Home Previews 2018 Motorcycle Previews Benelli 302R Unveiled: Building on Quarter-Liter Sportbike Craving (Photos & Video)

Benelli 302R Unveiled: Building on Quarter-Liter Sportbike Craving (Photos & Video)

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September 19, 2017

Benelli 302R Unveiled (Photos & Video)

The quarter-liter sportbike crave is alive and well. Around the turn of the century, only a few were in existence in both naked and faired versions – and they didn’t excite any nerves with styling.

The one and only leader here in the USA was the Kawasaki Ninja 250. But Honda changed that in 2011 with the introduction of the CBR250R, a bike that mirrored its supersport CBR600RR/CBR1000RR brethren.

Fast forward to today and the segment grew slightly in both ccs and styling. The leaders in the Big Four are the Kawasaki Ninja 300, Honda CBR300R, Yamaha YZF-R3, Suzuki GSX250R. But the Europeans are also in the game, most notably KTM with its RC 390.

Now Benelli joins the quarter-liter sportbike craving with its all-new fully-faired 302R. The new bike out of Pesaro, Italy, is powered by an inline two-cylinder DOHC engine that produces 38 horsepower @ 10,000 rpm and 20 ft/lbs of torque @ 9000 rpm. The four-stroke, four-valve engine is mated to a six-speed transmission.

Welcome to the Motos and Friends Podcast. This episode is brought to you by Insta360, the leader in 360-degree action camera technology. This episode is also brought to you by the 33rd annual Biketoberfest® rally that takes place in the Daytona Beach and Volusia County areas, Florida; on Oct. 16-19.

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In our first segment, Don Williams gives us the low down on the another of the new Harley-Davidson Softails… this one is the Street Bob. The Street Bob can sometimes be overlooked as it’s a slightly simpler motorcycle than some of its Softail siblings, but it’s definitely worth a look as it still has that amazing 117-inch Milwaukee-8 motor, and it’s a really easy-riding motorcycle with bags of charisma.

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Have you checked out Insta360, the leader in 360-degree action camera technology? Their latest camera, the Insta360 X5, shoots in all directions at once in incredible 8K30 resolution. Just hit record, focus on your ride, and then find the best angles in the edit with Insta360’s mobile app—it’s easy, smooth, and packed with AI tools to make it easy and super-fast. The X5’s huge sensors, triple AI chip, and dedicated low-light shooting mode deliver unmatched detail and image quality—even at night. The X5 is waterproof, reliable, and features Insta360’s toughest-ever replaceable lenses and lens guards. There are some incredible accessories are available including the Ultra Battery for more runtime, and ND Filters, specially designed to give you complete control in any lighting condition. There is also the GPS Preview Remote with its built-In mic: it’s an all-in-one creative tool for smoother, smarter shooting. So, to bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your X5 purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code “ULTIMATE”, (available for the first 30 purchases only). Or click here

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We’ve been talking excitedly for the past few weeks about the upcoming Biketoberfest rally in Daytona Beach, Florida on October 16th through the 19th. So this episode we take a few minutes to chat with Lori Campbell-Baker, Brian Bentley, and Andrew Booth, from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Biketoberfest is all about the beautiful Florida weather, live music, the industry’s top vendors, bike shows, and motorcycle racing at Daytona International Speedway. But especially, there are miles of scenic rides along the famous A1A, historic Main Street and the Ormond Beach Scenic Loop. Besides the riding, places like thenewrainforest part of the Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure and it features multiple species of mammals and exotic birds including Toucans, Sloths, Otters, and Tamarins. Also, the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet has reopened after a multi-million dollar renovation, and there are several new exhibits on the campus of the Smithsonian-affiliated Museum of Arts & Sciences. You should also know about the Harley Dream Giveaway… Tickets are available to win a Harley-Davidson Road Glide ST and a Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson edition from Teddy Morse’s Daytona Harley-Davidson. There really is something for everyone here, even families, and almost every event and attraction is free to attend. So if you want a fun few days out in the Florida sunshine, Biketoberfest really is the place to be. Download the Biketoberfest mobile App from Apple or Google Play or visit www.biketoberfest.orgfor more details.

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“I’m no superhero” says Vanessa Ruck aka “The Girl on a Bike”, who is our guest for this episode. But… actually, I think she’s wrong, I’d say she is every bit a superhero. Teejay chats with Vanessa about that time she took on one of the most difficult and prestigious off-road races in the history of Motorsports: the original and real Dakar Rally; now known as The Africa Eco Race. This is the legendary desert race which covers 13 days and 6,000 kilometers, sometimes in over 120-degree heat. It runs from Monaco, Europe, through Morocco, Western Sahara, and Mauritania, eventually to Dakar in Senegal, West Africa. This is the race where 54% of the entrants didn’t finish; and yet Vanessa on her trusty KTM became the first British female—and only the second female ever—to actually finish this crazy test of human endurance and spirit. Check out Vanessa’s YouTube channel and her Instagram

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Here’s a quick reminder to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!

@ultimatemotorcycling

@UltimateMotoMag

@UltimateMotorcycling

producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com

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