IT SEEMED LIKE A MAD IDEA AT THE TIME... AT LEAST, IT SEEMED like a mad idea to me. But then, I was struggling to keep a collapsing one-year-old Triumph T140 on the road when Benelli announced its latest fantasy – a six-cylinder 750. I read that announcement with incredulity; if I was having trouble keeping a twin running reliably, what hope could any real-world rider have with a bike with three times the number of cylinders?
Which was missing the point entirely. It’s a talent I have. Everyone in the classic world knows all about the big Benelli. Well, they do if they’re interested in Italian superbikes. And everyone can tell you that it’s simply a CB500 Honda with an extra pot grafted onto each end of the crankshaft. British bike fans will be familiar with this idea; pundits will always tell you that Triumph/BSA triples are simply a Triumph Tiger 100 with an extra pot grafted on. After a while you might find yourself wondering why Triumph didn’t see the light and double up its T160 to produce a six-pot T320, but no one would contemplate a 1500cc motorcycle, now would they? Ah…
