Benelli TNT 899

ntroduction

There are two companies in the world that have the word Benelli in it and both of them are quite dangerous. One makes pistols and shotguns and the other one also makes machines that could prove fatal. Just that the latter brand has two wheels, an engine bolted around a frame and technology that can make you go beyond the rules of sanity.
No prize for guessing, we are talking about Benelli Motorcycles – the oldest motorcycle company in the world. Just like the other few foreign motorcycle companies, Benelli graced the Indian market earlier this year with five blazing products and we managed to spend time with one of them – the TNT 899. We rode the Benelli TNT 899 to find out if it is a good alternative to the Triumph Street Triple and the Kawasaki Z800.

Looks & Styling

A trained eye will notice that the design of the TNT 899 is almost a decade old but it still seems to be from a different planet. It is a design well ahead of its time. The protruding front not only looks intimidating but also demands respect. Interestingly, this front character is a result of the entire bug-eyed headlamp cluster being bolted directly on to the frame. You have got to hand it to the Italians when it comes to design. The red trellis frame looks striking and the colour is carried onto the swingarm as well.

Coming to the tank, I could go on and on about the way it has been crafted. The artistic work really enhances the overall appearance of the 899 and not to be missed is the tiny Italian flag that graces the top of the tank. Even the visible bolts lend the bike a more sturdy feel. Not just that, the designers have taken a lot of effort to make it a rider’s companion with the deep knee recesses chiselled into the sides of the tank. Run your gaze below and one cannot help but notice the big radiator fans which helps dissipate hot air from the engine. It’s a unique design and has been fit in such a way that it aids riding comfort by preventing the rider from feeling as if his legs were being treated to a hot air blower. Another neat trick is the presence of the turn indicators integrated onto the fan fairing.
Like I said earlier, there is a lot of thought that has gone into the making of this bike; the makers have observed how it is with other high displacement motorcycles and have sought to improve the status quo.

In order to keep the exotic tag, Benelli has loaded the TNT 899 with a carbon fibre mudguard and belly pan. This is the first motorcycle in India to get this precious element and the aforementioned Italian flag can be seen on the belly pan too which seems like a brilliant touch, if you were to ask me.

If the front spoke of fine Italian engineering, then the rear too complements the endeavour. It was the under-seat exhaust that first caught my attention. The three-into-one design of the exhaust is beautiful and the sound from it is like music to the ears. The clear-lens turn indicators and the number plater holder have been bolted onto the heatshield of the exhaust and if you look closely, the split seats have been fixed on the frame of the TNT 899. I love the way the engineers have taken such a simple minimalistic approach while designing the bike. It goes to prove that you really don’t need fancy lines or creases to make a motorcycle look interesting and intimidating. For the pillion rider, there is a grab rail to hold on to, but after a long ride, the grab rail tends to get hot due to its close proximity to the exhaust.
This being said, it is all these design elements that have come together to create the TNT 899 which even after 10 years, looks gorgeous!

Features

My excitement waned a bit here. Not to sound too harsh, unlike the looks of the bike, the instrument cluster is outdated. The lack of creativity can be clearly seen in this department. It seems the designers have overlooked this bit of the bike after exhausting their ideas with the looks. A large circular tachometer hogs the centre of the cluster, with a small LCD display doing duty on the right side. It displays the speed, fuel level, trip meter and a clock that can be adjusted using two rock hard buttons situated below the console, while the left side is dominated by the regular tell-tale lights, which are quite bright. There is a gear shift indicator as well that is placed on the top right side of the console. It operates whenever you twist the throttle to reach 10,500rpm.
The quality of switchgear is decent but not up to the mark for such an expensive bike. On the brighter side,I like the fact that the TNT 899 gets a hazard switch as well. The rubber on the grip is good but there is a room for improvement.

Performance & Gearbox

The TNT 899 gets an in-line three cylinder liquid-cooled heart that makes 119bhp at 10,000rpm and peak torque of 85.6Nm at 8,000rpm. Start the motorcycle and you will start groaning. When idling , the TNT 899 won’t sound the way you want it to as the engine is quite noisy and harsh, coupled with the sound of those radiator fans and you will feel as if you are sitting on a tractor. It will take some adjusting but when you do, unleash the machine and take it above 6,000rpm and I promise you, the sound of this engine will touch your heart, brain and your inner soul. It’s a charmer.
I was quite impressed with the engine character. The power deliver is linear and friendly, but twist the throttle and the power that is churned out is controllable. It doesn’t scare you but the sound is addictive. The six-speed gearbox is smooth, however, after 300kms of our test period, the shifter spring went bad. This niggle could be attributed to the fact the bike has been ridden by many auto journalists, so it is bound to have seen some difficult times.

The clutch feel is well weighted and excellent. There is just about enough torque at low-end to make the city riding quite easy. For highway maniacs, the TNT 899 will be your good friend at triple digits and will be comfortable too. The power figures of the TNT 899 are almost same as the competitor, but it is not as daunting as the rest. The TNT 899 is fast but won’t scare you, just like other bikes in the segment. Talking about fuel efficiency, the 899 drinks fuel like a thirsty crow. However, if you are in lower-revs which we think will be a rare chance, you won’t have to visit the petrol station every 180kms.

Ride & Handling

The Benelli TNT 899 uses quite an old frame but that doesn’t mean, it is a bad one. The skeletal frame is one of the reasons why this motorcycle is so agile and easy to ride. Even after being a 200kg plus motorcycle, it is quite dynamic and easily manageable on the corners. The trellis frame coupled with the Marzocchi front forks and Sachs at the back, makes the TNT 899 quite a handler. The Michelin Pilot Power tyres help here too. They are super grippy and perform excellent even in wet conditions. Because of its firm setup, pothole-filled city riding could be a pain, but you always have the option to adjust it according to your requirements.

The wide handlebar and the easy riding positon makethe TNT 899 a good choice for daily office commutes. But the lack of the anti-lock braking (ABS) system means that no electronics will come to your assistance and only the rider will be able to help himself. All is not lost; one can expect some aid from the radially mounted four-piston callipers working on the dual Brembo discs. However, we would have loved it if the bike would have come with an ABS unit, especially since the brakes are nowhere close to optimum. Lot of force needs to be applied to slow down the bike, especially at the rear and to add to this there is no feedback. This is one area that Benelli needs to improve upon urgently.

Verdict

The Benelli TNT 899 is not as fast as the competitors or its price in line with the rivals. But there is something special about the TNT 899 that attracts you. The bike has a different character and when you ride it hard, there is a sense of emotion that makes you feel one with this machine.
With a price tag of Rs 9.48 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), it is way expensive than the Kawasaki Z800 and priced closer to the Triumph Street Triple. However, both of its competitors are well placed and have a good network in the Indian market which gives them an advantage. DSK Benelli has shown that it is serious about the Indian market, so we won’t be surprised to see a major expansion in their sales and service network in the next few months. Price certainly does not work in the TNT 899’s favour, but then should you be looking for some exclusivity with Italian heritage, there isn’t a better option than this in the segment.