Benelli To Roll Out 502C Retro-Modern Cruiser In India

Its muscle cruiser styling may look a bit familiar to you.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jul 8, 2021 at 10:33pm ET

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Benelli has unveiled the 502C cruiser in the Indian market ahead of its official launch. This modern-style cruiser bears a muscular appearance with a touch of retro styling, and bears quite a resemblance to the Ducati Diavel—a more powerful muscle cruiser which bears more than two times the 502C’s engine displacement.

The Benelli 502C has been available in other markets for quite some time now, and has received generally positive reviews. This laid back highway muncher from the Lion of Pesaro’s den may look rather aggressive, however, underneath its brutish styling lies a rather tractable, beginner-friendly machine. Benelli is positioning the 502C a notch above its entry-level middleweight, the Leoncino 500, and is expected to command a sizable premium over the naked roadster. Once officially launched, the 502C is expected to retail near the Rs 500,000 mark—or around $6,700 USD.

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The Benelli 502 C will get the same 500cc parallel-twin engine we find in the Leoncino 500 and TRK 502 adventure bike. It pumps out a respectable 47 ponies at the business end, which makes it powerful enough for beginner to intermediate riders to grow into, but approachable enough for first-time riders to confidently hop onto. It boasts a significantly lower seat height than that of the Leoncino 500, further increasing its appeal to height-challenged riders, as well as newbies.

Indian Benelli dealerships have already opened pre-bookings for the cruiser for a token amount of Rs 10,000, or $134 USD. The bike is expected to land on Indian shores by the end of this month, and will undoubtedly serve as a wildcard in India’s fast-growing middleweight cruiser segment. Particularly, the 502C will lock horns directly with the Honda Rebel 500, another exciting entry-level cruiser which is expected to debut in India towards the tail end of 2021. Other than that, the 502C’s sharp styling may attract buyers who were otherwise considering the likes of the Kawasaki Vulcan S—especially given the former’s affordable price tag.