Benelli 1130 TnT SPORT Evo 2010 — Specifications

When Pesaro decides to spice up an already robust recipe, this is what you get: a motorcycle that transforms its frame tubes into a statement of intent. The blood red that invades the steel trellis of the Benelli 1130 TNT Sport Evo is not a cosmetic detail; it’s a warning. On a machine already shaped to bite, this Sport livery sounds like a final reminder before the party begins.

The inline three-cylinder engine of 1130 cc didn’t need an extra power transplant. With 137 horsepower delivered at 9250 rpm and a torque of 117.7 Nm available from 6500 rpm, the tally has been good for a long time. What Benelli added is choice: two engine maps allow the rider to decide how this flow of energy arrives in their hands. Progressive for Sunday morning winding roads, or full throttle for those who want to feel the 215 kilos wheelie at the first third of the throttle. This kind of flexibility, in 2010, was not yet a given on a roadster of this displacement.

The real work of the Sport version took place on the dynamics. The 50 mm Marzocchi inverted fork, adjustable in all parameters, gives the beast a precision that the previous version did not possess to the same degree. The wheels borrowed from the Tornado RS, in forged aluminum, lighten the unsprung masses and allow the steering to gain in responsiveness without sacrificing stability at high speed. Braking remains entrusted to 320 mm discs with radial four-piston calipers at the front, a combination that leaves no doubt about the machine’s ability to erase the announced top speed of 240 km/h. A few carbon fiber elements shave off the last superfluous grams, bringing the dry weight to 195 kilos, which remains reasonable for a motorcycle of this size.

The 780 mm seat height makes it accessible to a wide range of builds, but don't be fooled: this motorcycle was not designed for the touring rider seeking comfort on the highway. It is aimed at experienced riders, comfortable with nervous machines, capable of taking advantage of an engine that does not forgive approximations in the intermediate gears. Faced with a Speed Triple or a Streetfighter 1098 of the same era, the Benelli plays a different card: that of assumed singularity, a visual and sonic personality that Japanese manufacturers simply cannot reproduce. The price of 14,800 euros positions it in a premium segment where every euro must be justified, and here, the driving experience and character are sufficient to defend the bill.

It’s not a motorcycle for everyone, and that’s exactly what makes its strength. Compromises were limited to the bare minimum, the development direction did not seek to round the angles, neither figuratively nor literally. For those looking for a motorcycle with a strong character, with an engine that has bite and a line that looks like nothing else in a parking lot, the Evo Sport remains a difficult proposition to ignore.