Royal Enfield Classic-rivaling Benelli Imperiale 400 to be launched next month

The Benelli Imperiale 400 has been waiting for its India launch to happen for a long time now but finally, the Italian two-wheeler manufacturer has confirmed that it will launch a new product in October. However, Benelli has not yet revealed the exact launch date or the product that will be launched but all details point towards the Imperiale 400 as the bike that will be launched in October. It will chiefly rival the Royal Enfield Classic series along with the Jawa bikes in India when launched. The retro-styled bike was first showcased at the 2017 EICMA motor show and reports about its India launch have been doing the rounds since 2018.

The bike gets a double-cradle, steel tubular frame while the fuel tank is a teardrop-shaped unit which adds to the overall retro-classic look. Also present are several modern elements like split seats and digital screen in the instrument cluster. A few spy shots in past have shown that the Indian model will be the same as the international models in terms of design, though a saree guard will be added on the Indian version bike.

Powering the bike is an air-cooled, single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine. This 373cc unit churns out a maximum of 20.4 PS at 5,500 rpm and a peak of 28 Nm at 3,500 rpm. It gets a five-speed transmission. Both the wheels of the Imperiale 400 get the disc brake, and the dual-channel ABS is offered as standard. Benelli offers a 300mm disc brake at the front with twin-callipers while the rear wheel gets a 240mm disc brake. There is 41mm telescopic front suspension with 110 mm of travel, and the rear gets twin-shock absorbers with 65mm travel.

Benelli will most probably offer the Imperiale 400 in three colours – black, red and silver. The twin-shock absorbers at the rear will keep the Imperiale 400 close to its retro-classic and will also help in keeping the costs under check. The Imperiale 400 features a retro design and a lot of attention has been given to the details. It gets a lot of chrome around the body that makes it look very premium. Talking about the wheels, the Imperiale 400 rides on the 19-inch front tyre and 18-inch rear tyre. Both the wheels are spoked rims, which means that the tyres are not tubeless. Even the Royal Enfield Classic range offers spoked non-tubeless tyres.

One of the major aspects in the success of the Benelli Imperiale 400 will be its pricing. It is expected that Benelli will position the bike under Rs. 2 lakhs so as to keep up with its rival. If the pricing is around Rs. 1.80 lakhs, there is a good chance that the bike will be able to make a mark in a segment where its rivals include the Jawa twins and the Royal Enfield Classic series.