Back in 2017, the Benelli TRK 502 middleweight adventure bike debuted in China. Although Benelli has a deal in place with U.S. distributor SSR throughout the country, the bike seemed destined to forever be just around the corner for America. Other markets got it, but it wasn’t until AIMExpo 2019 that Benelli and SSR said it would finally be hitting our shores in 2020.
Like so many other things planned for 2020, that didn’t happen. Still, just about everyone gets some kind of pass on delays and cancellations this year, because what else do you expect to happen in the face of a global pandemic? Now ADV Pulse is reporting that the 2021 Benelli TRK 502 and 502X will finally—for really, really real this time, guys—make their U.S. debut. In fact, they’re allegedly rolling out onto showroom floors across the country as we speak.
With riders across America suddenly wanting to ride even farther away than usual in 2020, this timing could be particularly good if you’re Benelli parent company Qianjiang, and you want to bring out a new adventure bike in this segment. In any case, both the 502 and 502X feature the same 500cc parallel-twin, fuel-injected mill that outputs a claimed 47 horsepower and 34 ft-lbs. of torque.
The differences between the two models are that the regular TRK 502 is more road-biased, while the TRK 502X is better prepared for off-roading, with a bit more ground clearance, suspension travel, and a higher exhaust mount. Seat height on the 502X is about an inch higher as well—33.9 inches to the non-X version’s 32.8-inch height. That could be an important point to keep in mind if your inseam length is particularly parsimonious.
Gallery: Benelli TRK 502
There’s currently no information about either the TRK 502 or TRK 502X on Benelli’s U.S. website at the time of writing, and pricing and availability have yet to be announced. If you’re in America, are you looking forward to trying one out? If you’re somewhere that already has the TRK 502s, and you’ve tried one, what do you think?
Sources: YouTube, ADV Pulse, Adventure Rider
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