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All Benelli TRE Reviews
Benelli TRE 1100cc Sept '07 (57)
Overall Rating:
Review
BENELLI ARE BACK

The revived Benelli company are under new ownership and making a range of superbikes, adventure tourers, off-roaders and all-rounders.
www.insidebikes.com


editor, Alastair Walker, rode the latest TRE-K 1130 Roadster model.
Ask any biker what the best thing about two-wheeled travel is and they will probably say one simple word; `Fun.'

That's what this Benelli TRE-K 1130 is all about too. Big fun. Open the throttle and the 2008 Benelli shouts `Avanti baby' and aims at the horizon. It has a beautifully potent three cylinder engine, offering instant acceleration with 123bhp on tap.

But the TRE-K has a chassis which matches the engine's power. The computer-designed, steel trellis frame, excellent triple Brembo disc brakes, sporty suspension set-up and cat-quick steering make this bike a delight for experienced riders, on any twisty road.

Benelli used to be known for typically Italian reliability problems, but the old regime has gone, and there's no denying that the overall build quality of the bikes has advanced under the Chinese Qianjiang Group. I picked up the Benelli from one of the marque's Lancashire dealers, and spent a few minutes just checking the bike out from every angle. It is a well designed machine, and you can't deny that the Chinese owners have put some decent kit on the TRE-K 1130.

Your eyes are drawn to engineering details like the huge 320mm Brembo brakes, the 50mm diameter Marzocchi upside down forks, those sculpted alloy wheels and the underseat exhaust system – the bike oozes class, precision and still has a definite Italian flavour, even if the owners hail from Guangzhou.

Once on the road, you soon gain confidence on the Benelli. Its handling is agile and responsive, the engine has loads of grunt from low revs and the brakes are outstanding in an emergency too. The riding position will suit lots of riders too, the seat isn't too high, or wide and the wide handlebars encourage a basic `sit-up-straight' kinda stance. You could commute, or tour on this bike, except that it proved slightly thirsty - returning around 30mpg. That's OK, so long as you just want a bike for occasional Sunday rides.

One detail I liked was that the pillion footpegs were set nice and low on the bike, not mounted too high up near the seat, as on some Roadster and sporty type machines. The small windscreen at the front of the bike helped deflect some February frosty windblast from my body, and the screen is adjustable for height and angle.

The bottom line is that the Benelli TRE-K makes a genuinely interesting alternative to the mainstream Japanese fours, but it costs that bit more, at £8000 on the road. You do get something unique in terms of sound, feel and handling for your extra cash though.

Submitted by
northpoint in Chester, Cheshire on 21/02/2008
This review has been shown 11231 times
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