Benelli Imperial 400i

Looks matter much in a neo-retro classic roadster, as one mistake can ruin the whole design and appeal of the motorcycle. However, there is no such mistake done in the execution of the design of the Benelli Imperiale 400. The motorcycle looks incredibly beautiful and proportionate for its size and truly reminds you of a motorcycle from yesteryears.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 gets a simple rounded headlamp in a blacked-out casing with silver surrounds at the front, which is accompanied by rounded amber turn indicators housed in chromed units. The curved and simple-looking front fender has no visual drama to it – just like how it should be in a retro roadster. What adds more appeal to the Benelli Imperiale 400 from the front are the chrome-finished rearview mirrors and silver-finished handlebar levers, which make it look very premium.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 has a long stance when viewed from the side. The motorcycle comes with a simple and nicely curved fuel tank, which has well-carved knee recesses with knee paddings on them. While the engine is finished in a theme of black, the spoke wheels and the long single-exhaust pipe flowing out come in a theme of silver. The rider’s seat comes with a flat side panel that has rounded edges on all four corners.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 comes with a split seat setup, with the pillion seat getting a small curved grab rail for the rider sitting at the back. Just below the pillion seat, there is a nicely curved fender, at the back of which there is a small tail lamp mounted on it. This tail lamp, along with the low-mounted rounded turn indicators is placed in chrome housings.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 features a dual-pod instrument console, which has separate housings for the analogue speedometer and tachometer. In between these two housings, there is a small and vertically aligned LCD panel, which has a fuel gauge and gear indicator on display. There is a separate LCD panel in the left housing, which shows the odometer and trip meter. While the Benelli Imperiale 400 is overall a nice-looking motorcycle, there are inconsistent fit and finish levels at some places, which mar the overall visual experience a bit.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 gets a simple mechanical architecture under the skin. The motorcycle has a suspension setup of conventional telescopic forks with 121mm travel at the front and gas-charged coil springs with 55.5mm travel at the back. The motorcycle rides on different sizes of wheels, with 100/90-19 tyre at the front and a 130/80-18 tyre at the rear. There are well-sized disc brakes at both ends.

Powering the Benelli Imperiale 400i is a simple-in-construction four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 374cc engine. This is a one-of-a-kind engine that none of the other motorcycles from Benelli gets. Coupled with a 5-speed gearbox, this engine produces a maximum power output of 21 PS and a maximum torque output of 29 Nm. The engine is decently powerful and pulls off nicely throughout the rev range. It is only during higher RPMs that it sounds a bit gruff at times.

Save for a dual-channel ABS, there are no other safety features present in the Benelli Imperiale 400i.

The Benelli Imperiale 400i has got the much-required old-school charm in its visual appeal, which is good enough to draw public attention and many potential buyers towards it. While the mechanical setup is not too top-of-the-class as one would expect, it gets the job done, thus making the Benelli Imperiale 400 a good motorcycle for both low-speed urban rides and short highway trips.