BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on) Review
At a glance
| Owners' reliability rating: | |
|---|---|
| Annual servicing cost: | £2,150 |
| Power: | 38 bhp |
| Seat height: | Medium (31.3 in / 795 mm) |
| Weight: | Low (397 lbs / 180 kg) |
Prices
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesBenelli have taken their entry into the A2 licence market seriously, offering an exciting, high quality bike for those looking for small capacity thrills. A couple of details which could be better, but the Chinese-Italian partnership looks set to produce some good bikes.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineThe 41mm upside down forks keep everything composed and precise, making it easy to pick a line and stick to it. The suspension provided plenty of confidence on wet Italian roads, although if anything it's a little too firm for bumpy roads.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityThe 300cc parallel twin engine in the BN302 needs to be worked hard to get the best from it, with the 38bhp of peak power and 20.2ftlb of torque at 10,000 and 9000rpm respectively. It makes it a fun bike to ride, adding a real sense of excitiment and commitment to the ride. Unfortunately the vibrations kick in at 10,000rpm through the footpegs, bars and seat.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueThe partnership between Benelli and the Qianjiang Group and as such reliability is still a big unknown. The BN302 feels well built, although some of the components, such as the clocks and pegs, do feel a little budget.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentWith an estimated price of between £3100 and £3400, the Benelli is over a grand cheaper than the KTM Duke 390, without any significant gulf in quality.
Equipment
In a world where the latest bikes come dripping in space age tech, the little Benelli offers a refreshing change. There's currently no ABS - that comes in August 2015 - but the double discs - a rarity on bikes of this size - make light work of bringing the 180kg Benelli to a stop with one finger. As standard the BN302 comes shod with Pirelli Angel GT tyres, which offer great grip in all conditions.
Specs |
|
| Engine size | 300cc |
|---|---|
| Engine type | 4v parallel twin |
| Frame type | Steel trellis |
| Fuel capacity | 16 litres |
| Seat height | 795mm |
| Bike weight | 180kg |
| Front suspension | 41mm upside down forks |
| Rear suspension | 42mm lateral shock, preload adjustable |
| Front brake | Double 260mm floating discs with four piston calipers |
| Rear brake | Single 240mm disc with double piston |
| Front tyre size | 110/70-ZR17 |
| Rear tyre size | 140/70-ZR17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
|
| Average fuel consumption | - |
|---|---|
| Annual road tax | £57 |
| Annual service cost | £2,150 |
| New price | £3,400 |
| Used price | - |
| Insurance group |
- How much to insure? |
| Warranty term | - |
Top speed & performance |
|
| Max power | 38 bhp |
|---|---|
| Max torque | 20.2 ft-lb |
| Top speed | - |
| 1/4 mile acceleration | - |
| Tank range | - |
Model history & versions
Model history
2015: Model introduced
Other versions
None
Owners' reviews for the BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on)
5 owners have reviewed their BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on)
Summary of owners' reviews |
|
| Overall rating: | |
|---|---|
| Ride quality & brakes: | |
| Engine: | |
| Reliability & build quality: | |
| Value vs rivals: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Annual servicing cost: | £2,150 |
Version: 302s
Year: 2020
I've had 20+ bikes. For the money, you can't beat this little Benelli. The fit and finish is comparable to other bikes I've owned. The mechanicals seem fine so far in my 2500 miles driven. Average more than 70 mpg driving sensibly. No issues so far.
dual front discs on a small bike like this stop it quickly and with little effort. Nice feature on a small displacement bike. Good looking, too, with the wavy rotors. Ride quality is great for me 5'4" 160 lbs. Only the foot pegs get in the way of my shins when I put my short legs down at stops. I wish they were adjustable 1-2" fore or aft.
engine seems awesome to me so far. For a 300 it has plenty of power in the high revs, though you have to get it revving before you notice it. Gears are very close and you're shifting a lot. 6 speeds is probably more gears than it needs, especially in the lower gears...
No issues so far in 2500 miles. Stuck side stand switch, but cleaned and lubed and that seems to have fixed it. Build quality seems on par with other bikes I've owned.
I change my own oil/filter, adjust chain, etc. No other maintenance required so far in 2500 miles. We'll see how the future is...
no complaints. Dash looks good and has nice visibility.
Buying experience: no issues. my dealer is within walking distance which gives me assurance.
Year: 2017
Stylish, with big bike feel - and weight, comfortable, excellent value. Features like upside-down fork and twin disks front that are only offered with bigger and a lot more expensive bikes. A bit heavy but that's reasonable given the extra features, and anyway when riding it doesn't feel heavy at all. Good quality and reliability.
Pillion seat is more comfortable than any other in it's class, together with the smooth engine makes a nice little tourer for two.
Powerfull and smooth with great sound. What's not smooth enough is the gearbox, some false neutrals at low revs too.
Except a turn signal flasher had was replaced at 6000km at no cost everything keeps working fine.
Adequate
Year: 2015
Annual servicing cost: £400
I am from Vietnam, and 300cc are all we are allowed to be imported into the country so I have only ever ridden an MT-03, a Z300 and a Duke 390 to compare to. It's heavier than other bikes but feels solid on bad roads.
I can hardly concentrate at work now, keep looking outside of the window and wish I could ride BN302 all day long instead of listening to my boss scolding me.
It's well done but not up to Yamaha or Honda's quality standards. However, it's $2000 cheaper than Japanese brands so I can't complain. Parts and electric finishes are low. Rear break is nearly useless, I primarily use front brakes which provides an excellent stopping power. The gap between seat and tank is big like 1 cm open not as nicely sealed as KTM or Kawasaki, but because it's so long and wide my wife loves riding with me more than she used to when I was riding the Yamaha with tiny pillion seat. When I purchased the bike it came with Cordial tyres. They were so bad I had to replace them with Michelins immediately. Again the quality is lower than Japanese or Austrian brands, but at that price point it's hard to beat.
Parts are easy to find and the bike is not hard to fix so I guess value is great.
Buying experience: Really weird and not up to standard, but then again the bike was so cheap I couldn't complain.
Year: 2016
Annual servicing cost: £6,000
It's a good tourer. I feel it is worth for the money and the cons I found is the lack of ABS and it is not good in acceleration compared to the other bikes in this segment.
Ride quality is amazing you'll get an amazing sounding twin cylinder and it is buttery smooth no vibrations felt but it is a bit underpowered because of its weight
In rupees, the build quality of this bike is damn good. everything feels rigid and no cheap parts. Even the switch gears are well finished
Crash guards
Year: 2015
Annual servicing cost: £37
Great spread of power pulling from 3500 in any gear, very smooth and linear delivery up to 7000rpm with speed building rapidly between 7000 and the red line. Everything works as it should and after 7 months no problems or signs of wear and tear.
Brakes very powerful and balanced. After one month the riding position needed slight adjustment of the handlebars to suit my needs but dealer assisted with this at no charge.
Slight vibration through the bars and mirrors above 8000rpm is my only complaint. In all other respects the power delivery is smooth but exciting.
No reliability problems whatsoever, Benelli recalled the bike in November for an upgraded waterpump to be fitted which was totally at their cost and took just 15 minutes whilst I drank a complimentary cup of coffee and read MCN in the waiting room.
Acheiving 66 mpg running cost very good.
The package delivered as standard is tremendous considering the great price, the only accessory I have fitted is a tank protection plate as my jacket zip rubs against the paint. The Pirelli Angel GT's are superb!
Buying experience: Bike purchased new from my local dealer at the Portugal advertised price.
