Benelli 302R: Long-term report

Being my first twin-cylinder, the Benelli was subject to all the experiments of my inner child. Everyday commuting, touring, even mild off-roading over the last four months! The not-so-aggressive ergonomics made commuting and touring easy. However, the heavy clutch and below-par heat management system gave me a hard time in traffic. Even after getting the issue fixed during service, the pegs and the seat vibrations were back in barely 2,000km. By the time I hit 4k on the odo, the seat vibrations went beyond tolerance.

I was turning lots of heads in traffic and even while on the move. The big-bike exhaust note had people awestruck. Styling is dated but the big proportions had people mistake her for a middle-weight bike.

Will I ever buy one? Probably not, though with a lighter clutch, less vibrations and a cosmetic overhaul, I might consider it. But if you can live with these, the Benelli 302R is good sports tourer with a good symphony for your ears.