The tornado strikes! Benelli’s “TORNADO 252R” makes its debut

Benelli Indonesia has recently launched a sportbike called the “TORNADO 252R”. Although the bike is called the 252R, it is actually powered by a 249cc parallel-twin engine and is aimed at the 250cc class in all national classifications.

Sporty and fierce exterior design
The TORNADO 252R is actually a downsized version of the TORNADO 302R, which is available not only in China, but also in Europe, Japan, and Malaysia.

At first glance, it looks like the TORNADO 252R is inspired by the MV Agusta Superbike model, as it has a very sporty and aggressive appearance, especially with the vertically aligned LED headlights and the sharp DRL daytime running lights on both sides, changing the slightly bulky front line of the old 302R.

The full LCD instrument panel can be connected to a smartphone via its own app, but unfortunately, it is not possible to project a navigation screen onto the instrument.

The TORNADO 252R is powered by a 249cc water-cooled four-stroke DOHC 4-valve parallel-twin engine with a sliding assist clutch and six-speed gearbox, delivering 25.7hp/8,500Rpm and 24.1Nm/6,500rpm.

Other body specifications include a 14L fuel tank, 177kg weight, 785mm seat height, 110/70-R17 front tyres and 140/70-R17 rear tyres, a 37mm inverted front fork and a mid-mounted single-shot rear shock. The braking system is less impressive, with a single fixed disc + one-way twin-piston caliper at the front and a single fixed disc + one-way single-piston caliper at the rear, but both front and rear are equipped with ABS.

The most important part is the price, which is RMB 25,800 (approximately NTD 112,000) in China, and is available in red, black, blue and green.