Benelli 1130 TnT SPORT Evo 2009 — Specifications

When Benelli decides to spice up an already flavorful recipe, the result leaves no one indifferent. The 2009 Sport Evo version starts from a base that enthusiasts of the genre know well, a transalpine roadster with a well-tempered character, and pushes the cursor a step further in every area that counts. The steel trellis frame, the tubes of which now display a blood red color that requires no spectator's opinion, clearly states the school to which this machine belongs.

Under this sickle-cut fairing, the inline three-cylinder engine of 1130 cc develops 137 horsepower at 9250 rpm and 117.7 Nm of torque at 6500 rpm. This is not an engine that seeks to convince, it is an engine that imposes itself. The novelty of this evolution does not lie in an increase in raw power, but in the possibility offered to the rider to choose between two engine maps. Specifically, this means managing the way these 137 horsepower are delivered to the rear wheel, smoothly progressively or with all the brutality that this twin-cylinder is capable of. A choice that profoundly changes the perceived character of the machine according to mood or context.

Where the Benelli 1130 TNT Sport Evo truly distinguishes itself from its predecessor is in the attention paid to dynamic agility. The 50 mm diameter Marzocchi telehydraulic inverted fork, with its 120 mm of travel, is fully adjustable. The rear receives the same treatment. All this for a machine that weighs 215 kg fully fueled, which remains reasonable in the category of high-displacement roadsters compared to the KTM Super Duke or Aprilia Tuono of the time. The lightweight aluminum rims, inherited from the Tornado RS, help to reduce unsprung masses, and a few carbon fiber parts further lighten the whole. Braking entrusted to Brembo with radial four-piston calipers on 320 mm discs at the front and a 240 mm disc at the rear completes a technical picture difficult to criticize.

This is not a machine for beginners. The 780 mm seat remains accessible to most builds, but the temperament of the engine, the sensitivity of the steering and the riding position oriented towards attack assume prior experience. The 17-liter tank ensures correct autonomy without transforming this roadster into a grand touring machine, and the maximum speed announced at 240 km/h leaves no doubt about Benelli's intentions. At 15,995 euros in the catalog in 2009, the price was salty, especially compared to cheaper Japanese references and more accessible to maintenance. But economic rationality has never been the first purchasing argument for an Italian character machine.