Benelli TNT 600i Facelift Launched In China

Sold by QJ Motor in China, the SRK 600 previews the successor to the ageing TNT 600i

The SRK 600 is made by QJ Motor, Benelli’s sister company. It is available in three variants: Standard, Medium & High. Notable features include a TFT colour instrument cluster, keyless ignition, and all-LED lighting. It is powered by an 600cc inline-four engine that’s good for 81.5PS and 55Nm.

Benelli’s parent company Zhejiang Qianjiang Motorcycle Group has unveiled the TNT 600i’s facelift called the SRK 600 in the Chinese market. Sold under the group’s daughter brand QJ Motor, the SRK 600 features an all-new design language that’s a lot more aggressive-looking than the ageing Benelli TNT 600i. We spotted this motorcycle before, and you can read more about it here. 

The new bike packs modern features like a full-colour TFT instrument cluster, keyless ignition and an all-LED lighting system. Powering the motorcycle is a 600cc inline-four liquid-cooled engine developed for its home market. It churns out  81.5PS at 11,000rpm and 55Nm at 8000rpm, and is linked to a 6-speed transmission. In comparison, the India-spec BS4-compliant Benelli TNT 600i makes 85.07PS at 11,500rpm and 54.6Nm at 10,500rpm. QJ Motor claims the SRK600 can accelerate from 0-100kmph in 4.5 seconds before hitting a claimed top speed of 210kmph.

The trellis frame is linked to an inverted front fork and a rear monoshock. Brakes include dual discs with radial calipers up front and a disc at the rear. These components vary depending on the variants. The bike is available in three guises: Standard, Medium and High. The Standard variant features Benelli branded suspension and brakes, while the Medium variant packs a more upmarket inverted front fork and rear monoshock from KYB and brakes from Xihu. The top-of-the-line version comes with a Marzocchi inverted front fork and a KYB monoshock. This variant employs Brembo brakes for optimum stopping power.

Tipping the scales at 198kg, the QJ SRK 600 is a whopping 33kg lighter than the India-spec Benelli TNT 600i. This motorcycle is priced at CNY 43,999 (about Rs 4.68 lakh) for the Standard variant, CNY 46,999 (around Rs 5 lakh) for the Medium variant and CNY 49,999 (approximately Rs 5.32 lakh) for the top-end variant. Taking the delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic into account, expect Benelli India to bring this bike only by mid-2021. It is likely to cost around Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom) here and will compete against the Kawasaki Z650.