Benelli TNT 600i Long Term Report 1: Introduction

Introduction

Every time I commute to work and back, it adds 44km to the odometer of the motorcycle I am riding. Ever since I’ve joined BikeWale, the time I spend riding a motorcycle has increased manyfold. And if you ask me, except for the few occasions when the traffic is just not in my favour or when I am tired after a hectic day, the time I spend on the motorcycle riding is more of a stress buster rather than a boring commute. Basically, twice a day, five times a week (and weekends too), I get to enjoy motorcycles. And so, when I was told that my daily commuter for the next three months was the Benelli TNT 600i, my initial response was sheer disbelief. It sounded too good to be true. It was only after reading the communication received from the guys at Benelli that I could believe that this 600cc inline four-cylinder behemoth was truly going to be my long-termer.

And it gets even better. That’s because, rather than collecting the bike from a dealership within the city, I had to ride it down from Pune, a nice highway journey on my very first acquaintance with this motorcycle. Now, since this is an introduction report, I’ll reserve my opinions on its highway use for later as there’ll be more trips happening in the three months.

Now, you might have spotted a TNT 600i on several occasions on the road, and most of them have probably been due to its loud exhaust note. I say that because this has been the case for me, every single time. However, that’s a bystander’s approach towards this bike. And it all changes when it’s you who is about to straddle that seat. One good look at the TNT 600i, and you’re bound to be intimidated by its sheer presence. It’s a beefed up muscular bike that has spent a lot of time in the gym. The chiselled yet petite headlamp fairing flanked by thick inverted forks on either side make sure you get noticed upon arrival. The rest of the bike projects the same aura, one that is bound to grab your attention, right from the red steel trellis frame to the dual underseat exhausts.

Once astride, the TNT 600i has a commanding riding stance just like its personality. The seating triangle is not that extreme but is actually comfortable thanks to the large seat that lets you move back and forth and the recesses in the tank which let you grip the bike properly. When it's at a standstill, the 800mm seat height along with the contouring of the seat allows me to place the sole of my boots firmly on the ground. And you need that because given how beefy this bike looks, you bet it also translates to the same in terms of weight. The bike tips the scale at 231kg, which can be a handful to manoeuvre at slow speeds, but it’s manageable once you get rolling.

So far, these are my first impressions about the TNT 600i, which has made a world of change to the time I spend riding motorcycles. All I can say is that  the daily 44km commute has become a lot more fun. More on this motorcycle in the next long term report. Until then, ride safe!

Bike stats

Odometer: 525km

Kilometres ridden: 846km

Fuel efficiency: 25.32kmpl

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi