Titanic Touring: The Benelli 1200GT is your new luxury toy on two wheels
There hasn’t been much to cheer in trying times under the Covid19 pandemic. However, for a two-wheeler enthusiast, good news seems to be coming from the same country that has brought about the current global misery in the first place. So, the Qianjiang Group-owned Italian brand Benelli has forayed into the luxury touring segment with their biggest capacity motorcycle- the Benelli 1200GT unveiled at the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition 2020. Biggest not just in terms of cubic capacity but the overall dimensions too.
The design theme reminisces of the BMW 1600 GTL, and the 1200GT seem to be heavily inspired by the German touring machine, but the underpinnings are a lot different. The new 1209cc engine has been bored out from the gorgeous TNT’s 1130cc three-cylinder unit producing 134 bhp @ 9000 rpm with peak torque of 120 nm @ 6500 rpm. The horsepower figures might not seem much considering that the current crop of middleweight street bikes produces as much. But the given power and torque are enough for the burlesque Benelli 1200GT to hit a top speed of 228 kph.
The motorcycle does look impressive from its Herculean appearance, and a few features further augment the merits of the new 1200GT. The fat inverted forks radially mounted with an ABS-equipped Brembo braking system, an electronically adjustable screen, and adequate LED embellishments impart a premium appeal to the motorcycle.
But delve further, and the cockpit immediately reverses the premium factor disappointing with its bland and dated design. The TFT screen and the two analog meters seem a couple of decades old. With the plastics on the dashboard and the odd-sized switchgear look far from impressive. Though Benelli is offering more features such as keyless entry, electronically foldable mirrors, and cameras at both ends, it still doesn’t offset the quality issues at other places considering the motorcycle’s flagship positioning.
Slated to hit production in the first half of 2021- the new Benelli 1200GT would have its eyes squared on the BMW R1250 RT and the CFMoto 1250TR. However, both these rivaling machines appear more premium in comparison, and the only ace the Benelli 1200GT has up its sleeve would be the pricing. In addition to the 1200GT, Benelli has unveiled two other touring motorcycles- the TRK502 and the TRK502X.
While the TRK502 is more road-oriented- the TRK502X with wired wheels is targeted towards adventure touring. There are already two other motorcycles in the pipeline- the Benelli 600i and a faired motorcycle based on the 600i. Both these motorcycles are powered by inline-four engines to compete against the Honda CB650F and the Honda CBR650R.
The Qianjiang Group seems to have adopted an aggressive strategy that’s well reflected in the recent launches and their forthcoming portfolio taking on the battle with more established global brands. The major chink happens to be their oversight on quality at places that need addressing if they wish to sound an alarm to the competition.