2021 Benelli Tornado 302R breaks cover

KUALA LUMPUR: A few days back, Benelli introduced a lightweight electric scooter in the Indonesian market, and now it pulled the wraps off the all-new Tornado 302R or 302R. Loaded with cosmetic as well mechanical upgrades, the latest version of the fully-faired Benelli motorcycle is now available in the Chinese market. 

Let’s talk about the design first, which we can say received most of the upgrades. The bike now looks more sporty with a slimmer fascia and elements like vertically mounted LED projector lights, sleek daytime running lights, and aerodynamics spoilers. The bike’s windscreen also appears taller now to help deflect air better at high speeds. Benelli also revised the side fairings of the bike and teamed it up with a steel trestle frame, a muscular fuel tank, and a stepped-up seat. 

The tail end is also revised and it now looks sharper and sleeker with a new LED tail lamp and a grab rail that looks like a winglet. Other cosmetic enhancements include a new pair of Y-shaped alloy wheels and new paint options. The new Benelli Tornado 302R also gets a TFT-LCD display in place of a semi-digital unit.

Powering the new 302R is the same 302-cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled DOHC engine, but it is now Euro-5 compliant. It generates a maximum power of 35 PS and a peak torque of 27 Nm, less than the predecessor’s 38.1 hp and 28.4 Nm. However, the drop in peak torque is compensated by the reduction in weight, which improved the power-to-weight ratio. The re-tuned engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox combined with an assist and slipper clutch.

On the suspension front, the new Tornado 302R has inverted telescopic forks upfront and a swing arm with centre shock absorber at the rear. The braking duties are taken care of by hydraulic disc brakes on both wheels along with a dual-channel anti-lock braking system.

Unveiled for China as of now, the all-new Benelli 302R is also likely to make its way to other markets, including Malaysia where the outgoing model currently retails at RM 21,513.

Also read: Check out the locally available 2021 Benelli R18i supercub