Benelli TNT 899S

• Video

We got along very well with this explosive (TNT is trinitrotulen, which, by the way, has a yellowish color). It was the type of motorcycle I rode on my home street in the late afternoon, slowing down and…. you said, "Eh, I'll go again." Well, we went somewhere, it doesn't matter at all. Well, it's okay if the road is as smooth as possible and not too bumpy, because the stiff suspension does not digest potholes well. In short, crawled under the skin.

It is not at all strange that observers immediately compare his appearance with animals, and some even with transforming robots. He is drawn in a different, unusual and bold manner. Yes, Benelli definitely had the courage to bring such an animal into the world, because it is very difficult to say "it will definitely sell well."

Because of its unusual shape, someone likes it, someone is strange, someone simply declares it the ugliest two-wheeled vehicle in the world. The dual light mask stretches forward towards the ground as if attacking the road in front of you, liquid coolers in plastic wrapped to the sides (?!) Complement the aggressive front end, the tubular frame is a real treat as well as the pipe welded swingarm rear fork , which ends with an eccentric for adjusting the wheelbase and therefore the tension of the drive chain.

The portion behind the driver's seat, with a single muffler underneath, is minimalistically narrow, with dual red lights and a sturdy seat designed for the passenger who lacks improved handles. I'll have to hold my grandfather by the stomach. The license plate holder, while protruding far back, is not ugly or ruining the overall look like we are used to with some supercars in recent years.

Narrow and beautiful turn signals are made of hard plastic, so owners of cramped garages pay more attention to ensuring that the motorcycle gets into daylight. Not that they seem fragile, but meeting with a solid doorframe can lead to tragic consequences.

There are also small accessories that are especially easy on the eyes, while other manufacturers aren't very creative. Take for example the driver and front passenger pedals, the carbon fiber spoiler and front wing, the neat dashboard with small but very contrasting warning lights, the three tubes coming out of the box, and last but not least, the ignition key. folds like a swiss army knife. It's good that it's long enough, otherwise it would be almost impossible to shove it into the lock hidden in the hole in front of the fuel tank.

It's also an uncomfortably small rudder angle, which makes the TNT quite awkward when parked. But only in the parking lot!

When the engine, which makes an unhealthy mechanical noise "idling" at idle speed, heats up to operating temperature, and when, after the initial vibrations of up to 4.000 rpm, the "car" begins to gnash its teeth, you will no longer want to lower the steering wheel. The insane sound of a three-cylinder engine, so different from the drumbeat of a two- or four-cylinder howling, forces the driver to hold full throttle, quickly switch with a short addition of intermediate throttle, and not drive through a tunnel on level asphalt only once.

The sound ripples coming out of the air filter chamber and the rather loud exhaust under the seat would be even easier to compare to the sound of a sporty Porsche. I can't describe it well - the best thing to do is to rotate the video on our site and multiply the feeling, if you like the squeak from the speakers, by ten times and you almost feel like you're behind the wide, almost flat steering wheel of this warrior. Not only the sound, but also the character of the bloated three-cylinder engine quickly convinces you to ride with the ZVCP.

During a hard ride, no element complains to the driver that he doesn't like what he is doing. The frame is stiff, good quality fully adjustable suspension and quite stiff, so I recommend that you don't drive the old road through Jeprka with your bladder full, as you will have to stop at the first tree due to vibration. The brakes are good, although with the whole bike package I would have liked an even sharper response to lever actuation.

As already mentioned, the unit wakes up at around 4.000 rpm and constantly “stretches” to the red field, where it doesn’t even make sense to push it, since there was enough power before. To the delight of the driver, the transmission is also great, short and precise, running first with short gear ratios, and the last two gears can also be shorter, as breaking speed records with a stripped-down tornado is not exactly a healthy thing. do.

The thrust around the body is also immense when the helmet is fully pushed onto the fuel tank. Naked without windscreen. Even if the top speed was "only" 160 kilometers per hour, that would be enough, but it is much, much higher.

With TNT, I was (well, at least it seemed to me so) fast even on a serpentine road, where a light supermoto shines, and road supercars have difficulty shifting gears after short turns, and due to the lack of airplanes, they do not even have the opportunity to show their true strength. The mid-range power offered to the TNT driver is the right combination of four-cylinder calmness and two-cylinder responsiveness.

However, the sporty character comes at a price. By that, I don't mean the price of a new bike, which isn't exaggerated at all - about ten 'George's for that build, especially when compared to the MV Agusta, but what I'm saying is that the Benelli can be quite a thirsty machine. The fuel warning light comes on while driving fast at 130 kilometers per hour and at the time we were aiming for almost nine liters per 100 kilometers, but with more “outdated” use this number can be reduced to 6 and a half, and already less.

Alas, the seat (especially the passenger seat) heats up when driving slowly due to the installation of the exhaust. But this TNT doesn't have a crate. Aaam, but in the beautifully designed little mirrors while driving, you can only look at your elbows more than anything else. And the trumpet did not obey for some unknown reason. Otherwise, the build quality and durability, according to the agent and what I read about in foreign magazines, have improved in recent years. Well, it has a two-year warranty, like most other two-wheelers on the market. The 899 cc TNT is, if you ask me, with above-average test kilometers worth the sin. Of course, not for everyone.

Face to face. ...

Matei Memedovich: If you look around the bike, you will find many parts that are very complex in design and different from the usual ones - I was fascinated. The sound of the engine is still in my ears. Driving pleasure is again above average, only during sportier riding I felt less than comfortable with the handlebar, which is flatter and requires a bit of forced posture, but that's not to blame as it's not designed for that. driving type. In tunnels, in narrow streets, in short, where it will resonate, you will have fun pressing on the gas. Entertainment, however, costs money, so their consumption is also slightly above average.

Technical information

Test car price: € 9.990.

engine: three-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 899 cc? , 4 valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection.

Maximum power: 88 kW (120 KM) at 9.500/min.

Maximum torque: 88 Nm @ 8.000 rpm

Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.

Frame: steel pipe.

brakes: two coils ahead? 320mm, 240-rod jaws, rear disc? XNUMX mm, double piston cam.

Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork? 43mm, 120mm travel, rear adjustable telescopic shock, 120mm travel.

Tires: 120/17–17, 190/50–17.

Seat height from ground: 820 mm.

Fuel tank: 16 l.

Wheelbase: 1.443 mm.

Weight: 208 kg.

Representative: Auto Performance, Kamniška 25, Kamnik, 01/839 50 75, www.autoperformance.si.

We praise and reproach

+ motor

+ gearbox

+ suspension

+ sports value

+ sound

+ design

+ equipment

- awkward blocking

- frosted mirrors

- heated seats

Matevž Gribar, photo: Saša Kapetanovič

• Basic data

  Test model cost: € 9.990 XNUMX €

• Technical information

  engine: three-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 899 cm³, 4 valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection.

  Torque: 88 Nm @ 8.000 rpm

  Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.

  Frame: steel pipe.

  brakes: front two spools Ø 320 mm, jaws with four rods, rear drums Ø 240 mm, jaws with two rods.

  Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork Ø 43 mm, travel 120 mm, rear adjustable telescopic shock absorber, travel 120 mm.

  Fuel tank: 16 l.

  Wheelbase: 1.443 mm.

  Weight: 208 kg.

We praise and reproach

Equipment

design

sound

sports value

podcast

Transmission

engine

heated seats

opaque mirrors

inconvenient lock