Benelli TRK702 or Moto Morini X Cape? (quick static discussion)

apologies for the lack of edit and sound quality. I thought I’d plugged in the mics but it didn’t seem to work and I was in Milton Keynes by the time I realised

Morning guys uh welcome to the channel just a quick video this morning it’s about 6 o00 uh in the morning I’ve got a busy day I’ve got to take this Benelli back to B Treads over in Swindon who’s loaned it me for the last week via Moto

GB the Importer and then I’m off to Gloucester to pick up my triumph 400x which is a bike I’ll be using this year for some of the tours and I’ll have on the fleet for people to ride down here uh and then I’ve got to pick up a Suzuki

V Suzuki vam 800 de which Suzuki kindly loading me for a month just to see what that’s like and I’m really interested to see what the 800c large capacity sort of Trail adventure bike is like I watched a video from L pave of break magazine last night between the transalp and the vrom

800 and it seemed to be split in hairs but interesting to see what that size of bike is like on a trail so I should give that a go uh for now though I just wanted to respond to a comment on the video I put out the other day on this

Benelli trk 702 you know it’s always interesting reading the comments what people think or what they like or don’t like how some people never buy a Chinese bike and others obviously think that there’s no way you can avoid buying some elements of a Chinese bike given how

Much is made out there so it’s a very interesting debate to be had really and one of the questions was you know between this the Benelli and the Marini which would you have and it’s a good question and to be honest I didn’t I don’t think I’ve arrived at an easy

Answer to it for the simple fact is I’ve owned that Marina for two years I’ve done 10,000 miles I’ve toured Ireland and Scotland and the UK on it lands and Johny gr and around the wild Atlantic way and things and I’ve really enjoyed it as a as a machine it’s it’s just it’s

Worked it’s been reliable it just had two little I guess electrical Gremlins in Island Heavy Rain one night and then the next day it just just cut out a few times the engine management light came on uh and I had that cleared at our local bik shop and it just looked like a

O2 sensor fault or something like that so not a you know nothing in the grand scheme of things has gone wrong with it and and actually How It’s Made seems very good people say you know the Chinese stuff’s not that well made I’ve got to say that Marini is whether it’s

The paint or the quality of the fixtures and fittings nothing’s gone furry on it the the St spokes are stainless stain can’t speak it’s too early the spokes are stainless steel there’s tie pressure sensors nothing’s rattled off the screen can be a bit rattly and difficult to

Adjust that would be my only uh criticism but that’s an easy fix with a different screw and uh bolt through it so all in all I’ve really enjoyed the Marini I think it’s a good bike it’s it’s not sold very well I don’t think it’s it’s hit the mark and and I think

The reason for that is when it was launched at 775,000 and it had only 60 brake horsepower I think people didn’t see really see where it fit fit or they looked at it and then quickly glanced onto more obvious options in that price range such as a vom uh 600 or 650 sorry

Or a versus 650 which I did go back and check and yes you can get a versus 650 for £8,000 so actually the difference between a Marini and a versus was was negligible really and for most people I think they’re always going to ur toward towards uh spending that sort of money

On something that’s got a bit more credibility or certainly more Su sustainability let’s say it’s going to be around you know a caki vers is is going to be around forever the Marini is come and gone over the last couple of decades as as a manufacturer uh so it’s

Always it’s always a gamble with these kind of bikes and I don’t think the price was low enough to get people just to give it give it a shot uh you could get the cast aluminium bike for £7,000 um which I think is probably a

Good bet and I mean it’s a sign of a bike not doing too well the fact you can get a brand new motor marine in now for £55,000 from some dealers so it’s an incredible value by you know you think that is a hell of a hunk of metal and

Plastic and it to me it looks good and to me it rides well and you can get it brand new for5 half th000 from some dealers if you look on eBay so you know if you are willing to give one a go I think now is the time to give one to go

Uh both use the same engine so it’s a Kawasaki er6 derived engine uh now it was proposed on the on the Forum again on on the YouTube comments that they were all built in the same Factory by CF motor which might be the case it’s interesting to see that the the Marini

Uses the original 649cc lump this has been stroked to 697 and the CF Moto is 693 so uh maybe they’re build in the same Factory but they’re building three derivatives or maybe CF motor build the block and then like Marini or Benelli go away and put

Their own heads on it barrels on it I I I honestly don’t know what I would say is the difference between these two bikes are is the engine uh it’s it’s it is the same engine but that’s producing I think 54 Newton M of torque and 60

Brake horsepower and this is 70 Newton M of torque and 70 brake horow and the difference really is night and day um this has got mid-range roll on it feels quite strong in the mid-range it almost feels twid esque um you know like a V

Twin in the way it pulls it digs in and it goes mid-range you can short shift through there’s there’s sort of more in the mid-range than it feels like there is in the top top end which is different to the Marini which has got nothing in the mid-range

And you have to come down through the gear to do those overtakes but it feels like it wants to rev and and get you into those higher rev regions so as a relaxing day-to-day bike I think it’s it’s a no-brainer this engine makes this bike more effortless to ride at a

Touring Pace let’s say whereas the Marini you do have to work it and there are times when it feels incredibly flat as an engine and you think where is it where is the power and you think no I’ve got a good down a gear got a good down a

Gear now I would say maybe if you’re riding like quite spirited there is a lot of reward in that Marini because you’re always chasing the power you’ve got to work it harder you’ve got to be more clean with your gear changes clean with your lines course you’re trying to

Keep it in those higher revs or keep the power in there whereas obviously you could be a lazy quick Rider on this so I think there’s a bit of like what’s your personality what do you prefer to ride uh but I think if I’m honest this engine

In that Marina would make a special bike it it would make it more if that Marini had got a flagship BHP figure 70 brake horsepower I think it would have sold better 70 brake horsepower £7,000 I think it would have done all right but I think being £500 over £7,000 and being

10 brake horsepower under 70 that’s what’s probably kneecapped it a little bit um in terms of handling I prefer the the Marines 19 I know obviously get the trk 702x with the 19 all I would say is that is tubless whereas on the 702x it is chewed which is a massive difference

In practicality if you to get a puncture I could simply plug that with a plug kit on the Marini whereas on the X model of this I would have to get the tube out and which would be an impossible job with that size T T Tire say at the side

Of the road or or or whatever so from a practicality point of view I prefer the Marini brakes it’s interesting these are Brembo Brembo brakes on the Marini and no branded own brand ones on the Benelli but it’s the Benelli brakes that have got more bite which is interesting isn’t

It you know we can put brembos on a caliper but does it mean they’re better than a caliper with no no name on it well not necessarily maybe it’s pads maybe it’s fluid I’ve changed the fluid on that to try and improve it but it is

A bit gutless that front brake it works but you don’t know it feels like you got to squeeze it I actually swapped bikes with a guy with a KTM 890 up in Scotland were he was riding behind me and for a minute he thought he got 890 breaks and

He he obviously didn’t he he grabbed the front brake on the Marine he like he grabbed the front brake on the 890 and he comes sailing pass me because he couldn’t stop so you know there is a bit of a difference between a high-end Brembo break and a low-end Brembo breaks

From a suspension point of view again it goes to the Marini uh fully adjustable suspension mozak forks and I think a KYB rear shock I think that’s what makes the bike the suspension makes the bike on that Marina it’s what allows you to get the most out of that 60 Brak or power

Because you can ride the wheels off it it’s good in the corners it’s fluid down the straights it’s got a nice balance between sort of control and comfort I think it’s a real Gem of a setup that the suspension on that bike which again if it had this engine in that chassis I

Think that would be the perfect compromise so so it leaves us we’re to make a decision and I think ultimately there’s not a lot between them and in a way the perfect bike is something that blends both bikes together which is impossible maybe the perfect bike is

That 702x but then you got you are compromising with those tube tires but then equally I like this non X model because of this low seat height you know I’ve dropped that Marini the the Marini in the x702 are about the same seat height this is about 40 millim lower and

I’ve dropped that Marina just cuz you know you’re going to put a foot down and you just don’t quite get the ground and then the bike’s that heavy it goes over over before you you can catch it I never got that impression with this uh stock

Model uh of the Benelli so I would say if you’re a less confident Rider a shorter leg Rider you’re an older Rider you might be foro better foro the 19inch front wheel of the Marini or the Benelli X and just getting this stock bike but that aside practicalities aside 20 L

Tank 18 lit tank Weight Wise are about say about 230 so so taking all that aside I think it’s got to come down to what does your good tell you what does your instinct tell you which bike speaks to you more loudly and uh I think if it

If it somebody was to say would just Swap this for that Marini I think no I’d say I’m going to keep my Marini I like it I like the way it looks I like the way it feels I like the way it is a proper leftfield Choice them really I

Can kind of you can kind of get your head around why somebody buy a Benelli because they’re an emerging brand there’s quite a few dealers you know it’s very good value the Marin is a little bit not there with that any of that stuff but somehow it speaks to me

It says I’m I’m intriguing let me give me a go so I think for that reason I’d stick with the Marini um but if I was if if if I was you coming at this from a cold perspective which do I buy I think rationally you

Would buy the Benelli I think it’s got a longer lifespan there’s more faith in the brand I think uh it’s got a better engine and I think the fit and finish and actually the refinement of the controls is better as well the clutch is lighter and smoother sometimes that can

Be a bit uh grabby on the on the pulloff it’s hard to get that away cleanly it certainly is on mine but everything just works better and those breaks are better so actually from a rational point of view actually yeah the Benelli is a better bike it’s a better investment

It’s a better bike it’s a better allrounder with the paniers for free it’s um it’s it’s a it’s a great deal so actually yeah the the Benelli would be a clear Victor Victor in a scorecard comparison um but I can’t help but still like that Marini interestingly the

Dealer I got the Marini from um bike stop no it’s not Bike Stop uh one second motor Hub sorry motor Hub up in the middle they can take that out to 72 brake horsepower by way of removing the cat and doing some ECU work but it’s about 1,200 quid for 12 horsepower so

100 pound of horsepower it’s probably a little bit too much for me to spend on a budget bike um you know and the question of what are these bikes worth when you come to sell them it does raise its head like I paid relatively because I did a

Part Exchange £7,000 for that Marini you can now buy a brand new one for5 and a half what does that mean mine is worth with 10,000 mil four three in a bit I don’t know you know make me an offer if you want it um so yeah so in conclusion

The Benelli is a better buy it offers a better package but if you like the look of the Marini and it calls to you just get the Marini because there’s not a great deal between them right off to the Midlands to get that 400x which I’m very excited about cheers sh