2017-on Benelli TRK 502 Review: Adventure bike ergonomics, A2-compliant power, used bargains

See comment about vibration at the start. The ride overall is great I'm a bit of a tubster (16st) and its getting smoother by the month, the suspension handles me and the bike well. Has a good solid feel on the road, she is a bit wide and not the lightest bike in the world but no heavier than my old k100rs was, but 50hp and well spaced gears means she's nippy enough. The brakes are strong and pull you up smoothly but it's not a race bike she's heavy 220kg ish the rear brakes ok but not great adjusted it and it's better.

Bit vibey but got a lot smoother the more I ride, and is economical. Will sit at 70+ all day and has enough umph through A/B roads so you don't need to use the gears all the time. The gearbox is smooth get the odd false neutral when she's hot (traffic) but again as she beds in this has got a lot less. Adjusted the foot leaver and it made a world of difference as I thought it was a bit sticky to start with but it just needed moving around a single spline on the shaft and gave me more movement in the foot, solving the problem. (Size 10 average).

Only done 4200 miles so far but not had any worries. Had a flat 100 yards from the dealer, who swapped the whole wheel from a showroom model due to a moulding fault in the perellli tyre, so not marking it down for that. One caliper did get a bit sticky around 1500 miles until I gave it a good clean, not had a problem since.

So got her new at the start of 23 had it's first service, and is about to have the 4400 mile service, so a round £500 for the two. Seems pretty average cost wise. Does have odd spaced service intervals though.

I had heated grips fitted, and bought some auxiliary lights which wired into the spare switch on the left side, the crash bars where perfect to fit these on. The usb charger works a treat. Though I won't use it in the rain. Head lights a bright and clear the screen works well for me at 5' 9" I fitted shad panniers bike specific took two hours and was easy (online ,£300 all in shopped around) had a givi top box already of an old bike so free, not the same make but the same colour and you can't tell when it's all fitted. Fitted a engine guard again on line £35 took 30 mins to fit easy and protects a sensor in the engine front nicely. Seat is really comfortable. Adjusted the bars back a bit. Mirrors are great. Paint seems good. Fitted fender extenders front and rear which really help. And a shock tube cover.

Again new bike but so far brakes are good rear leaver needs adjusting a little as lots of travel 20mins with a spanner will sort that. Nice ride overall smooth and rides the crap roads in London well, the crash bars a a bit wide but if the front fits I know I won't hit the panniers!

Still new so only just run in 5600rpm for the first 600 miles is about 65/68mph next it 7800 for another 600miles so around 70+mph. Seem to be getting 60mph+/-3mpg on average so far.

As above seems well built, bought a belly pan/engine guard to protect a low mounted sensor which is very exposed. Thought I had a gear shift problem, but then adjusted the gear selector a it's sorted so no problem there.

So I do around 5500-7000 a year commuting with some fun trips on top, services seem to be spaced slightly oddly so I recon two a year £140-300 seems ok.

Yeah all good had heated grips fitted and I have fitted fender extenders front and rear, shad 3p panniers and a belly pan/engine guard.

Most comfortable bike I have owned bar none. Wind protection is perfect. Suspension is on the stiff side. Can ride for a couple of hours no problem and no aches when I get off.

Some have mentioned vibration, mine is smooth and vibration free, though I did run it in by the book. Clutch needed adjustment when I got it, and moving the gear lever up smoothed out the gear change and eliminated false neutrals completely.

Purchased August 22, rode it till October, stored outside on top of a Welsh Mountain under a bike cover ever since (now Feb 23) in horrendous weather conditions. Gave it a once over with ACF50. I charge the battery once a month (it drops about 0.4v a month), start it and let it warm up. Then the cover goes back on. It is 100% corrosion free and still looks like it did the day that I bought it. I have never cleaned it, not once.

I did the first oil change myself, dealer wanted £165 plus 'anything else that might need doing'...no thanks!

Screen (and sim free tracker as standard).

Rides beautifully. When the gearbox is working it's smooth and slick . Engine power is okay for a 500cc . Brakes are very good and handling is also very good especially for this style of bike .

Decent torque and makes a good noise . It lacks top end but it is only a 500cc and I use it for commuting when the big bikes are away for winter .

I rode roughly 5000 miles before I started having a major issue with the gearbox. I was experiencing a very hard gear shift and notchy operation. I then experienced a selector fork issue in 2nd gear not allowing me to change gears at all . The bike was recovered to a local dealer and they subsequently told me it was me being too aggressive with the shifting . Although this was highly unlikely I took their word and they replaced the part . Within a week I was experiencing the same issue and it went back to the dealers 3 times for diagnosis and they assured me it was fine . Fast forward 300 miles and I experienced the same issue in 5th gear being stranded by the side of the road . The dealer once again blamed an aggressive gearshift and then replaced the entire selector fork shaft . I am yet to know what the outcome of this repair will be . The dealer flat out refused to acknowledge this as a genuine problem with these bikes despite many issues of this nature have been documented around the world . Shocking service from benelli

Low miles between services means if you do high miles it can be a pricey affair but for piece of mind it's worth it .

Fairly standard really for the price . Nothing to write home about . Dash is good and visible and gear indicator is nice . Metzler Z8 or S21s are a good choice for all types .

When it was running it was a good ride not great power but about average for a 500, brakes and handling are good, not light but if weight is an issue buy a moped

Good fuelling at low speeds and nice progressive acceleration with a good spread of torque quick overtaking does require a little planning though

Fit and finish seem OK especially at this price point! But beware,looks can be deceiving. Collection was delayed due to what I was told was a minor electrical gremlin which turned out to be a short causing a fire and compete destruction of the left handgrip and controls. At around 2k miles it developed annoying vibration and rattles in the dash. At 4.5k miles it decided to run on one cylinder and was returned under warranty for repair. Two months on it has had another electrical fire, melted two coil packs and been to two dealers who to date have been unable to fix it, the latest suggestion is a new loom which involves stripping the bike totally! That was the last straw bike returned to Benelli and bought a kawasaki

Very good on fuel, can't comment on service costs the bike didn't last long enough to have one. Scrap at 6 months old

Lots of useful kit,

fantastic seat and riding position can ride for 3 hrs with out break

a bit under powered but makes up for in mpg

well built,small rust stains on frame but i paint up with black paint why required,timing chain became noise and noise in gear box bearing replaced,no problems since and reliable

has all you need ,its a bike .

Ride quality is excellent it’s really comfortable. It seems to be a very good all round bike and very smooth for a twin. Compared to my Kawasaki Versys the vibrations are minimal and the bike is also very smooth as the twin engine runs on a 360 degree crank which seems to make a great difference.

For a 500cc and 47 BHP it’s not a mean machine but the power is adequate as it’s an A2 class and the performance is what you would expect from a bike weighing 213kg.

Can only go 4 stars as it’s new and only done a few hundred miles. Looks very well built and good quality. No corrosion as I only ride in good weather.

Not sure on service costs as it’s not due for servicing yet. But it is averaging 70 mpg which is excellent and I’m not a fast rider.

The Bike looks huge and feels great to ride. The usb socket is a great accessory and I also have a quad lock phone holder which fits to the handlebars and is in easy access to the usb socket for charging. The handlebar is also adjustable back and forth to suit different riders. The Angel GT tyres are also an excellent addition and not what you would expect on a bike of this price.

Brakes are decent . Rear is lacking but I've never been on any bike with a decent rear brake . Front is very good although adjustability is not great unless you have Shrek sized hands. Suspension is very good , almost perfect but took time to get used to as you need you need to throw it around to get it's full potential. Very comfy , not quite a GS but better than most .

Torque is great . Overtaking is very easy even with a heavy load on the back , shouldn't need to change down either . Acceleration from 60 upwards is very good considering its a 500 . Rolling on at 30mph into a 60 takes about 2 seconds so it's no slouch by any means . Gets wheezy at 90mph and above but again it's about the mid range torque not the top end on this .

Quality is generally very good. Put a Honda or suzuki badge and you'd probably not know the difference . The styling is " very busy " lots of angles etc and I've never seen anything but excellent paint . No rusty bolts either although I am a thorough cleaner . One thing to look for is swingarm rust as this has been my only problem . Engine seems bulletproof . Have done almost 10k trouble free miles . Has a tendency to throw a tantrum ( can stall ) when cold but that's an Bosch injection gremlin , can't be helped and its very rare to happen if you let the bike sit for 20 seconds before riding.

Low service intervals mean you need to change the oil and filters more regularly but just do it yourself and save some dough . Fuel is fuel and it gets roughly 240 miles of steady riding . Managed about 190miles with some spare in the tank with fully loaded with panniers and sitting over 70mph for most of that trip so very good .

Abs as standard which is switchable is good . Dash is good . Very visible and has everything you need . No TFT or rider modes etc but if you think you need those to enjoy a bike then just buy a car .... Have givi pannier monokey racks as standard and work very well , easily removed too . Little touches here and there like the handguards and rubber footpeg inserts are nice. I'd recommend either the Metzler Z6s or Pirelli Angel Gts for this bike . Metzelers are very good and pretty cheap but are old . Pirellis are basically the same but more modern tread and slightly better grip .

Not the quickest but fairly torquey two up

Stable, wwll planted and soooo comfy, definitely all day comfy. The brakes do a good job and stop you when you need to with no drama. The rear brake,as other's have said was almost no existent so 5 mins with a 10mm spanner to adjust it to where I like it and its perfect

The engine is smooth and power delivery is nice and predictable, I have not had any vibration issues at all and have no bother keeping up with bigger bikes but then we all know but often forget that speed across the ground depends more on how you ride than what you ride

Only 4 stars here as its only done 500 miles but so far perfect

You will see lots of reviews on which will tell you it is a great bike for the price or a well equipped bike for the price, a good ride for the price they are all wrong it is just a great bike regardless of price my choice was really between a CB500 at £8200 with the same extras or the 502 @ £5300 and I think the Benelli is a better bike in the real world. So the question shouldn't be why is it so cheap but why are Honda etc clearly massively over pricing there product and almost 70mpg

The TRK is remarkably well equipped but daft as it seems my favourite bit is the extra spare switches on the bars which mean no unsightly extra switches for spots etc. The built in tracker is also a great idea. I hate the engine bars with a passion and swapped them out for some cross pro ones straight away, I think they are a massive improvement

The brakes seem very efficient. May be a little hard. I find the bike very comfortable although I haven't been on any rides longer than about an hour. The ride makes me feel very secure especially cornering. I also feel more confident when filtering through traffic jams and also at slow speed manoeuvring. I think it is a decent all-round bike. The bike is a little too tall. I have difficulty throwing my 31'' inside leg over - I am 5'9''. I tend to get on and off using the foot peg to stand on. It is very heavy for pushing around although the weight is certainly not noticeable when on it and on the move.

It feels a little light weight when accelerating through the gears and so I do not thrash it. It rolls on 40-50-60-70-80 very efficiently in 6th gear.

I picked up the bike in February and a week later I caught Covid. When I came to get the bike out again 3 weeks later the battery was as flat as a pancake. I took off the rear seat so I could take off the front seat to get to the battery . The rider's seat is held down with 2 10 mm bolts. Unfortunately the tool kit is also under the front seat so if at the side of the road you would not be able to take off the front to get to the tool kit. Some rust has has shown very quickly around the rivets holding the front brake discs to the wheel. Also the sides of the drive chain are rusty even after the first service after running in at about 500 miles. This is basically an oil and filter change and is free of charge.

I haven't had it serviced yet so I do not know.

I like the bike. I feel the lights are not quite bright enough and the rear shock is not perfect. The original tyre spec seems good - Metzler - very confidence inspiring. The handle bar switches (indicators, lights etc.) are all very familiar in the same place as on my Suzukis. They do not feel so robust though. When I ordered the bike I also ordered: heated handle bar grips, driving spot lights, Top box and panniers, new rear shock (Hyperpro), and a sat Nav. Since riding the bike I have decided I want a taller screen as well. The bike has an additional button on each handle bar cluster, on the left handle it is for driving/spot lights and on the right side is for heated grips. Unfortunately Benelli do not make either heated grips or driving/spot lights!

I find the comfort and ride quality is excellent, I've had a few all day rides and got home still fresh. The wife finds the pillion seat a bit hard after an hour or so, but she's been spoilt with the back seat of a touring bike. The front brakes are good, but the back needs a firm right foot to get it to bite. Maybe a change of pads would improve things?

The engine starts, runs and rides faultlessly, not hugely powerful but enough for day to day riding. I tend to use A and B roads and have never needed any more go, apart from the odd sketchy overtake.

I researched a few bikes such as the cb500x and versys, but was struck by the overall build quality of the Benelli. Everything seems well finished and screwed together, and it's all managed by a Bosch ECU and fuel injection system. I've covered 2000 miles so far and it hasn't missed a beat. There's no corrosion anywhere, but it is garaged and cleaned regularly.

The first service seemed a little steep for an oil and filter and a check over. I normally do my own servicing and maintenance though, but had it done by the dealer to keep the 2 year warranty intact.

A big selling point for me was the level of standard equipment on the bike. Hand guards, engine bars, USB charger and a substantial rear carrier are all included in the price. The later models even have prewired aux supplies with switches on the bar clusters for spots, heated grips etc. I fitted a pair of led lights on the one, and a phone holder/charger on the other.

i get a slight buzz from the bars which gives ne a dead hand on my throttle grip. But that said I get it no matter what bike I ride so maybe its my riding style. The brakes have been great. Found the rear a bit soft but adjusted the foot pedal up quite a bit and now its spot on. I think the standard position might be a bit off so some of the comments about soft rear brakes might be quashed with a little adjustment. Again, I have adjusted the bars a little further back and the riding position is far better. No back ache, no cramps in my hips. Like riding a comfy chair that handles really well.

Its a 500cc twin so its not going to be as smooth or torquey as an inline 4 but I have been really happy with its performance. It isn't a 150BHP super bike and as long as you don't expect that kind of performance you will be very happy.

only done around 1500 miles. mainly in the dry but there have been no problems. Had a slight issue with the engine management light but contacted the dealer who talked me through the reset with the ignition and no further problems. Didn't lose any performance, just had the light which they reckon was down to the engine running in.

Really cheap to maintain. The service was £100 and that included a spare oil filter and top up bottle of the right oil. Had to travel to a dealer (about 30 miles) but so what.....it was just another excuse to go for a ride and it took about an hour for the work to be done. On the 200 mile days out I've done the bike has returned about 70mpg. Most of that has been done during the running in and it ahs dropped a bit now i can give it the beans occasionally but still in the mid to upper 60's.

Really nice dash display and a very useful rear rack but the small space under the seat is filled with electronics so you cant even carry a tool kit. I just strapped a tank bag to the rear rack and carry what I want there.

It is used all year round and lives outside uncovered and has stood up to the winter weather very well

I weigh 22st and it has no problems carrying my fat carcass, even two's up isn't a problem, the low down torque is brilliant

Even though its only a 500cc with 47hp it never seems to need any more power (I am 52 and aren't interested in outright speed anymore)

It lives outside, uncovered and is showing no signs of rust after 5 months

As with all bikes the headlights are adequate but could be brighter on full beam

Ride quality is nice and balanced. No sign of any fatigues. I personally nick named my bike "Rolls Royce" I ride the bike an a daily basis & always looking forward to saddle the bike asap. With "spongy" brakes I never got any idea of what people meant by it? The brakes are fine especially when applying force on the front dual 320mm rotors. I mean the rear ones are meant to used to control the bike not stop it in an instant. What's wrong with you people?!

Now I'm a guy who likes speed more than anything, but the bike doesn't urge you to rip it, its smooth, sensible, comfy. Always make you feel relaxed and enjoying the ride like you never wants it to end. Even the sound of the engine its quite unique being 360 degree crank there isn't a lot like it, it has a nice note to it. Power delivery is smooth and safe, linear no surges or wheel spinning or wheelie.after all its a 48bhp A2 license bike.

The bike is built like a tank, its not heavy for nothing and for me that is a reassuring enough that this bike is built to work and most importantly to last. Now I assure you that with time you will start noticing some spots with rust, which again its not that big of a deal. I just paint or spray the spots with hammerite paint and I'm happy not just "paint it" attitude it has to meet my standards which are a little high on these things. So far with 6k on the clock no other problems.

Just keep an eye on the service intervals and you should be safe from spending big money.

My favourite accessory on the bike is the USB charger, it standard option and very useful. The only thing that I wished to be standard is the centre stand which is not available as an option on the TRK but on the X is standard. But managed to find one aftermarket and I'm uber happy with it.

Suspension is a bit hard when pushing it along bumpy back roads, have been bounced out of the seat a few times, but screen and fairings make it a pleasant enough ride. Brakes are spot on, haven't yet managed to bring the ABS in, so can't comment on that!

Revvy, and pokey enough. 2nd and 3rd gear scream like a banshee (not normal?) and when warm, the valve train rattles like an old Ford crossflow!

Plastics are very good quality, dash is a bit basic but who needs clutter? The downside: Battery lasted 3 days and crapped itself, at 190 miles the ignition barrel dropped out as the bolts hadn't been threadlocked, at 500 miles the front brakes started shuddering badly, MOT brake rollers show 25kg fluctuation - Instant fail! And now one of the lambda probes has failed, and the part is on back order. All before the first service!

Hasn't yet had it's first service

Basic, but less to go wrong compared to say a fully loaded GS with electronic everything!

Very comfortable and really dose the job.

I would love to have some more HP, but this is an A1 bike

After a year,13k km, going sometimes off-road and taking me to work every day. I haven't had any problem

All excellent, except rear brake lacks some feel.

Very nippy if a bit buzzy at the top end, but not fully run in yet and definitely getting smoother as the Kays go by.

No problems to date but acknowledge only 1K up so far.

Servicing looks cheap even though intervals (4K) are on the short side

Engine bars, hand guards, decent screen, luggage racks, hugger/shock protection and full luggage / heated grips for additional €600, outstanding value

Just as good as Japanese bikes

The bike comes really well equipped and I think shows how much other manufacturers just take hard earned cash out of our pocket so easily. Not Benelli, they have done a great job for the price.

As said, super comfy seat, comfy ride positions and all controls fall to hand. Not had any issues with the brakes but then again my other bike is a Royal Enfield, so anything is an improvement.

May only be a 500cc but has plenty of poke and grunt where you need it, I use mine everyday for commuting and for longer journeys and not once have i though, "I need more power" Does what you need it to do.

Minor issue with battery which may have been my fault. Build quality is no worse or less than most bikes I have had. OK some of the welds are not the best but paint, switch gear and components seem of an acceptable quality. OK it is not a BMW or a Triumph but is substantially cheaper

Only just had first service done and was only charged for parts so was under £40. Also purchased on 2 years interest free credit. Regularly getting over 80mpg on a run also...Only bugbear is that price of bike has been reduced by £500 since i bought it!!!

Fantastic equipment levels, ABS, brushguards, radiator guard, rear hugger, crash bars and windscreen. A lot of this would be option extras on the equivalent Honda, Yamaha etc.

hard luggage available.

Ride quality is fenomenal! very comfortable and a great riding position, the visor keeps the wind away until 1,80cm more or less! Brakes could be better.....they brake, but the feeling just is not what i expected.

Well it certainly is a good engine!, of course a tracer or a super tenere beats the crap out of this thing, it is only a 500cc! try an NC500x and you will notice little difference! It pull in a humble way, you wont get excited but you wont be let down if you keep in your mind it is only a 2 cylinder 500cc

well the bike has in fact some things that should lack of quality in the product, the paint, the stickers, the quality from the visor, etc! But on the other hand it has a lot more extras for the money so you really can´t have it all! Motorcycle news says it costs only less 100 quid than a CB500X but they forget to say that to put in the honda all the standart extras on the benelli will cost you 600/800quid! Reliability i cannot answer as my bike only has 4000km and only problem was that the gear lever has a slack in the sensor that indicates in which gear we are, resulting in reading error.

maintenance interval is between 6000km, i have only done 1 at 1000km that costed 88€

Better is impossible for a standard bike! it is fully loaded

Good all round bike. Well comfy on a long run. Simple to use controls and steady handling give confidence. Low seat height too.

Engine sounds great. Could do with a little more power, but it is the maximum for A2 riders, so i guess it was designed more for A2 than for pure performance. Pulls well in all gears from low revs, so no need for constant gear changes.

So far so good, but only had it a couple of months.

Simple to work on, so no expensive workshop bills. MPG is really good.

Standard bike is good spec, tyres are Pirelli, frames for side cases fitted as standard too. Givi luggage is an extra, but good quality and looks great when fitted. Gear indicator on the dashboard is really helpful.