When I was shopping for my net bike after I had had enough with my karizma, I weighed all options available and for like 2 months still riding my zmr I was hopping from one bike shop to another, trying every bike I could lay my hands on..
At some point, I went to Beth Mobility and in my head I was trying to figure out between CF Moto and Benelli which would feel better for me. I must admit I found myself locked between a "chinese rock" and a "chinese hard place" πππ it was a seriously difficult chinese decision to makeπ€¦π€¦
Since I dont drink beer, I couldnt drink over it, neither could I sleep over it coz I wasn't even getting enough sleep to begin with. I found a friend who agreed to let go of his 2018 Benelli TNT 300 for a good deal "only God knows the type of deal I got" and its now one month or roaming around and 4k kms down and I have every reason to celebrate that chinese decision I madeππ
I have been to Murang'a county, Kiambu county, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Machakos, Kitui, Kirinyaga county, Nyeri county, Laikipia county in the last 30 days on the Benelli and this feels like exactly what I needed after molesting karizma with endless mileages πππ..
The bike is fast from mid-range, ascending from 60 to 120 is a matter of seconds and if you don't regulate throttle you will realize how close 150kph is from zero.
The sound that comes out of this bike is something different, you can listen to it all day, engine braking is so strong like freno ya bus, it is freaking strong.. stock exhaust sounds like a BMW GS stock exhaust, not like a 4 cylinder, but something very close to inline 3 tuned to sound like a twin but not really a twin its like a tripple i dont knowπ€¦π€¦ i mean the sound is super amazing, i have never heard another 300 get anythwre closer to that 360 degree crank shaft πππ low revs sounds like a mitsubishi FH, when you rev kwa jam drivers be looking at you likeππ what the hell is that ππ Benelli bikes are awesome π₯°
Down shifting from gear 6 at 120kph to gear 5 takes you back to 70kph in like 2 seconds.. if you downshift twice at the same time you will you will get scared.
Consumption is more like any other 250cc to 300cc bike, about 28kpl and that is a slight increase from the 35kpl I used to get on karizma. I went to nakuru and back on about 1300sh fuel, going to nyeri and back does not consume 1k in full, so its a bike for team tangatanga like myself.
The Benelli is heavy, weights approx 195 to 200kgs and you seriously feel the weight when pushing the bike and when back pedaling when turning at a parking lot and especially if the surface is uneven you have to deal with the weight, but when your both feet are airborne the bike is so nimble and soft, you don't even feel crosswinds, the bike is freaking stable.
Those double discs infront are heavenly, you can ignore rear brake and deal with engine braking and front brake, but be careful this version of mine does not have ABS so grab the front brakes at your own risk.
What makes the Benelli so amazing for low CC class is how fast you can accelerate and overtake cars. If you realize somebody misbehaving around you and you are at gear 6 maybe cruising at 110 you don't need to downshift, just roll the throttle slowly and you will see figures rising like temperatures
1 Comment
This is good stuff Meshack. Looking to upgrade from a 155 CC bike to a 300 CC bike. My policy is to double the CC with every upgrade. I have a choice between the Benelli TNT 300 & the CF MOTO 300 NK. The review you have provided here is priceless. Thank you very much Meshack.