It seems that Benelli has no shortage of new models to launch in the market. Just at EICMA 2023, the Italian brand owned by the Chinese company Qianjiang Motors revealed an impressive number of motorcycles scheduled for global release. After all, Benelli is owned by Qianjiang Motors, one of the largest Chinese motorcycle manufacturers and the parent company of brands like Keeway, QJ Motor, and MBP.
Shortly after presenting a series of new models at the end of last year, Benelli has already announced the availability of some of them, specifically the Tornado 400, which is expected to be available for sale in Europe in the first half of 2024. The Tornado 400 is the middle child of the trio of sport motorcycles presented at EICMA 2023, all equipped with twin-cylinder engines. The Tornado 400 clearly aims to compete with the existing two-cylinder sport motorcycles – motorcycles like the Kawasaki Ninja 400 (upgraded to Ninja 500), CFMOTO 450 SR, Honda CBR500R, and Yamaha YZF-R3.
For reference, the Benelli Tornado 400 was previously launched in the Chinese market under the designation Tornado 402. It has been slightly updated to comply with European regulations, specifically to cater to A2 license holders looking to upgrade to a higher-displacement motorcycle from their beginner-restricted A1 machines. The Tornado 400 is equipped with a liquid-cooled 399cc twin-cylinder engine with fuel injection and Euro 5 approval. This engine produces 47.6 hp of power – the limit for the A2 category. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a six-speed manual gearbox.
This engine is integrated into a steel tubular frame with a sleek single-sided swingarm. As for the suspension, Benelli relies on a 37mm inverted front fork and a rear mono-shock equipped with a link. Braking functions are provided by basic-level Nissin floating calipers mounted on the front fork.
With a fuel capacity of 14.8 liters, the empty weight is about 172 kg, which is quite light and accessible. Additionally, we have LED lighting, a 5-inch color TFT screen, Bluetooth smartphone pairing, USB charging, and even a tire pressure monitoring system.
As mentioned earlier, it is expected that Benelli will launch the new Tornado 400 in Europe in the first half of 2024. However, as of the writing of this article, no official price has been announced yet.
