BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on) Review

At a glance

Owners' reliability rating: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Annual servicing cost: £2,150
Power: 38 bhp
Seat height: Medium (31.3 in / 795 mm)
Weight: Low (397 lbs / 180 kg)

Prices

New £3,400
Used N/A

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes
4 out of 5 (4/5)

Benelli have taken their entry into the A2 licence market seriously, offering an exciting, high quality bike for those looking for small capacity thrills. A couple of details which could be better, but the Chinese-Italian partnership looks set to produce some good bikes.

Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine
4 out of 5 (4/5)

The 41mm upside down forks keep everything composed and precise, making it easy to pick a line and stick to it. The suspension provided plenty of confidence on wet Italian roads, although if anything it's a little too firm for bumpy roads.

Engine

Next up: Reliability
4 out of 5 (4/5)

The 300cc parallel twin engine in the BN302 needs to be worked hard to get the best from it, with the 38bhp of peak power and 20.2ftlb of torque at 10,000 and 9000rpm respectively. It makes it a fun bike to ride, adding a real sense of excitiment and commitment to the ride. Unfortunately the vibrations kick in at 10,000rpm through the footpegs, bars and seat.

Reliability & build quality

Next up: Value
3 out of 5 (3/5)

The partnership between Benelli and the Qianjiang Group and as such reliability is still a big unknown. The BN302 feels well built, although some of the components, such as the  clocks and pegs, do feel a little budget.

Value vs rivals

Next up: Equipment
4 out of 5 (4/5)

With an estimated price of between £3100 and £3400, the Benelli is over a grand cheaper than the KTM Duke 390, without any significant gulf in quality.

Equipment

3 out of 5 (3/5)

In a world where the latest bikes come dripping in space age tech, the little Benelli offers a refreshing change. There's currently no ABS - that comes in August 2015 -  but the double discs - a rarity on bikes of this size - make light work of bringing the 180kg Benelli to a stop with one finger. As standard the BN302 comes shod with Pirelli Angel GT tyres, which offer great grip in all conditions.

Specs

Engine size 300cc
Engine type 4v parallel twin
Frame type Steel trellis
Fuel capacity 16 litres
Seat height 795mm
Bike weight 180kg
Front suspension 41mm upside down forks
Rear suspension 42mm lateral shock, preload adjustable
Front brake Double 260mm floating discs with four piston calipers
Rear brake Single 240mm disc with double piston
Front tyre size 110/70-ZR17
Rear tyre size 140/70-ZR17

Mpg, costs & insurance

Average fuel consumption -
Annual road tax £55
Annual service cost £2,150
New price £3,400
Used price -
Insurance group -
How much to insure?
Warranty term -

Top speed & performance

Max power 38 bhp
Max torque 20.2 ft-lb
Top speed -
1/4 mile acceleration -
Tank range -

Model history & versions

Model history

2015: Model introduced

Other versions

None

Owners' reviews for the BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on)

5 owners have reviewed their BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

Review your BENELLI BN302 (2015 - on)

Summary of owners' reviews

Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5)
Ride quality & brakes: 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5)
Engine: 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5)
Reliability & build quality: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Value vs rivals: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Equipment: 4 out of 5 (4/5)
Annual servicing cost: £2,150
5 out of 5 302s review
23 September 2021 by heydavemyers

Version: 302s

Year: 2020

I've had 20+ bikes. For the money, you can't beat this little Benelli. The fit and finish is comparable to other bikes I've owned. The mechanicals seem fine so far in my 2500 miles driven. Average more than 70 mpg driving sensibly. No issues so far.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

dual front discs on a small bike like this stop it quickly and with little effort. Nice feature on a small displacement bike. Good looking, too, with the wavy rotors. Ride quality is great for me 5'4" 160 lbs. Only the foot pegs get in the way of my shins when I put my short legs down at stops. I wish they were adjustable 1-2" fore or aft.

Engine 5 out of 5

engine seems awesome to me so far. For a 300 it has plenty of power in the high revs, though you have to get it revving before you notice it. Gears are very close and you're shifting a lot. 6 speeds is probably more gears than it needs, especially in the lower gears...

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

No issues so far in 2500 miles. Stuck side stand switch, but cleaned and lubed and that seems to have fixed it. Build quality seems on par with other bikes I've owned.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

I change my own oil/filter, adjust chain, etc. No other maintenance required so far in 2500 miles. We'll see how the future is...

Equipment 4 out of 5

no complaints. Dash looks good and has nice visibility.

Buying experience: no issues. my dealer is within walking distance which gives me assurance.

4 out of 5 Great little bike that feels like a big bike, excellent value
21 April 2020 by Dino

Year: 2017

Stylish, with big bike feel - and weight, comfortable, excellent value. Features like upside-down fork and twin disks front that are only offered with bigger and a lot more expensive bikes. A bit heavy but that's reasonable given the extra features, and anyway when riding it doesn't feel heavy at all. Good quality and reliability.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Pillion seat is more comfortable than any other in it's class, together with the smooth engine makes a nice little tourer for two.

Engine 4 out of 5

Powerfull and smooth with great sound. What's not smooth enough is the gearbox, some false neutrals at low revs too.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Except a turn signal flasher had was replaced at 6000km at no cost everything keeps working fine.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5

Adequate

4 out of 5 Bn302 first time ownership
20 August 2018 by Zui

Year: 2015

Annual servicing cost: £400

I am from Vietnam, and 300cc are all we are allowed to be imported into the country so I have only ever ridden an MT-03, a Z300 and a Duke 390 to compare to. It's heavier than other bikes but feels solid on bad roads.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

I can hardly concentrate at work now, keep looking outside of the window and wish I could ride BN302 all day long instead of listening to my boss scolding me.

Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

It's well done but not up to Yamaha or Honda's quality standards. However, it's $2000 cheaper than Japanese brands so I can't complain. Parts and electric finishes are low. Rear break is nearly useless, I primarily use front brakes which provides an excellent stopping power. The gap between seat and tank is big like 1 cm open not as nicely sealed as KTM or Kawasaki, but because it's so long and wide my wife loves riding with me more than she used to when I was riding the Yamaha with tiny pillion seat. When I purchased the bike it came with Cordial tyres. They were so bad I had to replace them with Michelins immediately. Again the quality is lower than Japanese or Austrian brands, but at that price point it's hard to beat.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

Parts are easy to find and the bike is not hard to fix so I guess value is great.

Equipment 4 out of 5

Buying experience: Really weird and not up to standard, but then again the bike was so cheap I couldn't complain.

5 out of 5 My BENELLI TNT 300
29 June 2016 by Manuvelbikepsych021

Year: 2016

Annual servicing cost: £6,000

It's a good tourer. I feel it is worth for the money and the cons I found is the lack of ABS and it is not good in acceleration compared to the other bikes in this segment.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Engine 4 out of 5

Ride quality is amazing you'll get an amazing sounding twin cylinder and it is buttery smooth no vibrations felt but it is a bit underpowered because of its weight

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

In rupees, the build quality of this bike is damn good. everything feels rigid and no cheap parts. Even the switch gears are well finished

Equipment 4 out of 5

Crash guards

4 out of 5 Benelli 302 A2 starter bike, but so much more for your money
17 December 2015 by John Redding

Year: 2015

Annual servicing cost: £37

Great spread of power pulling from 3500 in any gear, very smooth and linear delivery up to 7000rpm with speed building rapidly between 7000 and the red line. Everything works as it should and after 7 months no problems or signs of wear and tear.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Brakes very powerful and balanced. After one month the riding position needed slight adjustment of the handlebars to suit my needs but dealer assisted with this at no charge.

Engine 4 out of 5

Slight vibration through the bars and mirrors above 8000rpm is my only complaint. In all other respects the power delivery is smooth but exciting.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

No reliability problems whatsoever, Benelli recalled the bike in November for an upgraded waterpump to be fitted which was totally at their cost and took just 15 minutes whilst I drank a complimentary cup of coffee and read MCN in the waiting room.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

Acheiving 66 mpg running cost very good.

Equipment 4 out of 5

The package delivered as standard is tremendous considering the great price, the only accessory I have fitted is a tank protection plate as my jacket zip rubs against the paint. The Pirelli Angel GT's are superb!

Buying experience: Bike purchased new from my local dealer at the Portugal advertised price.

Back to top