VOLUME 58 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 26, 2021 P89
SEAT TIME
You can feel the Benelli's
weight right away. It takes
a fair amount of oomph to
get it off the side stand,
but once you're there,
the reasonably low 33.1-
inch seat height makes it
easy to keep it there. The
Benelli is a big motor-
cycle, too; at least it feels
that way—it's far bigger
than your typical 500cc
motorcycle, but at least
it's comfortable. It has a
good seating position with
plenty of room, and the
seat itself is cushy/firm
with a nice contour. The
footpegs have removable
rubber inserts that we left
in place.
The dash is modern-
looking, and there are
few buttons and switches
to fumble around with
because the Benelli has
zero in the way of rider
aids (except for ABS); you
just get on it and go.
The first thing that
grabs your attention is
how smooth the Benelli
is. Vibration is next to
non-existent, even at high
rpm, and the ride is enjoy-
able. Suspension is nicely
tuned for the pavement,
and the massive fork
gives the Benelli a safe,
solid and secure feeling
while pitched in for the
corners. The bike also
feels very stable at both
slow and high speeds,
and it takes little coax-
ing to make it do what
you want it to do when it
comes to maneuvering.
It's very responsive to
rider input, making you
quickly forget how heavy
it is, especially for just a
500cc motorcycle.
The Benelli is not fast,
but I wouldn't call it slow,
Crash bars are
a nice touch.
Fuel tanks hold
a generous 5.3
gallons.
