Benelli Motorcycles

At its inceptions, it was called the "Benelli Garage," and it repaired cars and motorcycles. Even then it was still producing its spare repair parts. In 1920, the company built its first complete engine in-house. It was a single-cylinder, two-stroke, 75 cc model and was made for a bicycle frame. Then in 1921, Benelli built its first motorcycle with its own 98cc engine. In 1962, the company of Benelli and Motobi produced around 300 motorcycles per day and had 550 employees. Towards the end of the 1960s, the arrival of Japanese manufacturers caused a crisis in the European motorcycle industry which led to a temporary break in Benelli production. Toward the end of the 60's, the last Benelli motorcycle was produced: the Tornado 650 which developed 50 hp at 7000 rpm, and easily surpassed 170 km/h. Benelli then changed ownership. Then in 1995, Andrea Merloni took charge and the results were quick with the launch of the Tornado 900 Tre super sport bike. Today, Benelli is part of the Chinese Qianjiang Group, however, production will remain in Pesaro, the traditional home of the Benelli company. TNT, the explosive roadster.

The Benelli name is indicative of craftsmanship and technology. Its "Corsa Lunga" motor has been designed by Benelli technicians. The Benelli motorcycle has an extractable, 6-speed, gear shift which allows rapid replacement of the gears without having to take the engine apart. Also important has been the implementation of an electronic injection system. Safety is first as the frame has been joined to the front end (including the steering head and the steel sided framework) to the rear end, in a cast aluminum alloy. The two parts are joined to form a perfectly solid joint further reinforced by structural, aeronautical gluing to eliminate small movements and vibrations. Light and unique, the shock absorber system has been constructed based on a Benelli design. The TNT swing arm is made from high resistant, hand welded pipes. The rear wheel helps the chain pulling operation with logical and easy maintenance.