Hi Folks ,I've been offered a 2009 Tornado Tre 900 for not a lot of money and must admit i'm thinking about going for it...if any one on here has had experience of these bikes, and can offer any tips on the pros and cons and what to look out for it would be most helpful.
Report on one in this months Practical Sportsbikes Mag up against a 996 and an MV 750 - worth a read...
Hi Blot..if you mean yesterday then no it isn't that particular bike, although they do look good in green/sliver, the one I'm looking at is a red one that a neighbour is selling.
@Not Carl Fogarty mate Phil who runs a YouTube channel rejuvenated old bikes bought the last "new" one 4 years back. Carl can probably put you in touch.
I looked into them quite seriously as I really like them. Check it's had the 'updates' done to it otherwise it's a bit of a time bomb, specifically the gears behind the clutch. From memory there is a 'stamp' mark on the frame for bikes that had it done by the UK importer. There is a dealer Southampton way I think from memory who is a bit of an expert with them.
I've had my 900 Tornado for ten years now. It's definitely a marmite bike: a lot of people own them for a short time and don't get on with them, but equally some would never part with theirs... CONS: it's not sporty by modern standards, too heavy, not particularly powerful (~ 110hhp?) parts can be hard to come by, as are servicing specialists (thoroughly recommend Bennetts in Barnsley ) heavy cable-operated clutch can kill your wrist if you're not riding it regularly - hydraulic conversions are available hard to engage neutral at a standstill - which combined with the heavy clutch can make town riding a genuine ball-ache it's tall in the saddle - good for some, not for others. I'm 6'1" and it suits me fine. ignition coil sticks tend to corrode resulting in running on two cylinders, but are easily replaced. I've had two gone over the years. PROS it's bloomin' gorgeous, especially in green & silver. Some of the detailed lines are exquisite (designed by Adrian Morton, now at MV) it's unusual: you rarely see them on the road and people often are intrigued by the rear-mounted radiator & fans the engine is a peach - despite making an unholy clatter at tickover it is smooth on the go, the triple has power throughout and above about 6k rpm it develops a glorious howling induction noise steering is really effortless and precise, you can clip the edge of a white line, place the bike exactly where you want it on the road. It's a great A-road bike, addictive, characterful engine, nice handling and if you're interested in something different it's well worth a look, and not expensive. That said, they're not popular so selling on is sometimes difficult. And the standard 900 model was built between 2003 and 2005 but sold slowly and some were registered as late as 2015? Whatever the Reg says, it's an early 2000s bike, and may have sat around for years. There were some specific production issues (typical with low-volume manufacture) but these are well known and documented (see https://www.benelliforum.com/forum/tornado-tre/). I can't imagine getting rid of my Benelli - it feels genuinely special and unique (to be fair, mine is not entirely standard). It is a bit oddball, but has bags of style and character and if you get a well sorted one and ride it regularly I think it will repay you in smiles per mile. Cheers, Dom
@yellowducmaniac It may be worth speaking to Iain Rhodes https://www.rpmbikes.co.uk/ Before setting up on his own in Northampton he was at Forza Italia in Silverstone who I believe had the Benelli franchise for several years. Iain has most probably worked on a few .
Thanks for all the replies guys...have read a few magazine reviews etc. and some of them are'nt very flattering, but that doesnt really mean anything to me, especially as the 999 was hammered by the journos at launch too! I'm more interested in what real life owners think and use my own judgement , and that is largely positive ,i will probably go for it and if i do pics will follow. @domRusty cracking looking bike especially in that colour scheme
@yellowducmaniac - the Tornado will feel quite different to the 999. I have a 999s and it's very much sportier, lighter and lower than the Benelli. But that's no bad thing as I tend to use it for different purposes. I do the odd track day on the 999 and would go out for a 1 or 2 hour ride, but use the Benelli for longer touring trips or just because it's a joy to amble around on, whereas the Duc feels like you need to ride it enthusiastically or not at all. I guess that is the difference between a genuine sports bike and a 'GT' sort of bike. Will be interested to hear what you make of the Benelli - good luck!!
I know when I was looking for one, a number of adverts advised the clocks had been replaced, not exactly a big problem if you owned an older ducati, My fugly had them replaced under warranty, but make sure they are original. I borrowed a buddies for a couple of days of long and spirited riding with some town use. I could look at it all day, not in a mv kinda porn way but in a interesting kinda way. I found it average on comfort but then it's not a tourer. Power/handling wise a gixxer 600 would be a better bet and the now defunct 750 would wipe it's arse with a benelli. In the end I left it alone feeling that for me, it was a bike of far too many compromises and there were better bikes for less money that were more of a complete package. I still look at it and think it is a lovely bike to look at though. It's a bit like looking at Pamela Anderson for 10 years and thinking yes I would, then you meet her and the schreader valve has a fault and her boobies go down so yayyyyyyyawwwww noawwww
Philoldsmobile I think he is called on here? I don't think he uses the forum much at the moment. I don't know how to tag/link the name sorry. If the posts above don't answer the questions you have, try and PM him. I'm sure he'll know about different versions, updates etc. I have mentioned the thread to him..
Ta Yes - the stock exhaust is a big long straight thing, typical of the time but really spoils the rear end. Mine's a Micron 'hydroformed' can, originally for an R6.
