Benelli TRK 502X
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the adventure bike market was a three-way fight, with BMW’s GS the champ and Honda’s Africa Twin and Yamaha’s Tenere the challengers. Granted, I’ve missed a few others, like Cagiva’s Elefant, the long-running Suzuki DR650 and equally enduring Kawasaki KLR650, but the BMW, Honda and Yamaha trio seemed to epitomise the segment.
Fast forward to the present and it seems everyone has a player in the adventure bike market. Hell, when even Harley-Davidson puts up a contender (as they will in 2020 with their Pan America 1250), you know the segment’s big.
As the adventure bike demand has expanded, the offerings have broadened, with smaller adventure-style motorcycles now available to cater to LAMS riders. To the best of my recollection, the idea of a learner-legal adventure tourer didn’t even exist ten years ago.
But today it does, as evidenced by the likes of the SWM 650 Superdual, Honda’s CRF 250 Rally, Kawasaki’s Versys X-300 and Royal Enfield’s Himalayan reaching our shores in the past year or two. Now Benelli has a player in this market, too, releasing the ‘TRK 502X’ in August.
A Bit of Rough
As you’ve probably guessed, the TRK 502X is Benelli’s tougher, more off-road-ready companion to the TRK 502 tourer that was launched globally in 2017 and arrived here earlier this year. Both the 502 and 502X are LAMS legal.
Against the 502, the 502X offers the same 500cc twin engine, albeit with a high-exit exhaust and engine mapping adjusted to suit. The 6-speed gearbox and chain drive are also common to both, but the 502X runs a 44-tooth rear sprocket to deliver a bit more tractability at low speeds. This compares to 42 teeth on the 502.
Spoked rims also define the 502X against the cast alloy wheels of its sibling, as do wave-pattern brake discs with 2-piston floating calipers, instead of radial 4-pot calipers on standard discs.
Metzeler Tourance tyres are standard, with the larger front rim also coming with changes to the rake and trail. There’s also a wider and higher-mounted handlebar, the addition of a centre stand and an engine bash plate, with other less noticeable changes including a higher seat, increased ground clearance and softer damping in the front suspension.
On first impressions, the TRK 502X looks like a sharp and stylishly modern piece of go-anywhere machinery, with all the adventure-ready features you’d expect, like handguards, a functional windscreen, fork protectors, engine protection, pannier and topbox mounts and that beak-style front guard that’s an obvious nod to the BMW GS.
The fit and finish was spot-on, too. Yes, all Benellis are built in China these days, but that’s not the black mark it was a few years ago. The only exceptions to perfection that I could find on the test bikes were a couple of less-than-perfect frame welds and some exposed wiring that was the result of the rear indicators being repositioned to the rear carry rack.
The other thing you notice with the Benelli is that it looks bigger than it actually is and certainly bigger than its 500cc capacity. Will this be a deterrent to LAMS riders? Possibly, but I’m sure the aforementioned higher seat and wider bars will be more of an issue than the looks. The TRK 502X also has some slightly weird ergonomics, but more on that later.
There are three colour options – red, white and grey – with contrasting graphics. I spent most of my time at the launch on a white unit and I reckon it was the pick of the three from an aesthetic point of view. Touring-specific accessories are already available for the TRK 502X, in the form of panniers and a topbox from Givi. Expect more to come in the future.
Taking on the Trails
The Australian launch for the TRK 502X was held in tandem with the Leoncino Trail, with the action taking place in and around Macedon, north west of Melbourne. The test route covered a mix of tarmac and dirt, with the latter conducted in a pine plantation and featuring gravel and dirt trails. There was nothing too extreme, though, and what we rode was arguably pretty tame for what the 502X is capable of.
Our time on the dirt proved to be the most fun, though, enhanced by overnight rain adding some wet and greasy sections to the fire trails we tackled. Having not experienced the TRK 502, I can’t give an opinion of its pluses or minuses against the TRK 502X, but what I can say is that the 502X’s seat is quite high.
While wide and comfortable, the saddle’s 840mm height meant I found it impossible to easily plant both feet on the ground when stationary. And I’m no short arse (180cm), so smaller riders will struggle. Once astride the bike, the reach to the high and wide bars was comfortable, as it was to the pegs, which have removable rubber inserts to aid grip.
Riding position is upright as you’d expect, but with all adventure tourers, you will (or at least you should) be spending some time standing on the pegs. It’s here where the TRK 502X starts to unravel a bit. The problem is the fuel tank: it intrudes into your knee area when you’re upright, forcing you to adopt an uncomfortable standing position that can compromise your balance on the bike.
I was wearing knee braces, which probably exacerbated the situation, but most of the other journos on the launch made the same complaint. Carving out some more ergonomically-friendly scallops in the fuel tank may rob the 502X of some capacity, but if my experience is anything to go by, most riders would gladly forego a couple of litres for more comfort on the ride.
In the same vein, the TRK 502X is a little top heavy, which made handling a bit of a handful in certain situations – nothing major for me, but it was noticeable and I think it’d be more keenly felt by smaller and lighter riders who don’t have the size and strength to manhandle the bike on rough terrain.
Rider assistance is limited to the switchable ABS, which should be a ‘must have’ on any new motorcycle these days. Selectable riding modes and traction control may be worthy additions, but they’d also push the TRK 502X’s starting price into the five-figure region, putting it out of the LAMS beginner’s reach.
As much as I’m a fan of ABS, I’m personally not a fan of learner riders getting bikes with lots of assistance beyond that, as in some ways, it removes the necessity to be able to ride skilfully. Develop your skills on a simpler bike first, then graduate to something with more tech, I reckon. OK, soapbox session over!
A note on the ABS is that it can only be disengaged when the bike’s running and stationary - it cannot be switched off on the move. Also, when the bike’s ignition is turned off, it’ll reset to being active when you start it up again.Switchgear was easy to reach and operate, even with thick gloves, while the dash layout includes a USB port and has enough room to mount a smartphone or GPS unit. But, depending on the unit you choose and how you mount it, key access could be compromised.
On the Road. . . and Trail
The 500cc twin engine has a smooth idle and virtually no vibration, even when winding on the throttle or at higher speeds. As the powerplant is the same as that in the Leoncino, it’s no surprise really. It’s a sweet engine that’ll sit on 110km/h all day on the highway without complaint and has enough poke for passing when you need it, but you will need to drop a gear in most circumstances.
Gearing is lower, as mentioned, while the ratios themselves are quite close together, so you will be working through the gearbox in certain situations, but that’s to be expected on any mid-sized bike. However, the 502X’s clutch action is smooth as silk, so it’s not a chore. Bastard-stiff clutches are fast becoming a thing of the past, but the Benelli’s is one of the smoothest I’ve experienced in a while.
Also worth noting here, and a welcome feature, is the ease with which you can select Neutral on this bike. Many motorcycles, including ones I’ve tested recently, see you clicking up and down to find that elusive ‘N’, but the 502X slotted in easily every time. Thanks, Benelli!
The bigger front wheel helped with turning and general stability, and while I’m not experienced enough to judge whether the rake and trail changes made a major difference, I know the 502X always felt stable on tarmac, with no headstem shake or lightness in the front end. That front wheel change does alter the overall balance from 50:50 to 49:51, but only the most extreme pedant would even notice the difference, let alone complain about it. For me, it was fine.
When we left the tarmac and hit the trails, I found the TRK 502X offered more than enough speed and torque for my off-road ability and I never felt like I needed more. Other, more experienced adventure bike riders may differ, but I think the grunt on offer would be enough for both first time and returning riders. Of course, if you want more, there are bigger bike options out there.
The softer springing in the front end soaked up what bumps we encountered quite well. Just as well, as it’s not adjustable. The rear was compliant enough that I didn’t feel the need to adjust it, but if you’re carrying a pillion or a bunch of gear, there is pre-load, rebound and compression adjustment. Our test course covered no major hill climbs, deep ruts or traction-challenging bog holes, so I couldn’t really put the suspension to the ultimate test, nor the 502X’s additional low-down torque (delivered by the modified gearing) over the 502, but I’d be surprised if it couldn’t handle medium-level off-road terrain.
As with the Leoncino Trail, one recommendation I would make if regular off-roading is your bag is to fit different tyres. The Metzeler Tourances are great and performed better than even I expected when cornering on the dirt, but they are a road-biased tyre and simply aren’t made for use in deep mud, sand and the like.
Braking is less immediate than the road-spec 502, but it’s designed to be like this - to better suit off-road use. I found the brakes to be fault-free on the test, but others felt the rear was a little too slack, taking too long to engage. In some situations off-road, the ABS is better switched off than on, but there’s no instance on the road I can think of where you’d be better off without the ABS being activated.
Smart Starter
In conclusion, the TRK 502X does have genuine dual-purpose ability and not just the dual-purpose looks of some of its rivals. If, like me, your past experience has been with trail bikes and motocrossers, you’ll find the Benelli to be quite refined. Sophisticated, even. But like all bikes, the 502X does have its limits.
While it looks ready to tackle the Simpson, it’s designed for low-level off-road work and nothing more. This bike isn’t Toby Price’s Dakar-winning machine and most of us aren’t Toby Price, either, so don’t get your aspirations mixed up with your ability and take this bike to places it wasn’t meant to go!
What’s arguably the 502X’s biggest selling point is that it’s a lot of bike for the money. In its $8,490 (+ ORCs) price class, the aforementioned Superdual, DR650, KLR650 and CB500X are the closest rivals, with only the Himalayan significantly cheaper at $5,990, but it’s also less capacity at only 411cc.
In my brief time on the TRK 502X, I found a lot to like about it but it’s not perfect. Those wonky stand-up ergos are the biggest problem and there a few other niggles, but at the end of the test, I found myself wanting to keep exploring the bike’s limits. That’s got to be a big tick for any bike when you want to spend more time on it.
Words: Phil Suriano, Photos: Ben Galli, courtesy of Urban Moto Imports
