After launching the Leoncino siblings in India, Benelli has introduced yet another retro-inspired offering, the Imperiale 400. The motorcycle has entered into the middle-weight touring segment which is currently dominated by Royal Enfield’s Classic and Thunderbird offerings. Now, in order to know how worthy a competitor the Imperiale is on paper, let’s put a glimpse on the top five highlights of the bike.
Heritage styling
Staying true to its retro design theme, the Imperiale 400 takes styling cues from the Imperiale 125 of the 1950s. The motorcycle sports a round headlamp, twin-pod instrument cluster, single-piece flat handlebar, teardrop-shaped fuel tank and spoke wheels. While the healthy dose of chrome on various components make it look fairly classic, the blacked-out engine lends it a modern appeal.
Powerplant
The Imperiale is powered by a 374cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled SOHC motor which churns out 20.6bhp at 5,500rpm and 29Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. Despite the BS-VI deadline (1 April 2020) closing in, the motorcycle still features a BS-IV compliant motor. Expect the company to upgrade the powerplant soon.
Hardware package
Underpinned by a double-cradle frame, the Imperiale rides on spoke wheels with diameter of 19-inch up front and 18-inch at the rear. Damping duties are taken care of by 41mm telescopic forks at the front and pre-load adjustable dual shock absorbers at the rear. Braking hardware comprises of a 300mm single disc with dual-piston caliper at the front and a 240mm disc with single-piston caliper at the rear. Weighing at 205kg (kerb), the Imperiale features a 12-litre fuel tank.
Colour options
Benelli has introduced all three colour options for the Imperiale which are available in the international markets. The available paint scheme includes Red, Silver and Black.
Most affordable Benelli
Benelli has priced the Imperiale 400 at Rs 1.69 lakhs (ex-showroom, India) which makes it the most affordable offering from the bike maker in India. The motorcycle comes with a three-year unlimited kilometer warranty as standard with maintenance services being complementary for the first two years. The customers can also opt for an Annual Maintenance contract which will be available after two years of ownership. Bookings for the motorcycle have begun at Rs 4,000 through Benelli’s authorised dealerships and via its official website.
