Benelli TNT 600i Long Term Report 2: City

City Brawler

A motorcycle like the Benelli TNT 600i might not be the first pick for many to commute to work everyday. But after doing exactly that, I’d say that the 600i has turned out to be a motorcycle that manages to strike a balance, considering the activities that are involved in day-to-day commuting.

In the previous report, we had talked about the bike’s styling and the basic ergonomics of getting around the motorcycle. However, after spending a lot of time on its saddle and riding through different traffic situations, I'd say that the TNT 600i is a bike that tends to grow onto you. Yes, it has its shortcomings, but once you get rolling, all that tends to take a backseat.

The riding stance, for one, is comfortable for a 600cc motorcycle. It is upright and commanding with lots of room to shift around, thanks to its wide seat. There is ample under-thigh support which rewards you with a not-so-sore bottom even after 1-1.5 hours of riding. You are pretty much sitting in the bike rather than sitting on it. The reach for the handlebar is a bit of an effort but after adjusting its clamping point and with a little re-arrangement of the brake and clutch levers, it is manageable.

Furthermore, the suspension setup of the motorcycle is on the stiffer side, which is common among bikes in its segment. However, when plying over regular-sized potholes or road undulations, it soaks up the bumps well which, in the long run, is kind on the back. And as the road opens up, with well-paced traffic, the TNT 600i is actually fun to manoeuvre through it. Once you have set you pace and chosen the ideal gear for that speed, you can keep on riding, making your way through traffic and enjoying that sweet sound exhaust note. Yes, you could shift to a higher gear and be fuel-efficient with it. But then, where’s the fun in that?

Now, you might be wondering how does the bike’s undeniable weight of 231 kgs make it alright  for riding every day. Well, if you were to ride every day thinking about it, then it will surely weigh heavy, on it mind of not your body. The bike's weight was strongly felt primarily while backing it, taking it off the stand and while weaving through the traffic at peak hours. In the case of the latter, since the weight distribution is higher towards the front, one needs to wrestle with the handle bars while keeping the bike upright. Barring these exceptions, it turned out to be fairly manageable once you get rolling, even for someone with a medium build like me (I weigh 73kg and stand 5.6 feet tall).

While all the above might be good things about the bike, there are a couple that rob away some of the fun. First up, is the horn. Benelli has equipped this beastly looking bike with a single horn which is not very loud. And to add to it, the horn on our long term bike would often die down upon using it for a while. At that point, although I don’t like doing it, a quick rev ends up getting the job done. Also, the TNT 600i has a cable-type clutch system which is no less of a workout in bumper to bumper traffic. It is something that I had to deal with often, as even after carrying out minor tweaks, it remained more or less the same. And then, there is also the heat emitted by the four-cylinder mill. When wind passes through the radiator, the temperature hovers around the 73-78 degree mark. But in peak traffic situations, the temperature soars up to 93 degrees which is when it gets uncomfortable to ride.

Another concern is the headlight’s poor illumination when riding at night. The intensity of the low beam is weak and is too scattered, which leaves you constantly switching to high beam to figure out what’s ahead. And lastly, taking into account a mileage of around 22kmpl on a daily basis and a fuel tank that is capable of holding only 15-litres of fuel, get ready to make some friends at the fuel station. More on the TNT 600i in the next report.

Bike stats

Odometer: 1,371km

Kilometres ridden: 546km

Fuel efficiency: 22.48kmpl

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi