- BS6 Benelli Imperiale 400 to be launched in April
- Received a substantial price hike last month
- Likely to be updated only in terms of powerplant
Benelli will start launching its BS6-updated models from next month in India and the first product to adhere to the new emission norms will be the modern-classic Imperiale 400. The motorcycle will come with a revised powerplant while it is likely to remain unchanged in all other aspects.
The 374cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor of the Imperiale already features fuel-injection, a mandatory element for BS6 compliance. Now, the updated model will be equipped with other components such as a larger catalytic converter and O2 sensor in order to obtain more constrained emissions. These changes are likely to affect its performance to some extent. The BS4 version churns out 20.7bhp at 5,500rpm and 29Nm at 4,500rpm. It comes mated to a five-speed gearbox.
The Imperiale 400 goes head on against the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and sports a similar retro-inspired styling. The round headlamp, twin-pod instrument cluster, straight handlebar, peanut-shaped fuel tank and chrome treatment on several components lend it an old-school appeal.
It is underpinned by a double-cradle chassis and rides on a 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels. Telescopic forks and dual shock absorbers handle the damping duties while braking is taken care of by disc brakes at both ends. Dual-channel ABS comes as a standard fitment.
Benelli had launched the Imperiale 400 in October 2019 at an introductory price of Rs 1.69 lakh (ex-showroom, India). This was followed by the company substantially increasing its price by Rs 10,500 last month. Now, with the BS6-bound updates, the Imperiale 400 is bound to get further expensive. However, it remains to be seen if the price hike will be marginal or substantial.
