Benelli Imperiale 400

Benelli Imperiale 400 Expert Verdict

Benelli Imperiale 400 Detailed Review

• Imperiale 400 Looks and Design 8.5 /10

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 might not be to everyone’s taste but in flesh, it is a good looking retro motorcycle. At the front, the Imperiale 400 gets a round-shaped halogen headlamp with subtle chrome accents all around it. The motorcycle also gets chrome-embellished rear-view mirrors and chrome surrounds around the turn indicators. Moving to the side profile, one can feel the sheer length of this motorcycle. The Imperiale 400 is quite a long motorcycle but it doesn’t look disproportionate at all. The motorcycle gets a monotone paint scheme on the fuel tank. However, the blacked-out elements add a contrasting appeal to this retro cruiser.

  The Benelli Imperiale 400 gets a split seat setup with subtle chrome accents on the body parts and on the exhaust muffler. At the rear, the motorcycle gets a round-shaped tail lamp along with round turn indicators. The updated new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 is available in three different colour shades. They are Silver, Red and Black colour. The new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 is an old-school Italian beauty. While it doesn't get any modern-day fancy elements that would have made it even better like a LED headlamp or LED DRLs, it is a proper retro-classic machine.

  

  Source: Benelli Imperiale 400

  Summary

  The Benelli Imperiale 400 is a good-looking retro cruiser. It doesn’t get any modern fancy elements but gets the job done pretty well and has a good road presence.

• Imperiale 400 Dimensions and Capacity 8 /10

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 measures 2170 mm in length, it has a width of 820 mm and a height of 1120 mm. This retro motorcycle has a wheelbase of 1440 mm, which is one of the longest in its segment. That adds to the high stability of the motorcycle out there on the highways, but while taking U-turns, it turns out to be quite problematic as it takes a lot of space. The Imperiale 400 is quite heavy too as it weighs 205 kgs and gets a fuel tank capacity of 12-litres. It has a seat height of just 780 mm and so it can be ridden easily even by short riders. The Benelli Imperiale 400 gets a 165 mm ground clearance and so you need to be a bit careful on big speed breakers.

  

  Summary

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 has healthy proportions and so it has a good road presence. However, the motorcycle is quite heavy and it has decent ground clearance only.

• Imperiale 400 Engine Performance and Mileage 9 /10

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 is powered by a BS6 compliant 374cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engine. This BS6 motor churns out 21 PS of maximum power at 6000 RPM and 29 Nm of peak torque at 3500 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Imperiale 400 offers more power and torque than its arch-rival, the Royal Enfield Classic 350. In real-world performance too, the Imperiale 400 feels quicker than the Classic 350. This new retro classic motorcycle offers good low-end and mid-range performance and a decent top-end.

  The Benelli Imperiale 400 is quite a heavy motorcycle but it can easily clock triple-digit speeds. However, it feels most comfortable and effortless to ride at speeds between 70-90 kmph on the highways. Also, the Benelli Imperiale 400‘s engine is very refined and one can hardly feel any vibrations while riding at lower RPMs. It is only when you twist the throttle completely that the motorcycle starts to vibrate a bit. The Imperiale 400 is quite fuel-efficient too. This retro bike delivers around 30-40 kmpl of mileage in real-world riding conditions which is quite decent.

  

  Summary

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 offers good performance and this engine is very refined too with minimal vibrations. It offers decent fuel economy too in real-world conditions.

• Imperiale 400 Tyres, Brakes and Features 8 /10

  The new Benelli Imperiale 400 is based on a double cradle with steel tubes and plates. The suspension duties on the motorcycle are performed by 41 mm telescopic forks at the front and it gets preload adjustable gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. The Benelli Imperiale 400 offers good ride quality. The suspension is on the softer side and it feels comfortable even on broken patches of roads. The braking duties on the motorcycle are handled by a 300 mm disc at the front and a 240 mm disc brake at the rear. The new Benelli Imperiale 400 also gets dual-channel ABS as standard as an additional safety feature.

  The Benelli Imperiale 400 rides on a 19-inch front and an 18-inch rear tyre. The front tyre of the motorcycle is a 100/90 section 19-inch unit while the rear one is a 130/80 section 18-inch unit. It gets spoke wheels and so the tyres aren’t tubeless units. If we talk about features, the Benelli Imperiale 400 gets an analogue instrument cluster with a MID (multi-information display) in between that displays a ton of information including a gear-position indicator. The Benelli Imperiale 400 is also the only motorcycle in its segment to get an analogue tachometer.

  

  Summary

  The Benelli Imperiale 400 packs decent hardware and it offers good ride quality along with good braking performance. This retro motorcycle is quite feature-loaded too.