2018 Benelli 302R Preview

An Italian is joining the small-displacement fun with the other kids, bringing to the U.S. market the 2018 Benelli 302R. The 302R carries the same inline two-cylinder motor as the previously seen in the Tornado 302, an Italian-designed, Chinese-manufactured naked bike from Benelli.

2018 Benelli 302R

The 302R carries the same specs as the 300cc Tornado, with 38 hp (claimed, at crankshaft) at 10,000 rpm and 20 ft-lb of torque at 9,000 rpm from its two-cylinder engine. When we tested the TNT300, our test unit spat out 32.8 hp at 11,200 rpm and 16.6 lb-ft at 9800 rpm. The 300cc powerplant has a bore and stroke of 65 x 45.2mm, a compression ratio of 12:1 and uses a DOHC layout for its four valves per cylinder. Electronic fuel injection is delivered via a 34mm throttle body.

The Italian machine has a seat height of 30.9-inches, but with a purported dry weight of 418 lbs, it will be one of the heaviest bikes in the quarter-liter sportbike class. The TNT300 we tested scaled in at 450 lbs with its 3.7-gallon tank full, so the 302R will be a bit of a porker.

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https://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/benelli/2018-benelli-302r-preview.html