Benelli Imperiale 400: Review In Images

Does the Benelli have what it takes to rival the mighty Royal Enfield Classic 350? 

Benelli recently entered India’s classic motorcycle segment with the Imperiale 400 to take on the top-dog, the Royal Enfield Classic 350, and the gorgeous Jawa. We have already ridden the three bike and here’s how they fared. However, if you have made up your mind to add the Italian retro bike to your garage, then you need to take a look at our image gallery as it might help you make an informed decision. 

At first look, you’ll notice that the Imperiale 400 borrows some design elements from the RE Thunderbird -- the twin-pod analogue-digital instrument console, the way the headlight is placed on the fork and even the side panels kind of looks like the Thunderbird. 

However, don’t think of it as a rip-off because the Imperiale 400 comes together as a beautiful bike reminding you of classic British motorcycles such as the Nortons from the 1950s. 

The Imperiale 400 gets a simple but elegant front fender, a dome-shaped headlight, chrome-finished turn indicators and a slender fuel tank with tank grips and minimal graphics. 

The Italian bike maker could have done a better job with all the wires and cables as they are very visible and look a bit untidy. The switchgear quality is acceptable, but certainly not the best in class.

The low seat height of 780mm and the slim fuel tank should help riders of all heights to plant their feet on the ground with ease. 

The wide comfortable seat, tall and easy-to-reach handlebars, mid-set footpegs make for an upright riding posture, which means you could spend a lot of time on the saddle during long hauls.

The rear seat is a bit on the stiffer side and the rear footpegs are also positioned higher than usual, resulting in a slightly awkward seating posture for the pillion rider, which could put pressure on their back.  

One oddity is the extra-long gear shift lever. If you have large-sized feet or are wearing short boots, it shouldn’t be too difficult to reach. Moreover, moving around isn’t the easiest task as the bike weighs a whopping 205kg -- that’s 11kg heavier than the already heavy Classic 350.

The engine also feels livelier despite making just 1PS and 1Nm more than the Classic 350. It’s also much smoother with vibes kicking in only after 5000rpm in the handlebar more than anything else. 

Out on the highway, this motor is capable of sustaining 100kmph in fifth gear all day with the tacho indicating a little under 5000rpm. You can push the motor to about 130kmph but the softly sprung front suspension makes the bike feel a bit unsettled at those speeds.

The Imperiale’s engine can run a little hot in traffic, but it’s nothing to worry about, and the heat never gets too bothersome.

The front suspension is set up on the softer side, which means it glides over bumps with ease. However, it feels a bit unsettled during mid-corner bumps. The rear suspension, on the other hand, is tuned to be slightly stiffer than the front.

Both the front and rear brakes feel spongy and lack bite and progression. It takes 1.85m longer to stop from 80-0kmph and 1.53m from 60-0kmph when compared to the RE.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 is a full-fledged package and feels like it punches well above its segment. It’s what you’d get if you took the Royal Enfield Classic 350, ironed out all the imperfections and plonked a capable motor in there. 

The motor emits little to no vibrations, enough grunt throughout the rev range and feels stress free even if you sit at 100kmph all day. Add a comfortable riding posture to the equation and you have a fantastic bike at hand.