Italian bike marquee Benelli is bringing India its 600cc tourer, the TNT600GT. We’ve just taken it for a ride.
The Benelli TNT600GT sports a 600cc, four-stroke powerplant. With this, Benelli has entered this segment as pioneers offering in-line four power. The TNT600GT runs a liquid-cooled four-valve per cylinder head, driven by dual overhead camshafts. Claimed power is 80.5bhp, made at11,000rpm, with peak torque 5.6kgm, achieved significantly lower than the TNT600i at 8,000rpm, in keeping with the GT’s more sober persona.
The TNT 600GT's engine displays gentle manners, making this the right 600 for riders who want to enjoy long distance cruising in lazy comfort. There’s a typical in-line four smoothness, present from low speeds, and the bike engine displays really flexible nature, making it easy to come to terms with, and power along on Indian roads.
You never need to play the gearbox to derive the best from the TNT600GT. It’s not the correct way to ride, but the 600GT can pull away cleanly from 30kph even if stuck in sixth. The motorcycle pulls with real gusto once you’ve breached the 7,000rpm mark, feeling quick, but its soft, gentle exhaust tone will remind you of this engine’s understated nature.
Power delivery is vibe free, with a typical in-line four smoothness and character, requiring you to pull the engine to relatively higher revs than on a twin, when you need to extract the new Benelli’s performance potential. Clutch feel is positive, and the gearbox shifts in the 1-down, 5-up pattern with a well weighted, precise feel. The Benelli TNT600GT can effortlessly cruise at speeds of 160kph, its wide fairing ensuring the occasional dart to higher speeds is possible without wind buffet becoming unbearable.