Benelli 1130 TRE-K AMAZONAS 2012 — Specifications

Fourteen thousand kilometers across Brazil, thirteen stages, one rider and a 1130 cm3 three-cylinder engine as his only companion. It is on this founding adventure that Benelli built the legend of the Amazonas, an assumed trail version of the TRE-K, born from a real journey between São Paulo and the most remote lands of South America. The Pesaro factory doesn't just slap on a sticker and call it a limited series: it tells a story, and the story holds the road.

For 2012, the model year gains a few welcome adjustments. The suspensions are recalibrated, the 48 mm inverted fork and the rear mono-shock gain consistency to absorb irregularities without sacrificing dynamics. The injection is softened, which translates to more docile behavior at low revs, where the three-cylinder could be a little abrupt. The seat is lowered slightly, welcome on a machine that displays 840 mm of height and 240 kg fully fueled. And the garish yellow color gives way to a gray-white accented with bronze touches, much more elegant on a motorcycle that claims a certain maturity.

Mechanically, the Amazonas remains the TRE-K with hiking boots. The engine develops 123 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 111.8 Nm of torque available from 5000 rpm, figures that make it one of the most spirited motorcycles in its category. Facing a KTM 990 Adventure or a Triumph Tiger 1050, the Benelli doesn't blush, especially on small roads where its character of a sporty motorcycle disguised as a tourer makes sense. The announced top speed of 200 km/h is not there to impress: it simply testifies to an engine that has not been restricted in the name of comfort. The front petal discs, two 320 mm discs bitten by four-piston calipers, add a visual touch consistent with the adventurous identity of the machine.

Spoke rims and knobby tires complete the transformation. The front tire in 110/80-19 offers more ground clearance and allows you to consider some forest paths without too much lying, even if the 215 kg dry weight quickly reminds you that you are not on a real off-road motorcycle. The steel tubular trellis frame remains the solid backbone of a machine designed to swallow broken asphalt rather than trace paths. The 22-liter tank allows you to consider long stages without stress.

At 13,500 euros, the positioning is ambitious for a Benelli, a brand that still struggles to convince buyers of the solidity of its network and its parts in Europe. The target audience is clearly the experienced touring rider, sensitive to originality, who wants to get out of the BMW-KTM duo without sacrificing performance. The Amazonas does not claim to replace an Africa Twin or a GS, it offers something else: character, a generous engine and a bit of history to tell on the terrace.