BS6 Benelli Imperiale 400 on the way to launch

It’s been nearing towards the BS6 deadline and soon Benelli will be also updating the entire portfolio to meet the BS6 norms. Imperiale 400 will be the first model of the company to get the BS6 upgrade. Interestingly, Benelli Imperiale 400 had a price hike a month ago about Rs 20,000. After the BS6 upgrade, we hope that it doesn’t vary much than the current pricing. The BS6 upgrade will possess changes compared to the predecessor. Lets one by one see what these changes might be in the Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6.

Design

Now we have to first understand the retro-looking motorcycles. They do not go any major change in the design as it will disturb the tradition of the bike. So Imperiale 400 will be no exception, it will have a similar design as of the current model. It will get round headlamp and indicators, along with long pipe exhaust that extends beyond the rear wheel. The tank design is typical retro teardrop type. However, we hope that the new upgraded model to come with additional colour options.

Engine

The engine will be retained from the BS4 model but now it will be a BS6 compliant. The engine is 374 cc air-cooled and a fuel-injected motor that is mated with a five-speed gearbox. The previous engine was tuned to produce around 20.7 bhp max power and fantastic 29 Nm of peak torque. The power in the BS6 model is expected to have a mild drop but we expect the torque output to remain the same.

Hardware and Features

Underpinnings of the motorcycle will have telescopic suspension at the front and dual shock absorbers at the rear. Braking duty will be done by the 300 mm disc at the front and 240 mm disc at the rear, further these brakes will be assisted by the dual-channel ABS. It gets 19-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel, both spoked wheels.

The bike will be equipped with the traditional looking analogue speedometer with a digital odometer, trip meter and fuel gauge. The ABS of the bike is switchable so that you can have fun with skidding the rear wheel. It also gets tank pads to have the retro feel as well as for the grip purpose.

Price and Rivals

The current pricing for the BS4 model starts at Rs 1,79,500 (ex-showroom) and goes up for Rs 1,89,500 (ex-showroom) for the black and red colour variants. We expect the price hike of Rs 5,000-7,000 over the predecessor. The major rivals for the Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 are the Jawa 42 and Royal Enfield Classic 350. The launch date of the BS6 model is expected by mid-April 2020.

You can watch our detailed video for the Imperiale 400 so that you can get a clear idea of the design and rideability.