Benelli Imperiale 400 launching in 2018

Benelli has begun its slew of launches once again. The Leoncino Scrambler will be launched soon. and next in line will be the TRK 502. This will be followed by a retro styled bike which will make its debut in India. The Benelli Imperiale 400 will be launched in 2018. It was showcased at the EICMA 2017 too. This bike will squarely target the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and 500. The USP of this bike will be its build quality and fit finish as compared to its competition. This is good news for retro style lovers. What is the Benelli Imperiale 400 all about? How much will it cost? When will it be launched? We share a few details.

Benelli Imperiale 400 Launch Date

The bike will be launched by mid to late 2018, most likely. The bike has yet to be homologated at the ARAI. Benelli expects it to become their best seller.

Benelli Imperiale 400 Price in India

The Imperiale 400 is expected to cost around INR 2.2 lakhs (on-road) This will be a very attractive price for the bike and will help it target its competition as well. This price is likely to reduce once local production for this bike starts.

Design

The Imperiale 400 looks like a typical retro motorcycle. It gets spoked wheels with chrome mudguards. The simple fuel take has knee pads in a contrasting colour, which is black. It gets a saddle seat, which is a split one. The headlamp, tail lamp and the turn indicators are all retro styled.

The instrument pod has twin dials for the speedo and tacho. This twin pod analogue instrument cluster has a digital display for rider information. The handlebar is a short and straight one. It gets a single long exhaust. The mirrors are also chrome plated like retro bikes. The fuel tank has a capacity of 12 litres.

Specifications

The Imperiale is fitted with a 373.5cc, single cylinder SOHC engine. It is air cooled and comes with fuel injection. This engine makes about 18.5bhp of power at a low 5,500 rpm, and 28Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. The engine is BS-IV compliant and comes mated to a 5-speed transmission. The power output of this bike is similar to the Royal Enfield Classic 350. Expect the bike to have good levels of refinement. This will be its USP. The motorcycle has a weight of around 200 kgs

Mileage

The Imperiale is expected to return around 40 km/l of mileage overall. This will be somewhat similar to what the RE Classic 350 offers. The bike weighs arround 200kgs and this will be the best mileage that this engine can derive, in real riding conditions.

Brakes and Suspension

The Benelli Imperiale 400 gets front telescopic forks and dual rear shock absorbers. The bike is fitted on to a steel double cradle frame. This motorcycle comes with discs on the front and rear. Dual channel ABS is standard on this bike.  The bike will come with soft compound tyres that will offer good grip levels.

Competition

The Benelli Imperiale 400 will mainly compete with the Royale Enfiel Classic 350. It will also challenge the RE Classic 500. This segment is a high volume churner for RE and Benelli will try and grab some market share here.