Benelli TNT 125 (2020 - on) Review

If you are into small-wheeled bikes, the Benelli TNT 125 is a 125cc motorcycle (as the name suggests) that delivers in every aspect. As well as being remarkable value for money, its styling is wonderfully flamboyant and the ride quality on a par with what you would expect on such a genre of bike.

Although not quite as prevalent as with the Honda MSX125 Grom, you can still buy hop-up parts for the TNT (big-bore etc), meaning you can customise it further or just go bonkers with the motor’s performance... however, most bikes will be for learner riders, so you'll need to retain the factory specification or insurance costs will begin mounting quickly.

The Tornado Naked T 125, to use its full name, has a thriving online community over at the Benelli TNT 125 Owners' Club on Facebook.

Small wheels, a 124kg wet weight and a 1215mm wheelbase means that the Benelli TNT 125 is super-agile, especially when 90kg of rider starts to add some influence with their body position!

In town the Benelli zips through gaps and on the open road it is pleasingly stable in a straight line while still retaining its agility in bends.

The suspension is perfectly acceptable for the speed of the bike and the combined brakes (the TNT lacks ABS) have enough bite to lock the front or do a stoppie if you hammer them hard enough - although you can’t do skids as the rear brake is linked to the front.

Comfort isn’t really a consideration on a small-wheeled bike but taller riders should note that the TNT’s tank’s recesses are too low to slot your knees into, meaning their pointy edge presses uncomfortably on your leg. With a 780mm seat height, high bars and low pegs the TNT is about as ergonomically-pleasing as a bike like this ever can be.

You can’t expect too much from a learner legal 125cc air-cooled single but the TNT’s five-speed engine buzzes along merrily and will hold 60mph, which is more than enough on a bike with 12-inch wheels that is only a meter tall!

Its twin-spark head is also pretty efficient with economy figures in the 120mpg range easily achievable and it makes a decent 11.1bhp with 7.4ftlb of torque.

In town it is more than fast enough accelerating away from the lights and the clutch action very light and gearbox positive. The mirrors vibrate like crazy but the little engine is generally being thrashed to hell so what do you expect?

Owned by the Chinese company Qianjiang, all Benellis are built in China but the styling and R&D department is based in Italy. Qianjiang’s parent company is Geely Holding Group, an automotive manufacturer that owns Volvo and Lotus so they are far from small players, which is reassuring in terms of spare parts supply.

When you pay such a low price for a bike you have to expect some compromises however there is nothing to hint at a lack of build quality and the 125cc motor is a reliable unit that is tried and tested.

Our Benelli TNT 125 owners' reviews show a mainly favourable score, with the prevailing negative appearing to be a lack of power - something that's unlikely to change given the regulations for learner riders in the UK.

Built in China (like most of its rivals) the TNT costs just £2499 on the road in 2022. This compares very favourably to the £3449 Honda MSX125 Grom, although the build quality of the Honda is better, it's arguably not £1000 better.

The similarly diminutive Honda Monkey set you back £3799 at the time, but its chic retro styling makes it a different prospect to the Benelli and with a different audience.

The aggressively-styled Sinnis Akuma with its slash-cut triple exit exhausts and integrated rear light clusters costs about the same as the Benelli and it comes with a seven year warranty.

If you want to finance it, Benelli are offering a HP deal at 6.9% APR that sees you paying £76.84 a month over three years after a £99 deposit. This figure has risen a fair amount since launch in 2020, so keep an eye on the deals to make sure you're getting the best possible value. Finance packages can be taken out over 60, 48, 36 or 24 month periods.

Benelli have focused more on the TNT’s styling than its equipment level and you have to say they have done a great job with lovely details such as its twin stacked exhausts, trellis frame, bold paint and spider eye headlights.

The LCD dash has a fuel gauge, clock and trips but there is no gear indicator and the brakes are combined and therefore lack an ABS system. There again, what equipment do you really expect on a bike such as this and the TNT does have inverted forks and adjustable spring preload on its shock, which is good.