Benelli TNT300s

[jchfriis]

I was at the Benelli dealer in CM the other week and was able to test ride the Benelli TNT300s. It was a blast to ride, and I feel the styling is brilliant, much nicer than the Honda 300. I had an ER6 here and in the old country ages ago a BMW K100, so I'm not a novice, but feel the really big bikes are not right for me here in LOS anymore.

So my question is: Do anyone have experience with the Benellis and how's the after sale service, spare parts etc. here in Thailand

[ll2]

styling is flashy at photos or at showroom but actually dull.

plus it is a 200 kg bike so too heavy for a 300 something cc engine.

did you check the new yahama r3? it is a much more better bike with sure better quality and they are releasing it soon at 170 - 180 k thb.

honda cbr300r sure is better than it too.

[Shurup]

How much is this TNT bike?

Don't want to turn it into another Chinese bike basing but a nice fairly used 2nd hand Honda or Kawa will probably be comparable in price and definitely better.

[ktm jeff]

Hi jchfriis , , yes its a great bike. Im hoping to have a test ride in a few weeks - should be good , although im mainly into dual sport / dirt bikes. Did you pick up a brochure ?. The true weight is just 185 KG , which is in line for a 300 ( a REAL 300cc ) twin. You will notice the fat upside down forks , braided brakes lines , fancy wheels and brakes and superb styling , things the little Honda "300" lacks. With a powerfull engine with a good torque spread and ability to rev without throwing the valves out , it promises to be a great bike. and very well priced at 139,000 Baht. I just dont think you can beat Italian styling , and although it uses some Chinese components , as the Honda does , there have been no reported problems .There arent too many naked bikes this size , but check out the Kawasaki 300 too .Happy shopping .

[dave_boo]

Hi jchfriis , , yes its a great bike. Im hoping to have a test ride in a few weeks - should be good , although im mainly into dual sport / dirt bikes. Did you pick up a brochure ?. The true weight is just 185 KG , which is in line for a 300 ( a REAL 300cc ) twin. You will notice the fat upside down forks , braided brakes lines , fancy wheels and brakes and superb styling , things the little Honda "300" lacks. With a powerfull engine with a good torque spread and ability to rev without throwing the valves out , it promises to be a great bike. and very well priced at 139,000 Baht. I just dont think you can beat Italian styling , and although it uses some Chinese components , as the Honda does , there have been no reported problems .There arent too many naked bikes this size , but check out the Kawasaki 300 too .Happy shopping .

As an aside to what ktm jeff said, you can actually check out the below 3 naked Kawasakis.

Z300 (parallel twin, has ABS)

Z250 (parallel twin...no ABS)

Z250SL (single, has ABS)

I don't put much stock into the 'fat upside down forks' (MSX125 has those...doesn't make it the best suspension in the world), or other bits and bobs but don't be turned off. It looks to be better quality than the Tiger Boxer 250 was and that had a fairly loyal (small) group of fans who enjoyed the power it had.

I don't know about the weight question, but I do know that manufacturers like to measure it with no fluids (and that can also mean no battery), so a kerb weight is usually preferred.

[bramds]

styling is flashy at photos or at showroom but actually dull.

plus it is a 200 kg bike so too heavy for a 300 something cc engine.

did you check the new yahama r3? it is a much more better bike with sure better quality and they are releasing it soon at 170 - 180 k thb.

honda cbr300r sure is better than it too.

So people are interested in a naked bike and you recommend a full faired bike?

[AllanB]

I really don't get this experimenting with Chinese bikes, if they are super-cheap yes, but at 139k it costs more than the Honda CB300, why would you do that? Even if I was seduced by the styling, which I am not, or the twin cylinder, which I think offers very little, if anything, it's a Chinese bike FCS and "no reported problems", what's that all about? Honda is Honda, Bellini is What??

It seems that by the time these Chinese bikes get close to being as good as proven makes, they get as expensive, so why bother?

[Andrew Hastings]

I would definitely choose this over the 286cc single cylinder Honda.

Unless I needed a fully faired bike.

[Andrew Hastings]

ktm jeff, on 05 Feb 2015 - 20:11, said:

Hi jchfriis , , yes its a great bike. Im hoping to have a test ride in a few weeks - should be good , although im mainly into dual sport / dirt bikes. Did you pick up a brochure ?. The true weight is just 185 KG , which is in line for a 300 ( a REAL 300cc ) twin. You will notice the fat upside down forks , braided brakes lines , fancy wheels and brakes and superb styling , things the little Honda "300" lacks. With a powerfull engine with a good torque spread and ability to rev without throwing the valves out , it promises to be a great bike. and very well priced at 139,000 Baht. I just dont think you can beat Italian styling , and although it uses some Chinese components , as the Honda does , there have been no reported problems .There arent too many naked bikes this size , but check out the Kawasaki 300 too .Happy shopping .

I agree completely.

[ll2]

Hi jchfriis , , yes its a great bike. Im hoping to have a test ride in a few weeks - should be good , although im mainly into dual sport / dirt bikes. Did you pick up a brochure ?. The true weight is just 185 KG , which is in line for a 300 ( a REAL 300cc ) twin. You will notice the fat upside down forks , braided brakes lines , fancy wheels and brakes and superb styling , things the little Honda "300" lacks. With a powerfull engine with a good torque spread and ability to rev without throwing the valves out , it promises to be a great bike. and very well priced at 139,000 Baht. I just dont think you can beat Italian styling , and although it uses some Chinese components , as the Honda does , there have been no reported problems .There arent too many naked bikes this size , but check out the Kawasaki 300 too .Happy shopping .

it is 196 kg wet listed at benelli thailand website. http://www.benelli-thailand.co.th/motorcycle/bn-302/

so heavier than a honda cb500f which carries more liquids than benelli. you can get a second hand cb500f for 150 - 160 k thb nowadays with low kms.

and i believe the parts at honda bikes although coming from china or wherever, they have Honda standards. But Benelli, is it Keeway standards or generic standards or benelli standards, it is a bit vague there, isnt it? as same bike sold as Keeway elsewhere.

bigger forks means nothing so do 200 thb braided brake lines and styling is subjective so cannot discuss it but it looks no good to me.

for 140 k thb, there are a lot of good choices in Thailand, be it new or second hand.

if they sell this for 90 k thb, it should be a good value bike and maybe tempting for some but for this price? c'mon.

[Andrew Hastings]

Better brakes, better forks, better engine, better design, I would definitely choose the Benelli 300 over the Honda 300 (square single cylinder 286cc).

I bought both a CBR250 (weekday) and Ninja 650 (weekend) for 195k combined not long ago. So spending ¾ of that on one 300cc bike wouldn’t happen anyway.

[taninthai]

Looks like a blatant copy of the er6 to me

[dave_boo]

Better brakes, better forks, better engine, better design, I would definitely choose the Benelli 300 over the Honda 300 (square single cylinder 286cc).

I bought both a CBR250 (weekday) and Ninja 650 (weekend) for 195k combined not long ago. So spending ¾ of that on one 300cc bike wouldn’t happen anyway.

If you're looking at quantity over actual quality to determine performance....well there's not much help.

Perhaps the Benelli needs the twin brakes because individually they are so bad. The forks look like the ones Tiger used on the Boxer...and there was numerous reported problems with those. It's also telling that you can't find a dyno image for any of the following searches "Benelli TNT 300" "Benelli 302" "Keeway 300" "Keeway 302" so I don't know where the idea of a 'better engine' comes from.

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

[Andrew Hastings]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

[dave_boo]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

If you got it in good shape, it would be worth paying a little extra.

It is odd how much the glut of new bikes has depressed the second hand market; I bet there's a lot of people fuming because they dropped significant coin on their big bike under the impression that the pre-Ninja 250 artificially high prices on used bikes would be maintained.

[ll2]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

wow, 92 k for a er6n! from where to where! I am interested then!

195 k for two nice bikes is a good deal andrew. congrats.

[AllanB]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

If you got it in good shape, it would be worth paying a little extra.

It is odd how much the glut of new bikes has depressed the second hand market; I bet there's a lot of people fuming because they dropped significant coin on their big bike under the impression that the pre-Ninja 250 artificially high prices on used bikes would be maintained.

.....and think how much this is going to be worth after a year, with no name, no kudos and no spares? Competing with a pristine S/H Honda with all these things.

You guys talk about Italian "design" as though is was everything, remember the Morris Ital, arguably the worst car ever made and a death-trap in terms of handling.

You talk about Chinese build quality as though it is a constant, Honda parts made outside Japan are built to Honda standards, using Honda tooling and Honda Spec materials. Keyway have their own standards of... whatever.

The worst of both worlds then....."Questionable design and build quality"..yeh, go for it.

[ll2]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

wow. 92 k thb for a er6n! sounds to good to be true but who knows. i want to buy such a cheap bike for stunt rides.

195 k thb for two nice bikes sounds like a good deal andrew.

55 k thb more than the price of benelli 302! but you got two bikes better than it!

[dave_boo]

You guys talk about Italian "design" as though is was everything, remember the Morris Ital, arguably the worst car ever made and a death-trap in terms of handling.

You talk about Chinese build quality as though it is a constant, Honda parts made outside Japan are built to Honda standards, using Honda tooling and Honda Spec materials. Keyway have their own standards of... whatever.

The worst of both worlds then....."Questionable design and build quality"..yeh, go for it.

Design =/= engineering. I don't know many who would argue that Italian design isn't beautiful. Their engineering is generally considered lower though. High performance/low reliability. But their lines!

Contrast that with German. Excellent engineering (perhaps over-engineered many times), but stodgy design at best.

I can think of worst cars than the Morris Ital. The BMW Isetta springs to mind (single cylinder 12 hp, front opening door..you could not even exit the car if driven nose first into a garage), Ford Mustang II (had the Pinto frame/body with a fuel efficient engine!), Yugo (nothing needs to be said), Trabant (east German 2 cylinder 2 stroke...just think about that for a moment), Renault Allliance (built by AMC, the Q/C was so bad that the convertible top sagged to the point you couldn't close the doors), Renault Fuego (many issues with rust and electrical fires, the final nail in the coffin was the recall due to steering wheels that an owner could pull off the stalk with their bare hands), and finally the Chevrolet series D (first Chevy with a V8..which made 36 HP, less than the 4 cylinder, was produced for 2 model years and made sure that Chevy didn't make another V8 for 37 years!).

[Andrew Hastings]

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 13:20, said:

Andrew Hastings, on 06 Feb 2015 - 13:06, said:

dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:dave_boo, on 06 Feb 2015 - 12:54, said:

And congratulations on getting such a deal on those 2 bikes!

It wasn't difficult.

I paid 60k and 135k respectively.

About the price of used models nowadays. Now if you want a deal, contact this seller of a 2009 ninja650 with 30k on the odo, 92k baht.

130k with another 3 on that site fro 140k. So it appears I may have even paid over the odds. :grin:

If you got it in good shape, it would be worth paying a little extra.

It is odd how much the glut of new bikes has depressed the second hand market; I bet there's a lot of people fuming because they dropped significant coin on their big bike under the impression that the pre-Ninja 250 artificially high prices on used bikes would be maintained.

I got them both in excellent shape.

As with all used bikes I buy, I take for a full service and spec check, change of brake pads etc and add a K&N airfilter.

But alas, I also over paid on the CBR250 50k 49,9k 45k

[pokerkid]

Better brakes, better forks, better engine, better design, I would definitely choose the Benelli 300 over the Honda 300 (square single cylinder 286cc).

I bought both a CBR250 (weekday) and Ninja 650 (weekend) for 195k combined not long ago. So spending ¾ of that on one 300cc bike wouldn’t happen anyway.

nice combo for a great price

[jchfriis]

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately it seems like no-one on the forum actually owns a Benelli, so that means we all can only know what we read about it and visit a dealer, look at it and take it for a ride. I did and really like what I saw. The fact that Benelli is owned by a huge Chinese corporation and that this model is built in China doesn't bother me so much. (As far as I've been able to ascertain, the other Benellis are made in Italy. Now is that a guarantee for better quality?) We live in a global world and so much of what we use is made around these parts of the world, phones, appliances etc. What I'm worried about is the after sale service, availability of spare parts etc.

I've looked at all the alternatives suggested here, but none of them sing to me as much as this one. As to secondhand value, I don't care that much, it will probably be the last bike of my life.

Have not made up my mind, maybe I don't want to be the front runner on this one.

Thank you all.

[papa al]

You guys talk about Italian "design" as though is was everything, remember the Morris Ital, arguably the worst car ever made and a death-trap in terms of handling.

You talk about Chinese build quality as though it is a constant, Honda parts made outside Japan are built to Honda standards, using Honda tooling and Honda Spec materials. Keyway have their own standards of... whatever.

The worst of both worlds then....."Questionable design and build quality"..yeh, go for it.

Design =/= engineering. I don't know many who would argue that Italian design isn't beautiful. Their engineering is generally considered lower though. High performance/low reliability. But their lines!

Contrast that with German. Excellent engineering (perhaps over-engineered many times), but stodgy design at best.

I can think of worst cars than the Morris Ital. The BMW Isetta springs to mind (single cylinder 12 hp, front opening door..you could not even exit the car if driven nose first into a garage), Ford Mustang II (had the Pinto frame/body with a fuel efficient engine!), Yugo (nothing needs to be said), Trabant (east German 2 cylinder 2 stroke...just think about that for a moment), Renault Allliance (built by AMC, the Q/C was so bad that the convertible top sagged to the point you couldn't close the doors), Renault Fuego (many issues with rust and electrical fires, the final nail in the coffin was the recall due to steering wheels that an owner could pull off the stalk with their bare hands), and finally the Chevrolet series D (first Chevy with a V8..which made 36 HP, less than the 4 cylinder, was produced for 2 model years and made sure that Chevy didn't make another V8 for 37 years!).

How do you double the value of a used Yugo?

Fill it with gas.

[Shurup]

... it will probably be the last bike of my life...

Are you in your 70s or 80s and about to retire to a wheelchair? If no then I can guarantee it won't be your last bike of your life.

If you plan to keep your bike for very very long, I'd suggest at looking for something with proven reliability.

[seedy]

If you plan to keep your bike for very very long, I'd suggest at looking for something with proven reliability.

If that is your criteria, no one would buy a Ducati, MV Agusta ... I could go on.

Want something that lasts a long time - buy a HD, or a Honda Cub 50 or 90 ...

Triumph Bonneville (pre unit), Norton Commando ...

All still on the road for over 50 years.

Never seen an old Ducati - except in a museum or a Sunday ride in the sunshine. Honda CB750 getting close.

I buy bikes with my heart, not with my head.

And the ability to fix it myself - not having to rely on some adolescent zit-picker with a laptop.

[Shurup]

If you plan to keep your bike for very very long, I'd suggest at looking for something with proven reliability.

If that is your criteria, no one would buy a Ducati, MV Agusta ... I could go on.

Want something that lasts a long time - buy a HD, or a Honda Cub 50 or 90 ...

Triumph Bonneville (pre unit), Norton Commando ...

All still on the road for over 50 years.

Never seen an old Ducati - except in a museum or a Sunday ride in the sunshine. Honda CB750 getting close.

I buy bikes with my heart, not with my head.

And the ability to fix it myself - not having to rely on some adolescent zit-picker with a laptop.

Relatively speaking, the chineese POS will have a lot shorter life span than the Honda, for example.

[ktm jeff]

Andrew , the price you paid for the bikes seems about right , and you must have thought so too , at the time. Dont keep looking at the changeable prices of other bikes , you will only beat yourself up over it. Many CBR,s going for 40-50K , but id rather suss out the owner and figure out how its been looked after , and pay more. Prices falling as more and more bikes are introduced to the market , and this benefits all of us by offering more choice . "Up to you" what you buy.Will the value of the Benelli TNT 300 fall to 40-50K in a few years , i dont think so.

[jchfriis]

If you plan to keep your bike for very very long, I'd suggest at looking for something with proven reliability.

If that is your criteria, no one would buy a Ducati, MV Agusta ... I could go on.

Want something that lasts a long time - buy a HD, or a Honda Cub 50 or 90 ...

Triumph Bonneville (pre unit), Norton Commando ...

All still on the road for over 50 years.

Never seen an old Ducati - except in a museum or a Sunday ride in the sunshine. Honda CB750 getting close.

I buy bikes with my heart, not with my head.

And the ability to fix it myself - not having to rely on some adolescent zit-picker with a laptop.

Relatively speaking, the chineese POS will have a lot shorter life span than the Honda, for example.

I had hoped this would not turn into a Chinese bashing. I've got a fantastic Olympus OMD-EM10 "POS" made in China, designed in Japan, an iPhone "POS" made in China, designed in California, various other Apple products all made in China and I'm sure if we look around at our cherished possessions we can find many more examples. Tata (India) owns Jaguar and Land Rover and Volvo is owned by a Chinese company, all premium brands. If the Chinese can rescue the traditions of a great brand like Benelli, all the more kudos to them, and maybe a motorcycle designed in Italy and made in China is not any lower quality than a motorcycle designed in Japan and made in Thailand.

[Andrew Hastings]

maybe a motorcycle designed in Italy and made in China is not any lower quality than a motorcycle designed in Japan and made in Thailand.

Made in Thailand with Chinese made parts.

[Nebula]

I wonder is the dealer here in Bangkok at Kaset Nawamin (if still there) giving test rides. Anybody been there? Anybody thinking to go , I might join.