In 2003 an Italian Tornado blew in and caused quite a commotion.
There are some bikes that everyone has an opinion on – the Benelli Tornado Novecentro Tre is one such machine. Those who have never ridden, or most probably never even sat on a Tre, will confidently tell you that they are unreliable pieces of Italian junk before riding off on their run-of-the-mill Japanese sportsbike. However ask an owner what they think of the bike and you will get a very different side to the story.
While it is most certainly true that very few owners will admit they have bought a lemon, the simple fact of the matter is that despite what all the headlines have said over the years, the Benelli Tornado isn’t actually a bad motorcycle. Quite the opposite, it is actually a good one. The problem Benelli had with the Tornado was it was brought to market too early (or late depending on your point of view) and as such suffered from some very high profile issues.
This, combined with the fact that the dealer network and Benelli themselves didn’t really get to grips with the problems quickly enough, cast a dark cloud over the bike in what should have been its glorious launch year. And its lack of success in WSB did little to lift this gloom.
Too little, too late
In wonderful Italian style, having unveiled the Tre as a concept in 1999, built the homologation special LE version in 2001 and raced in WSB from 2001 until 2002, by the time the road bike arrived in 2003 the race team had already disbanded without a single top ten finish to its name. As launches go, that’s not exactly a great start to proceedings. And the same issues that dogged the Benelli WSB team also affected the road bike – namely a lack of power and a poor degree of reliability.
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Fast Bikes.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Fast Bikes.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Sensational Suzuki Live - Blending decades of motorcycles, racing legends, track time and a beer tent with a cracking band, Suzuki Live's formula proved a winner for the thousands there.
Blending decades of motorcycles, racing legends, track time and a beer tent with a cracking band, Suzuki Live’s formula proved a winner for the thousands there. As motorcycling events go, Suzuki Live's 2024 effort is surely set to take some topping. Held over two days at the iconic Cadwell Park circuit, the event played host to a list of two-wheeled legends and a mixed bag of iconic Suzuki machinery spanning five decades.
Steve Parrish
It's been a busy old month but so good being back in the thick of it. Despite the great British weather, it finally feels like summer is here, and I've been all over the place with some really great events since we spoke last month.
Christian Iddon
It's a long time since I had that feeling... 1057 days, to be precise, and if you were to ask if 'that day' was the day it would happen again, then I would have bet all my worldly belongings against it.
BOTH A CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASE
There’s a time and place to lawyer up to the hills, and this is one them...
LONGTERMER KAWASAKI ZX-6R
Last month, I was gearing up to consign my ZX-6R to the back of my garage while I disappeared for the best part of three weeks to work at the TT with Batham's Racing.
YAMAHA WABASH RT
When you live a life of wheelies, burnouts and fast laps on race tracks, it's hard to spot a midlife crisis... but six months on in the saddle of Yamaha's Wabash e-bike, I daresay that's exactly where I'm at. I'll be honest, cycling isn't for everyone, and quite frankly, Lycra is even more polarising, but for me, life on two wheels, be it powered or pedalled, has formed my staple diet for as long as I can remember.
24 HOURS FLAT-OUT!
Ever fancied a crack at 24-hour endurance racing? You might think again after reading this...
PROJECT 37 A TEST OF TIME
Having got his head around the standard bike at Cadwell, Timmy heads to Powerslide Motorcycles with a wish list of improvements for the Suzuki GSX-8R...
'WHY WE GO RACING...5
Ever wondered why big brands spend big money and put in huge amounts of effort to go racing? Well, we did too, so we didn’t hesitate to ask the man who makes that call for Honda Racing UK...
9 BIKES WE WISH WERE STILL HERE...
No one’s worked out how to bring things back from the dead, but if we had our way, these are the bikes we’d oe see makingareturn.