Benelli Tornado

[Polarbear]

Now I don't know much about these bikes except I think they look the dogs bollox, but they obviously don't sell well as they are going for nothing brand new on ebay.

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Benelli-TORNADO-900-NEW-UN-REGISTERED-BARGAIN-/300443907405?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item45f3da354d

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Benelli-Tornado-TRE-898cc-Not-RS-LE-/330521656584?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item4cf4a03d08

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BENELLI-TORNADO-900-TRE-SPECIAL-OFFER-BRAND-NEW-/180494393014?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2a064ddeb6

Are they that bad
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[UrbanRacer]

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Couple of people on here have one. And I have been tempted to try and get one a few times.

I think they are pretty ugly but they have grown on me.

Early ones had loads of problems and were silly money. There is a Benelli forum where you will find loads of details. Biggest problem is the clutch from memory, but the clocks also reset themselves easily. If you can get one that has been sorted it should be OK, or one new enough to be sorted under warranty. However from a few tales it does seem that they have been rather dubious about fixing ones with these recognised problems outside of warranty.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Jim Mc]

Do the fans serve some sort of purpose or are they just there to make a whooshing sound effect at high speed?

Bit daft but looks like a nice bike, not sure I've heard of Benelli before however, and when you consider you could have a nearly new Jap bike for that money.

[Kickstart]

[Polarbear]

The Benelli Sei

https://img842.imageshack.us/img842/5396/benellisei750000.jpg
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Daimo]

[G]

The fans rotate the same way. Instant transfer from 'win' to 'fail' .

[Kickstart]

[Daimo]

Right, a real reply, not "whatyermatesearddowndapub"


Fantastic bike.
£12k when new, 2000 bike built in 2002 (show me anything Jap from this era that comes even close). Now £6k OTR, but its still a 2002 bike effectivly.
130bhp, about 115bhp @ rear wheel.
Fuel economy is ruddy terrible, low 30's really. But its worth it.
Early models suffered some problems, but unlike some Jap manufactures, they didn't have the budget to hide their defects. Most should be repaired by now, if not, it should still be covered.

Came out for the 2002 WSB, and was miles ahead of the Petronis bikes. Its just the WSB moved to 1000cc, and it was already screwed before it entered. Only done a few races, but performed ok on track for its spec and power output.

Early models had core plug issues (worse material), Z25 driveshaft gear needs upgrading (VITAL, or engine bang job). Early models had dodgy dashes as well, reset your trip mileage, dodgy temp gauge etc. Basically though, you dont go into buying one of these bikes without looking into it first.

www.benelliforum.com

On there is a load of users that have stripped the bikes to bits, and found every thing about them. Mileage, well we've got an Aussie member who'd done over 50,000 miles on his, and still goign strong.

Engine, a peach. Sure its not enough to keep with a modern 1000cc, but it'll sit on the ass of a modern 600cc SS (loose out very top end, its about 160), but due to its triple nature, its got a huge torque spread in the middle of the rev range which makes it fantastic for road riding. The noise, good lord the noise, the inducation note is to die for it really is.

Its quite heavy, I think its about 190kg. But it feels very light on the road.

Due to the weight distribution, it tips into bends superbly. It doesn't like slow speed bends IMO, but it loves high speed bends. Its not got the best setup ever, and the front ends a little light really, but if your after latest lap times, braggin rights down the pub, this isn't the bike for you.

If you live on teh passion of bikes, how it makes you feel, how it rides on the road, then your onto a winner. You either love it, and get obsessed, or you hate it, and slag it off (see above). Most of these have never tried on though.

Sure its not the best handling, fastest bike ever, far from it, but i've ridden lots of bikes over many years, and not many make me smile and giggle like a schoolgirl every time I wind it up.

Looks, personnal taste really. If you want another Jap IL4 that looks like every other Jap bike, go for one of those. If you like class, and unique styling, again a great bike. Silly things, foothangers, fairing gaps, vents etc, all Triangulated.

I've done 10k on mine now. I done a 2500 mile road trip to southern france last year, fron Snow covered mountains up the Val-Disaire, to stuck in Nice town centre, in traffic, in 35+ degrees. She never missed a beat (I admit, I was worried before we left, but it turned out to be one of the most reliable bikes on the trip). other members on the forum also will agree. You get some bad eggs for sure, some people have had nightmares with theirs, but i've not. Everythings been changed and uprated (I got a 2003 bike), and bad a few paddys, she been as good as gold.

For £6k on the road, its a fantastic buy. I'd take one still over any new 600cc SS bike, just for its torque on the road really. Makes it a very enjoyable ride.

For comparision on speed, its faster than a K4 GSXR600, slower than an 08 R6, but slightly faster than a KTM Superduke 990 inc acceleration, but a chunk slower than a 09 Tuono.

But go out on it, any day, and it'll grab ALL the stares. Everyone looks at it, everyone likes to ask and talk about it. And I still have great fun telling everyone how it goes in water and the fans are really propellors. And yes, that line works on a lot of people too.... "reeeeaaaalllly????"

They have a 900cc Tornado
A 900cc RS tonado (bigger forks, more power, radial brakes etc)
A 900cc LE (150 made, £12k+ still). All carbon and magnesium.
1130cc Tornado
900 TNT
1130 TNT
And a million "special editions" of the TNT, which is getting quite tedious now.

Feel free to ask anything. You need to go in with eyes open, but its very much worth it in the rewards it brings. I've ridden much faster bikes, but they have no feeling, no passion, no soul, no character. And thats something this bike oooozes in every way.

I've got a few pics in the bike pictures forum (Mine and my dads bikes).

[G]

[Daimo]

[chris-red]

[UrbanRacer]

[Daimo]

[UrbanRacer]

Its a brand new bike for £6k, why is it selling for £6k brand new? according to you they are amazing... really? I have seen about 2 on the road I think and there is a reason for that, its a pig.
Is it in the BSB? WSB? Superstock racing series? no? why not?

They were selling for +£11k when they were first released. thats Ducatti prices nevermind Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha etc etc and surplus stock of these amazing Tornado bikes that dealers cant shift are selling them for a few hundred quid shy of half price.

Again there is a reason for all these things.

ITS A SHITTER!!!! Now go sulk/cry/have a tantrum about it.

[Polarbear]

Daimo, have the new ones had all those problems cured or are they still prevalent?
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Kickstart]

[Daimo]

[Daimo]

[UrbanRacer]

[Chalky.]

[Daimo]

Dude, im fine with opinions, im fine with people disliking the bike, or any bike, if they have decent reason to. If we all had the same opinion, life would be boring.

Difference between you and me (an internet warrior isn't someone who wants a fight), is im happy to chat and talk, your happy to call soemthing sh1t with no experience or knowledge.

You have your opinion, I asked why, and your response was quite frankly, terrible. You banged on about if whys and whats, without reading anything written (where half your answers were already).

Rather than slating something, why not learn about it. You might find you learn something new and exciting. Do you see many Desmo's on the road? What about the NR750, or maybe a Norton? Are they all shit because you dont ever see them???

As i've already said, styling is a personnal choice.

[J D]

I love the looks of it and would love to ride one, bored of usual il4 stuff now.
____________________
m0l0t0v wrote: Chris, just so you know, JD is a nutter