Benelli Imperiale (Royal Enfield & Jawa Rival) India Launch Delayed Again

It seems that the Italian motorcycle brand Benelli is struggling to launch its Imperiale 400 in India. The company is trying to localise the cruiser motorcycle heavily so that it can get an attractive price tag to compete with the likes of Royal Enfield and Jawa motorcycles. Previously the bike was expected to launch in India in early 2020 but now it seems that wait for the bike is going to increase.

The Imperiale 400 is expected to be one of the most affordable motorcycles in the Benelli India lineup. Benelli HQ has asked their Indian partners to do proper research before launching the motorcycle. The company wants to localise its most of the major components to get the best possible price point.

The bike was first showcased at EICMA 2017 and it drew a lot of attention, especially from the Indian market. Earlier when the company postponed the launch they stated that they want to make the bike compliant with the upcoming BSVI emission norms.

Mechanically, the motorcycle will be powered by a 373.5cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine which produces 20.4HP of maximum power at 5500 rpm and 28 Nm of peak torque at 3500 rpm. The braking performance of the bike comes from a 300mm front disc and a 240mm rear disc.

The bike will directly compete with the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Jawa Classic 300. The exact date/month for the launch of the Imperiale 400 is unknown at the moment and it is expected that Benelli will officially reveal some information regarding the same by the end of this year. The Imperiale 400 is expected to get a price tag of around INR 2 lakh (ex-showroom) in India.