DSK Motowheels chairman Sirish Kulkarni has revealed that the Benelli Tornado Naked T135 mini bike will go on sale in India by March 2017. First unveiled at the 2015 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the TNT 135 marks Benelli’s foray into a completely new segment.
Speaking to the press during the launch of Benelli’s showroom in Vadodara, Mr Kulkarni said that this mini bike will be priced between Rs 1.3 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh. While this would make it the most affordable offering in the brand’s portfolio, the TNT 135 isn’t exactly a mainstream motorcycle. Featuring an exposed trellis frame, fuel-injected powertrain, sophisticated brakes and suspension parts, the TNT 135 actually looks like a shrunken version of the TNT 25. For the Indian market, the TNT 135 will be available with a 135cc single-cylinder engine. Rated at 12.6bhp and 10.8Nm of torque, the engine is mated to a five-speed transmission.
This niche segment has so far been dominated by the Honda MSX125, more popularly known as the Grom. With Kawasaki and Benelli joining the party, this segment has suddenly started seeing a lot of activity. While the market in India for such bikes has so far been non-existent, Honda recently decided to test the waters by introducing the Navi. The TNT135 though will be positioned way above the Navi as a premium offering, and should remain unrivalled for quite some time.
