BENELLI TRK 502X
FULL TEST
P108
hand won't cramp up in traffic.
The TRK 502X employs an
open-cradle trellis-style tubular
steel space frame quite like a
Ducati's, with the engine employed
as a semi-stressed component.
There's superior rider protection
with a large fairing and substantial
screen, which while non-adjust-
able comes with a four-inch taller
option, and there are separate
perspex lower deflectors either
side. At 850mm high, the seat on
the X-bike is 50mm taller than on
sacrificing agility in tighter turns
or off-road, despite a still lengthy
59.3-inch wheelbase, 0.79 of an
inch shorter than the street bike's.
The sweet-shifting Japanese-
quality six-speed gearbox's quite
closed-up ratios have 60 mph
in top gear calling for 5500
rpm, and the comfortable cruis-
ing speed of 75 mph delivered
at 6500 rpm (100 mph arrives
with the engine revving at 9000
rpm). Okay, acceleration is a
little leisurely thanks to the TRK
502X's relatively porky weight, so
overtaking requires you to kick it
down a gear or two, and wind on
the throttle. But its happy oper-
ating zone of 4000-6500 rpm
means that with torque peaking
at 5000 rpm, you're best off
using the gearbox to ride the
torque curve, rather than chase
the horsepower numbers. The
engine struggles a little to build
revs fast beyond the seven grand
mark, and with peak power de-
livered at 8500 rpm it's better to
short-shift and make best use of
what torque is provided. But the
X-version of the BN502 engine is
extremely flexible and forgiving,
making it almost irrelevant which
gear you throw at it. It pulls wide
open in top gear from just 2500
rpm all the way to the 10,400rpm
limiter, which you won't ever hit
in real world riding on this dual-
purpose motorcycle. The oil-bath
clutch's action is light and very
controllable, making this a bike
you'll enjoy riding off-road and
also in cities, where your left
