Kawasaki Versys-X 300 vs Benelli TRK 502 vs Kawasaki Versys 650 Real World Numbers

 

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We were pleasantly surprised with the way the new Benelli TRK 502 has turned out. Not only does it look like a large capacity motorcycle, it also is a capable tourer and has the bells and whistles to go along with it. And since we were of the opinion that the bike would slot in nicely between the lower displacement Kawasaki Versys offerings - the Versys-X 300 and the Versys 650 - we ought to back it up with numbers that matter.

But here’s a small spec comparison of the same motorcycles before we start getting into the heart of the matter.

Range

	Kawasaki Versys-X 300	Benelli TRK 502	Kawasaki Versys 650
City	29.86kmpl	30.97kmpl	24.95kmpl
Highway	27.57kmpl	33.5kmpl	28.17kmpl
Fuel tank capacity	17-litres	20-litres	21-litres

There is little doubt that the main purpose that an adventure tourer serves is to be proficient at touring. So factors such as range and fuel efficiency matter greatly. Thus, with that in mind, the Benelli is leagues ahead of the two Kwackers. Not only does it have a humongous 20-litre fuel tank, it also returns the best fuel efficiency figures of the three. So out on the highway, one can ideally expect 670km of highway range. The Versys 650 does better than its smaller 300cc counterpart as the former is relatively unstressed at highway speeds, something which the 300 struggles to do. Hence, the 650 ideally should do 592km in a tank full while the 300 does just around 470km.

Performance

	Kawasaki Versys-X 300	Benelli TRK 502	Kawasaki Versys 650
0-60kmph	3.41s	3.03s	2.49s
0-100kmph	8.3s	7.29s	5.13s
30-70kmph in 3rd gear	3.89s	3.93s	3.32s
40-80kmph in 4th gear	4.96s	4.72s	3.36s

This was bound to be a no-brainer as the Versys 650 is the most powerful of the lot. Not only does it outshine the Benelli in all regards, it also has the livelier motor. With a 360-degree crank, the TRK 502 does sacrifice a bit on low-end torque and that is visible in the figures above. And with the added weight disadvantage that it has, the Versys-X 300 is not too far behind in may aspects.

Braking

	Kawasaki Versys-X 300	Benelli TRK 502	Kawasaki Versys 650
100-0kmph	66.5m	48.29m	50.83m
60-0kmph	23.85m	17.63m	17.80m

Despite weighing 15 kilos more than the Versys 650, the TRK 502 comes to a dead halt quicker. The radial calipers offer good stopping power as they chomp down on two 320mm rotors. The feedback could have been better. The Versys 650 does take a fair bit more to come to a halt but they offer better feedback than the Italian on test here. It is the Dunlops that do injustice to the motorcycle. Perhaps the Pirellis of the Benelli could help in this regard. We were sorely disappointed with the braking of the Versys-X 300. They simply took too long to stop and there was little that was relayed back to the rider.

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