2008 Benelli Titanium 07 Review

Introduction

Benelli bikes tend to look the same so the Titanium 07 indeed share’s mechanical features with the Café Racer 1130 and, at a first glance, you won’t find radical design differences between the one and the other, but it all consists in the little things that make it special and even situate it in a class of its own. The motorcycle of today is simply the manufacturer’s idea on naked bikes (a pretty good one, by the way) while the Café Racer 1130 brings back the period when rebel riders broke their backs racing the things.

I just wanted to make it clear from the start that the Titanium 07 is not just another bike fitted with the 1131cc engine, but a new interpretation with features that would make any other bike say its prays. A revised fuel injected 1131cc liquid cooled in-line-triple with DOHC and 12 valves develops 131.3 horsepower at 9.250 rpm and 117 Nm at 6,750 rpm so it is now clear that refinement never ends. Attention to details is also excellent so it will clearly stand out as one attractive ride.

History

2006 Benelli TnT Titanium

After the company started producing motorcycles again back in the late 2001, early 2002 it continuously tried to cover as much ground possible in as little time possible and although that doesn’t sound like the best idea, it had a great effect and brought Benelli on the map again. Also, this is how the TnT Titanium model was created and first produced and marketed in 2006. It is the bike from which the Titanium 07 would be developed a year later, but this last didn’t had much features to change as from the very beginning the engine was an 1130cc (68.95 cubic inches) in-line three-cylinder with 11.5:1 compression ratio. Also, a fuel injection system fed the impressive powerplant and the fuel control was exactly what you will find on it today, as well as the valves per cylinder number. What came new on the reengineered machinery was the 11.9:1 compression ratio. The horsepower was actually decreased than increased, but not with much (from 135.44 HP it went down to 131.3 HP) while the torque remained the same.

When it came to the way the new bike would look, there was nothing that Benelli felt like changing so there will be no significant design differences that are worth being taken in consideration. Even color is the same.

Competition

2008 Triumph Speed Triple

Italians and Britains are known for producing awesome three-cylinder fitted bikes which have no other solution but go one against the other and today we’re witnessing no exception as the similitude of the Benelli Titanium 07 with the Triumph Speed Triple is incredible.

Starting with the engines, they both produce 131 horsepower at 9,250, the only difference being the fact that the electronically fuel injected 1050cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line-triple found on the Triumph reaches peak torque (77ft.lbf) at 7,550 RPM. This makes the Triumph a little more agile and considering its compactness given by the tubular, fabricated aluminum alloy perimeter frame, the Benelli has to deal with an agile, sharp-cornering (23.5 degree rake) naked bike.

The streetfighter is also a bit more attractive and more of a testimony of Triumph’s experience, but Benelli is coming strong from behind.

Exterior

2008 Benelli Titanium 07

Featuring a stylish headlight surrounded by a very small fairing and (you won’t believe this) even a screen, the front end of the Titanium manages to suddenly present us the naked attitude in Benelli’s vision. Even though that screen won’t offer much wind protection (not at all), it indeed looks great and manages to squeeze a smile when trying to test it.

As expected, the front mudguard hugs the street rubber in the way the small side fairing does with the radiator. These last units cut the air significantly and even make sure that the rider won’t be feeling like a rheumatic after getting off of it as the knees won’t be very affected by the wind.

Dominating the scenario is the sporty and smooth looking gas tank which underneath it unveils the mighty three-cylinder delivering the burned gasses to a under-the-seat muffler. The red painted frame is nice and complicated as it looks like it needed a lot of geometry in order for the ASD steel tube trellis with boxed section to offer the best resistance. This is also the case of the swingarm.

Wheels are spoked and feature 17 inches. It looked like willing to soak up miles after miles and that’s what I planned on doing with it.

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