SOMEWHAT overshadowed by Royal Enfield’s new 650 twins at the Eicma motorcycle show in Milan this week was this new laid-back retro roadster from Benelli, called the Imperiale.
It’s air-cooled single-cylinder engine helps lend it authentic traditional style and makes 20hp and the same number of pounds-feet from 373cc.
It’s not entirely unlike Yamaha’s briefly re-introduced SR400, which might have stayed around for longer if it hadn’t cost £5,200 plus on-the-road charges (in 2014).
The Imperiale, from Chinese-owned former Italian marque Benelli, surely has a chance of offering better value.
It’s got a double-cradle steel frame and a single disc brake front and rear with ABS as standard.
