EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Since they were purchased by Qianjiang Group (QJ) in 2005, Benelli has gone from strength to strength and is stronger and more successful now than at any point in its 109-year history.
How strong and how successful? Well, after shifting around 10,000 bikes in 2015, Benelli sold 59,750 motorcycles in 2018 and just over 63,000 globally last year. That’s 10,000 more than Ducati sold in 2019, and (depending on your source) more than Triumph, too.
How Benelli have managed to turn around their fortunes in the past decade is due entirely to the backing of QJ and the high volumes and reduced costs that are possible with Chinese manufacturing. However, the giant Chinese company has wisely retained Benelli’s design studio in Pesaro, Italy, ensuring the brand still has appeal for Italophiles.
Obviously, those recent sales figures point to the Continental styling and Chinese manufacturing being a winning formula, but another factor that can’t be overlooked is the affordable pricing that marks the modern Benelli range. That affordability extends to Benelli’s most recent new offering – the 502C LAMS cruiser.
BETTER THAN YOU THINK
Following their modern range of commuters, road/trail and adventure bikes, Benelli has now expanded into the mid-size cruiser market with the 502C.
To address the issue of the 502C’s origin from the off: yes, it is made in
