (300R, 650R, 1000R). I would definitely find room in my small shop for second bike.
Nothing wrong with the Benelli’s wannabeak. Nothing at all. Plenty of motorcycles in this genre have a beak. These two bikes look pretty damn neat and not just for the money but especially for the money.
Your CB500X is a fantastic motorcycle so I don’t blame you if kept it over either of these Benellis. The tank and the range it offers is a big draw for me over others in this class, another is the triple disc brakes these scoots have, Superb!
Some here would say, “dual discs up front in this class aren’t really needed“. I think its a great marketing and safety point, especially with ABS. I want it whenever possible.
In the 60s Benelli minibikes were sold at Sears stores nationwide and I lusted over them in person or via the “Wish Book” every Christmas. Maybe now I’ll get one of these and try and live up to my childhood.
Great bike you’ve got there Tim, and I mean that!
Dirk, I hope you get one to do a thorough review on. Looks like it would be FUN! FUN! FUN!
Nothing wrong with the wish book/toilet paper from Sears back in the day. I got my first electric guitar (Kay effector) and amp (Silvertone 1485 IIRC) out of the catalog when I was 9 back in ’78. All in one stereo with the BSR turntable too. There were actually a lot of good electronic things out of there that are fetching good money on e-bay now. MCs and go-karts too among a ton of other things.
47 hp comes from Europe’s progressive licensing limits. You start with an A1 license (less than 15 hp) then move to an A2 license (less than 47 hp) before getting a full license.
The USA doesn’t buy enough bikes to get a specific US version.
Dealers? Go fishing in here…
http://www.ssrmotorsports.com/store/dealer_locator.php
What dealers?