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BENELLI IMPERIALE
Benelli Imperiale 400 BS VI Almost Almost Belissimo Belissimo
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The Imperiale 400 has immense potential to be Benelli’s shot at the thumping 350
Report: Hari Kudchadkar
As a child, I particularly remember the rumble from a 350cc air cooled, single cylinder motor that with exhaust tips that looked like the shotguns from American movies on HBO. The sound that made its way out of the exhaust was quite literally every Indian man’s motorcycling symphony. Everyone wanted one, everyone saved up for the big bad Bullet. It was a market hit, even at that time with the angry kickstart and the dangerously small service intervals. The ‘Cruiser’ segment is a vast sea, but come down to modern-classics and you’d realize that it’s a segment that invokes the feeling of nostalgia.
The cruiser segment in India now has multiple options, unlike yesteryears. It’s a pie that every manufacturer wants to dig into. Bajaj did it, but with a modern cruiser that you can tour with, just like the Bullet. Jawa did it, with their Jawa Classic and the 42, after years of R&D. The Classic that
resembles the vintage Jawa took a while to see sales kickstart in the Indian market. Benelli too, wanted a piece of that tasty cruiser pie, so they dug in with what was a retro-modern cruiser with a lot of potential. It is the first motorcycle in Benelli’s portfolio to be launched in its BS6 ready avatar. It was launched in 2019 with an aim to take on Royal Enfield’s Bullet 350. At least that’s what we assumed.
The Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 neo-retro cruiser styling is old school, with the round headlamp, old school indicators, generous spread of chrome, split seats and a lovely vintage looking tank. For those who are still running their mouths behind a phone or laptop as to whether this is a wannabe motorcycle due to its resemblance. It’s not. You see, Benelli has had its fair share of history. The name comes from Benelli’s Moto Bi range which included the Imperiale 125. The styling is something we all have questions about, mainly because of how common it is for manufacturers to utilize round headlamps, twin pod instrument clusters and highly basic fuel tank design.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Honest to God, I’d say it looks different. Functional. Proportional. It’s got authentic retro cues all around that give you vintage vibes. The seating position is upright with a relatively low handlebar. There’s just enough use on chrome elements all around, including the classy rear-view mirrors to give off the retro vibe. The chrome spoked rims too add to the vibe, with a 19-inch rim in the front and an 18-inch rim at the rear. The quality of plastics of the switchgear has improved drastically, changing the overall feel of the bike.
It’s got an old-school twin pod instrument cluster that is part analog and part digital and shows basic readings – rpm, speed, time, fuel, gear indications, low fuel warning and trip. The gear shift indicator is the slow one, unable to keep up with quick shifts. The fuel indicator, like every neo-retro motorcycle with a round tank, has a mind of its own. I particularly liked the chrome handlebar for being just wide and high enough, which coupled with the 780mm seat height, made for a very comfortable seating position.
The retro teardrop shaped tank is reminiscent of vintage motorcycles, probably from the 60’s. It has knee indents with pads that are more aesthetic rather than functional in nature. The Benelli lettering and pin striping is a vinyl sticker, but adds so much classic flavor to the overall motorcycle. Lastly, the exhaust pipe is one that you must have surely seen on other bikes. Of course, not the same one, but a similar shaped barrel. Take a look at the whole bike from the sides, and you’d take 60 seconds to fall in love with how simple it is while also wondering how this is not as popular as the competing 350cc motorcycle.
PERFORMANCE
The Benelli Imperiale is powered by a 374cc aircooled, single-cylinder that makes slightly more power and torque compared to the Royal Enfield Bullet 350. Precisely, 20.7bhp @6000rpm and 29Nm of torque @3500rpm. The difference in power and torque is just 1 unit, but where the Bullet’s motor starts thumping from the get go, the Imperiale takes a while to get into form, which is almost close to 2500rpm. Keep that slight bottom end deficit out and you won’t get over about how happily the motor revs.
Happy revs coupled with a relatively smooth 5-speed gearbox..Trust me, this is a Great buy.
The sweet spot for the 374cc motor is 4000 to 5500rpm. Keep it inside this and you will really enjoy your ride. Cruise between 80- to 100kmph and you would be surprised as to how relaxed the motor feels. Yes, there are vibes at high revs that creep onto the handlebar, but barely any on the foot pegs thanks to the chunky rubber padding. The redline is somewhere around 6000rpm, but the needle pushes past that till it hits the rev-limiter at 7000rpm.
RIDE AND HANDLING
The ride is relatively plush with front forks being slightly softer than the twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. The spring rate on the rear springs is higher, due to which the compression is still relatively low even with a pillion. The suspension didn’t ever bottom out even on sudden big bumps, but weirdly what did hit the ground, was the centre stand. Every single big speed breaker if not taken slowly and at an upright angle, would cause the centre stand feet to scrape.
Overall ride is comfortable and won’t cause much fatigue on long rides, if you happen to plan a long ride to the mountains. The bigger front wheel will certainly give you the upper hand when tackling broken roads. And on paved roads? Well, this is where it shines! No silly wobble trying to be a hero into a corner, just give immense confidence thanks to a firm frame, superb weight distribution and a nice set of tyres. However, at 205kg it sits pretty heavy and while it loves corners, it does not have a thing for direction changes. Highway rides though will be great fun. One, because of the rev happy motor and two, because of the 1,440mm wheelbase that offers stability even on those fast corners. Back in city, the wide handlebar makes filtering a piece of cake.
For when you want to drop anchor you have a 300mm disc 2-pot caliper in the front and a 240mm disc with a single-pot caliper at the rear. The bite is progressive and will aid better when used with 60:40 force. At high speed, say a dog tries to cross your path, and you panic brake, the ABS comes in pretty handy, here more than the bad roads where it seemed to go berserk and end up increasing braking distance.
VERDICT
If you’re in the market for a modern-retro cruiser that won’t break your financial spine and can also be your daily ride, we suggest you to take the leap and make the decision to buy the Benelli Imperiale. Surely it won’t let you down, unless you really enjoy the loud thumping exhaust note. Like the Royal Enfield, Benelli too has years of heritage. Which means there is no doubt about its credibility. The Imperiale will cost you Rs 1.89 lakh ex-showroom which is slightly over the price you would pay for a Classic 350. In the city it will lend you a decent mileage of 20kmpl, while on the highway, the number goes up to 33kmpl and sometimes, if you are really careful 36-37kmpl. There you have it. The Imperiale can be your next motorcycle, and you don’t even have to be too brave about it!
