Page 39 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)

THESE TWO ARE

GUARANTEED TO

BRING OUT YOUR

INNER HOON

taillight, while bright, is poorly angled and harder
to see than we’d like. The Honda’s old-school
incandescent setup is bright and easy to see.
After a coffee, and with the worst of the peak
hour traffic settled somewhat, we headed out onto
the mean streets of Sydney, fanging through the
labyrinth of alleyways and narrow lanes in Surrey
Hills, through The Rocks, under the Harbour Bridge
and through Circular Quay in search of answers.
Both these little devils are small and light
enough to lane split very effectively and navigating
stagnant Sydney traffic is a cinch.
Some words of advice for new players, though.
Firstly, nobody wants to be beaten by a pint-size
bike off the lights. The red mist comes over front-
of-grid drivers and they absolutely must beat you,
no matter what.
Secondly, make sure you’re in the right gear
when you’re filtering to the front of the queue;
sloppy gear choices will have you swallowed up by
tin tops, neither the Honda or the Benelli has the
ponies required to get you out of trouble. Thirdly,
both bike’s mirrors seemed to be at the exact height
of every car, ute and bus mirror in Sydney.
There’s also the niggling sense that you just can’t
be seen as well as a normal size bike. I didn’t have
any noticeable increase in issues associated with
upside-down fork while the Benelli gets a hefty inattentive drivers, but I was mindful of the need
41mm upside-down setup. In the handling stakes, to be seen and I rode accordingly. Like any bike,
the Benelli’s 20 extra kilos, combined with the you best bring your A-game if you’re going to play
chunkier fork and 15mm longer wheelbase means in the traffic.
hooking through turns happens in a much more But it’s not just the pair’s traffic-carving
stable fashion. credentials that make them appealing. It’s also
The Benelli has more of a ‘full-size bike’ feel from their anti-aging properties, and just like a tub of
the cockpit, it’s roomier to sit on, and at 780mm the Oil of Ulan’s best anti-wrinkle cream, these two
seat is 20mm higher than the Honda’s. Although can have you feeling like a younger version of
roomier doesn’t always mean more comfortable, yourself as quick as you can say “the secret of
and the shape of the Benelli’s 7.2-litre tank had our younger looking skin”. These two are guaranteed
knees pressing on the angular sides rather than to bring out your inner hoon. Every corner must be
below them. The contours of the Honda’s 5.7 litre taken at full noise, every manhole cover and speed
tank are bang on the money for my sized frame and hump is a jump and every red light an opportunity
also for the more compact-dimensioned Sam. for a stoppie.
The Benelli runs a full LED light package, but And that’s the different between bikes like the
the integrated indicators are far too dull and the Grom and TNT 135 compared to, say, a scooter of a

PENNIES VERSUS PONIES HOW THEYSTACK UP

Let’s talk about price Benelli’s TNT at $3390 Benelli TNT 135 Honda Grom Kawasaki Z125 Pro Honda Monkey
WITH THE LIST of (plus on-road costs) and Capacity 134.7cc 124.9cc 125cc 124.9cc
features for each of Kawasaki’s Z125 Pro at Power 9.5kW 7.2kW 7.1kW 7.2kW
the competitors in $4249 (plus on roads) Torque 10.8Nm 10.7Nm 9.6Nm 10.7Nm
this segment being and if you want the retro Weight 124kg 102kg 101kg 107kg
so similar, for some cool of Honda’s Monkey, Seat height 780mm 760mm 805mm 765mm
buyers the decision that’ll cost you even Warranty 2 years 1 year 2 years 1 year
might just come down more at $5999 (plus on
to a question of price. road costs), though it Price $3390 (+orc) $3699 (+orc) $4249 (+orc) $5999 (+orc)
And why not? These does come equipped
little weapons purport with ABS. Honda’s Grom

to offer maximum fun, hovers around the
at a smart price with an middle at $3699 (plus
added element of cool on road costs). But no
over alternatives like matter what choice you

scooters. There’s almost make, they all offer a lot
a thousand dollars of fun for the dough, if
difference between not a lot of horsepower.

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