This is the Benelli TNT 899, looks exactly like the 1130R and this one too is defined by muscular curves,
aggressive angles and styled in carbon fibre and distinguished with this beautiful red and white paint scheme.
And it's names suggests it packs just as explosive of a performance and exhaust note best described
as a riders wet dream.
Derived from the savage 1130R engine, this motor unlocks at the twist of your wrist 120 HP and 88 NM of torque.
and given it's inline triple configuration the torque band is fat and the power delivery is smooth, seamless, almost vibe free.
And unlike all of it's European rivals, there are no electronics to tame this beast.
No traction control, No power modes.
The Italians have left it upon the size of our crown jewels and the faith in our riding ability,
to decipher, how quickly you can attain warp speed.
But what they have done is they have amplified the connection between the throttle and the rear wheel.
This trestle frame is supremely communicative and the fuelling on this bike is a lot, lot better
than the 1130R, which makes it easy to modulate.
Because of all of these things, you are so well connected with what's happening at the rear wheel
With the amount of traction available, that you almost don't miss electronics
What you do wish for though is better bite and stopping power from the Brembo's, so that they can match the handling capabilities of this motorcycle.
For the 899 handles even better than it goes.
It's equipped with 50mm inverted Marzocchi forks and a Sacks shooted at the back.
It steers a lot quicker than it's elder brother, it's a lot easier to flick around in tighter sections.
Because of it's better fuelling it's a lot easier to put the power down early and hard at corner exits.
It's only when you take a breather that you start noticing what the 899 could do better with.
For example, I absolutely love the styling on this thing, looks so freaking mean other than the instrument cluster
That for me is a glaring anomaly in what is otherwise a space age design.
I wish I could slow down the rebound which would make this bike a lot more stable in the corners under braking and even more plant on broken roads.
Unlike the 1130R, the forks on this one aren't adjustable, the clutch is on a harder side, the gearbox is a little heavy and the turning radius on this thing is really long.
But,
What I think is hurting this product, this fantastic product the most is the absence of the ABS,
Especially when it takes on the likes of the Kawasaki Z800 and Street Triple
The Benelli has assured us that the next instalment of the 899 will definitely get an ABS,
but that puts a lot of impetus on pricing of this model. So I really hope that DSK Benelli gets that right because
with that pricing, the exotic appeal of this bike and it's blistering performance, it's sure to get the cash registers ringing.