Swinging arm with double adjustable shocks and concentric
springs
Front Brakes
Drum with 4 selfwinding shoes, 180 mm Ø
Rear Brakes
Drum, 158 mm Ø
Front Tyre
3.00-18
Rear Tyre
3.25-18
Wheelbase
1310 mm / 51.6 in
Dry Weight
136.5 kg / 301 lbs
Fuel Capacity
14 Litres / 3.7 US gal
Top Speed
145 km/h / 90 mph
.
The Italian firm
of Benelli produce two completely different 250 motor cycles, the cheaper
and less glamorous one being their 250 with drum brakes front and back. The 250 is a two-stroke,
twin-cylinder bike which follows the layout of the popular Japanese bikes in
the quarter litre class. With a 56 mm bore and 47 mm stroke, the engine
actually displaces 231cc from which is extracted 30 bhp at 8000 rpm. This
power gives the small Benelli a top speed of 90 mph and a fuel consumption of
45 mpg. Again, as is usual with Japanese machines, a five-speed gearbox with
left-foot change is utilised. The frame of the bike is of duplex design and
the suspension is conventional in every sense. However, the whole outfit is
very taut and well designed-so that the handling and roadholding are of the
highest order. One failing of the machine is that it still needs to be fed
with petroil mixture instead of the more usual self-mixing set up with
separate tanks for petrol and oil.
The finish and
appearance is not quite up to the standard set by Japanese manufacturers, so
the bike misses on this score also. Interestingly, two models of the Benelli
250CE are manufactured, one with drum brakes front and rear and one with a
front disc. Although the disc version is considerably more expensive, it is
not as effective as the drum in the wet.
Also, if you are not keen on the
Benelli name, you can have an identical bike with the Moto Guzzi badges on,
as they are made at the same factory.
Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated.