But it seems that this maker intends to turn things in its favor with the help of this machine performing similar to a Japanese bike. It is a truly great performer and it lets you know that from the second you’ve swing a leg over it.
Hit the push start button or give it a kick to start the fresh out of the drawing board single cylinder four-stroke DOHC four titanium valve engine displacing 449cc and you’ll be thrilled by the strong bang exiting the two muffler exhaust while letting it worm up a little bit. The unit provides the light bike with 53 horsepower so twisting the throttle and unchaining them is a great riding experience.
Pull the smooth clutch, hit first gear and the way we go. The first impression is that I’m actually riding a Japanese dirt bike, but hey…maybe that’s just me so we had to empty a couple of tanks before getting a better opinion on it. It is perfect for fast take offs in first and even second gear, with a little bit of enthusiastic twisting of the throttle, and if you don’t weight much it will easily pop up unwanted wheelies. But that’s never a problem in motocross even though in order to obtain the best lap times a rider would have to keep its bike’s wheels on the ground as much as possible.
From the bottom of the rev range, the big engine has a healthy pull while waiting for the revolutions to reach the mid range and start unchaining all of the horses, kind of like a small introduction for what the rider will experience when reaching top-end, no matter which gear he’s in. This made it perfect on the track’s straight line and before jumps. Wait…isn’t this what motocross is all about?
Taking it through corners is the easiest thing and that is all due to the light and versatile chassis and the ergonomics which accommodate the rider on the ideal riding spot in order to feel the bike properly and action as should. The result is a fast in fast out cornering procedure which will surely contribute at those much aimed lap times.
After spending an entire day on it and exploit it like there was no tomorrow I noticed that the bike isn’t uncomfortable at all. In fact, it will tire you, but you won’t come off of it beaten if you don’t try really hard.
The fully adjustable suspensions will definitely suit every potential customer as they suited me and offer the same great bottoming resistance for those aggressive landings. Front fork is 50mm in diameter and at the rear Sachs provided the shock absorber. Both ends feature 310mm wheel travel.
All those horses can be easily harnessed on the Benelli with the help of two wave rotors featuring 260mm front and 220mm rear in diameter. Grab a handful of its brake lever and apply the rear brake in the same time and stopping power will strike you like a great idea. This makes it perfect to be pushed strongly before a tight corner or before a quick stop to share your impressions.
Conclusion
One of the most aggressive looking motocross bikes I’ve ever ridden happens not to come from the country of the most popular dirt bikes, but from the beautiful, inspiring and nostalgic Italy. With the BX 449 Cross, Benelli delivers a great new alternative for those who feel like they don’t want to go with the crowd, but their own true way.
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