LAUNCH TEST - 2019 BENELLI 502C - JUST BIKES

LAUNCH TEST - 2019 Benelli 502C

Words: Phil Suriano

Photos: Mark Dadswell, courtesy of Urban Moto Imports

Since they were purchased by Qianjiang Group (QJ) in 2005, Benelli has gone from strength to strength and is stronger and more successful now than at any point in its 109-year history.

How strong and how successful? Well, after shifting around 10,000 bikes in 2015, Benelli sold 59,750 motorcycles in 2018 and just over 63,000 globally last year. That’s 10,000 more than Ducati sold in 2019, and (depending on your source) more than Triumph, too.

How Benelli have managed to turn around their fortunes in the past decade is due entirely to the backing of QJ and the high volumes and reduced costs that are possible with Chinese manufacturing. However, the giant Chinese company has wisely retained Benelli’s design studio in Pesaro, Italy, ensuring the brand still has appeal for Italophiles.

Obviously, those recent sales figures point to the Continental styling and Chinese manufacturing being a winning formula, but another factor that can’t be overlooked is the affordable pricing that marks the modern Benelli range. That affordability extends to Benelli’s most recent new offering – the 502C LAMS cruiser.

Better than You Think

Following their modern range of commuters, road/trail and adventure bikes, Benelli has now expanded into the mid-size cruiser market with their 502C.

To address the issue of the 502C’s origin from the off: yes, it is made in China; and yes, there’s still a perception from some quarters that Chinese manufacturing is sub-par.

I can’t speak with any authority regarding other products, but for motorcycles, the whole “Chinese” thing is becoming less and less of a factor these days, and the modern Benelli range has been a big factor in changing that perception.

Sure, some of the no-name Chinese bike brands you see on the market are pretty sketchy, but I think the consumer doesn’t expect much of those brands, either, whereas bikes carrying the Benelli badge also carry an expectation of quality. QJ understand this and have ensured those consumer expectations have been met.

Having ridden every model in the current range, Benelli’s build quality is up there with anything from Japan or Europe these days. And that continues with the 502C.

Elegance in the Style

The 502C has undeniably killer looks, but the elephant in the room is the origin of that styling.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the Benelli design team sought inspiration from the Ducati Diavel when styling the 502C. It’s not a direct copy, as there’s enough individuality there to keep Benelli away from a lawsuit, but from the solo seat and stumpy tail to the front-end rake, wheel and fuel tank design, there’s a LOT of Diavel in the design.

Benelli’s design team may have been peeking through the windows in Ducati’s Bologna factory, but even if they were, the result is stunning, with obvious Italian heritage and, in my opinion, far superior looks to Japanese cruisers like the Honda CMX 500.

The headlight is another area of the 502C’s similarity to the Diavel, but the outer LED ring is unique and looks like Iron Man’s mask has been grafted onto the front end - making the bike look like it’s ready to fight villains!

The 502C features an axle-mounted licence plate holder, which appears to be a trademark of Benelli’s, as it’s also on the Leoncino and TNT 135. Benelli’s serious approach to design even extends to the engine protection bars, which are standard fitment, but can be removed for a cleaner overall look.

The tubular-steel trellis frame is unique to the 502C and keeps the aggressive theme going. Actually, it’s a little bit disappointing that some parts of that frame are hidden by plastic in the form of side covers, the radiator shrouds and belly pan - it would be great to see the whole frame out in the open.

As far as the 502C’s exhaust goes, it looks good, but I’d love to see a meatier pair of silencers or even a big single can. Of course, that can be remedied with an aftermarket silencer or full system.

At the rear, the swingarm protrudes further than the tail, further contributing to the 502C’s super-aggressive looks, while the solo saddle is deep and short to really cradle you in a semi-laid-back riding position.

Giving the bikes a good look over before our ride at the Australian media launch, the only knock I had on the 502C’s styling was the rear tyre. The skinny (160/60 R17) rear hoop makes the overall appearance of the bike look a little eccentric from certain angles. Like a heftier exhaust system, a beefy rear tyre would take this machine to the next level aesthetically.

Not Short of Breath

Powering the 502C is the same 500cc four-stroke DOHC eight-valve parallel twin used in the Leoncino and TRK 502, using dual 37mm throttle bodies and Delphi MT-05 ignition.

Maximum power of 35kW at 8500rpm is unchanged from the Leoncino and TRK502, as is the max torque of 45Nm at 5000rpm.

Neither maximums are a lot, but remember we’re talking about a LAMS bike here, so there’s definitely enough for zipping around town. Considering it’s a cruiser, the 502C doesn’t really have a need to be overly fast; it just needs to look tough and sound tough.

With that being said, the 500cc twin doesn’t lack grunt, as alterations to the gearing delivers more of that torque down low – just what you want in a cruiser. As such, there’s no trouble getting away at the lights, but you can tell the bike feels most comfortable just coasting along at low rpm, which is great. As the 502C has a six-speed gearbox, you can upshift all the way into fifth or sixth on the highway and ride with ease.

For a mere 500cc, the Benelli parallel twin also sounds absolutely astonishing - like a proper litre bike. Out of the factory, there’s already a really nice note, so I can’t wait to hear what it might sound like when people start tinkering with the exhaust.

Compromises and Surprises

Astride the 502C, the seating position is a bit unexpected, but it’s actually relatively comfortable. As mentioned, the seat is low (750mm) and holds you well, but for those – like me - with limited time on cruisers, having the pegs out so far in front was a learning curve. The pegs do have some fore and aft adjustability, though, so finding a more comfortable riding position is possible.

I also found the handlebars to be surprisingly wide, making it feel like I was going in for a hug with the bike! That was fine, but for me, the levers were a tad too far away. I found myself rolling off the grips to reach forward and pull them in - not ideal, but like the exhaust system, that’s an easy fix thanks to the aftermarket.

Another knock on the ergonomics – more specifically the aerodynamics – of the 502C is the way air is directed from the front end straight up into your helmet. It’s a compromise with most naked cruisers, but seems to be a growing trend with new bikes in general and the 502C is another victim. At freeway speeds, I found the wind noise in my helmet to be worse than usual.

Considering the standard 21-litre fuel tank will enable some serious kilometres to be covered between refills, the wind buffeting can’t be ignored, so bear that in mind if regular highway use is part of your riding regimen.

One of the nice surprises on the 502C was its instrumentation. Turn the key and you’re greeted with a colour LCD display, which shouldn’t really be a surprise in 2019, but as a handful of manufacturers chug along with a boring black and white display, it still is. For any bike under the $10K mark, you can’t be expecting adjustable suspension, traction control and all those other gadgets, but I believe it should be standard to have a coloured display because . . . . why not. They look great and the technology is certainly cheap enough.

The fully-digital display has a prominent speedo and gear position indicator, an analogue-look tacho and smaller readouts for fuel level, engine temp, odometer, tripmeter and clock. There is some adjustability in the display, as well as a curious ‘Comfort’ readout that serves no obvious purpose, but suggests selectable riding modes (Rain?, Sport?) may come to the 502C in the future.

Mixed Grill

The media launch for the Benelli 502C took us from Middle Park in inner-suburban Melbourne down to Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula and back, which presented a good mix of slow-speed inner-city riding, suburban streets, highway cruising and some very enjoyable twisties, so we got to experience the 502C in all the environments most prospective owners are likely to encounter.

Lever-reach aside, the clutch action is very light and gear-shifting was easy, so traffic-light take offs were no problem, aided by the smooth, responsive throttle operation.

Wind it up and that parallel twin engine keeps delivering, even if the exhaust note is a little muted. We did hit 100km/h+ on the highway during the launch, but being good little boys and girls, we didn’t wind out the throttle to see exactly how fast the 502C will top out at. Benelli claim it can do 160km/h, but I have seen youtube videos with people showing the dash speedo hitting 170km/h with their GPS speedo (which is usually the most accurate way to check a top speed) topping out at 150km/h. Either way, you probably won’t be finding out how fast the 502C really does go on Australian roads.

There have been complaints that the motor seems to sit too high on the rev range at freeway speeds, but I didn’t find this to be an issue on the launch – in fact, I didn’t notice any top-end buzziness at all.

What I did notice was that the instrumentation became near-impossible to read if the sun hit it at a certain angle. A hood, incorporated into a compact flyscreen, could solve both this issue and the one of wind-buffeting.

Since the 502C is not only a cruiser but a Chinese manufactured cruiser, you’d expect the handling to be frightful, but it was impressively nimble. Even factoring in the seating position and that 160-section rear tyre, I was pleasantly surprised by Benelli’s ability to make a great handling bike.

The front end’s 41mm upside down fork made for a great ride through corners and under braking. The rear end’s single shock, adjustable for preload, isn’t amazing but still pretty comfortable on the lower back compared to some other manufacturers across the sea in Japan.

Overall, the suspension is on the firm side, but not irritatingly so, and considering this bike’s sub-$10K cost and LAMS focus, it’s a pretty darn good handling package - not exactly on rails, but close.

The wide, adjustable handlebars enable you to corner with confidence, but they’re not wide enough that they’ll compromise lane-splitting ability in heavy traffic.

Aiding the bike’s ability to stick and move are Pirelli Angel sports touring tyres, which are standard fitment. A nice upgrade from the recently-tested TNT 135 (which had a tyre brand called “cordial” or something along those sugary drink lines), the combination of the Pirellis and the USD front fork created a good impression as the cruiser ripped through the bends.

After a while, I started getting a little ambitious, which is when that 160 rear tyre seemed to lose out and the low footpegs began to scrape on the ground.

Like the suspension, the brakes are another positive on the 502C. The front boasts twin 280mm discs with twin-piston calipers and ABS to help the bike stop on a penny without you hitting the deck. On the rear, there’s only a single 240mm disc with single-piston caliper and ABS, but I never felt like I needed more stopping power. Those who trail brake a lot may disagree, though.

The factory ABS worked well for a bike of this size and capacity, so I don’t expect newcomers will have any issues with it. For a bike that will most likely have newer riders on it, the 502C’s standard (and non-switchable) ABS is a common-sense feature.

Neat Package

At the end of the day, the 502C surprised me a great deal. It’s an excellent bike that could be a superstar for Benelli and pave the way for other Chinese manufacturers looking to break into the global market. From the great sounding motor to the massive 21-litre petrol tank, there’s quality to be seen on the 502C everywhere.

Its aggressive, modern styling should see it appeal to new riders, while “older” new riders that understand Benelli’s history will embrace the Italian heritage. Either way, Benelli should sell plenty of 502Cs worldwide.

Had it presented a design that looked a lot less ‘Diavel’, this machine could have silenced those that love to hate on Chinese “copy” manufacturing, too. But regardless of what you think of the 502C’s styling, this bike is worth a closer look.

Indeed, the whole Benelli range warrants inspection if you’re looking for a first bike, as the brand is offering attractive, reliable and affordable motorcycles these days, all LAMS approved and backed by a 2-year warranty with roadside assist and a strong dealer network.

For just $9,790 ride away, can you really go wrong with this? Looking at rivals in the same price range, I don’t think you can look past the Benelli 502C.