Benelli TRK502 Good or Bad?
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- čas přidán 4. 08. 2023
- After having the Benelli trk502 for a couple of weeks and covering over 500 miles, I wanted to give a first impressions video on the things I like and don't like about the bike.
I'm not comparing it to much more expensive adventure tourers because that would be unfair due to the massive price difference. but more an overview of what the bike is like to ride and experience. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Anyone considering the TRK needs to see this. This answers everyones common questions👍🍻
Thanks ER, it's really surprised me in every way, unfortunately it couldn't control the French and Belgian weather 😉
Great review👍... Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures👌
Thank you, on one now 😀👍
Sounds like you are really impressed with it 😊 I still haven’t managed to try one. Sounds perfect for my winter bike.😊 Thanks for a perfect summary 😊
Always a pleasure, I didn't expect a GS or Multistrada but thos has surpassed my expectations 10 fold 😀👍
I have one also for about a year now, absolutely love it. Considered overtakes are necessary as you mentioned but other than that it has been awesome. Standing on the pegs is really a very good idea mostly on dirt roads and tracks as it allows you to see obstacles way earlier than if you are sitting and gives you more time to avoid them or get over them. It allows for way better control of the motorcycle. I almost always stand when the dirt roads get a bit challenging. Thanks for the vid it was very comprehensive and the only thing I would add is they “look cool” too……😂😂😂
😁 I totally agree they do look cool, they look really premium and actually feel premium for most of the time.
Good advice on the standing, hadn't thought about it until a few comments pointed out about the added use of suspension through the legs.
I love this bike and have done nearly 2000 miles in 6 weeks without a problem 😀👍
I am a big fan of ADV style bikes for long distance touring and if I didn't already have the VStrom, the TRK would be top of my shopping list. Glad you're enjoying it.
The new trk 702 looks like the best of both world, great value and more ability to cope with the distance 👍
Glad you’re happy with the bike. It sounds like a decent package to me 👍🏼
I’ll stand on the pegs for a few reasons.
1. To film a view without the sat nav, speedo and other clutter in the shot.
2. Stretch my legs and give my butt a rest on long journeys ( It can double the length of stints between stops)
3. Off road, so I don’t get bounced off the saddle and thrown at the hedge 😎
Now I know, I think the butt resting phase will be my favourite 😂
@@wsmv 🤣
Great that you’re enjoying the bike. I stand up a lot because I’m short and it makes it easier to dominate the bike on tight nadgery tracks. And to see over cars to get in an overtake.
BTW. You’re never lost on a motorbike. It’s all part of the adventure.
Absolutely mate, not lost, just using roads you hadn't planned too 😂
Brilliant. Totally agree just not so sure about changing the gearing for NZ roads. I will be very interested to see how you go with changing the gearing and to hear your feed back. They are a fantastic comfortable touring bike and are outstanding value for money. Love mine.
Ian it's transformed the bike, I dropped the rear sprocket to 39 teeth and now I'm cruising on motorways at 5500rpm instead of 6500, makes he gears more usable 👍
O ok. I might talk to the dealer then and see if it would affect the warranty or not by doing that. Cheers
47bhp parrel twins are a solid choice. My CB history would back that. It does nothing amazing but it just does everything well. Glad you settled with it. I was away this weekend on the CB and was wondering how the Benelli would've handled it
The expectation of the benelli was low, so its always going to impress. If I had expectations of honda build quality I would probably be unhappy with several things, but nothing serious, just things not sounding right or vibes from the engine etc .
All in all its a great package for the money 😀👍
Sounds like it's been worth the money. Sounds like that age old adage, don't expect too much and you won't be too disappointed 👍
Exactly mate, I know it's a cheap bike but actually offers more than I expected 😀👍
Nice choice mr Phill !! I personally think there an absolute bargain for the money. I nearly pulled the trigger on one myself but ended up with a VStrom 650 .
The vstrom is an excellent bike, I was looking at them yesterday in my local suzuki dealership, (already wondering what next 😂)
Thanks bud 👍
This was a consider of mine for a new motorcycle last year. In the end, I wanted a little more power, so ended up getting the CFMOTO 650MT. Another bike that has excellent price tag for what you get and still not well known.
You're absolutely right, the cfmoto is a great bike, and while most of the world still refuses to buy 'cheap' Chinese bikes the prices will stay low. Which is better for us 😀😀
I have a 21 Street model purchased in 22 for $6000 OTD. Currently has 4200 miles on it. It has a stable mate of a 19 KTM SDGT, love them both.
2 great bikes, I think the TRK502 is a surprise to most people who try it 😎👍
To be honest, I'd never even thought about one of these bikes. After looking into it abit more, they are an amazing machine for a fraction of the cost. Good choice of bike.
Honestly I couldn't fault the bike, I'm currently on another adventure and so far it performed brilliantly 😀👍
When you’re down on power you only have 1 option…SEND IT 🏍️💨
The speedo being out would definitely save a speeding ticket 😂
Glad to hear your pillions are happy with the comfort 🤘
Standing on your pegs makes you cool…I assume 😂 I don’t know with your ADV bikers 😉
Who doesn’t love AliExpress mods 😎🤘
Great video mate, this will definitely help those who might have doubts or questions regarding the bike 🤘
Thanks Grant, it's blown me away mate, currently in Belgium, fully loaded 2 up and it been awesome. For the money you definitely get a lot of bike 😁👍
All sounds very positive. A decent, value for money adventure bike👍👍
Adventuring on a budget, can't beat it.
At last the sun has come out in Belgium 😎👍
I'm really interested in the TRK702 which is due out soon. It ticks the box in everyway ie low seat height,enough power and comes with loads of features and at a good price. The only thing that puts me off is the 235kg weight (fully fueled) and that's before any accessories or luggage is fitting. That is Africa twin weight. Am only 5.7 at 60kgs so pushing the bugger around fully loaded on a soggy campsite maybe to much of a hassle. I'll test ride one and see how I good but the main stream manufacturers need to take note that the simple extras you should be getting as standard ie USB charging ports.
The weight is noticeable, especially when it's fully loaded.
But I am currently touring Belgium 2 up with all the luggage and its manageable but definitely needs focus when maneuvering.
Yes some expensive brands need to look at what these smaller companies are supplying their bikes with, thanks for watching and commenting buddy 😎👍
this was like listening to an old man describing why he likes his slippers --------- which is as good as it gets mate. There comes a point in life where comfort is not only 'a' thing, it's 'the' thing 😁and this, believe it or not, was a compliment, albeit with an element of 😋- great initial pros-n-cons mate.
Thanks buddy, ah my slippers, I've only been away 1 day and I miss them already 😂😂
I've kind of done the same thing; sold my VTR and replaced it with a Triumph Tiger. I can relate to the noise- as much as I liked the sound of my VTR I'm pretty sure my neighbours didn't really appreciate it, and keeping the revs down didn't make much difference. The thing was LOUD. I can relate to the speedometer issue as well. My Triumph reads WAY high, (far worse than your Benelli) and it's really irritating. If my car can have an accurate speedometer, why can't my bike? It's like we can't be trusted :) I know there are laws around speedos not reading low, but there's so much error built in that it's a bit ridiculous.
As much as I loved my VTR, it sure is nice to put in a day of riding and not be in pain at the end of it. Keep at it and stay safe out there.
It's like you read my mind buddy, the noise is amazing on a vtr but it's not fair on the neighbours when I have an early start. And after just doing 800 miles in 3 days over to France and Belgium I can say I've had no issues with discomfort which I would really struggle with on the vtr.
I'm surprised by the tiger speedo, triumph are a premium brand and should be better than that. Are you sure the wheels/tyre sizes haven't been changed before you gor the bike becais4 ove not heard of the speedo being that far out on the tiger?
Thanks for watching mate, really appreciate the support 😀👍
stand on peg for better control of bike on loose surfaces and to avoid bumps on ground and slow maneuver(balance turning ) also your body act like a spring when standing on pegs absorb the impact from what bike cant absorb plus shifting weight can affect bike handling during certain road,gravel,dirt,obstacles
Good info, thank buddy, all makes sense 😁👍
Nice bike, no wonder they sold so well on the Continent. Sounds so much nicer than the CB500X. Excellent value.
They are brilliant, an absolute bargain for the money 👍
It sounds like a decent bike, a bit like a Himalayan. I stand on my footpegs when I go over speed bumps because the shock is spread around my body more evenly, and my spine doesn't get the brunt of it. It's also a good way to stretch your legs and see over cars.
It's been brilliant Adam, and I agree with you, like the himalayan it perform so much better than you would expect 😁👍
Nice bike great video my friend ride safe and keep the rubber side down my friend
Thanks Ray, you too buddy 😎👍
Sounds like this bike is an absolute keeper!!!!
I'm loving it Patrick, been a long day on it today onto the European mainland but could go again already 😎👍
@@wsmv nice!!
I was just wondering how you are finding the crash bars on your trk, as they seem quite wide, really enjoying your videos, take care & safe riding
Hi John, they are wide but not quite as wide as the panniers so I use them as a guide when filtering.
Also great to mount driving lights to and also stretch your legs out on longer journeys 😁
It does me a bit of comfort for any low speed manoeuvring accidents I may have
I have the 22 model it is wide but the bars are a great place to put lights and the bars work dropped mine at 30mph new bar, gear change leaver and back to new. I'm the same if the bars fit the panniers fit 😁
The pros certainly seem to outweigh the cons. Anyone considering this bike should watch this video
I hope so mate, the Chinese bikes get a really bad name but if this is how they are going to be then the big brands need to watch out 👍
One more positive - the 2 extra switches company provides for aux lights.
Great bike for someone who want to start adventure touring. So many positives 👍
I love TRK ❤
Me too Albert, amazing bikes 😁👍
The gearing seems to be a standard thing on these types of bike. It's fairly standard to change the front sprocket on my CB500X for the same reason. Same thing on the A2 bike too but I love it. As long as you don't want to tear around everywhere this type of bike is excellent. Have you considered those little bags that go on crash bars?
I thought about the neutral thing and realised that I very rarely actually use neutral anyway. I always park in gear and only select neutral if I need to push the bike around.
I changed the rear sprocket and it transformed the bike, dropped by 3 teeth. Now the motorway cruising speed Is about 700rpm less and sits right in the best torque 👍
I managed to engineer a givi tanklock fitment which has worked perfectly (currently riding in brlgium) .
Did think about the crash bar bags and still may get them.
Cheers buddy 👍
@@wsmv Nice. I might try something similar at chain change time.
@@wsmvi have the non x version, absolutely love it too. The road version comes with a 2 teeth smaller rear sprocket as standard 👍
@turningwheels2584 hi buddy, yes they are awesome bikes, I put a smaller sprocket from standard which dropped the motorway cruising rpm by about 400, really reduced the buzzing at speed.
Absolute joy to ride though 😎👍
When will the tft trk502x will be released? Any ideas?. I cant wait so i can buy my end game touring bike. I dont like the cb500x, cuz im looking for the looks.😂
I'm no expert but I would suspect after the 702 has seen good sales figures, I would honestly look at the 702 as your Endgame bike, it is everything the 502 is but with extras everywhere including a proper instrument panel 👍
@@wsmv sadly i asked the benelli saleslady here and said the 702 is not yet allowed to be released here and i forgot the reason, i remember 2 or 3 yrs no one knows but nxt year said its impossible,.but the 800 is already here, qjmotor/bristol company sales it named srt800.but i dnt trust the brand yet. 502/x is already 5 or 6 yrs already here so maybe its enough for me. I already testride it, the sounds was awesome and power is already enough for me.dominar for my daily bike and trk is for weekend,🙂.i dnt want to spend more for a bike.😁save the money for maintenance and touring cost/setup.😁my friend has already 75k km odo in his trk.why would i not trust this brand,😁
@KaSEPSEPH I agree, the bigger benellis, 502 engines are all quality controlled in Italy before supplied to the dealers, this is why the big benellis are so good and the small capacity Chinese ones are poor.
The 702 is available here in the uk already, where are you living?
@@wsmv im from philippines.i really wanted the 702 i saw it here in the showroom last february. i choose 502 because, i try versys1000 which my dad owned, gs1250 which my uncle owned (hate the maintenance cost im only 28🤣need to focus on investment not just bikes.) these liter bikes are overpowered for a small country and very traffic road like us.😂cb500x have more power than trk (power to weight ratio they said) but i really dont like the look and i felt that its just same as my dominar😂 im so jealous u live in a bigger country compare to us. 🥲
@SERseph we don't have the weather though 😔
The trk is much better looking than the CB and much cheaper to run and service than the others.
Hope you find the right bike soon, or get a tft kit for a trk (it jas been done 👍)
When you change the rear sprocket with a smaller one, the speedo accuracy will increase :)
Hi Costas, I'm pretty sure the speedo takes its signal from the abs sensors, so only changing the wheel/tyre circumference would alter the speed display.
Changing the gearing only changes the RPM at a particular speed. Could be wrong though, thanks for commenting 👍
I stand on the pegs when I’m off pavement, allows the bike to bounce around without kicking me off when the terrain gets rougher
Ah so that why, will have a go next time I go off road (like that's ever gonna happen) 😂😂
@@wsmv oh, you really need to try a couple of green lanes! Get Exeter, or Saddlebags to get you on some of the “easier” lanes to start, it’s so addictive to be able to take a motorcycle on roads that you wouldn’t take a street bike on otherwise!!!
It would be nice to find a trk502 in the USA. All I can seem to find is the trk502X. I'd like to buy one but prefer the road version.
Very strange that the X version is available and not the road version. I think the X looks slightly better with the spoke wheels and crash bars as standard, also the slightly higher ride height is nice.
I do think the road version has better brakes though, great bikes 👍
@@wsmv The 502 has a 17" wheel in the front instead of the 19" that the 502X has. For me I don't like that the 502x has the high exhaust that cut into the right panniers storage capacity. I just prefer the symmetry of the right and left panniers on the 502. However, with that being said if I can't get my hands on the 502 I'd be happy with a 502x.
I’m reliably informed by some trail riding experts that standing up allows the bike’s suspension to do its stuff a lot easier without the load of a person sitting on it. It can move around more without disturbing the rider to so then there’s less weight transfer from high up. Allegedly 😉
Sounds legit 👌 plus it looks cool 😂
@@wsmv definitely. Unless it’s me doing it 😂😂
All Speedos over read. Because it's illegal to make Speedos that under read. Manufacturers make them over read slightly to be on the safe side.
They all read slightly over but the trk is particularly bad, about 10% over. But it's a minor problem that doesn't spoil an excellent bike 👍
The 502 is a heavy bike with only mediocre power, Weston, so upping the gearing may have an adverse effect in terms of overall pulling power, acceleration, tackling inclines, and even fuel economy as you will have to have the throttle open more to offset the effect of the higher gearing.
Most vehicle speedos read high. I'm not sure if this is a marketing ploy by the manufacturers to make you think it's a faster vehicle or whether it's a safety factor.
The acceleration loss isn't enough for me to notice, and just travelled from weston to brugge 2up and fully loaded today with no real lack of pulling power after swapping the rear sprocket for 39 teeth, made such an awesome difference to cruising rpm 👍
@@wsmv Glad it worked out OK for you. Bruges is a lovely place.
I think the main reason to stand on pegs is on a rough road, ie a huge pot hole so the shock is absorbed by your legs, not your back.
Of course your suspension might be so good, maybe you don't need to?
I have to admit I like doing it to stretch my legs more than anything else, and I get a great view 😎👍
How does this do on highway speeds?
Hi Chris, it's suprisingly good, we have travelled 2up into Europe fully loaded and over to Ireland 2up with all the luggage attached all without issue.
If you want to head off into a autobahn sunset at 100+ mph you will be disappointed, but if you just want to keep a consistent 70mph up hill down Dale and on for miles and miles it will do an ample job and be incredibly comfortable while you do it. Hope that helps 😁👍
@@wsmv highways around here are 70 to 80mph my benelli 302s can't do that long distance
@chrisroosa3695 the 502 is very capable at highway speeds, with one person on board it will happily cruise at 80, and after I changed the rear sprocket the revs dropped by 500rpm which made it a bit less buzzy 👍
Hi the mirrors are reflection no the bike its self . :)
Rolley
😂😂 I like what you did there 😉👍
My VStrom is the same with the MPH! My odometer is consequently off as well…. I can do a mile at a shorter distance than my ride partners do😂😂😂😂
Does that make you faster than them 🤔
😂😂
@@wsmv exactly! I can do 100 miles in the save amount of time they do 90!!!
About not finding neutral, seems like you need to try a kawasaki
Oh dear, I'm guessing you're having problems with yours?
@wsmv Kawasaki's have a positive neutral finder and it's impossible to go from 1st to 2nd at standstill so it always goes into neutral
Probably the clutch cable needs adjusting
Motorway cruising, adjust your style of riding, or avoid Motorways.
Standing up on an ADV bike..........you look cool 😎
Well, no, you don't, you just think you do!! 🤣🤣🤣
I think you've hit the nail on the head with both points mate 😁👍
I think any bike becomes lighter and lighter as you get used to it….
I hope so, just arrived in Belgium riding 2up fully loaded and I think my thigh muscles have doubled in size 😂😂
@@wsmv Ha! I hope y’all have an amazing time!!!
Sorry to say not the best review but hey ho. No mention of centre stand or did I miss that ? No mention of service costs as such ? Any way not having a go just a few comments. But let me say this been riding bikes for over 50 years and ridden most bikes my last being a B.M.W. 1200 G.S. and what a bloody waste of time that pile of crap was Sorry to all G.S.owners but one of the most over rated bikes ever built in my humble opinion!!! £120 per hour service charges and once the bike is out of warranty just try talking to B.M.W. they don't give a shit !! And parts prices make them a bike the average individual can just not afford .. The T.K.R. 502 on the other hand is a really really good bike
and great value for money !! The only true negatives being no centre stand slightly under powered if you do not want a rocket ship and is a little heavy but apart from that every bit as good as a G.S.and to date more reliable at god knows how much less initial cost and if you include depreciation then its a better bike by far !!!!!!!!! This is a bike I will be keeping !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Allan, sorry if I didn't meet expectations with this vid, I'm not a paid motorcycle reviewer and just give my opinions. It's difficult to give all the facts while doing these videos because I struggle to type into Google while I'm riding. 😁
But in the interest of positivity here goes.
1. The 502 doesn't come with a centre stand but the 502x does, and it fits straight on as an optional extra.
2. Only had the trk for 6 months, so have no idea about servicing costs. Can't imagine they'd be too high as long as you can find a garage that will touch it.
3. It does everything it should, and does it well. The only reason I changed it is because the trip to Italy, 2up and fully loaded this summer would have been a lot to ask of the little chi-talian stallion.
All in all, with the exception of the lack of overtaking ability there are very few negatives with the trk, so much so that the multistrada I have now only beats it on performance, and has many areas that are not as good as the trk 👍
@@wsmv Hey fella did not mean to insult at least you do do something I just sit on my fat ass and make comments which very often regret as in this instance so sorry if it came over as very negative honestly 100% sorry !!