A Benelli TRK 552 is in the works in China, with a new, larger parallel twin coming to the Italian brand’s popular middleweight adventurer.
Although the new 552cc parallel-twin, shown in photos published by Motociclismo, will be new to the Benelli TRK range, it isn’t new in more general terms, even for Benelli, which has recently updated its mid-class Tornado sports bike to 552-spec. Additionally, QJ Motor, which is under the same Qianjiang umbrella as Benelli, uses the new engine in its latest middling naked, the SRK 550, and the SRV 550 cruiser.
Displacing 549cc, the new parallel-twin produces 61bhp and 41lb ft of torque in unrestricted form and fits into the same chassis as the previous 502-spec of 499cc. However, a new aluminium swingarm replaces the old steel tubular unit, and the old Benelli-branded brakes are updated with J. Juan stoppers. There’s also a new upside-down front fork from Marzocchi, allowing adjustability in addition to the adjustable shock (new compared to the 502), and updates to the lights, which are now LED, and a TFT dash replaces the 502’s LCD unit.
Despite the peak figures of the new 549cc motor being higher than the old 499cc unit, if the new bikes were to come to Europe they would most likely be restricted to fit within the A2 licence, which limits power to 35kW (47bhp).
Two variants of the TRK 552 are seen in the photos and are following the path laid out by Benelli’s TRK range to date. The standard TRK 552 will be the road-biassed touring version, with 17-inch cast aluminium wheels, while a TRK 502 X will come with tubeless, spoked wheels - 19 inches at the front, and 17 inches at the rear.
Benelli TRK 502.
The TRK 552 has arrived in Chinese dealers, but the Italian brand is committed to the 502 still for 2024 in Europe. Were the new 552 to come to Europe, it would be a bold move from Benelli, whose TRK 502 has been among the most popular motorcycles in Italy. Indeed, it was the most popular until the TRK 702 arrived.
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