Benelli 250 Quattro

In a completely different sector of the market to its two-stroke stablemate is the Benelli 250/4 which is, as its name suggests, a four-cylinder bike of approximately 250CC. Like the larger six-cylinder 750 Sei, the 250/4 is an undeniably extravagant bike and that is something which is reflected in its astronomical price, a figure which is almost twice that asked for the CE Benelli. It is not in performance where the four-stroke four has an advantage for, with 26.5bhp and a top speed of just on 90mph, the CE gives nothing away at all. What is interesting is that the four-cylinder 250 is almost 5olb lighter than the CE and in every dimension is a very small bike indeed.

The heart of the bike is an overhead-camshaft engine which looks something like a miniature 500 Honda unit and is, in fact, of basically the same design. Maximum power is produced at io,5oorpm but the engine is safe to over 11,000 where it makes a sound like a noisy sewing machine. If the engine is not revved to its full potential, the fuel economy is excellent and far better than anything possible with an engine of two-stroke design.  Apart from the engine, most other parts of the bike are of conventional design with a front disc, rear drum and standard oil fork dampers and swinging arm. The designers have, however, made the small Benelli appear as modern as possible with a one-piece tank/seat/rear fairing unit. Set in a panel in the front of the tank unit is the instrument nacelle with a tachometer and speedometer. Unfortunately, however neat it looks, the dials are hard to see and take ones attention away from the road.

 To finish the modern appearance there are cast-alloy three-spoke wheels which look a little odd but are strong and easy to clean. As with the CE, a Moto Guzzi version of this bike is available, called the 254. Its styling is a little different but again is merely badge engineering.  The company did experiment with a bike powered by two of the little 'fours' mounted together to make a 500 V8, but the costs were prohibitive, while a 125CC 'four' developed at the same time as the 250 was thought to be just too extravagant.