Benelli India has begun accepting bookings for the Imperiale 400, its new retro-style motorcycle that’s inspired by the Benelli-MotoBi range that was produced in 1950. Bookings can be done either online via the dedicated Benelli Imperiale India website or at Benelli showrooms across India, against a minimum booking amount of Rs 4,000. The Italian bike maker says that deliveries will commence by the end of October 2019.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 will be the first retro-styled motorcycle in the company’s Indian portfolio, and features a simple design with a generous serving of chrome. Other design highlights include split seats, a twin-pod instrument cluster and a peashooter-type exhaust.  Braking duties are performed by a 300mm single disc with a two-piston floating caliper and a 240mm rear disc with standard ABS. The Imperiale runs a 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoke wheel combination, which gels with the bike’s appealing design. 

The Imperiale 400 is powered by a single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that makes 20.4hp at 5,500rpm and 28Nm of torque at 3,500rpm. The engine is expected to conform to the upcoming BS6 emission norms, which kick in from April 2020.

Benelli India is expected to price the Imperiale 400 at a competitive price, considering that it was looking at localising a few components such as wheels, tyres, brakes and electricals.

The company is offering the Imperiale 400 with a standard three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and customers can choose between three colour options for their motorcycle – Red, Black and Chrome.