Benelli - would you?

Originally Posted by dirtydog

Ah yeah there are few reliability issues as Lozzo says. If your dad is looking for something around that size but with decent build quality he should maybe consider a Daytona 955i

Good call, I loved my Daytona 955i - after 28 years of owning some brilliant Jap bikes it was nice to own something home-built that was well made and reliable.

Hmmmmm lots of un-educated "i've read to many MCN paper" comments here.


Yes, Benelli are Italian, but nope, Benelli are now owned by a chinese corporation, have been for over a year.

Yes, Benelli DID have reliability issues on earlier models (what bike doesn't have teething issues, and deffo a smaller biking firm). Most issues are sorted now, and any outstanding are usually covered by warantee.

Parts backup - Again, not a Yamaha, or some jap backup. Smaller company, less parts, it'll take a little longer. If your worried about parts backup, all I can say is NEVER EVER buy an italian bike, and 100% make sure its not an MV Augusta as they are FAR FAR FAR worse than Benelli......... Its not a bike you ride every day, its a peice of art. If you want something faster, more reliable, more boring, less charm and passion, get something Jap and IL4. If you want the passion, art, charm etc, but without a Ducati or Bimota price tag, get a Nelli noooooeee.

DirtyD - Deffo get it checked out. TBH, its one of the most forgiving suspensions i've tried on the public road. Both my old mans ones ran lovley, deffo better feel than a GSXR1000, but without being as firm. Makes an R6 look like its riding on concrete tyres...

Maybe the Tornado isn't the bike for your old man. Look at the TNT (HUGE favourite, now being copied by like every other bike manufacture), or maybe the TreK. More upright, more like a Bandit position, but far superious ride, excellent brakes, plenty of low down umph, and again, great forgiving suspension. If i could afford a TreK for work, i'd have one...

DD. Daddy sold the normal Nelli, now got another one, same as yours, Red RS bought for pittance... Wanna buy another red one?
Still prefer the green/silver personnally...


PS, as far as im aware, the 900cc hasn't stopped production yet, so its not end of line, its jsut a case of dropping prices to match competitors.....


PS, Gazza, it wasn't Lloyd he got caught up chatting with was it? He'll go on for hours raving about them

[dirtydog]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Good call, I loved my Daytona 955i - after 28 years of owning some brilliant Jap bikes it was nice to own something home-built that was well made and reliable.

I would still have mine now if i hadn't lost my job and not been able to afford to keep it. Absolutely cracking bike

Originally Posted by Daimo

DirtyD - Deffo get it checked out. TBH, its one of the most forgiving suspensions i've tried on the public road. Both my old mans ones ran lovley, deffo better feel than a GSXR1000, but without being as firm. Makes an R6 look like its riding on concrete tyres...

DD. Daddy sold the normal Nelli, now got another one, same as yours, Red RS bought for pittance... Wanna buy another red one?
Still prefer the green/silver personnally...

I'm going to check that it's on original settings and go from there. At the moment it's like riding on a plank with concrete tyres

Yeah my RS was pretty cheap to, in fact it was cheaper than the standard one

[Gazza77]

Originally Posted by Daimo

Hmmmmm lots of un-educated "i've read to many MCN paper" comments here.


Yes, Benelli are Italian, but nope, Benelli are now owned by a chinese corporation, have been for over a year.

Yes, Benelli DID have reliability issues on earlier models (what bike doesn't have teething issues, and deffo a smaller biking firm). Most issues are sorted now, and any outstanding are usually covered by warantee.

Parts backup - Again, not a Yamaha, or some jap backup. Smaller company, less parts, it'll take a little longer. If your worried about parts backup, all I can say is NEVER EVER buy an italian bike, and 100% make sure its not an MV Augusta as they are FAR FAR FAR worse than Benelli......... Its not a bike you ride every day, its a peice of art. If you want something faster, more reliable, more boring, less charm and passion, get something Jap and IL4. If you want the passion, art, charm etc, but without a Ducati or Bimota price tag, get a Nelli noooooeee.

DirtyD - Deffo get it checked out. TBH, its one of the most forgiving suspensions i've tried on the public road. Both my old mans ones ran lovley, deffo better feel than a GSXR1000, but without being as firm. Makes an R6 look like its riding on concrete tyres...

Maybe the Tornado isn't the bike for your old man. Look at the TNT (HUGE favourite, now being copied by like every other bike manufacture), or maybe the TreK. More upright, more like a Bandit position, but far superious ride, excellent brakes, plenty of low down umph, and again, great forgiving suspension. If i could afford a TreK for work, i'd have one...

DD. Daddy sold the normal Nelli, now got another one, same as yours, Red RS bought for pittance... Wanna buy another red one?
Still prefer the green/silver personnally...


PS, as far as im aware, the 900cc hasn't stopped production yet, so its not end of line, its jsut a case of dropping prices to match competitors.....


PS, Gazza, it wasn't Lloyd he got caught up chatting with was it? He'll go on for hours raving about them

It was a guy from Bennet's in Barnsley he spoke to, handy as they are the local dealer. The 900 has stopped production for the Tornado, though I think it is still available in other models. We were discussing the availability of Green/Silver rather than Red, and it is somewhat limited. I know what you mean about the TNT or TreK perhaps being more suitable, but he wasn't looking to spend more than £6k, which is why they caught his eye being up at £5995. The 1130 was over £10k I seem to recall.

I can still get a brand new one??? And can do for quite a while yet?????

Bennetts actually quite a good dealer from what I hear. I know my old man speaks to (?Russell) quite often and gets on well. Maybe they have stopped on teh Tornado, but i've not heard anything of it. They've been at £6k for quite a few months now?

Ironically, I thought the 1130 Tornado HAD been taken off production due to lots of little warrenty issues they couldn't resolve on the 1130 engine.

Remember, the 900cc Tornado was £10k+ when new

DOn't be put off though, if he loves the bike, he'll love the ride, and the feeling, and the noise. Search youtube, Benelli Tornado, Brands Hatch... Dribble.....

He had a 75 yo bloke come in a few weeks back talking about MV Augustas, never being able to get one but its his dream bike etc, but too fast etc...

Dad sold him a 750 model instead. The 75 still rides it and loves it

Age means nothing, if he loves it, tell him to get one. Its something to remember, and im biased I admit, im in love with them, but riding once really is forfilling....

But then in retrospect, my Bandit does everything I need, with more bounce, less braking, less power, but has started every time, 2+ years, 20,000+ miles, so its swings and roundabouts.

Head says jap stuff
Heart says italian exotic

If i was getting a little older, i'd like to think my heart would take over (as my head does the thinking still atm )

I know most people know what im going to say BUT semi comfortable cheap to run (as long as he doesnt want fairing replacing), reliable (only one thing that can be a little dodgy, a damn starter relay), very good build quality (it doesnt rust like a suzuki) powerful fairly comfortable, nice (in some people's opinion) looking bike for cheap then the Falco is a brilliant bike for him. The front wont be far off right with stock springs for his weight, spend a little money getting a better shock for rear with the right spring for him and he'll be laughing.

No doubt ill get flamed for mentioning it...

It did come 19th in Ride magazine this year, the highest Italian bike. I think it was 15th last year too.

Originally Posted by Gazza77

He doesn't know what he wants! It's not just the Italian thing, or the triple thing or the sportsbike thing, just to have something a little different. Every year since they (and MV for that matter) have been back at the NEC he's been eyeing one up, but realises they are not that comfortable and are expensive to run. Suddenly, cost is not so much of an issue, and is considering the comfort offset against the desire to own one. The chance to live the dream sort of thing.

I think he realises he is getting a bit older, and in two or three years time would perhaps prefer to be able to say "I had a Benelli" than "I had Bandit 650". Reliability in the main won't be too much of an issue for someone who mainly rides on sunny weekends for short blasts of a couple of hours at most.

Barnsley... Woo local dealer for me too. I keep meaning to pop in and have a look but never do.

Originally Posted by Gazza77

It was a guy from Bennet's in Barnsley he spoke to, handy as they are the local dealer. The 900 has stopped production for the Tornado, though I think it is still available in other models. We were discussing the availability of Green/Silver rather than Red, and it is somewhat limited. I know what you mean about the TNT or TreK perhaps being more suitable, but he wasn't looking to spend more than £6k, which is why they caught his eye being up at £5995. The 1130 was over £10k I seem to recall.

[Biker Biggles]

Do Prilla still take as long as they like to supply parts?
It does seem that Italian firms generally need to discover the concept of customer care that others learned decades ago.They cant go on forever arrogantly dismissing their customers as plebs to be fleeced when buying and fobbed off when it all goes bang.Yes and I love Italian bikes too,but Id think long and hard about actually owning one again.

[Gazza77]

Originally Posted by ThEGr33k

I know most people know what im going to say BUT semi comfortable cheap to run (as long as he doesnt want fairing replacing), reliable (only one thing that can be a little dodgy, a damn starter relay), very good build quality (it doesnt rust like a suzuki) powerful fairly comfortable, nice (in some people's opinion) looking bike for cheap then the Falco is a brilliant bike for him. The front wont be far off right with stock springs for his weight, spend a little money getting a better shock for rear with the right spring for him and he'll be laughing.

No doubt ill get flamed for mentioning it...

It did come 19th in Ride magazine this year, the highest Italian bike. I think it was 15th last year too.

Thing is though, he has never dreamed of owning a Falco. A Benelli, an MV, or (for the older ones out there) a BSA Rocket 3 maybe. He certainly wouldn't want to be out there changing things like the springs etc, that's not the sort of person he is.

Originally Posted by Gazza77

Thing is though, he has never dreamed of owning a Falco. A Benelli, an MV, or (for the older ones out there) a BSA Rocket 3 maybe. He certainly wouldn't want to be out there changing things like the springs etc, that's not the sort of person he is.

Id hate to ride any bike without setting it up for my weight... because im so light . With him being a big lad it should be the same. Most bikes will be WAY too lightly sprung for him and so wont handle well at all.

Fair enough if he hasnt dreamed of owning a Falco...