Benelli has been working on the new TNT600I bike since some time now. A few weeks back, some spy shots of the bike taken in China were doing the rounds of the internet which showed the design language of the bike but they didn’t reveal much because of poor image quality. However, now a fresh round of images have come up, courtesy Bennetts, which reveal quite a lot of details about the upcoming Benelli motorcycle. These new images seem to be from a studio shoot and while there are no confirmed details on the location of the shoot, these images are said to be taken during the patent application shoot of the bike. Another important thing to note here is that the previous set of spy shots showed a different bike from the one seen in these images.
This suggests that the Italian manufacturer could either be bringing in more than one variant of the bike or has decided to change the design for the final production version. Another possibility could be that Benneli could launch a different bike the Asian markets while the European markets will get a different version. The previous version of the TNT600I was pulled back from the market since it could not meet the new European emission norms. The new version with an updated engine is expected to be launched Internationally later this year. When launched, it will take on the likes of the Kawasaki Z650, Honda CB650R and the Triumph Street Triple chiefly.
Talking about the design changes between the previously seen bike and the one in the images here, one of the major difference is the LED headlamp. The one on spotted in China had a modern and sharper vertical design but the one here has a different designed unit which seems to be inspired by bigger Benelli bikes. The turn indicators on the bike seen in the images here are mounted on tank fairings while the Chinese version had regular mounted stalks. Other changes included a slightly different tank, split seats, and slightly different panels among others. However, mechanical bits like the chassis, suspension, tyres and swingarm look identical on both motorcycles. Nonetheless, the bike still looks quite stylish and retains its brute streetfighter looks.
The current-gen Benelli TNT 600i is powered by an inline four-cylinder engine that develops around 85 Bhp of power and 54.6Nm of torque. However, the new version of the bike could have different outputs since the engine will be updated to meet Euro 5 emission norms internationally. In India, the new Benelli TNT 600i will meet BS6 norms. The bike is quite popular in India and among the better options in the naked 600 cc segment.
Also Read: Upcoming, next-generation Benelli TNT600i superbike's design leaked before launch