First ride: Benelli TRK902 Stradale
Stradale not quite streets ahead
Bargain Benelli tall-rounder promises much but struggles to deliver
By JUSTIN HAYZELDEN
Italian style is great, but can’t make up for the fuelling issue
THE FACTS
Price From £7999
Engine 904cc DOHC 8v parallel twin, l/c
Transmission Six-speed chain
Power 93bhp @ 9000rpm
Torque 66lb.ft @ 6500rpm
Fuel capacity 21 litres
Seat height 820mm
Wheelbase 1510mm
Weight 254kg (kerb, tested)
Rider aids Cornering ABS, lean sensitive traction control, cruise, connectivity
Benelli have stepped up to the mid-sized tall rounder market with their biggest bike yet, the TRK902 Stradale. Built by QJMotor, it’s essentially Chinese engineering in a smart Italian suit, and at a pound below £8k it’s trying to tempt buyers from the more established mainstream. It has all the toys – heated seat and grips, fully adjustable suspension and a punchy (on paper) parallel twin – not to mention a rear-facing radar for blind spot detection and collision warning.
904cc twin is not short of power
But despite being well-appointed, frustration creeps in the moment you pull away, as that bugbear so prevalent in Chinese bikes raises its head – fuelling. We’ve been fairly complimentary of smaller-capacity QJMotor models, finding a balance between the low price and somewhat unrefined ECU mapping, but with a bike that puts out 93bhp, a glitchy and unpredictable throttle response is a difficult issue to justify.
There’s never a time on the Stradale when the connection between twistgrip, throttle bodies and engine response feels natural, whether it’s dipping and surging as you roll it on, or hunting when trying to hold steady, even with cruise control activated. There’s no noticeable benefit in different modes, which, as a side note, you have to be stationary to switch between, and there’s no indication on the TFT dash of which one you’re in when rolling. A factory update or specialist remap could iron it out, and the grunt is there to be enjoyed, but as is, delivery is sub-par.
Screen is electronically adjustable
A steel trellis frame, 43mm Marzocchi forks and an adjustable shock give the chassis a taut, sporty feel, and it’s balanced well for both flat, twisty roads and distance work. But again, we found limitations that hold the Stradale back from being a top performer – over bumps and undulations, the suspension appears lacking in the high-speed damping department, and despite experimenting with different settings, we couldn’t dial in enough plushness for confident composure. A specialist revalve could help here too, but we’re adding cost and, like a third-party ECU flash, a potential issue with warranty.
Comfort is adequate though, with a decent seat, heated equipment and an electronically adjustable screen, and the twin LED headlights checked out as acceptable when we had the opportunity for some night miles.
Build quality feels good, especially for the price, and with its Italian penned lines, the Stradale certainly has some presence.
We can’t help feeling that, with a bit more development, it could make a much stronger argument, and even at £1k more, would be better value.
All the toys, but switches feel cheap
RiDE VERDICT
There’s a certain level of expectation for bigger bikes, particularly those aimed at touring, and the Stradale comes up short, feeling unrefined in execution and lacking in performance. It may be competitively priced, but it’s disappointing, too.
BUYING ONE
£7999 - On-the-road cash price
£100.91 - PCP per month x 36 (£1499 deposit, 4000 miles, optional final payment £4298.50, 8.9% APR)