TRK502 has fab looks for the asking price.

Massive fuel tank means this bike makes for an awesome commuter.

I have always thought Benelli parallel twins are the best sounding of all. It screams almost like an inline 4, and does not sound hollow and lumpy like other parallel twins.

Putting out 47 horses from 500cc is competitive.

UNFORTUNATELY....

... I have doubts about those 47 ponies when matched to the bike's 210kg dry weight. Add 20 litres of fuel, 3 litres of engine oil plus 2 litres of coolant, you're easily looking at 230+kg.

Add in the weight of side boxes, top box plus luggage... yeah... I think that engine will struggle if you expect superior squirt-and-go acceleration to match the Multistrada-esque looks.

NONETHELESS...

... it would still make a very decent commuter bike if you need to travel 60km every day to and from work.

The Benelli Leoncino on the other hand might be a better application of that 500cc parallel twin.

A hell lot less weight would definitely let those 47 horses shine.

That said though.... I just don't understand why the cinapeks refuse to use the 899 triple.

Or why Benelli Malaysia refuses to bring in the TNT600 GT tourer with the fukking awesome, cross country capable 27-litre fuel tank, and adequate 86 horses to shift its 240kg all-up weight over long distances.

It's a far better proposition than the TRK502.

You can select the sissy mode on the handlebar to cut power and let the traction control prevent you from doing anything stupid with the throttle.

I almost bought this bike.... until I found out it has a puny 14-litre tank to feed the thirsty 850cc engine. That was a deal breaker for me coz I needed to do some serious commuting with the bike (my youthful weekend hero ratah korner antics are long behind me).

No, folks going for naked/standard bikes is *NOT* a new phenomenon.

Naked bikes have always had a good following. Of course, the term 'naked' only became widespread in the last 10 or so years. 'Naked' is the original style of motorcycles (classic bikes are all 'naked' bikes until folks started modifying them into cafe racers which evolved into fully faired sportsbikes).

Naked bikes in the form of UJMs were very popular since way back through models like the Kawasaki Zephyrs, the Honda CBs and the Suzuki GS bikes. Those who can't imagine what UJMs look like, all you have to do is imagine the old police bike without the front windshield - those were CB750-P, part of the Honda CB family of UJMs which culminated in the popular CB400 VTEC (loads in SG) and the CB1300.

Of course, fully faired sportsbikes eventually outshined everything else because this genre became the first in line to directly benefit from whatever technology that came out of racing.

That said, even back then there were already lots of people stripping fully faired sportsbikes into naked bikes, and these were known as 'streetfighters' that combined the punch of sportsbikes with the wide bars and upright position of UJMs. The 1990s saw loads of those early watercooled and cradle framed GSXR750/GSXR1100 being converted into stuntable streetfighters (the new Yamaha MTs are a modern interpretation of these classic hooligan wheelie/burnout bikes).

Meanwhile, over in the US 'naked' bikes were already popular in the guise of Harley XR flat trackers made for oval clay racetracks. Harley Sportsters are a direct descendant of these, and those are naked too.

Anyway... custom-made streetfighters eventually gave way to what people call 'naked' bikes today.

A cruiser's riding position is not like that of a naked bike. The former is made for cruising, with low footpegs that let you stretch out your legs for easy laid back riding. The latter's riding position allows for a more nimble bike that's more suited for urban traffic.

This post has been edited by ZZR-Pilot: May 11 2017, 06:47 PM

Some do like cruisers, especially short ppl. My fiancee is drooling over the Vulcan S right now. Heck, in the early 90s, almost EVERYBODY rode the XV535 cruiser to get their B licence.

Who says Msians don't like cruisers?

Original chain knackered after 20,000km.

Surprisingly, the front sprocket is still in good nick... the rear, however, hv just started to hook. Nonetheless, both outlasted the stock factory Benelli chain.

Replaced the chain to a DID one, which costed RM350 at Ah Hong. Took the opportunity to swap out the old 14T/46T sprocket setup to a 15T/46T setup (which gives a much larger ratio difference compared to a 14T/45T).

Result? My bike now cruises at 150km/h on the speedo at 7000rpm in 6th gear on my ride to work today. That's a much more relaxed ride, instead of having to whip the hell out of the engine to cruise above the speed limit. Running on fresh Michelin Pilot Road 4 rubbers.

There's less torque, but I'm not the type to blast away from the traffic lights anyway.

New chain & sprockets made the bike feel new again. Lol...

Yes, it's my daily ride-to-work workhorse.

It's a 2013 bike, first owned by some chap out in the sticks in Sekinchan who rode it for like 5000km before storing it in his barn & forgetting about it for over a year.

I paid him RM23k for it in 2015 & been riding it to work (Bt Antarabangsa-Bt Bintang) ever since.

A lot of ppl say shit about this bike because of its QJ origins... barang China tak glamer la katakan... but for a 4 cylinder middleweight bike it's cheap enough to buy cash & cheap to insure, it's plenty fast and it roars to life reliably every morning and every afternoon. With a bit of spit & polish that gleaming red paint & red trellis still make it a helluva looker...

yes quite short coz it'll still easily go past the redline on stock 14T/46T, and that already tells you that the final drive is actually missing a tooth or two somewhere.

putting a 15T front sprocket makes better use of the power (bigger diff than dropping the rear to 45T), but it really sacrifices torque when rolling on the throttle in 6th. you'll hv to kick it down to 5th to whip the horses.

anyway for cruising otw to work, it's great.

That's about RM10k cheaper.

TC is integral to this bike, I don't think they can skimp.

Good lah... let me rack up another 40,000km (2-3 kali tukar tayar) on my TNT600, then I trade it it for this.

Kalau secured loans (i.e. Car loan, housing loan, ASB loan) pun dah 4-7%, mustahil ada unsecured loans below 8%...

If u want below 8%, refinance ur house la.

That new Zephyr totally rocks..!! OMG..!!

UJM forever!!

I would totally buy it!!

Better than the ZRX1200!!

This post has been edited by ZZR-Pilot: Sep 20 2017, 08:25 PM

Wuiii....sempoi..!!

OMG... I used to ride with these guys 17 years ago.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Benelli refuses to leverage their inline 4 engine.

Forever waiting for their TNT600 GT. I want that 27-liter fuel tank for commuting...!

Haaaa... itu 752 should definitely be put into the TRK!

Why oh why did they put in the weedy 500cc lump instead...

lazer

I use a backpack too... unless I have to wear a 2-piece business suit or a blazer, in which case I use a tailpack (cheaper than a box, zero mods).

Isn't that speedo dial on the right totally REDUNDANT..?

Oh but I'm so attracted by that 27-liter tank, since I'll need to commute further after June because my office is shifting out to Mutiara Damansara.

That almost doubles the current 15-liter tank, (27 liters of fuel = 27kg) which I think contributes significantly to the porky 275kg all-up weight.

Weight in itself isn't really an issue per se, but whether or not it makes the bike feel top heavy is the real question.

Payments for tankpad sticker, rim stickers, Valetino Rossi stickers, spotlights, aftermarket windscreen, crash slider, bling-blung mirrors, bar ends, brake & clutch levers etc....and aftermarket exhaust.

There will also be payments for new helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and helmet-mounted action camera.