Hi All, I'm giving serious consideration to buying another Benelli. I had a Tre-K before I got the Mutley. The bike in question is this Tornado 900. So what do you think? Have I lost the plot? Anyone want to talk some sense into me?
I'd buy one. Had a test ride on a couple a few years ago and very nearly bought one. I do remember that neither of the ones I tested would go into neutral when you stopped so had to have a nack of clicking it in just before you stopped! My only watch out would be that a lot of bikes in the UK are not from the year on the plate, ie they were imported and sat around for a while before they were sold and registered. At one point you could buy a brand new one for 6k.
They are certainly growing on me. I have mentioned this before but, years ago we were staying at 'Sliders' for a week whilst doing the Nurbergring. Performance Bike journo's were also staying there as Bren the owner was 'The Baron' who took test bikes round the Ring in a 'pre Stig' styleeee. Anyway they had a Benelli TRE they wanted to test, daily they set off with the Benelli on the 30KM ish ride to the Ring and daily one of the lads would return to collect the van to put the broken down Benelli in. We started to have a sweepstake in the end.
I've owned one for about seven or eight years now and I absolutely love it: for a design that's almost 15 years old I see very few bikes that I prefer the look of. Like any low production volume rarity it's a bit of a leap of faith, with not very many knowledgeable dealers around (I get mine serviced by Bennetts in Barnsley) and parts are not as plentiful on the BayOfE as for the 999 for example. Lovely bike though - a great A-road ride: loads of character, gutsy triple engine that just pulls with no real power-band and a fabulous raw howl if you hold onto a gear and really cane it. Steering is light and sharp. And EVERY TIME you park up somewhere people will come and ask you about the bike ("what is it?" / "what are the fans for?"). I'd say it was more of a 'GT' than a sports bike: for a week-long jaunt around France I'd take the Benelli any day. For a bright and early Sunday morning sporty blast before the traffic has got busy I'd take the 999. It will do track-days but the availability of parts (original and aftermarket) makes that a brave choice and it's a bit heavy and under-powered compared to modern track tools: ~120 bhp and around 200kg. It's also very tall in the saddle and has the turning circle of a bus. First gear is hard to find (straight-cut cogs apparently) and the clutch is very heavy, so stop-starting in traffic is not a lot of fun. That aside, it's a better ride at low speed than the lumpy, uncomfortable 999. :hearteyes::hearteyes::hearteyes: (NB: mine's not entirely standard... but looks pretty similar at first glance) I'd recommend it as a bike to own and cherish, but not one to buy on a whim, get bored with and trade in for something else six months later: it will take time to find a nice clean one (there just aren't very many) and selling also takes time (there aren't many people looking, and dealers won't offer you much as a trade-in). But it is a great machine. Looks, handling, sweet engine (though it sounds like a bag of bolts in a washing-machine at idle: it's actually a very smooth and revvy triple). I say do it Wally...! Check the service history and number of owners though: many have been unloved, passed around various dealerships, etc etc. That looks a pretty clean and tidy example. If you enjoyed the Tre-K then you'll probably love the Tornado. It's sporty but more upright and not as cramped as a Ducati Superbike. Good luck! :smiley: cheers, Dom
Friend of mine got a low Mileage RS. Had loads of mods done to it for weak clutch gears (i think) and a few other bits but it made some nasty noises and Bennetts said it probably needed a strip and rebuild so he got rid. It was all over the Benelli forums so some owners on here may have seen it. I was considering buying it from him until the engine woes, I think it got broken for parts in the end. Still like the look but think it would be a bit of fun bike and not venture too far if I had one.
Yeah I think they are awesome! I would also love one and did quite a bit of reading up and essentially u need to put in the uprated clutch I believe, or buy one that has had proof it's been done, and a few other little bits but otherwise they get a good reputation. The 1130 ones are really cool, would imagine all of the issues are sorted on those also
Hey I think @philoldsmobile bought the last UK new(old) one back in autumn 2014. I was looking back then as mentioned above you could pick up an unregistered bike straight out a crate for £6k on 0%. bought the 996 instead though. I remember reading at the time they had a bout 5 or 6 warranty recalls so check they are done, but I can't find the list I made anymore. Also, the RS was the rarer/racier model, you can tell them apart as they have red fans, not yellow. Lovely looking bike though.
Go for it, it is not a massive amount of money for what is on offer. What`s the worst that could happen ..... ?
While you're right about the money there is a list of remedial work on these bikes that's pretty long plus it's due its 6000 mile service. I asked around on the Benelli forum and one of the guys there made enquiries about the bike and it has no paperwork to show the necessary work has been done. If I buy I'd need to stick it into Bennett's for the service and to get them to check if the necessary work had been done. Just getting it serviced and checked out will run to a few hundred quid and, if the remedial work has not been done, then I'm up to £1500 or more.
Fair enough but even then it seems like a lot of exotic bike for your money. I remember seeing these at Forza Italia a few years ago and being very tempted. If I wasn't suffering with too many aches and pains to ride a sportsbike for longer than hour at the most I`d be interested in this one myself.
Well it looks like I've found one and it's silver and green which is the colour scheme I really wanted so a bonus there. Tosh, from T&M in Newton St Boswell, who looked after my Tre-K is selling me his personal bike. It was registered in 09, has only 1500 miles on the clock, he said it's pristine - never seen rain, all the recommended repairs have been done. He's going to give it a major service, year MOT, year road tax, and I get a warranty (need to sort out the details on that though). He's a mate and very trustworthy but he's looking for £4000, which is more than I was looking to spend, but it's reasonable when compared to other dealers and I know what I'm buying. It's in his interest to sell to me too because he knows he'll get any servicing work or repair work. So, basically, I'm fairly happy with the deal and I get, what for my money, is one of the nicest looking bikes on the road that comes with bags of character (but hopefully not the expensive kind that starts with a call the RAC). Steve, the Australian guy's name is Errol Kowald, I've had dealings with him in the past, and it's fair to say that he knows Benellis, and the Tornado in particular, inside out. A very knowledgeable Joe who is very helpful too.
I snagged the last new one last year. They are a little oddball, but if the recalls have been done they are a great bike. I have the slightest weep from the water pump seal so will change that and fit a brass core plug while its drained down. Other than that there were recalls for clocks, clutch baskets and the Z25 gear, plus I believe a few other things. I believe moto GB have records of those which they recalled, I seem to recall reading that they were the importers, or at least were for a while. The seat is high (and incredibly hard), the bars low and wide, and it has absolutely no steering lock, I believe they are mechanically very similar to the treK
I had one as a loaner while I was waiting for a part for the TreK. They are so not built for comfort. The day I dropped off the TreK (very mutley like ergos) and rode it the 75 miles back to my house I was shocked at just how much discomfort I was in after such a short ride. I thought I was going to have to find someone with a block-and-tackle to help me get off it. But after a couple of days you get used to it. You can get used to anything if there's a pay-off and the pay-off is ... well, I don't know that I can say what is. It's not the fastest. It's not the most nimble. It's not high tech, in fact there's no tech. The clutch can feel grabby when you're in traffic, like it wants to propel you into the car in front. Neutral is pretty well impossible to find. The engine temperature goes off the scale in town. I.e. it has character and I love the looks, the way the engine sounds, the way it delivers power, the uniqueness and, aches and pains apart, how it makes me feel. I was meant to take it out for a yes-or-no test ride yesterday but life got in the way. I'm going to head down this Friday but, in my head, I've already bought it.
The seat is little short of a torture device, as is the riding position. I have found that a pair of padded cycling shorts worn under the leathers helps hugely. I have done 300 miles in a day on mine - my hips were ruined but at least my butt was ok. I'm relatively light at 80kg so I don't really compress the seat either.
I've still not made it down to try it but Friday coming looks promising. It tends to be my hips that suffer too and, to be honest, I wouldn't attempt 300 miles on it. At my age I've learned that my body will complain too much if I subjected it to that and that would definitely take the shine off the experience. The monster is good for 300+ miles with manageable levels of discomfort.
After a serious accident a couple of years ago i have osteoarthritis in my left hip and knee at the ripe old age of 37, so i can completely empathise. The reality is that the Tornado is no worse than any other sportsbike in this respect.
Yup, i did!! mine was the last standard TRE, but there are a couple of LE's still kicking around, but they are quite a lot more expensive. this is mine and @domRusty TRE's at Super Sausage a while ago.:sunglasses: It was interesting to see the two together, only then do you get the full picture as to how much has been changed one his - mine is only wearing a bit of carbon fibre and a tarts numberplate. here is a bit of interesting trivia for you. The engine was actually going to go into a new Laverda sportsbike which was stillborn. Benelli bought / inherited the design from Laverda, and if you search the net there are a few photos of the engine wearing a Laverda orange cam cover and with Laverda logos on it - quite obviously the same basic engine though. Laverda / Benelli engine in its origional Laverda guise..
for anyone thinking of one of these bikes, bookmark Your Benelli Superstore! as they seem to be about the best resource for Benelli parts. Just ordered everything i need to repair my waterpump (essentially almost a complete pump) from them, just over £200 including the quickest delivery option. My pump seems to have suffered badly from sitting, so just about every part needs changing despite just 1200 miles on the clock. Its also worth noting that the core plugs are a real weak spot, if it hasn't been done already change it for brass, the standard ones rot through far too readily.
