Chinese-owned Italian motorcycle brand Benelli has been working hard in revamping its model range for the past few years. Just recently, the brand released the TRK 552X, a parallel-twin-powered ADV bike ready to take on the entry-level segment head on.
Not wanting to be left behind, Benelli has also updated its middleweight offering, the TRK 702X. That said, there aren’t any new tech and performance features here, as the TRK 702X is still a relatively new platform.
Instead, Benelli pulled a page from Suzuki’s book, and launched the TRK 702X in a “striking new colorway” called Dune Sea. Is that Frank Herbert calling?
According to Benelli, the Dune Sea colorway was inspired by arid desert landscapes—and possible spice—something that’s pretty much synonymous with off-the-grid adventure riding.
We’ve seen similar colorways used in other adventurous vehicles like the Kawasaki KLR 650 and even the Toyota Land Cruiser 250, and it’s easy to see why. There’s just something about a sand-like finish that makes an off-road-capable machine look even more rugged.
Beneath the surface, the Benelli TRK 702X isn’t exactly a revolutionary bit of kit. Benelli has kept things pretty simple with a 698cc parallel-twin. It doesn’t even get a modern 270-degree crank, instead opting for a 180-degree parallel twin whose exhaust note conjures up images of the Kawasaki Versys 650 and Honda NX500.
With 75 horsepower on tap, though, it should be able to keep up with other middleweight ADVs, at least on paper.
Benelli says that the Dune Sea colorway of the TRK 702X will be made available across Europe soon. Meanwhile, in the US, the TRK 702X is offered in four colors consisting of Anthracite Grey, Forest Green, White, and Moon Grey.
And better yet, it comes with a sticker price of $8,499 USD, making it at least a grand cheaper than other middleweight ADVs in its segment. So what do you all think? Is this a bike fit for Lisan al-Gaib?
