Best Benelli Motorbikes

Benelli TNT135 - Micro bike but maxi fun – I traded in a big bike for this undersized pseudo Italian. Those reading this review will know that it is designed in Italy and made in China. They… Read more

no longer make the 135, because of European regulations and have returned to the original sized motor. The rest remains the same.

The good points is that the motor is smooth and it will keep up in traffic. The motor revs to 10K and that will probably get you somewhere near 100Klm/hr if you're not too weighty. The construction is pretty good. Lots of plastic but that isnt unusual these days. The tyres are said to be crappy chinese copies but they're fine in fine weather. I havent tried them in the wet.

The gear changes are smooth and neutral is pretty easy to find. The clutch is light and you hardly need it going up the gears. The big plus of these bikes when they came out was that they had 5 gears while the Japanese small fry had 4, but the rest have caught up. I've ridden a Honda Monkey and it has a much better seat - see bad points.

The handling is predictable. When I get on the bike, I'm increasing the overall weight significantly, as most adults would, so you dont really lean into corners.

Bad points?

The seat.....unbelievably badly designed. The seat has two parts and the rider basically sits on the join between them on the strap for the rear passenger.

Anyone 6 foot should look away when they see one. They're not for you.

Bumps....small wheels, big bumps. Ouch they hurt.

Overall, a great bike if you want to commute around town

Top value tiddler – This bike cost me under $4k on the road. That's half the price of a middling mountain bike! Astonishing ... It is very economical, huge fun, will do… Read more

about 100kph, accelerates fine in traffic, has the same seat height as many road bikes, was surprisingly comfortable on a 200km run, and best of all looks cool. However, it is built to a budget with more than a few cheese fasteners, some pretty sloppy wiring (you can fix this with a few cable ties), and a passenger seat that can just about cope with a heavy hamster. But for the money. it is brilliant - 2 year unlimited km warranty and $316 annual rego. Highly recommended for people not looking to boost a macho ego.