2018 Benelli TRK 502X LAMS Adventure Tourer Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Benelli have recently launched the all new TRK 502X, an adventure touring version of the standard 502 boasting spoked wheels, revised suspension and brakes, sump guard, standard rack and hand guards and much more. All in a sporty package for just $9,390 on the road in Australia.
Here's a quick look at the 2018 Benelli TRK 502X.
See the full writeup at BikeReview.com.au:
bikereview.com...
Jeff Ware
Correction ... if i may ?
TRK"X" has TUBED rims ( see centrally nippled spokes?)
So some mods are needed to those rims ... if you want the main tubeless advantage .. i/e to do those quick tyre-plug roadside repairs.
My own (2nd) bike has received the following changes to make it better for me ...
*Front 14T sprocket changed to 15T for less "revviness" and better rideability / ( fuel economy even ?)
* Swapped those standard headlight "candle" bulbs for some much brighter LED replacements, but they need the inline resistors fitting also to prevent engine warning lights coming on ...
* Side stand foot
* Screen extender from Ali Express
* Tank pads branded Benelli TRK ( great)
* Front mudguard extender ( ditto) keeps front of motor much cleaner
* Bigger belly pan, ordered again from china (which took some redrilling to get it lined up though)
* Grip puppies for less top end motorway vibes
* Clutch took quite some adjustment cos it released way too close to the bars. (always stalled at first)
* Rear shock was ROCK HARD and needed professionally setting up for me. Budget outlay but great result.
* Rear "wooden" brake needed upgrading to sintered pads and a bracket making to lift the footplate higher.
* Cheap LED AUX lamps work a treat with those Pre-wired (and backlit) switches provided from the factory /
* Horn is hilarious
HOWEVER
I also own a 2018 BMW R1200GSA ( my 4th one from new ) and i wanted a cheap mileage muncher to save abusing the GS value / (mileage now at 30,000 over 3 years.) Just so a comparison can be established ;-)
Benelli offering this machine for less than £5,000 brand new, for me it was a no-brainer, now I have tweaked it.
I think it sounds ace and looks great, and as I often lead group rideouts ... being in front still allows good progress despite relative high weight and low horsepower it still hustles if the rider is able to exploit the bike to its potential ?
So much more appealing than the non X version.
Good honest review. I am 60 and looking to buy my first bike, I take my test in a few weeks time in the UK. I had initially decided to buy a new RE Himalayan as I live near to a large MOD / army training area with lots of dirt / gravel roads, One of the local RE dealers also offers Benelli, Moto Guzzi, Aprillia and Brough, when in the showroom I sat on the Benelli TRK502X and as I am 6'2" I found the 850mm seat height and leg room spot on, where as the Himalayan at 800mm seat height my feet were flat on the ground and my legs bent.
So now the questions is which one do I buy? my heart says Benelli TRK502X and my head says RE Himalayan .....
That's a hard choice, the Himalayan is fun in the rough conditions, but far more restrained as far as power compared to the TRK502X. On the other hand it's also a fair bit lighter. For dirt/gravel the TRK502X should serve you well, if you're doing much rougher terrain the Himalayan being lighter and a real tractor probably pulls ahead.
@@BikeReviewcomau My heart or my head is going to explode - Doh.
Follow your heart..
So, 3 years on, what did you choose back then and where are you now in your motorcycling journey ??
Allan , forget your heart and your head, vote with ya feet. Hope that's helpful😊
Wonderful review mate!
Thanks!
This bike has a really good sales in Chinese market, and the price is going a little bit higher than before, it's 44,800 yuan now, almost 6,500 USD
Looking to finally get onto two wheels in my 40's after wanting to ride all my life. The adventure touring bike is what I feel is the best type of bike for me and this one really does look good for the money. The main thing is the weight of it that puts me off a bit given its around the 230kg mark which given its high center a gravity might be an issue for a new rider. Also what sort of rpm is it pulling at highway speeds eg 110kph? Thanks.
Nice review.. does it have strong pull at low and mid rpm?
Hey mate, I took my learner now, do yob believe is a good bike for start? And also in terms of market is a good sale?
Aaaand whats your opinion so far after 2y of usage? Reliabilty?
I thought in Australia driving on right hand side same as Thailand?
We do, this test was in Italy.
In Australia we drive on left side of road .. had me worried .😅
How would you compare the Benelli to the Kawasaki Versys X300?
That's a really good queston. The Versys X300 feels a lot lighter, but there's a distinct power difference between the two machines, so it's a trade-off either way. The TRK to me would hold an advantage on the road and over long distances (touring), while the Versys X300 would no doubt win in really rough off-road conditions, where it's easier to handle, especially if your skills are more limited.
@@BikeReviewcomau thanks!!
Amazing oversight not to compare it to the CB500X... and the use of the new navel GoPro mount was a bit odd
Unfortunately we haven't ridden the CB500X so we can't make that comparison. That's the chest mount which works well on nakedbikes but tends to be too low on adventure/touring machines, even in the highest position, so a mistake on my part for not getting more helmet footage!
ok
It so weird those two lights only work when you turn on the high beam.
If you mean the spotlights.. thats the law .......
You said there was a 300 in the wind any idea of when? would love to see a comparison between the Benelli and Kawasaki Versys-x 300 have not got my L's yet. The 502 x is on my short list as is the Versys- x 300 just worried about seat height and weight of the Benelli but if there is a 300 on the way I would love to find out about it. Also thanks for a great review it's what has put the Benelli on my short list in the first place.
We will let you know as soon as we do. The TRK 502 is really heavy, the X 300 super light but not good on the open roads... SWM and CF Moto do good LAMS Sports Adv models now also.
Nice vid....for the spoked wheels....is it a tube setup or tubeless setup..cheers ride safe
Tube, stay safe out there too!
what should be your height.... at least ....to ride thus bike....???
Tubeless tire? Really?
No, not tubeless, TRK Standard has got tubeless, but not the X
@@benelli-trk502x-videos3 I know but he dont know it :)))
Nice bike, and good review.
This or the RE INT650
Nope!, they are doing what ALL manufacturers are doing. The Benelli scrambler is 170kg dry. This is basically the same bike EXCEPT it weighs 40kg more. Does a slightly bigger tank and some different plastics really weigh 40kg?????????? Because obviously what we want from a low powered ADV is a huge amount more weight? Why isn't anyone pointing that out!! It could have been ok at a similar weight. As it is why would you buy one of these when you can buy a second hand DL650 and have another 15hp. Did they make it massively heavy so it didn't embarrass the ridiculous 250kg ADVs.
Hey campbell, if you mean the Benelli Leoncino Trail (also known in some markets as the Scrambler) they are based on the same platform, but there's pretty big differences, including the frame, entire fairings, crash bars, rear rack, exhaust and so on. It's a significant difference in weight, and would be great if they could shave it down, but it's easy to see why it's there, and at the price point maximising weight savings is probably not going to be the biggest priority.
This bike is also LAMS legal, so if that's a criteria then you're looking at essentially the same power from a DL650. If you can get a good hand deal and/or aren't worried about the bike being LAMS legal then a second hand DL650 might be a good point of comparison.
@@BikeReviewcomau Interesting the DL650 is Lams approved here. Not an issue for me anyway as I have a full licence and have been riding for over 20 years. - At this point almost certainly going to buy a Himalayan, as even the DL is super heavy - even the early models weigh over 200kg wet. Cheers for your thoughts :)
@@BikeReviewcomau Oh and yep was talking about the Leoncino - it would probably be a better ADV - just needs a proper - scrambler-esq exhaust. I don't need fairings, don't need a rear rack - crash bars could be good, but I imagine they could be bolted on somewhere - or possibly just some of those crash knobs like on sports bikes. (to clarify, in NZ ADV's are used a lot more like what you guys in Europe call Dual purpose.) We have a ton of accessible off-road here. When I was young, strong, wealthy and a bit stupid I rode my VStrom1000 over the sand dunes and up the beach. Looking for something a bit lighter (Read wayyy lighter now).
Good bike with 232kg weight for 50hp?
Give me a break.
Riders who only care about power to weight ratio aren't the target market for this bike, particularly since it's learner (LAMS) legal.
Indeed, wich in fact make this Benelli expensive to simply learn to ride on it.
For that purpose there are many bikes (second hand) much lighter and shorter.
Example: 2005 V-Strom (half or less price, 810 mm tall, less than 200 kg´s dry).
Cheers
A 2005 V-Strom wouldn't be learner (LAMS) legal though, so that's not really a relevant comparison for those looking for something to learn on in Australia. While comparing to other new machines - to make a fair comparison - puts the TRK 502X competitively priced, and in a similar region for specifications.
It wouldn't be A2 legal in Portugal either, so the comparison is moot.
And it still has a BETTER power to weight ratio (50% better actually) than my '15 Mazda Miata, which is considered an example sports car... ;)
so you are comparing a 13 years old bike with a brand new bike to make a point. How clever!