Benelli's TNT 135 is essentially a pit-bike on steroids that brings big-bike goodies together with plenty of sport-bike attitude. Performance-oriented bodywork and a Trellis frame run with race-inspired suspension components to give this platform some of that big-bike feel. Perhaps best of all, is its wallet-friendly sticker is sure to help new riders get going.

2022 Benelli TNT 135 Performance and Capability

The Benelli TNT 135 takes its power from an oil-cooled thumper acting as a stressed member to complete the frame structure. It just kind of hangs there in a very proffered position that no doubt allows for a certain amount of air-cooling since the cooling fins are cast into the jug and head.

To keep the top end simple, a single over-head cam times the four-valve head. To ensure positive ignition, the head carries not one but two spark plugs for excellent flame-front propagation.

A 54 mm bore and 58.8 mm stroke give the TNT 135 a 134.7 cc displacement with a mild 9.8-to-1 compression ratio that should tolerate lower octane fuels just fine. A 28 mm throttle body w/EFI manages the mixture as the only electronic feature on the bike.

The clutch pull is quite light and guaranteed not to wear you out every time you leave the house. A five-speed transmission sends power to the rear wheel via chain-and-sprocket final drive.

All told, the TNT 135 claims a top speed of 70.2 mph (113 km/h), so it is technically interstate capable, but it will take everything you've got and you'll have no reserve for passing. The TNT 135 engine produces 11.3 horsepower and 7.4 pound-feet of torque.

Design

What we have here folks, is the quintessential pit bike. The abbreviated bodywork on the TNT 135 is compact, yet it still manages to convey an impression of great sportiness as many of the components would look at home in larger-displacement machines.

It starts with the fancy-schmancy front fender that comes chopped down and has vents to minimize drag. The uprights double as fork protectors for the exposed inner fork tube of the usd forks that follow close behind.

Overall, this starts things out in a very race-tastic fashion. The headlight housing carries no less than four spotlights with a central floodlight for lots of lumens up front and excellent two-way visibility with the world. Honestly, this may be its most distinctive feature.

The instrument cluster rides behind the headlight enclosure. It houses an analog tachometer and an LCD screen for everything else, including a fuel gauge that's rare at this displacement.

The fuel-tank hump comports to the genre with the mere suggestion of a tank that has very little drop to the narrow saddle-waist junction. It's a two-piece bench-like seat with little to segregate pilot from pillion, so when riding solo, you have all kinds of room for the shifting fore-and-aft of body weight. It places the pilot's posterior 30.7 inches off the deck, which is low enough to accommodate shorter riders.

The tail tapers down nicely below the pillion pad with an integrated taillight buried in the tip. A rear-wheel hugger does most of the fling control and adds another dose of sport-bike yummygoodness to the mix while also carrying the license plate and back blinkers.

What can I say? It looks like a naked-sport that someone left in the dryer too long and it's left looking rather whimsical in the end.

Chassis

Benelli calls its TNT 135 frame an “arch bar truck,” but it looks like a tubular-steel Trellis to me. The skeleton is mostly exposed with the exception of around the headstock area under the mini-cowlings that grow from the fuel tank for an edgy look with minimal additional weight.

Upside-down forks add to the big-bike look and feel with relatively beefy 41 mm tubes and 4.72 inches (120 mm) of travel. Out back, a coil-over monoshock comes with the obligatory spring-preload adjuster and 1.96 inches (50 mm). All told, the rear end may be a tad stiff, but at least it won't sag much when carrying a passenger.

The wheels are cast aluminum in a split-spoke configuration with 12 inchers front and rear. Fat tires ensure the integrity of the contact patch with a 120/70 ahead of a 130/70.

When it's time to haul it down, a twin-piston anchor bites a 220 mm front disc, and out back, a single-pot caliper and 199 mm disc take care of business. The Combined Braking System is the only brake assist gear. It applies pressure to one of the front pistons when engaging the rear brake for extra safety and stability. There is no ABS, which is a bit of a bummer.

2022 Benelli TNT 135 Price

Benelli doesn't skimp on the paint selection with four colorways up for grabs. The Black model and Red model share a blackout frame, it's just that one is Black with Red graphics and the other Red with Black graphics.

If you're into louder paint, the Green really pops with color-matched wheels and frame. Finally, there's the White version that rocks a Red frame and Red graphics. The Benelli TNT 135 costs $3,199. This is on all colors except that fabulous Green that bumps the sticker up to $3,269.

Competitors

The Benelli TNT 135 comes with its own baked-in competition within the pit-bike genre from some pretty big names. As a competitor, I'll roll with the Kawasaki Z125 PRO as the representative for the rest of the field.

Kawasaki Z125 PRO

Looks are similar though the Kawi has a simpler headlight arrangement and a chin fairing. However, it runs inverted front forks with little cheek fairings like a sister from another mister.

Benelli enjoys a small displacement advantage against the 125 cc Kawi mill, and that converts to a razor-thin advantage with the Kawi putting out only 7.1 pound-feet against 7.4 pound-feet of torque. I wonder about the Z 125 Pro's four-speed gearbox, and can't help but think the five-speed gearbox on the TNT will help you stay in the powerband and manage your revs better.

The Z125 Pro rolls in a trio of colorways. It has a starting sticker of $3,399 to cede a marginal win to the Benelli at checkout.

He Said

“The difference in price between the TNT and Z125 is going to cause Benelli some headaches. That $200 is not enough to draw potential buyers away from the big Japanese brands in favor of a Chinese builder. I can't speak to the Indian and Mexican markets. Perhaps it's more competitive there.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “It's quite popular to do the Benelli TNT 135 vs Grom comparison, but I might go for the Honda Monkey. It has less of the sportbike-left-in-the-dryer look, but with that same fun factor.”

“A TNT 135 problem riders have is vibration. It tends to be in the seat more than the handlebars and it's more of an issue at high speeds when the bike is giving you everything it's got just to keep up with traffic. The bike is not really intended for highway/interstate use as we think of it, so keep in mind if you're heading up the superslab for more than an exit or two, your butt is going to feel it.”

Further Reading

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