2011 Benelli  Sports Motorcycles 

Not sure why, but I have always been a fan of the lesser known brands of motorcycle and more exotic. Motocross when I was in the 70s, I leaned on brands like underdogs and CZ Bultaco (after their heyday, that is). I still maintain a degree of admiration for the small, the manufacturers of motorcycles are the least popular. Maybe it’s a matter of sentimentality, it may be inherent exclusivity, they can afford to be built in smaller numbers. A brand of bike that fits the criteria of possessing a rich heritage that has never translated into mega-star and the industry is Benelli. In 2011, the Italian motorcycle company (founded by five brothers in 1911) celebrates 100 years of producing motorcycles.

Benelli Motorcycles

Benelli, through a major reorganization of the company, makes a noble move to recover the bike with the public, intended to regain its position as a designer of exceptional, focused on performance bikes. The sensitivity of the parent company is the creation of a list of new and classic motorcycles that won the company updated its status. Full First, to commemorate the centenary Benelli are two models that have a significant interest to the company, TNT 899 and TNT pilot century century Racer 1130 (both available in March 2011.) The two bikes to honor the legendary career of Pasolini in a modern interpretation through a system of green paint Centenario. 

BENELLI TNT 1130CR Specifications

And here we have the Benelli TNT 1130CR. We can agree that this beauty from Italy has more of a street fighter look, but Benelli has given the CR tag in the nomenclature itself, so we do have a cafe racer here. Okay, the design idea used for the development of the Cafe Racer was that of creating a bike inspired by yesteryear’s racing bikes, but with unique, sophisticated details to make it modern and effective.

Even the color was also evoked form the past. And that is what the 1130CR is. A bike with the power and performance of a sports bike and the comfort of a standard bike. And come to look at it, it is actually a proper Cafe Racer. It has a nice windscreen, albeit small, clip on handlebars, a single seat, foot board adjustment, so it has everything you find in a Cafe Racer.Yes, Benelli bikes are expensive, in fact any Italian bikes, but the thing is you won’t find anything regular run on the mill items here, it is Italian and being a Benelli, it is even more rare.
Benelli has basically 2 engines, an 899cc and the bigger bored out 1130cc engines beside the off roader engine. All the bikes are woven around these models to cater to different categories. In the U.S, there is only the 1130cc engine.
Like all Benelli machines, this CR bike will give you the option of modifying the engine with a single button. Like many sports bike featuring this option, you can opt for power or traction control which of course will also offer you better fuel consumption, well though not by much as the TNT 1130 Cafe Racer seems to be quite a guzzler. But then if you have the money to buy a Benelli, you would probably never ever think about economy. Just for the record, it will give you a ride of around 120km from the 16.5 liters tank. The free power configuration makes it possible to fully enjoy the power of the bike at 135 hp while the traction control will let you enjoy the bike in city urban driving through the twists and corners with a reduced power output at 112 hp.

BENELLI TNT 1130CR Specifications

Take a good look at it. Even if you are not a big fan of radical designs featuring mean cuts and angles, on a second look, you will really appreciate this beautiful created design. There have been too many concerns with both these bikes as how could you categorize them as Cafe Racers. The belief is that Cafe Racers are self –designed bikes, like homemade ones where you develop those clip on handles and the dome at the rear and unwritten laws would have it as an air cooled exposed engine and must resemble a 70s bike. As such there are ‘real’ cafe racers like the TRIUMPH Thruxton or DUCATI Sports 1000, but Buell and Benelli has also done their own homework before they got to these models. Look, look wise these bikes may be different from a cafe Racer as chalk and cheese, but let me reiterate that there is also a heart of the Cafe Racer. The heart is a fast paced machine which is easy to ride in urban settings. That part both Buell and Benelli got it right. Yes, probably a few designs from the past simple like a round headlamp would have been more suited or even lower handlebars, but both these companies mention their CR as new generation cafe Racers. Now if sports bike can evolve over the years, then Buell and Benelli has every right to try to evolve the thinking pattern of a cafe racer lover. Maybe they have disappointed many a cafe racer fan, but I am sure it has won quite a new number of fans and also impressed some old ones. After all, the heart is in the right place. Visit the BENELLI website to get a load of the TNT 1130CR

BENELLI TNT 1130CR Specifications

Engine – 1130cc, 4 stroke, 3 cylinders in line, tilted forwards 15°, fitted with anti-vibration counter shaft

Bore X Stroke – 88 x 62 mm
Cooling System – Liquid, with lateral double radiator, served by two electrofans
Oil Cooling System – Radiator
Distribution – Chain driven double head cam shaft with 4 valves per cylinder
Lubrication – Wet sump
Max Power & Torque – 136 hp @ 9250 rpm & 117 Nm @ 6750 rpm
Caburation – Electronic injection with 1 injector per cylinder
Ignition – Single coil inductive discharge electronic ignition
Clutch & Gear box- Wet clutch & 6-speed extractable
Transmission – Straight toothed primary gear, chain driven secondary
Suspension Front & Rear- Marzocchi 50 mm diameter upside down fork and ASD steel tube trellis swing arm with Extreme Technology single shock absorber with adjustable rebound and spring pre-load
Wheels – Die-cast aluminum alloy front 3.5”x17”, rear 6.00”x17”
Tyres Front & Rear – Dunlop Tubeless, radial; Front 120/70 x 17” & Rear 190/50 x 17”
Brakes – Brembo; Front twin floating disk, 320 mm diameter, with 4 piston caliper & Rear single disk, with twin piston caliper
Wheelbase – 1419 mm
Dimension – 2100 x 1050 x 790 mm (L x H x W)
Seat Height – 780 mm Dry Weight – 199 kg 

2010 Benelli Cafe Racer 1130

Like a hand made suit the Cafe Racer is made to measure for the most exclusive motorcyclists. Stand out from the crowd without exaggeration.  Small differences make for a great riding satisfaction.

PROJECT: Benelli Cafe Racer 1130

The design idea used for the development of the Cafe Racer was that of creating a TNT inspired by the racing bikes of the past, but with a series of unique, sophisticated details to make it modern and effective.

The result is a motorcycle with an extraordinary personality – a bike which simultaneously offers riding comfort and extreme performance thanks to its exceptional components: a higher and more protective windscreen for greater aerodynamic protection, lower clip-on handlebars in aluminum alloy, single seat bally pan and tailpiece to experience the thrills of riding a true racer alone, eccentric foot board adjustment system, carbon parts and seat support.

As with the design, the color was also inspired by the past for an exceptional aesthetic impact and to make the Cafe Racer even more exclusive in the world gamma of the Street fighters.

An important innovation in the motor: as in all of the TNT model year 2005 versions, The Cafe Racer offers the possibility of modifying motor functions by simply pressing a lighted button on the dash support. The engine control unit can be switched between free power and controlled power for better control of the motorcycle in poor traction conditions. This also guarantees a decrease in fuel consumption of 10-20% depending on driving style and on the road.

The free power configuration makes it possible to fully enjoy the torque features and motor power, while the controlled power configuration makes it possible to enjoy using the bike easily in the city, even on asphalt with poor traction, either alone or with a passenger, without stress.

The exclusive technical aspects are also seen in the exceptional cycle: this version sports a powerful 50 mm fork completely adjustable in compression, extension and spring reload, with a hardened surface to improve the sliding qualities which contribute to making the road holding solid and precise.

The back shock absorber body is in Ergal – light and unique in the world panorama; it is completely adjustable in extension and spring reload to offer a good level of performance constancy and to make riding safe in all asphalt conditions.

The attention given to the quest for lightness and performance is confirmed by the use of Marchesini rims in forged and machined aluminum alloy and the Brembo braking system which mounts a 4 piston radial caliper and a 320 mm diameter double disk at the front.

The TNT Cafe Racer is the result of a perfect blend of stylistic solutions and exclusive, sophisticated technique which come together to fully satisfy the performance levels which today’s motorcycle riders demand.