Benelli Bust?

[Biff]

So the fat bloke down the pub tells me, backed up with a search on the tinternet; motorbike manufacturer Benelli, makers of the Tres and the gorgeous TNT, have apparently made the first application for bankruptcy (apparently there are several hoops to jump through in Italy). They’ve just laid off a heap of staff and production quantities have fallen dramatically as a result.

They're desperately trying to find a rich sugar daddy as we speak.

Good luck guys.

[Paul in NZ]

Pish!

Italian bankrupcy laws....

If the govt like it they will keep makin' em! Italian business law is a bit unusual..

[bugjuice]

never 'erd of 'em.. any pics of their bikes..?? I'll give 'em a 5er if it helps..

[louisb]

TVR owner buys Benelli Motorcycles
10th August 2005

The Russian owner of the Blackpool sports car manufacturer TVR, Nikolai Smolenski, is reported to have acquired the Italian superbike and scooter manufacturer Benelli, and is said to be planning for the car firm’s Blackpool factory to manufacture components for the new purchase. Neither firm has confirmed the report.

Benelli was formed in 1911, and became most acclaimed internationally in the 1960s, when it produced a bike with a six-cylinder in-line engine. In 1995 Andrea Merloni took charge of the business, which combined the production of scooters with superbikes in low volumes but was frequently hit by financial crises.

(Source: www.pistonheads.com and others)


TVR is suppose to be in financial crisis aswell!!!

[Lou Girardin]

That's right, the Italians don't let icons dissappear.

[Biff]

never 'erd of 'em.. any pics of their bikes..?? I'll give 'em a 5er if it helps..

What?!!! Dude - bootifull motormacycles, and a company with a proud racing history (and of breaking down - well they are Italian).

[crashe]

Gee I once owned a Benelli way back in the 70's (1975 I think)
a 50cc minibike.... Was great fun to ride as well.
Even got my full bike license on it to :rofl: :rofl:

[avgas]

OMG i started reading this thread, thinking to myself "I really hope one of my favourite bike companies doesnt go bust" (im still bitter bout Bimota-and theyre lovely VDUE)........but TVR as well????? Just after they release that awesome Sagaris!!!!!!!!
Either companies i would dream often of getting jobs for......
( :hitcher: -"Some day i will work for Benelli or TVR")
Life really is sad these days, they keep moving the god damn goal posts
I think im going to the corner to work on my bike (and cry)

[Coyote]

Hope they pull through. The liked the look of the tornado

[Bob]

OMG i started reading this thread, thinking to myself "I really hope one of my favourite bike companies doesnt go bust" (im still bitter bout Bimota-and theyre lovely VDUE)........but TVR as well????? Just after they release that awesome Sagaris!!!!!!!!
Either companies i would dream often of getting jobs for......
( :hitcher: -"Some day i will work for Benelli or TVR")
Life really is sad these days, they keep moving the god damn goal posts
I think im going to the corner to work on my bike (and cry)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

This thread is NOT saying TVR have gone bust. The story, as nicely found and reported (and may more of these tales turn up without me finding them!) is that Benelli ran out of pennies and filed for stage 1 bankruptcy (which is a way of keeping the creditors from the door so they can look for a rescue package).

THEN, the Russian that bought TVR (last year?) has, as far as I can see, stepped in and bought Benelli as well, feeling that the two brands compliment each other.

From a very quick sniff about, it seems that initially the bikes will continue to be built in Italy - and probably sold at TVR dealerships, with both brand names continuing to be used. It also seems there is a strong chance the TVR factory in Blackpool, England, will start making components and may well take over the production process completely in time.

So Mr Bloor may have another UK bike maker to contend with...

[avgas]

Excellent.....
but why cant they all be friends, and chuck that little genius Lazereth in there too. Then you would have the ultimate bike.

[Jackrat]

A mate owned an early Tornado 650 twin during the 70s.
It made brittish bikes look fast reliable and oil tight.
When he finaly got a manual for the dog it was in Italian.
Pity he wasn't :rofl:
Kinda coloured my opinion of Benelli ever since.

[Bonez]

A mate owned an early Tornado 650 twin during the 70s.
It made brittish bikes look fast reliable and oil tight.
When he finaly got a manual for the dog it was in Italian.
Pity he wasn't :rofl:
Kinda coloured my opinion of Benelli ever since.pity he didn't have one of those Honda clones :devil2:

[Bonez]

So the fat bloke down the pub tells me, backed up with a search on the tinternet; motorbike manufacturer Benelli, makers of the Tres and the gorgeous TNT, have apparently made the first application for bankruptcy (apparently there are several hoops to jump through in Italy). They’ve just laid off a heap of staff and production quantities have fallen dramatically as a result.

They're desperately trying to find a rich sugar daddy as we speak.

Good luck guys.I hope Cagiva buy them out and produce some decent kit. You know, like they did with Ducati............Oh and lets not forget the MV Augusta F4

[Jackrat]

pity he didn't have one of those Honda clones :devil2:
Funny you should say that.
I worked with a guy from Papakura that had a six.
Used to park the CB next to it an wonder about it a bit.
He used to give me shit about riding Jappers.
Reckoned they were just copys of real bikes.
Wish I knew then what I know now. :rofl:

Was still a neat bike but.

[zadok]

These are they, I presume?

[Jackrat]

These are they, I presume?

Close,my CB was a 550 but the Benelli was almost identical to the bike you've put up.
Actualy I still think my CB550 was one of the best bikes I've ever owned.
From what I've read the Benelli six was pretty much a copy of the 550 with an extra couple of cylinders added.
Interesting stuff I think.

[avgas]

japanese bikes are clones of 'good' bikes.....they just do a better job at it.
Once met a bitter twisted old sod on a bsa - who took a distaste for my GB. Told me that "It will never have the same characterstics as the ol' bikes"...... later on i found him to be right, not only was my oil 'inside' the sump.....i had another 10hp ;)
Heard one of those benneli 6's once, nice note......but it wasnt the smallest of bikes. Make the K series beemer it parked next too seem small

[onearmedbandit]

Huh? Japanese bikes are clones of good bikes?? Please explain this one a bit better to me.

[avgas]

They have a habit either stealing from other japanese brands, or elsewhere.
However if a japanese manufacturer 'clones' something - they genrally do a far better job at it......when someone else does a 'clone' bike - its a 50/50 whether it will be better or worse.

[Bonez]

Close,my CB was a 550 but the Benelli was almost identical to the bike you've put up.
Actualy I still think my CB550 was one of the best bikes I've ever owned.
From what I've read the Benelli six was pretty much a copy of the 550 with an extra couple of cylinders added.
Interesting stuff I think.The 750 Sei was basicly a Benelli 500/4 with two extra cylinders JR. The Benelli 500/4 engine was a licenced built CB500/4 engine :clap: The CB550 had a redesigned gearbox. Having owned and pulled apart both types of engine I can confirm this.

Edit- Real world Benelli owner experiences here- http://www.umgweb.com/member1/miben.htm

[Bonez]

japanese bikes are clones of 'good' bikes.....they just do a better job at it.
Once met a bitter twisted old sod on a bsa - who took a distaste for my GB. Still too many of them about. Still in denial. :rofl: I just tell them-"You meet the nicest people on a Honda" and that shuts em up.

[SportsBikes NZ]

japanese bikes are clones of 'good' bikes.....they just do a better job at it.
Once met a bitter twisted old sod on a bsa - who took a distaste for my GB. Told me that "It will never have the same characterstics as the ol' bikes"...... later on i found him to be right, not only was my oil 'inside' the sump.....i had another 10hp ;)
Heard one of those benneli 6's once, nice note......but it wasnt the smallest of bikes. Make the K series beemer it parked next too seem small


I agree with avgas, the japs replicate and perfect what everyone else builds and settles for. I was importing harley parts for a while from the US all packaged from mexico but stamped: MADE IN JAPAN? Go figure, if you can't beat em get em to build it too. :woohoo:

[Jackrat]

I think the who copys who thing is a bit old today.
It's pretty hard to buy a bad bike an where they come from really means nothing.It could be and has been said the newer Triumphs are a copy of Jap bikes.HD pretends that being copied is a compliment then tries to sue the ass off anybody that gets to close.In Benellis case they did copy another successfull bike and admited every bit of it,even had the OK from honda to do so.
Or so I'm lead to belive.
I've even been told a number of times that my own bike is "just a copy" of some english bike :slap:
Show me the chain driven over head cam brit bike from the mid 60s an I'll be very suprised.
Oh yeah it's a vertical twin, :violin:
Anyway at a cold raining rally somewhere somebody will claim somethings just a copy of something else.
It just gives you something to laugh about when the last nutters finished jumping fires. :shifty: :lol:

[avgas]

yeh the copy thing has really got drawn to death, copied, and over copied.......
mind due if we stuck to blueprints.......we would all be riding wood.

[Motu]

The first successful transverse inline 4s were the Gilera's,I think they were designed prewar for supercharging,but had to run with out when blowers were banned.They were a dominant force in the hands of Geof Duke,and the Japanese copied the layout when they went GP racing - the CB750 was the result.

A friend of mine had a Tornado,she painted it red white and green,even had the seat done that way too.I rode it a few times and found it tall and fat,with a very low 1st gear,very powerful,but hard to ride smoothly.They had a double sided 4 leading shoe front brake,but my friends one had a Fontana 8 leading shoe brake,a shit of a thing to control on the road.Benelli also made a 250 four cyl bike very much like the bigger bikes.Alessandro Tomaso owned both Benelli and Moto Guzzi at that stage,when I was in Aust we has a new unused Guzzi 250 sitting on the hearth,the house was looking after it for the owner.

[avgas]

Oh yeah it's a vertical twin, :violin:

Heh, i also like the term, inline single....actually had some bright person explain it to me like this.....
"See back in the day, the singles used beat the crap out of themselves, as they were vertical/opposising/boxer??? singles, aptly named 'thumpers', when the japanese made the new ones, the motor didnt try and destroy itself........so the piston was considered 'inline' with the motor....." :lol: :laugh:
And thats how an inline single was explained to me.
I take it its rubbish, but does anyone have a better explanation on how come you have inline singles.

[Motu]

Heh, i also like the term, inline single....actually had some bright person explain it to me like this.....
"See back in the day, the singles used beat the crap out of themselves, as they were vertical/opposising/boxer??? singles, aptly named 'thumpers', when the japanese made the new ones, the motor didnt try and destroy itself........so the piston was considered 'inline' with the motor....." :lol: :laugh:
And thats how an inline single was explained to me.
I take it its rubbish, but does anyone have a better explanation on how come you have inline singles.

I'm tempted to say what a load of crap - but I can't understand anything about what you've said,so will refrain from such a negative comment.

British twins are often refered to as 360 deg twins,each cyl fires 360 deg or one revolution after the other,even firing impulses.But it has the same balance as a single.The 180 deg pararell twin has a 180 deg crank,pistons rising and falling alternatly,it's in primary balance,but with doubled secondaries and a rocking couple,and uneven firing impulses.Too many trade offs for small gain,the 360 twin has always been the most popular.You could have both cyls firing at the same time,that would certainly be an inline single,but almost unheard of,although it has been done on 2 strokes.A more modern trend has been the 270 deg crank,where the crankpins are 90 deg from each other,this gives a V twin type firing interval,has some balance problems too,but better traction.Lots of things you can do with a parallel twin,one of the most compact and versatile motors around.

This may not make much more sence to others than your explanation,but it seems sensible to me....

[Pixie]

Huh? Japanese bikes are clones of good bikes?? Please explain this one a bit better to me.
I'll explain....
It's bollocks.Where and what was the transverse four cylinder road bike before the CB750?
Were was the DOHC road bike before the Z1 ?

[avgas]

I'm tempted to say what a load of crap
dont worry, i think its a load of crap too - it was just the only explanation i had been given.
But was talking to my friend recently, and he pointed out that an 'inline' single had overhead cams....but i think your more on the right track with the timing thing.

[avgas]

I'll explain....
It's bollocks.Where and what was the transverse four cylinder road bike before the CB750?
Were was the DOHC road bike before the Z1 ?
True true, those were legends that still live up today. but as for the z1, the munch mammut had a DOHC car motor in it in 67. And i think that there was horrible failed attepmts of mounting a transverse 4 well before 65'......but as i said before - The Japanese bikes were/are always superior when they came out.

[Bonez]

dont worry, i think its a load of crap too - it was just the only explanation i had been given.
But was talking to my friend recently, and he pointed out that an 'inline' single had overhead cams....but i think your more on the right track with the timing thing.
I've been reading a few old and i mean reaaallly old m/c design/maintenance books and haven't come across the "inline" single term.