Benelli Imperiale 400 Off To A Good Start

Benelli launched the neo-retro cruiser in India on October 22

• The Benelli Imperiale 400 is priced at Rs 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom India).
• Bookings for the cruiser commenced on September 27 for a token amount of Rs 4,000.
• It packs a 373.5cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder motor.
• New variants likely to follow suit.

Benelli entered the retro cruiser market in India on October 22 with the launch of the much-awaited Imperiale 400. The bike gets a competitive price tag of Rs 1.69 lakh to take on the Royal Enfield Classic 350, which is already threatened by Jawa. Good news is that the Imperiale 400 has been well received and has managed to rake in around 700 bookings in a span of a little under a month. 

Also Read: Benelli Imperiale 400: Everything You Need To Know

Interested customers can book the bike for a token amount of Rs 4,000 via the brand’s website or through any Benelli dealership in India. It’s offered in three colour options: red, silver and black. Interestingly, the brand says that it will be working on a couple of more iterations of the Imperiale 400 in the near future which will help it compete with Royal Enfield on a larger scale.

The bike is currently powered by a BS4-compliant 374cc fuel-injected single-cylinder air-cooled mill that generates 21PS at 5500rpm and 29Nm at 4500rpm. It comes mated to a 5-speed transmission. That said, the price of the bike is likely to go up (around 1.85 lakh, ex-showroom) once it’s launched with a BS6-compliant engine. The power figures may also dip considering the strict emission norms.

Also Read: Benelli Leoncino 250 Launched at Rs 2.50 lakh

In terms of underpinnings, the Imperiale 400 features a tubular double cradle frame with a 41mm telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers at the rear. It gets 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels befitting its retro character. 

Benelli is also offering three years of unlimited km warranty and two years of complimentary service along with Imperiale 400 as standard. In comparison, Royal Enfield offers only two-year/30,000 km warranty and four free services (valid up to 15,000km or 1.5 years).