The 2021 Benelli TRK 502X Has Been Unveiled

The new adventure bike is better than ever.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Sep 26, 2020 at 3:45pm ET

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Benelli has given its TRK 502X adventure bike some much-needed updates. With the outgoing TRK 502 beginning to look a little long in the tooth, the Chinese-owned Italian brand was beginning to lag behind with the new and more technologically advanced middleweight adventure bikes in the market, such as the KTM 390 Adventure and Honda CB500X. Initially unveiled as the QJ Motor SRT 500 in China, this bike will undoubtedly go on to be marketed as the Benelli TRK 502X in the rest of the world.

Perhaps one of the biggest revisions to the new bike would be its overall styling. With the outgoing model's halogen headlights and semi-digital gauge cluster looking rather dated, Benelli has gone ahead and fitted a single LED headlight upfront, as well as a swanky 5-inch full color TFT display. On top of this, the bike gives off a more sporty and aggressive ergonomic by way of minor revisions to the body work, namely the beak and the hand guards.

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However, the 500cc parallel-twin engine found in the old bike is retained. With decent performance, the 46 horsepower mill produces a distinctly smooth hum by way of an uneven firing order. Although the power figures remain unchanged, the new bike weighs a whole 10 kgs lighter than its predecessor. This is thanks largely in part to the revised body work and a new magnesium swing-arm. Apart from losing a decent amount of weight, the newly designed swing arm gives the bike a more rigid rear end, giving it a more planted and stable ride overall.

The high end components don't stop there either. Taking care of stopping duties is a set of Brembo brakes equipped with Bosch ABS. No changes to the suspension have been made from the previous model. The 2021 Benelli TRK 502X is expected to make its global debut early next year.