Words: Shubham Choukse
After a long wait, Benelli’s 302R has finally been launched at Rs 3.48 lakh, ex-showroom. First displayed at the EICMA 2015, the Benelli 302R has been making public appearances at various auto-shows including the Indian Auto Expo in 2016.
The bike shares the same 300cc, liquid-cooled parallel twin as its naked counterpart – the TnT 300, but on a new chassis that uses the same trestle but with modifications, especially to the mounting points. The swingarm is different too, designed to accommodate a centrally placed monoshock as opposed to the offset unit of the TnT. Power and torque figures however are identical – 38.26bhp at 11,500rpm and 26.5 Nm at 10,000rpm. The 302R is the first motorcycle in its class to feature a double disc setup for the front brakes. Thankfully, dual-channel ABS is standard on the 302R. Although Benelli says that the motorcycle is designed to be a great track tool, we would think its hefty 198-kilo weight may put a spanner in that work. Nevertheless, the good looking Italian is going to offer more than decent pose value and is available in three colour schemes – White Rosso, Red Nero and Silver Verde.
“The DSK Benelli 302R, is our first full-faired superbike which is set to alter the paradigm of the mid-sized segment in the country. We are certain that the reception to this glorious superbike will be as overwhelming as that for our previous models,” said DSK Motowheels chairman Shirish Kulkarni at the launch of the Benelli 302R.