Benelli recently updated its line-up with its entry-level ADV motorcycle, the TRK 502. Now, the bike may not have any direct rivals in India but in terms of character, it faces competition from the Kawasaki Versys 650. How do the two adventure-touring bikes stack up against each other? We find out in the on-paper comparison.
Design
The Benelli TRK 502 as compared to the Versys 650 has a very distinctive design. It gets a prominent beak-like structure at the front that houses aggressive-looking twin headlamps with LED DRLs. It also gets a sculpted tank that flows neatly into the bike’s tank extensions. At the rear is a step-up seat with a grab rail that offers a small luggage rack.
On the other hand, the Versys 650’s styling is more inclined towards touring. There is no secondary mudguard or an extended structure up front. But the Versys is a head-turner with styling cues from the previous-gen Versys 1000, the bike sports sharp lines throughout its bodywork. And similar to the TRK 502, there’s a split-seat setup however with conventional grab rails on either side.
Features and dimensions
The TRK 502 features a large windscreen, knuckle guards and an engine guard. The Versys also gets a large windscreen and an engine sump guard but misses out on the knuckle guards. Both motorcycles come equipped with a semi-digital instrument cluster. While they also get ABS as standard, the unit on the TRK 502 is switchable. The Kawasaki Versys 650 comes equipped with a 21-litre fuel tank capacity slightly bigger than the Benelli’s 20-litre fuel tank.
The Benelli TRK 502 with a seat height of 800mm should be more suitable to the average-heighted Indian as compared to the Versys which offers an 840mm seat height. And even with a lower seat the TRK 502 has a higher ground clearance at 190mm. The Versys 650 gets 170mm of ground clearance. However, the TRK is heavy, tipping the scales at 235kg. In comparison, the Versys 650 has a kerb weight of 216kg.
Engine
The Kawasaki Versys is at an advantage here with a bigger, 649cc power plant. This parallel-twin motor puts out 67.4bhp and 64Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the TRK 502’s 499cc, parallel-twin unit produces 47bhp of power and 45Nm of torque. Both engines come mated to a six-speed gearbox.
Cycle Parts
The suspension duties on the TRK 502 is taken care of by 50mm, non-adjustable, inverted front forks and a pre-load adjustable monoshock at the rear. Meanwhile, the Versys 650 offers fully-adjustable, 41mm inverted forks for the front and an offset monoshock with pre-load adjustment for the rear.
Braking on the Versys is done by 300mm twin-discs up front and a 250mm single disc at the rear. The Benelli TRK 502 uses slightly bigger disc brakes; twin 320mm at the front and a 260mm single disc for the rear. Both motorcycles ride on 17-inch alloy wheels on both ends shod with road-biased tyres.
Price
Benelli has priced the TRK 502 at Rs 5 lakhs while the Kawasaki Versys 650 will set you back by Rs 6.69 lakhs. For the extra Rs 1.70 lakhs what you get from the Versys 650 is a bigger, more powerful engine, a better suspension setup, a slightly bigger tank and lesser weight.
All prices ex-showroom, India.
