Benelli Bust?

[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 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. 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.

[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,
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.

[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,

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....."
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....."
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.