Milan Show: Benelli production-spec motocross and enduro bikes launched

Benelli’s first ever motocross and enduro bikes are now production ready, as these pictures show.

The BX449 Cross was revealed at the Cologne show in 2006 in prototype form, and in the year since the bike has moved from a clay model to a tested and completed machine ready to go into amateur-level motocross racing.

The bike is all Benelli’s design – the 450 four-stroke single is all new and features a clever one-piece crankcase design, which allows for the crank and gearbox to be slotted in from the side.

The frame is an aluminium beam design, but it has a removable top engine mount made from carbon fibre. Benelli will offer alternative mounts of varying rigidity to allow riders to tune chassis flex and feel.

The BX505 is an enduro version of the BX449 with a 56cc larger engine, and a revised chassis and setup designed for the different demands of enduro riding and racing. It also comes with lights and a small number plate holder to make it fully enduro legal.

Don’t forget there are 28 new motorcycle launches, in MCN, Wednesday, November 7, 2007.