Research your BENELLI with our VIN Checker

In 1911 in the coastal city of Pesaro, Italy, a champion in the motorcycle industry was born. Benelli is one of the oldest producers of motorcycles, manufacturing some of the most iconic machines the industry has ever seen including the Benelli TNT 600i, the Benelli TNT 300, and the Benelli Leoncino 250. The company is currently a part of the Chinese giant, Qianjiang Motorcycle.

The firm began as the Benelli Garage, a repair shop for bicycles and motorcycle. In the course of world war I, the business had already made huge strides in building a repertoire of spare parts used for repairs. In 1919, the firm unveiled its first motorcycle to be implemented in the war. The following year saw the company assemble its first in-house engine, which was a single-cylinder two-stroke 75 cc prototype. It was in 1921 when Benelli stunned the world with its groundbreaking brand new motorcycle, which had the company’s engine that had been upgraded to a 98cc model.

Benelli plunged into the racing arena in 1923, with a peculiar racing motorcycle. Its racer was non-other than Antonio Benelli, alias Tonino “the terrible”, the last born among the Benelli brothers. Tonino gave Benelli notoriety by winning four Italian championships in a span of five years while riding the Benelli 75. Sadly, his remarkable career came to an end in 1932 when he was involved in a crash while racing. Tonino died five years later in a car accident.

The company has seen its fair share of turbulent times. In the late 1960s, the Japanese motorcycle industry shook the world, forcing many companies including Benelli to lose their market grip. Benelli’s products which mainly comprised of single-cylinder pushrod design were considered outdated compared to its Japanese counterpart, Honda. Amidst stiff competition, the firm succumbed to the fierce contest in 1988. Between 1995 and 2005, the business launched several ambitious projects that saw the production of scooters and sport-bikes under the new management of Andrea Merloni. However, Benelli was hit by a second wave of catastrophe. It was in 2005 when the company became a part of the Qianjiang Motorcycle.

Since then, Benelli has soared to be an industry-leading motorcycle firm. Sales in 2015 surpassed 5000 units and the company has been expanding its dominance in all the continents year after year.