Benelli TRK 502 Vs. Honda CB500X – The Adventure Touring segment has gained quite a bit of popularity in the Indian market. The segment owes its reputation to the Royal Enfield Himalayan in India. But the motorcycle sits at the lower-end in terms of performance and more mature riders seek larger and more powerful adventure tourers such as the Triumph Tiger and BMW GS Adventure.
But then, there are some transitioning from the nimble Hero MotoCorp Xpulse, BMW G310 GS and Royal Enfield Himalayan towards the heavyweights. This is where the mid-size twin-cylinder segment comes in, bridging the gap. Currently, the KTM 390 Adventure dominates the lower end of the mid-size segment, which by far, in my opinion, is the logical choice for ‘adventouring.’
Also Read: Honda CB500X Vs. KTM 390 Adventure – Specification Comparison
But then we also have the big, bold and beautiful Benelli TRK 502 and the Honda CB500X. Well, looks are subjective, so we keep our topic close to only the technical aspects. This article compares the BS6 Benelli TRK 502 with the newly-launched Honda CB500X in a technical specification comparison.
Powering the Benelli TRK 502 is a 500cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled motor. The BS6 compliant engine with electronic fuel injection produces 47.5 PS of power and 46 Nm of torque. The engine comes with a 6-speed gearbox with a gear shift indicator that prompts the rider to select the optimum ratio. The brand also boasts that the new BS6 engine is refined than the predecessor.
Honda, on the other hand, is renowned for refinement. The CB500X comes with a BS6 compliant 471cc parallel-twin cylinder engine. The liquid-cooled motor with electronic fuel injection produces 47 Hp of power and 43.2 Nm of torque. The motor comes with a 6-speed transmission that features an Assist/Slipper Clutch. This feature allows smoother clutch action and also prevents the rear wheel from locking during aggressive downshifts.
The Benelli TRK 502 is a big motorcycle and measures 2200 mm in length, 915 mm in width and 1450 mm in height. The bike comes with 190 mm of ground clearance and a dominant 800 mm of seat height. The Benelli TRK 502 also comes with 1505 mm of wheelbase, 20-litres of fuel tank capacity and 235 kg of weight. The Honda CB500X measures 2156 mm in length, 828 mm in width and 1412 mm in height. The CB500X features 181mm of ground clearance and a commanding 830 mm of saddle height. The Honda CB500X also comes with a 1443 mm wheelbase, 17.7-litre fuel tank and 199 kg of weight at the kerb.
The Benelli TRK 502 comes with a steel-tube trellis chassis that rides on USD Telescopic forks on the front. The rear end comes with a hydraulic mono-shock with rebound and preload adjustability. The Benelli TRK 502 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels on both the front and rear shod in road-biased tyres. The Honda CB500X features a steel-tube chassis that rides on conventional telescopic forks on the front and a Honda ProLINK mono-shock on the rear. The adventure tourer rides on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear alloy wheels shod in dual-purpose tyres.
The Benelli TRK 502 comes with 320 dual disc brakes with hydraulic callipers on the front. The motorcycle features a single 260mm disc on the rear equipped with dual-channel ABS. The Honda CB500X comes with a single 310mm disc with a hydraulic calliper on the front and a single 240mm disc on the rear equipped with dual-channel ABS.
Benelli offers the TRK 502 in three colour options – Benelli Red, Pure White and Metallic Dark Grey. The price starts from INR 4.80 lakh ex-showroom, India (Introductory) for the Metallic Dark Grey and INR 4.90 lakh ex-showroom India (Introductory) for the Benelli Red and Pure White colour options. The Honda CB500X is offered in two colour options – Grand Prix Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic. The Honda CB500X comes with an ex-showroom price tag of INR 6.87 in India.