Benelli 302R

The Benelli 302R might be looking a bit old now because the motorcycle has already received a comprehensive makeover in many parts of the world. However, it still manages to be a decent-looking motorcycle, with dimensions big enough to give a commendable road presence.

The Benelli 302R gets a wide fairing at the front, with the motorcycle having a dual halogen headlamp set up in the middle of the fairing. The fairing has a curved-out design at the front, which comes with rearview mirrors and a transparent cowl on it. The front fender is compact and comes with small hollows for air dissipation at higher speeds.

The Benelli 302R has a good visual mass on the side, with the full fairing flowing nicely towards the bottom of the engine. These side panels of the full fairing have nice air passages seamlessly integrated within them and merge well with the engine cowl at the bottom. The engine and Y-themed alloy wheels come in a theme of black, while the engine and the angularly rising exhaust pipe get silver touches to them. The fuel tank is well-sized for the overall dimensions of the motorcycle and comes adorned with nice-looking lion motifs on either side.

The Benelli 302R gets minimal side panels below the rider’s seat, with a part of the frame exposed. These side panels flow nicely towards the rear, from where the motorcycle looks quite wide and sleek. The Benelli 302R comes with a split seat setup, with it being one of the very few motorcycles in this segment to have a very usable pillion seat. The rear profile of the Benelli 302R ends with a nice-looking LED tail lamp and small split pillion grab rails neatly recessed below the pillion seat. However, the long and extending rear fender looks a bit disproportionate from some angles.

The Benelli 302R gets a part-digital instrument console, with an analog tachometer and a rectangular LCD panel for displays of the speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer, trip meters, gear indicator, and other minute details of MID. The switchgear, clip-on handlebars, and silver-finished levers feel nice to look at.

Apart from the engine, the Benelli 302R also shares its basic mechanical architecture with the TNT 300. The motorcycle gets a suspension combination of upside-down hydraulic telescopic forks with 120mm travel at the front and oil-damped mono-shock with 45mm travel at the rear. Even the 110/70 R17 front tyre and 150/60 R17 rear tyre and dual front and single rear petal disc brakes have been shared with the TNT 300.

The Benelli 302R is powered by a four-stroke, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, 300cc engine, which it shares with the naked TNT 300. Paired to a 6-speed gearbox, this engine pumps out a maximum power output of 38.3 PS and a peak torque output of 26.5 Nm. The engine has a remarkable exhaust note and is quite powerful for its class, but the refinement levels at higher RPMs are not so impressive.

Only a dual-channel ABS is offered as a prominent safety feature in the Benelli 302R. Given the rising competition, we would have loved to see more safety features in the motorcycle.

The Benelli 302R is not the most modern-looking motorcycle you can buy from the Italian bike maker’s stable. While there are comparatively more modern and better-equipped motorcycles out there that are priced similar to it, the Benelli 302R holds its candle strongly by having a good road presence, powerful engine, and modern mechanical underpinnings. However, the Benelli 302R is now due for a substantial upgrade in terms of looks and features.