Benelli TNT 600-based 600RR Sportsbike Spotted In Production-ready Guise

Benelli India could introduce this bike next year

• The new 600RR uses the same mechanicals as the TNT 600.
• The fairing design reminds one of the BS4 Yamaha R3 that was sold in India.
• We believe the bike will bear a price tag of around Rs 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom).

Just days after new images of the upcoming Benelli TNT 600i surfaced online, a full-faired, production-ready version of the inline-four motorcycle has now surfaced, giving us our first glimpse of the Benelli 600RR. While the engine in the supersport complied with Chinese emission norms, which is equivalent to Euro 4 regulations, there’s a possibility that Benelli could offer a Euro 5-compliant motor for other parts of the world later this year. The earliest we may see this bike on our streets is perhaps at the start of next year. It is likely to be priced around Rs 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom), slotting in between the newly-launched Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the Honda CBR650R, which is yet to receive BS6 updates.

On the face of it, the Benelli 600RR looks like a slap-on job on the TNT 600i. The sports bike uses the same engine and cycle parts as its naked sibling. There are some differences though. Firstly, in proper sports bike tradition, the 600RR gets clip-on bars, ditching the straight handlebar setup of the TNT. The tank panels are rounder while the fairing reminds us of the Yamaha R3 that was sold in India. The 600i is likely to get features like the colour TFT dash, keyless ignition and backlit switches from the new TNT 600i.

The 600RR features the same 600cc inline-four motor as the TNT 600i. This engine is yet to meet the emission laws for Europe (and subsequently India). Currently, the China-spec version of this bike puts out around 80PS, which is roughly about the same as the BS4 TNT 600i.

Suspension hardware, i.e. a USD fork and a monoshock, are identical to units seen on the naked. However, expect some tweaking of the internals to suit the sports bike. Braking performance should be impressive as the 600RR sports Brembo radial calipers and not the Benelli-branded ones like TNT 600i. At 215kg (kerb weight), this Benelli 600RR is a bit chunky. In comparison, the Ninja 650 weighs 196kg, almost 20kg lighter than the Benelli.