The Scarce Benelli TNT 250cc

[Stubby]

Hi, Folks.

 

The Benelli TNT 25 seems quite rare in Thailand, at least in the secondhand market. It's a nice bike, and considerably cheaper than the 300cc model. I've been offered a 4 year old TNT 25 for 29000 Baht and 25 km on the clock. It looked great in the pics, but when I went to view it, the bloody thing had lots of scratches and a few chips. The owner told me beforehand it had none. I know it's only cosmetic, but I still like my things to look nice. A respray would add between 5-7000 Baht to the price. I'd sooner just have a nice clean bike to start with. So, I have two questions for anyone in the know:

1. Is the price for the above secondhand bike excellent or average (can't find much to compare it with)?

2. Is there an online secondhand marketplace that I may have missed where this model is readily available?

 

I did contact the local dealer, and they only sell the TNT 300cc and couldn't comment on used value of a TNT25.

Thanks in advance.

Stubby

[papa al]

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

25 km on the clock.

 

2 hours ago, Stubby said:

the bloody thing had lots of scratches and a few chips. 

Must have been a rough 25km.

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, papa al said:

 

Must have been a rough 25km.

He said most of the damage occurred from parking. There was no sign of a drop or accident, though. I know scratches can happen easily, but chips in paintwork usually take a bit more of a bang.

[Stubby]

46 minutes ago, thewristography said:

Go for the tnt300 I would say, dual cylinder, with more power. Engine is same as the 302r I had it for 9 months, amazing machine. 

I agree, but I'm only a fair weather biker, so I don't want to spend an extra 20-30,000 Baht for the extra oomph. 

[alx123]

I can still see a few in the marketplace. Test drove one last year, the handlebars vibrates like hell. Not sure if it's just the model I tested. 

 

There's another brand I see selling around for almost the same price, the CF MoTO NK 250 ABS, maybe check that one out too. Or add a little more to get the Kawa 250SL simple and reliable engine. 

 

Maybe the OP means 25k km and not just a mere 25km?

[DeeMoney]

19 hours ago, Stubby said:

He said most of the damage occurred from parking. There was no sign of a drop or accident, though. I know scratches can happen easily, but chips in paintwork usually take a bit more of a bang.

My bike, 2018 CB650F, has 12,000 KM on the clock, bought in December 2018. Matte Black paint (which is VERY EASY to scratch, Has no padding on the tank to protect from zippers/belts. Been in two accidents, dropped once when parking.

 

Guess the amount of scratches? None. There is ONE scratch on the gauge cluster that was from my helmet lock swinging at it. Other than that, you would need a microscope to see any scratch caused by my jacket zipper, belt, or rocks.

 

Either Honda has the best matte black paint in the world, or something does not add up here. 

 

As for your questions, the price is definitely reasonable. Anything not a Honda/Yamaha depreciates like crazy here, so it's normal for a TNT25 to be just 30,000 THB. You can compare it to a CB300F, which are going for 50,000 THB. It is better in every single way. More power, more efficient, cheaper to service, more reliable, smoother, and Honda dealers that service the 300F can be found as often as 7-elevens.

[n00dle]

23 hours ago, Stubby said:

I've been offered a 4 year old TNT 25 for 29000 Baht and 25 km on the clock. It looked great in the pics, but when I went to view it, the bloody thing had lots of scratches and a few chips. The owner told me beforehand it had none. I

did you ride it?

[OneMoreFarang]

23 hours ago, Stubby said:

25 km on the clock

Check the oil. Is it exactly on the level it should be for a new bike engine? Does the oil look like it's new?

[n00dle]

no idea how current these ads are, but this gives you an idea of relative used prices for the different configurations.

 

https://www.motors.co.th/en/bikes/buying?make=BENELLI

one does wonder why you would want to take on this bike given you believe it is scarce.

parts would likely be scare as well and maintenance more expensive for it. 

[Agusts]

Also note that here they can easily change the kilometer on a bike or a car,  even can just change the dash and reset to zero and start again (my friend's bike was changed dash by Yamaha,  they were too lazy so asked him it's okay to leave it at zero, he said yes, so now he has new bike... !!! )

 

You really need to examine the bike or service book to try and figure out how hard and how much the bike was used, 25k km could be 100k km  - if it looks bad...!

 

Also the word "scarce" in your title says it all, just buy a bike that is more common here,  far easier to maintain and sell on later...

 

[Stubby]

On 6/10/2020 at 5:00 PM, alx123 said:

There's another brand I see selling around for almost the same price, the CF MoTO NK 250 ABS, maybe check that one out too. Or add a little more to get the Kawa 250SL simple and reliable engine. 

Thanks, alx123, that's a beautiful looking bike. I can't say I'm familiar with it, so I'll do a little research ????

[Stubby]

On 6/11/2020 at 11:59 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Check the oil. Is it exactly on the level it should be for a new bike engine? Does the oil look like it's new?

I meant, 25,000 KM lol ???? The bike is four years old. The owner wasn't open to a discount to allow for a respray, so I've decided to give it a miss.

[Stubby]

On 6/11/2020 at 12:14 PM, n00dle said:

no idea how current these ads are, but this gives you an idea of relative used prices for the different configurations.

 

https://www.motors.co.th/en/bikes/buying?make=BENELLI

one does wonder why you would want to take on this bike given you believe it is scarce.

parts would likely be scare as well and maintenance more expensive for it.

The bike is much less popular than the 300 version, but a motorcycle rental owner assured me parts are readily available for the 250 ???? 

BTW, thanks for the link, n00dle, that's useful. I think the price for the one I looked at was about right, or it would have been minus the scratches. I'll bookmark that site and keep an eye out ????

[Stubby]

On 6/11/2020 at 8:59 PM, Agusts said:

Also note that here they can easily change the kilometer on a bike or a car,  even can just change the dash and reset to zero and start again (my friend's bike was changed dash by Yamaha,  they were too lazy so asked him it's okay to leave it at zero, he said yes, so now he has new bike... !!! )

 

You really need to examine the bike or service book to try and figure out how hard and how much the bike was used, 25k km could be 100k km  - if it looks bad...!

 

Also the word "scarce" in your title says it all, just buy a bike that is more common here,  far easier to maintain and sell on later...

 

Thanks, Agust, good points. I've decided against this particular bike, but I'm still interested in the model. It might be a good idea to take any future bike to a mechanic during a test ride. They'll be better qualified to give it a quick once over than I am.

[Stubby]

On 6/11/2020 at 11:49 AM, n00dle said:

did you ride it?

No, but I was free to take it for a run if I wanted to. I needed to know if we could do something about the paintwork first. I have watched and read numerous reviews about the bike before I even considered it, though. I'm not a hardcore biker, but I do have experience. I've rode Yam R1, Honda 954, Suzuki 600s, and a few others in the past.

[Stubby]

On 6/11/2020 at 11:37 AM, DeeMoney said:

My bike, 2018 CB650F, has 12,000 KM on the clock, bought in December 2018. Matte Black paint (which is VERY EASY to scratch, Has no padding on the tank to protect from zippers/belts. Been in two accidents, dropped once when parking.

 

Guess the amount of scratches? None. There is ONE scratch on the gauge cluster that was from my helmet lock swinging at it. Other than that, you would need a microscope to see any scratch caused by my jacket zipper, belt, or rocks.

 

Either Honda has the best matte black paint in the world, or something does not add up here. 

 

As for your questions, the price is definitely reasonable. Anything not a Honda/Yamaha depreciates like crazy here, so it's normal for a TNT25 to be just 30,000 THB. You can compare it to a CB300F, which are going for 50,000 THB. It is better in every single way. More power, more efficient, cheaper to service, more reliable, smoother, and Honda dealers that service the 300F can be found as often as 7-elevens.

Thanks, DeeMoney. Honda bikes, IMHO, have better, tougher paintwork and neater welding than all the bikes.  Most modern bikes are comfortable and reliable, but Hondas are special. In the 1970s, it was rare to see a Honda broken down at the size of the road. 

I have a Honda Wave 125cc. It's 14 years old and have never had a single mechanical fault, not ever. I've lost count how many times it's been up and down mountain roads and around the Samoeng Loop. It screams a bit, but it never fails. But it's time for a little more power and comfort as as I grow old and my flabby backside no longer provides the padding it once did ????
 

[alx123]

If you check FB Marketplace there's a lot of Tnt25 being sold at that price

 

ex. 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3248263068519779/

 

I think it's cheap enough to be a fun bike, esp if you love to fix and maintain your own motorcycles. 

 

The Cfmoto I mentioned and the Kawa Z250 are unfortunately still above 40k as I've realized looking at the ads there. 

 

 

 

[ktm jeff]

I think the Benelli TNT25 is a great choice if you compare it to other 250 singles. Italian styling that really stands out and some very nice components .  Check out where the nearest dealer , parts and service department is. It looks like you take good care of your bikes. Are you , or do you know a good mechanic. Some people panic if you mention anything other than a "washing machine Honda". Go for the exciting option of a bike that will always draw admiring glances.

[Agusts]

Not sure about your budget,  but Kawasaki Z250 is a good bike with good reviews and very light, also has ABS...

[Stubby]

2 hours ago, alx123 said:

I think it's cheap enough to be a fun bike, esp if you love to fix and maintain your own motorcycles. 

Thanks for the link, alx123. He's in BKK, but the price looks right. I know it's a cheap bike, but I haven't read anything about the TNT250 being unreliable. Maybe you know something I don't? I'm a polisher, not a tinkerer ????

[Stubby]

10 minutes ago, Agusts said:

Not sure about your budget,  but Kawasaki Z250 is a good bike with good reviews and very light, also has ABS...

My budget is tight, Agust, especially during these uncertain times.  I only want a fair-weather toy, hence my interest in this affordable model ????

[Stubby]

48 minutes ago, ktm jeff said:

I think the Benelli TNT25 is a great choice if you compare it to other 250 singles. Italian styling that really stands out and some very nice components .  Check out where the nearest dealer , parts and service department is. It looks like you take good care of your bikes. Are you , or do you know a good mechanic. Some people panic if you mention anything other than a "washing machine Honda". Go for the exciting option of a bike that will always draw admiring glances.

There's a Benelli dealer in CM, but when I contacted them they said they only sell the TNT300. Probably more profit in it, who knows!

[alx123]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Thanks for the link, alx123. He's in BKK, but the price looks right. I know it's a cheap bike, but I haven't read anything about the TNT250 being unreliable. Maybe you know something I don't? I'm a polisher, not a tinkerer ????

I only said that assuming that there will be few dealers/garage for Benelli here. It means parts will be scarce and your mechanic down at the soi might not be able to help you, so a little tinkering knowledge might go along way. This is, I believe,  is a requirement when you want to own brands other than the Hondas and Yamahas. But I don't know this Benelli brand that much, so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. 

 

But then again, this is a single cylinder and very simple machine so maybe maintenance won't be that complicated that any garage here could possibly do it. 

 

I myself was looking for a bike in this cc last year and had tested the Benellis (250 and 300) as well as the other bikes from other brand belonging to the 250-300cc. 

[papa al]

2 hours ago, alx123 said:

I myself was looking for a bike in this cc last year and had tested the Benellis (250 and 300) as well as the other bikes from other brand belonging to the 250-300cc. 

& what did you choose?

[alx123]

24 minutes ago, papa al said:

& what did you choose?

A Kawasaki 250sl, as part of my requirement is ABS, it's the best compromise between price and what I'm looking for. 

 

The TnT 250 and TNT 300 are okay but both no ABS( love the exhaust note of the 300 though). Kawasaki z300 and MT03 are both awesome but a little beyond what I'm willing to spend that time.  That left me with the Kawa 250sl, no regrets so far as its main purpose is a step up before I buy a medium-sized one hopefully next year.