Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
The 2024 Imperiale 400 brings vintage style and appropriate performance with a price tag to match. (Benelli/)It’s not often that we get press releases on Benelli Motorcycles’ entire US lineup, but the latest one telling us that the Imperiale 400 is coming to America for 2024 especially caught our eye. The Imperiale is not really new; Benelli Motorcycles has offered the bike in one form or another in Europe and parts of Asia since 2018, but it’s just now making its debut in the US, slotting in as the only model under Benelli’s classic category. Benelli is referring to it as a “spiritual successor to the Benelli-Motobi Imperiales of the 1950s,” and one look at the Imperiale 400 confirms the old-school pedigree, with cues like a 374cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine, steel frame, five-speed gearbox, and peashooter mufflers.You get just the basics on the Imperiale 400, with an air-cooled single-cylinder engine (now Euro 5 compliant), double cradle steel frame, and five-speed transmission. (Benelli/)First, a bit of housekeeping. As you may know, in 2005 Benelli was acquired by Chinese manufacturing giant Qianjiang Motorcycle Group—the behemoth behind QJMotor, KSR Moto, and tangentially, Keeway. The Benelli brand retains an R&D center in Italy (specifically in Pesaro, from whence the original Italian company sprang back in 1911)—but the bikes are built in China, where QJ also distributes them. More crucially, the Keeway Group, a former subsidiary which now co-owns and manages the Benelli brand (confusing, we know), has recently taken over distribution for the US market from SSR Motorsports, hence the lineup reshuffle. Benelli has essentially brought its distribution in-house.Related: Scramblers You Can Buy in 2021The current Imperiale’s retro vibe channels the Benelli-Motobi Imperiale models of the 1950s, with wire-spoked wheels, tank pads, exposed dual shocks, and bulb indicators. (Benelli/)All of that is a long-winded way to say that, with this new release, Benelli is likely looking to expand its footprint in the US (though we’re not sure what the US strategy is with Keeway—which has its own line of small-bore motos—or QJMotors, going forward).But back to the Imperiale; if you’re into retro classics, the introduction of this Italian-designed, Chinese-made moto is a good thing. Its spot-on styling compares favorably with the likes of the Kawasaki W800 or, more appropriately, Royal Enfield’s Classic 350, with similarly authentically old-school touches like a two-piece seat with knee pads on the fuel tank, a peashooter muffler, and large Cyclops headlight to sell the Imperiale’s aesthetics.Analog clocks are arranged in a circular twin pod layout—and even have a rev counter (Enfield, are you listening?). (Benelli/)Naturally, you’re not gonna go muck up the retro vibe with a liquid-cooled DOHC lump in the engine bay, so while the long-stroke 374cc single of the Imperiale 400 may be fuel injected (the injector is hidden behind a cover, so props to Benelli for that touch), it’s also air-cooled, with a two-valve head and a single overhead cam. The twin-spark thumper was designed specifically for this model and puts out a claimed 21 hp at 5,500 rpm, with 21.4 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, and even meets Euro 5 requirements. That’s not a heck of a lot considering the Imperiale’s 197-kilogram dry heft (approximately 434 pounds, according to the UK site), but for its intended purpose, perfectly acceptable. The gearbox stays basic too, offering five speeds, with no assist or slipper functions.With the engine, frame, and fenders being blacked out, the Imperiale’s styling also nods to current trends, but there are some glaring visuals that stick out, like the conspicuously placed metal shield for the catalytic converter perched on the header.The split seat layout features a sprung rider’s portion and a distinct, nicely padded passenger area. Rear and side grab rails are a nice touch. (Benelli/)As for the chassis, you guessed it: a double-cradle steel tube frame with the front suspension consisting of a conventional 41mm fork with 4.8 inches of travel, while vintage-looking exposed twin coilover shocks with just 2 inches of travel handle the bumps out back. The rider’s seat is sprung, however, which will no doubt help smooth the ride.Following its old-school aesthetics, the Imperiale 400 rolls on 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoked wheels. Adding to the vintage look and feel are rubber knee pads on the fuel tank, a two-piece seat with a sprung unit for the rider and a separate, generously padded area for the passenger with a rear grab rail, peashooter mufflers, a large round front headlight, and conventional indicators. Mounted on the handlebar is a mostly analog (but with an LCD window) twin-pod instrument cluster to give you the basic bike info—including rpm.Stopping duties for the Imperiale 400 are handled by a 300mm rotor and two-piston floating caliper up front, with a 240mm rotor at the rear clamped by a single-piston floating caliper. ABS is standard on Euro models, but we can’t confirm the same for the US-bound bikes; there’s no mention in the latest release or on the website.We’re also not clear about accessory options for the Imperiale, though some of the included photos show the bike in motion with stylish, leather-looking saddlebags, and it appears the stock model comes with some sort of framework or stays on either side of the rear wheel, though we can’t confirm their purpose.The 2024 Imperiale 400 has an MSRP of $4,899 in the US. (Benelli/)Benelli may have identified a burgeoning niche in the entry-level retro market, and it will likely be compared to the likes of the Honda Rebel 500 or the Kawasaki Eliminator here in the US, even though it really looks to be a better match with the Royal Enfield Classic 350 or the Genuine G400C—in both style and substance. (Yamaha’s no-longer-produced SR400 may have been a contender too. RIP.) Either way, we’re looking forward to a head-to-head comparison.The 2024 Imperiale 400 will be available in Glossy Black, Maroon, and Glossy Silver and should hit showrooms later this quarter, with an MSRP of $4,899.2024 Benelli Imperiale 400 Specs
MSRP:
$4,899
Engine:
SOHC, air-cooled single; 2 valves/cyl.
Displacement:
374cc
Bore x Stroke:
72.7 x 90.0mm
Compression Ratio:
8.5:1
Transmission/Final Drive:
5-speed/chain
Fuel System:
Electronic fuel injection
Clutch:
Wet, multiplate
Engine Management/Ignition:
TLI
Frame:
Double cradle steel tube
Front Suspension:
41mm telescopic fork; 4.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension:
Twin coil-spring shocks, spring preload adjustable; 2.1 in. travel
Front Brake:
2-piston floating caliper, 300mm disc
Rear Brake:
1-piston caliper, 240mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:
Tube-type, wire-spoked aluminum; 19 in./18 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:
Maxxis Promaxx; 100/90-19 / 130/80-18
Rake/Trail:
N/A
Wheelbase:
56.7 in.
Seat Height:
30.7 in.
Fuel Capacity:
3.2 gal.
Claimed Dry Weight:
434 lb. (UK spec)
Contact:
benelli.com/us-en”}]]
