Chinese-owned Italian motorcycle brand Benelli has taken the wraps off a trio of new bikes to celebrate its 100th anniversary, having set up shop way back in 1911. The new Benelli TNT160R is the brand's most powerful motorcycle yet, which as the name suggests outputs 160hp (116kW) and looks rather trick too.
Then there are the official celebratory models, the Benelli TNT899 Century Racer and the Benelli TNT1130 Century Racer.
2011 Benelli TNT Century Racer motorcycles
As the first significant update to its TNT range -- the naked bike version of its Tornado sports bike -- the Century Racers feature new suspension, reworked cast alloy frames (front steel trestle, rear aluminium alloy), updated Brembo brakes with wave disc brakes, several visual updates and plenty of powertrain advances.
Both TNT Century Racers get remapped fuel injection settings to their inline three-cylinder dual cam engines, with the 898cc mill outputting 121hp (88kW) at 9500rpm and 88Nm at 8000rpm.
The bigger, badder Benelli model, which will rival the Ducati Monster 1100, is powered by an 1131cc triple that bangs out 130hp (95kW) at 8500rpm and a handy 110Nm of torque at a very low 5250rpm.
Both bikes come with a six-speed gearbox, and the main difference between the TNT1130 and TNT899 - apart from engine size - is the instrument panel, with the 899 featuring a more compact, simplified setup with a central tacho with integrated digital speedo.
New Marzocchi upside-down front forks with big 50mm diameter stems are now standard, with non-adjustable units on the TNT899 and fully adjustable forks on the TNT 1130.
2011 Benelli TNT160R
And then there was the Benelli TNT160R, a motorcycle that makes use of the 1131cc engine from its centennial cousin, but has been given a higher state of tune thanks to a tweaked cylinder head.
The TNT1130's standard 11.2:1 compression ratio has been upped to 12.5:1 and as such the rev ceiling is higher, as is power output - power is increased by 30hp and torque is up by 10Nm.
Gaining all the chassis updates from its lesser siblings, the Benelli TNT160R outputs 160hp (116kW) at a much higher 10,200rpm and 120Nm of torque at 8400rpm, but makes use of the same trio of 53mm throttle bodies as its donor bike.
It also gets a dry slipper clutch, a carbon fibre clutch case and a neat looking underseat carbon fibre exhaust end can.
Check out the Benelli.com website for more details.
Read the latest Bikesales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the Bikesales Network's mobile site. Or download the all-new App.