Benelli has given the new classic 400 a nickname that promises a lot: Imperial. In fact, the retro bike, designed in Italy and built in China, has an almost regal feel to it when you ride it. The basic defensive character of the Benelli Imperiale 400 also contributes to this.
Even in capacity-oriented Germany, demand for motorcycles in the 300 to 400 cubic meter class is increasing. With the Benelli Imperiale 400, another 400 is coming onto the German market: classic from the spoked wheels to the tank-seat line, with pretty accessories such as knee pads on the tank, solid sheet metal fenders, all kinds of chrome trimmings and two round instruments in the cockpit. With an engine output of just over 20 hp, the nickname “Imperiale” for the Benelli 400 seems a bit high, but the brand derives it from a 125 from the 1950s. It was still significantly weaker.
There are no real breaks in style on the 400 series, which was built in China but developed in Italy at the old Benelli company headquarters in Pesaro: a round headlight painted black with a chrome ring and halogen bulb is just as stylish as the large, round indicators or the shape of the stainless steel Peashooter style exhausts, wire wheels and 41mm telescopic forks. For 4000 euros plus 300 euros ancillary delivery costs, the little Chinese does not appear overpriced.
She turned out pretty stocky. The powerful double-loop tubular steel frame, the box swing arm also made of steel or the very solid-looking footrest carrier and the ungainly round steel foot brake lever indicate that a low vehicle weight was not at the top of the developers’ specifications. At 205 kilograms, the Benelli is heavier than some naked 1000s. A fairly high payload of 190 kilos is permitted.
The tire dimensions, a 19-incher at the front and an 18-incher at the rear, are chosen appropriately: Turning into corners is extremely easy, and changing corners are also easy to handle thanks to the economical tire dimensions and the pleasantly wide tubular steel handlebars. Straight-line stability is unobtrusively good up to a top speed of 120 km/h, and corners are stably rounded.
Not only the basic defensive character of the Imperiale, but also the modest maximum power of 21.1 hp in most cases stands in the way of overconfident forward thrust. The long-stroke, air-cooled, 374cc, two-valve, single-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft develops it at a modest 5500 crankshaft revolutions. The maximum torque of 29 Newton meters pushes the engine at 4500 rpm. on the rear wheel. According to this data, the propellant charge can also be considered elastic and powerful in practical driving.
Usually one is between 2500 and 5000 tours on the way, beyond the nominal speed the otherwise quite noticeable revving quickly decreases. Amazingly, at the top speed, which is 140 km/h, the machine revs out completely and even higher. If you practice this driving style, which is actually not appropriate to the species, the standard consumption of 3.1 liters per 100 kilometers can of course not be achieved. When refueling, the test drive resulted in a consumption of 3.8 liters. The 12 liter tank should guarantee a range of at least 300 kilometers.
Like the rich sound, the running of the engine is also extremely pleasing: Only “good vibes” arise, so that despite the modest performance, a big grin can often be seen on the driver’s face. The five-speed gearbox plays along with the smooth-running clutch: It works extremely smoothly and is well tuned. The Benelli does not have an adjustable clutch lever, but an adjustable brake lever.
The fun factor is particularly high on small and very small streets with low traffic density. Of course, those who haven’t completely forgotten their 125cc times and who can still call up the driving principle of “always let it go” are in good shape. A similar amount of driving pleasure is difficult to achieve with many other motorcycles or only at very high speeds.
You can hold it very well: at the front, two-piston calipers bite into the 300 mm disc, at the rear a single-piston caliper grips a 240 mm disc. If necessary, the ABS is on hand with clean control. The 41 mm telescopic fork with 12.1 centimeters of spring travel seems to be very useful, the two shock absorbers at the rear with adjustable preload offer 9.2 centimeters of spring travel and, together with the properly padded, sufficiently large seat, satisfactorily eliminate the usual adversities of the asphalt.
