New naked Benelli

[Hillbilly]

The newest bike to be added to the Benelli stable will be the new 2ue 756. It won awards as a concept last year and will be going into production. It's a parallel twin, basically the 899 minus one cylinder. The name is from "due" - twin in Italian. However, Ducati use the term in "Desmodue", so Benelli have the number 2. It's believed that the 2ue 756 will put out similar HP to the 899, just under 100hp.

It's being marketed as a competitor to the Aprilia Shiver 750, as well as the Ducati Monster 696. Seat height is a friendly 790mm.

Here's the official line on it from Benelli:

The 2ue 756 is a 2009 model. Production should be towards the end of 08. TnT 899 – expect to arrive in 3 to 4 months time.

[James Deuce]

I wondered when Benelli's would start to look Chinese (you know - shit).

Now I know.

[Hillbilly]

I think it's just the way motorcycle design is heading in general in the 21st century - that whole "Transformer" thing. The 2ue 756 wone major awards in Europe in cluding "most beautiful motorcycle". I'll post the links to the articles/reviews after I look them up.

[James Deuce]

I really like the Shiver, to the point where I've sent 'er indoors out to work.

That looks like a bloated Honda CBF250. The Honda has a quality look and feel. The "2ue" looks like a sticker pack from a 5 year old's birthday party gift bag.

[YellowDog]

I'm sure it will be a very good bike.

Just looks a bit out of proportion to me.

Not my cup of tea, but then a lot of the better bikes aren't either........

[xwhatsit]

I wondered when Benelli's would start to look Chinese (you know - shit).

Now I know.

I was just thinking how much cleaner and nicer it looks compared to previous iterations of modern Benellis. The previous ones looked like arse; arse that had been taken to with a chainsaw-wielding ice-artist trying to model the Alien.

Not particularly enamoured with modern motorcycle styling myself, to be honest, unless you count Hondas new CB1100R and CB1100F prototypes, both of which are considered to be overtly `retro', which is a shame.