Benelli has unveiled a touring-friendly version of the 302R, called the Benelli BJ300GS-A in China. The brand has priced the bike at 35,800 Yuan (INR 3.67 lakhs), and is available from March 7. One can book the bike online and pay the balance amount after selecting the nearest dealer.
The Benelli BJ300GS-A further enhances the touring credentials of the already capable 302R. The motorcycle comes with two hard-case panniers on the sides and a top box. Benelli has also redesigned the fairing to suit the intent of this motorcycle. It now gets loop-type crash guards, and fairing-mounted indicators.
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The large projector headlamp gets a tall windscreen at the top. This should help in better high-speed comfort and aerodynamics. The raised handlebars and the wide split seats give the bike a more upright riding position than the 302R’s. The analogue-digital combo cluster looks similar to the one in the 302R. The bike employs the same engine as the 302R. But Benelli has tweaked the engine for more torque, sacrificing power. The engine makes 35.3 PS of power at 12,000 rpm, and 27 Nm of torque at 9,000 rpm. A 6-speed gearbox pairs with the engine. The claimed top speed is 140 kmph.
The bike gets 3.5 litre bigger fuel tank than the 302R, at 17.5 litres. All that touring equipment has resulted in a weight-gain of 18 kg over the 302R, at 216 kg. The motorcycle rides on upside down front fork, and a rear monoshock. The bike comes to a halt using twin petal discs at the front and a single petal disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS. There is no official word whether DSK Benelli will launch this bike in India. If it does, it would be the next least expensive tourer after the TNT 600GT.
