Benelli TRK 702X... What's the catch?

[Stromtrooper]

Hi all,

I am thinking about upgrading from my Suzuki V Strom 650. Looked at the Transalp and Vstrom 800. Both decent, although not cheap when all the extras are added.

I saw this adventure bike whilst I was at the showroom, which caught my eye. A Benelli 702X. For around £6400, I'd get a brand new bike with a warranty, a decent spec level, a good looking bike, a larger engine than my current bike, and they're currently doing an offer where you get metal, adventure styled top box and panniers for free! This is an absolutely incredible deal.

... so what's the catch? Any thoughts on this one?

- I see it's made in China.

- Also, whilst the engine is 50cc bigger than my current bike, the BHP seems to be the same.

- also, only 60mpg, compared to 67mpg for my current bike, so seems to be a larger engine that is less efficient and no more powerful...

- does anybody know about the reliability of these and how well they last?

Thanks!

[KTMsm]

I think you've answered your own questions

It's Chinese so it probably won't last as long, the engine isn't as powerful nor as economical nor as reliable as the Japanese and Europeans.

That's why it's cheaper

[Stromtrooper]

Lol!

It's such a staggering price difference. I wish there was something in between this and the main brands but with a rock solid record.

[Caddyshack]

I like the Transalp a lot. I would pay the extra money for that tbh. You can get low finance deals which would make it cheap to pay the difference I suspect.

[Stromtrooper]

Nice review of the Benelli here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Twwfs2Okdk

- the exact same colour and everything as the one I saw, except I'd get all the metal luggage free and the price is something like 6200 quid, with my current bike being part exchanged for 4500. Feels like a no brainer. And yet... it does bug me slightly that the mpg is so low and the engine is seemingly worse than my current bike pound for pound. Seems like it could be worth it just to have a brand new bike with mod cons on it and full luggage. I only have a top box at the moment.

Problem with transalp is that it will be nearly twice the price to have the same luggage. Is it THAT much better?

[Rockets7]

It will rust and then rust again when you wash it. If you ride it without gloves then the oils in your palms will give it better rust protection than it ever left the factory with. Oh and it’ll corrode too....on top of the rust.....

[smifffymoto]

Is any of this first hand experience or just stuff you’ve read from others on the web with no experience of Chinese bikes?

[Richtea1970]

Rockets7 said:

It will rust and then rust again when you wash it. If you ride it without gloves then the oils in your palms will give it better rust protection than it ever left the factory with. Oh and it’ll corrode too....on top of the rust.....

Rubbish. I ran a Benelli Leoncino Trail 500 for 4 years as a commuter bike, in all weathers. Only got rid of it last year and didn’t have a spot of rust on it. I did treat it to a coating of ACF50 at the start of each year, as I do with all my bikes, but other than that it was fine.

Mechanically it was also sound, no issues over the 4 years apart from a sticky float valve in the fuel tank and that was sorted under warranty, I think they are a very underrated brand, great value for money IMO

[carinaman]

April/May time as the new 800 parallel twins were arriving Suzuki discounted the SV650 and V-Strom they had in stock. I think the V-Stroms were £7K and above, the offer included 3 free services and Suzuki will keep the warranty going for up to 7 years if it's serviced annually by a Suzuki dealer.

There's a dealer in Northern England doing new Pre-reg V-Strom 650s for £6699.


I really like the look of the CF-Moto CL-X700 Heritage with the single front disc. A dealer got rid of a year old one with about 2,000 miles on it for about £3K. They were asking £6500-£7000 for new ones. I also like the looks of the Benelli 752S,in green and there was stuff on the web about them enlarging that engine and reducing the weight. It seems the Chinese bikes don't hold their value. The dealer that sold the CF-Moto for £3K ish had one in their showroom with a chain caked in rust.


OP, given your PH id do you know if the headlamp on the last iteration of the 650 V-Strom is any good?

By chance I was on the stromtrooper website lastnight researching headlamp performance the Easter Beaver loom and relay kit of the first gen. V-Strom.

[Stromtrooper]

smifffymoto said:

Is any of this first hand experience or just stuff you’ve read from others on the web with no experience of Chinese bikes?

This is my concern - I'm seeing a lot of people who've owned Chinese Benellis appear to like them. It could be how it was with Japanese bikes years ago, people thinking they were garbage compared to the British and other European offerings. Most likely China is going to keep producing bikes and they're able to destroy the opposition on price, as the Japanese once did, although the quality may be questionable. It seems to be a question of: has the tipping point been reached yet where these are both very affordable and very good?

[Stromtrooper]

carinaman said:

.


OP, given your PH id do you know if the headlamp on the last iteration of the 650 V-Strom is any good?

.

I have the mark 3 (latest type) v-strom (2018). The headlight is superb and that is without any modification. It creates a big circle of light and I've noticed when on a motorway at night without traffic around that the light from it seemed to fill the whole road. With the full beam on as well you can't miss a thing. I also have some cheapo spotlights on mine just for added road presence and some extra light, but the headlight alone is better than I've had on previous bikes. Not sure how it compares to new LED types as I've not had those.

The 650 is a brilliant all rounder and has a world wide following. Massive Facebook group and several well used forums. Engine is bullet proof and the mark 3s are the most refined it has been over its 20 year existence. Nicely balanced, good riding position, sounds good, easy fast enough. Lots to like. I just fancy a change.

Edited by Stromtrooper on Saturday 27th January 23:47

[smifffymoto]

Stromtrooper said:

smifffymoto said:

Is any of this first hand experience or just stuff you’ve read from others on the web with no experience of Chinese bikes?

This is my concern - I'm seeing a lot of people who've owned Chinese Benellis appear to like them. It could be how it was with Japanese bikes years ago, people thinking they were garbage compared to the British and other European offerings. Most likely China is going to keep producing bikes and they're able to destroy the opposition on price, as the Japanese once did, although the quality may be questionable. It seems to be a question of: has the tipping point been reached yet where these are both very affordable and very good?

I think when Chinese bikes arrive en masse with proven quality they will see a massive increase in sales,much like their electric cars.

KTM have employed CFMoto to manufacture,not just build,some of their range.
I also see plenty of non Chinese bikes with st quality fasteners which go furry or rusty.

[Gas1883]

I brought a mz125 brand new years & years ago , it was the butt of many a joke / ridiculed by mates , would fall apart in a week / two
I got it as a very cheap commuter bike , I never spent anytime looking after it , just rode it to work 52 weeks a year , was still running fine 4/5 yrs later when I sold it , did look rough though , but paid for its self many times over .

[TT1138]

Owners of the 502 are generally very happy with them it seems. Having sat on the new Transalp, Honda quality certainly isn’t what it once was (albeit reliability should be good). The main issue with the Chinese bikes is the poor resale value, and sometimes patchy parts availability.

I’m no great fan of Chinese bikes, and don’t think they’ll compete with the higher end stuff for a long time (if at all) but their low and mid-market bikes will be snapping at the heels of the Japanese if they don’t improve their fairly lacklustre offerings. Kove 450 for example.

[smifffymoto]

The Kove is getting to be a Unicorn status bike.

Said to be a bit low on power but enough to be there or there abouts.

Nathan the postman’s channel is worth a watch if you are after the cheaper end of adventure bikes.

[Dirknights]

A motorbike instructor I know has one to run as his 'work' bike. He can't praise it enough...it's been perfectly dependable.

[Stromtrooper]

smifffymoto said:

The Kove is getting to be a Unicorn status bike.

Said to be a bit low on power but enough to be there or there abouts.

Nathan the postman’s channel is worth a watch if you are after the cheaper end of adventure bikes.

Great shout on the Postman channel! Very informative and helpful review.

I think it is probably a great bike for the money. With all the luggage, unbelievable really. And to get the equivalent kitted out Transalp - I've checked - is double the price! Is that justified? I don't know.

The dealer has said they'd give me 4500 for my vstrom - it is a 2018 with under 15K on the clock, loads of accessories, and in great nick. So I'd only pay about 1700 for a totally new, kitted out bike. Mine has a top box and pannier racks but no panniers.

The thing is, I could just keep the bike I have and get the panniers. Exact same power as the Benelli but a little lighter, and a more efficient engine. It's also just a great bike. Sneaking through traffic, tearing off in situations where I need to, long distances great on motorways, it's a really well balanced and great engine. Not brilliant at anything but a true all rounder. Should last for many years to come.

That said, the benelli would be brand new and have more mod cons, TFT screen, LED lights, etc... it's a tough one.

I think I'd sooner stick with what I have because the whole point of upgrading was to have a more powerful engine. I don't get that here. Trouble is, the other bikes I was originally interested in - v strom 800 and transalp - are going to set me back thousands to achieve a similar spec level. The v strom 800 I think is quite ugly, engine seems too quiet, and I wasn't keen on the seating position. Transalp is nice looking and more powerful - pricey though and how much better would it be than what I already have? £7k or more better... I'm not sure.

Maybe I'll stick where I am and see about getting a second hand transalp with low miles and luggage in the next couple of years... my usual, conservative cheap slate approach.

[KTMsm]

Stromtrooper said:

That said, the benelli would be brand new and have more mod cons, TFT screen, LED lights, etc

I think I'd sooner stick with what I have because the whole point of upgrading was to have a more powerful engine.

Transalp is nice looking and more powerful - pricey though and how much better would it be than what I already have? £7k or more better... I'm not sure.

Maybe I'll stick where I am and see about getting a second hand transalp with low miles and luggage in the next couple of years... my usual, conservative cheap slate approach.

TFT and LED - woohoo !

If you'd kept that in mind you'd have saved yourself a lot of time

Of course a Transalp isn't £7k better - it's the law of diminishing returns

That's precisely why I always buy used bikes, unless you have money to waste or have to have the.latest thing or need finance - new bikes don't make sense

New bikes that use old tech make even less sense, unless that makes them more reliable

[Stromtrooper]

KTMsm said:

Stromtrooper said:

That said, the benelli would be brand new and have more mod cons, TFT screen, LED lights, etc

I think I'd sooner stick with what I have because the whole point of upgrading was to have a more powerful engine.

Transalp is nice looking and more powerful - pricey though and how much better would it be than what I already have? £7k or more better... I'm not sure.

Maybe I'll stick where I am and see about getting a second hand transalp with low miles and luggage in the next couple of years... my usual, conservative cheap slate approach.

If you'd kept that in mind you'd have saved yourself a lot of time

A few hours on a weekend... what are you, a hamster?

Worthwhile process to go through. Problem now is not wanting to spend 800 quid on panniers for my current bike. Why are such simple, piffling things such a rip off in the motorcycling world? In any other sector of the economy, a couple of lidded luggage boxes would cost 40 quid.

[carinaman]

Stromtrooper said:

That said, the benelli would be brand new and have more mod cons, TFT screen, LED lights, etc... it's a tough one.

"Sell benefits, not features"

Will you benefit from LEDs, particularly the headlight, and TFT screen?

I guess LEDs will never fail compared to an incandescent bulb.

Do reviews say the TRK headlamp is good? The headlamp performance beats that of your current bike?

I suppose if you split hairs you could argue the parallel twin may be cheaper to maintain, valve clearances etc., compared to the V-Strom?


If the rumoured lighter, larger capacity Benelli 752S happens I'd be interested. The 752S seems to have all of the equipment.

Edited by carinaman on Monday 29th January 11:47