Benelli TRK702 details leaked
Made in China by Benelli's Qianjiang parent company, the Benelli TRK502 has been the best-selling motorcycle in Italy for the last two years despite its styling. Now a freshly styled successor is under development in the form of the TRK702 - seen for the first time in a new type-approval filing from China.
The TRK702 replaces the 502's clunky bodywork and awkward proportions with an elegant look that's closely related to the recently unveiled TRK800. Those new panels are bolted to a tubular steel chassis that's visually similar to the 502's trellis frame, but which holds a completely different engine. Instead of the 499 cc, 46 hp twin of the 502, there's a 693 cc parallel twin that's nearly identical to the engine used in the CFMoto 700CL-X.
With 75 hp, it matches the Benelli TRK800 on peak power, despite a 61 cc capacity deficit to the 754 cc engine used in the larger bike, and since the TRK702 is substantially lighter than the TRK800 - it's approved at 220 kg including fuel, while the TRK800 is 226 kg dry - it should have higher performance.
That places a question mark over the future of the TRK800, despite the fact it was only unveiled last year, as does the fact that Benelli's parent company recently filed patents and approval documents for a KTM-inspired 799 cc engine. It has 95 hp available so is probably destined for a future Benelli TRK800 replacement.
The approval documents for the new 702 show four derivatives of the bike. Two are road-biased, with 17" alloy wheels at both ends, one with luggage, one without. The other two are more adventure-styled, with wire wheels and a 19" front. Again, one is approved with luggage, the other without. All versions have Brembo radial brakes and ABS, while the luggage - a top box and side cases - adds 18 kg to the weight.
While the bike's styling is clearly related to the TRK800, the 702 gets useful additions including clear plastic wind deflectors either side of the headlights. It also might adopt the front and rear camera system that first appeared on the Benelli 1200GT in China - the raised centre of the headlight makes an opening beneath that would be the perfect spot to mount a camera.
