Benelli Imperiale 400: Same Price, Other Options

From retros to streetfighters, here are all the alternatives for Benelli’s new Imperiale 400

If Benelli’s newly launched Imperiale 400 doesn’t quite get your motor running, there’s a bunch of other options on the market that are similarly priced. With choices ranging from retro-styled motorcycles similar to the Imperiale, to aggressive naked streetfighters, let’s take a closer look at each one:

Royal Enfield Classic 350 ABS

The most direct rival to the Imperiale 400 is the Royal Enfield Classic 350 ABS. It is also the most affordable motorcycle in this list, coming in at Rs 1,53,903 (ex-showroom Delhi). At this price, it undercuts the Imperiale by Rs 15,000. Despite having an engine that’s smaller by 28cc and also missing out on fuel-injection, the Classic’s output at 20PS and 28Nm is just 1PS and 1Nm lower than that of the Imperiale.

The 350 also gets dual-channel ABS like the Imperiale, with a disc brake at either end. Tyres on the Classic are slimmer at both ends, while the front disc brake is slightly smaller as well. But Royal Enfield has given the Classic a 13.5-litre fuel tank, which is 1.5 litres larger than the Imperiale’s, giving it an advantage when it comes to long distance touring. The Classic also has a shorter wheelbase and lower kerb weight than the Imperiale, which should make it a slightly easier motorcycle to ride. 

The Jawa

Another retro-styled motorcycle in our market is the Jawa, priced at Rs 1.64 lakh (ex-showroom) in its single-channel ABS guise. Though it is powered by an engine that displaces just 293cc, it gets liquid-cooling and DOHC which allows it to put out a healthy 27PS and 28Nm. The Jawa also has the advantage of a 6-speed gearbox compared to the Imperiale’s 5-speed unit.

However, it has to make do with a drum brake at the rear, and also rolls on smaller 18-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel while the Imperiale gets a 19-inch and 18-inch units respectively. However, the Jawa gets a larger fuel tank, at 14-litres, as well as a significantly lower kerb weight of 170kg.

Suzuki Gixxer 250

If you’re in the market for something a little more modern, the Suzuki Gixxer 250 makes a good case for itself at Rs 1,59,800 (ex-showroom Delhi). Despite its engine displacing just 249cc, it puts out respectable figures of 26.5PS and 22.6Nm while offering a 6-speed gearbox. Helping it come to a stop are disc brakes at either ends working in conjunction with dual-channel ABS.

Built around a more modern chassis with alloy wheels and a wheelbase that’s a whole 100m shorter than the Imperiale’s, the Gixxer should be the more agile, better handling motorcycle of the two. Adding to this is the fact that the Gixxer is a massive 49kg lighter than the Benelli, which should also make it a more manageable motorcycle. Another area where the Suzuki is ahead is lighting, with the Gixxer getting full-LED lighting while the Imperiale has to make do with halogen units.

KTM 200 Duke ABS

The smallest motorcycle on this list but certainly not the slowest, the KTM 200 Duke packs a lot of performance into its Rs 1,62,253 (ex-showroom Delhi) price tag. Its liquid-cooled DOHC engine has the highest specific output here, squeezing out 25.1PS and 19.2Nm from just 199.5cc. However, it makes these figures high up in the rev range, meaning that you’ll have to work the motor hard in order to extract the best out of it.

It has the most sophisticated underpinnings here, with an upside-down front fork and rear monoshock, both from WP. Though the Duke’s 300mm front disc is the largest here, it has to make do with only single-channel ABS. The KTM is also the lightest motorcycle here with a kerb weight of just 148kg. 17-inch alloy wheels, a 150-section rear tyre, a trellis frame and a short wheelbase should make this the best handling motorcycle on this list, and also the most exciting to ride.