Italian Stels Benelli 600 made in China - review and thoughts

RU-MOTO rating

• Reliability
• Chassis
• Appearance
• Comfort

4

Verdict

Stels Benelli 600 is definitely an interesting model that has the right to life. Among expensive Japanese and European analogues, it demonstrates quite decent quality at an excellent price. Gives you the choice and opportunity to purchase a new motorcycle, rather than scouring the used market in search of satisfactory Japanese equipment.

Today we take a look at the Stels Benelli motorcycle and its history as a true tramp. Why is that? - you ask. It so happened that it is difficult to say what kind of motorcycle this is and where its place is.

Benelli has strong Italian roots, but during difficult times the motorcycle company was sold to Chinese manufacturers. In order not to lose the name, Benelli has established conditions under which the Chinese manufacturer should not have a hand in the engine design or radically rework the appearance. They should leave this task to Italian engineers and designers.

That’s how it all turned out, now the motorcycle is produced in Chinese factories and is often assembled by Russian hands. This story causes some skepticism among experienced motorcyclists, but we will now discuss whether it is justified.

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Specifications

The engine of our stallion fits into the large class of motorcycles with a displacement of 600 cc. The four-stroke, four-cylinder inline-four, with a liquid-cooled system and four valves per cylinder, produces 81 hp and 55 Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm. Quite average indicators, but when driving you can notice a peculiarity in the form of sluggish work at the bottom (up to 5 thousand rpm), then it becomes more fun. The maximum speed is 225 km/h, which is quite enough for a street with its wind protection.

Previously, the site Ru-moto.com published a review of the Honda cb 600 motorcycle

The gearbox is 6-speed, with a chain drive to the wheel.

The frame has a stylish design - a birdcage, which has a bright red color. The motorcycle has an inverted telescopic fork. At the rear there is a regular swingarm and an interestingly located monoshock absorber on the right. That, in turn, is painted red, which harmonizes perfectly with the frame.

A definite feature of the motorcycle is the rider's high-mounted street pegs, almost like those of sportbikes. Although this does not add comfort, the turning angle will be much lower than with the classic arrangement.

The brakes are made in China, but do not cause any complaints. There are two discs and four-piston calipers at the front, and a single disc and two-piston caliper at the rear. In urban conditions they cope with dignity.

Thanks to the Italian design, the motorcycle looks very attractive, but when you get closer and take a closer look, you begin to understand where China is hiding. The idea is aimed at reducing the price as much as possible, without losing the fundamental Italian quality of the technical part of the motorcycle. Therefore, as for the wiring, all kinds of plastics, switches, accessories, they are purely Chinese, and with a slight fall they will not make their presence felt in the best way.

Engine

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Transmission

Dimensions and weight

Chassis and brakes

Stels Benelli 600 is a good replacement for the old Japanese ones. We are studying the problems and weaknesses.

Let’s be honest, anyone who is considering buying a motorcycle. I would be happy to take a closer look at an inexpensive model with a volume of at least 600 cc/cm.

Yes, for the amount of 200-230 thousand rubles, you can import Japanese equipment. And it will most likely be completely old, since most of them are motorcycles before 2002. And the reliability of such specimens sometimes leaves much to be desired.

But there is an opportunity to purchase Stels Benelli 600

We will talk about it in detail.

Repair and service

Photo of the rear wheel of the STELS 600 GT BENELLI motorcycle

It’s difficult to call the motorcycle completely rice-like, in comparison with most Chinese equipment, but it still has several pain points:

• The fuel sensor often fails;
• the quality of many bolts leaves much to be desired;
• after a short mileage, the front fork oil often leaks and oil seals fail;
• rear shock absorber is leaking;
• connections and hoses of the cooling system quickly crack and tear - antifreeze leaks are observed;
• the rear wheel bearing is falling apart;
• uneven wear of the pads is observed;
• The quality of the wiring is poor, often frays or breaks are observed.

As you can see, breakdowns occur as a result of savings on components and build quality. The engine does not cause any complaints.

Maintenance is carried out in a standard manner and, if used correctly, will not hurt your pocket. If you have a representative office of this equipment in your city, then you are lucky; this will save time and money.

What is it like on the road?

The new motorcycle from Stels was received with interest, but also with caution. On the one hand, it is attractive - the technical characteristics of the Stels 600 Benelli are enough to compete with Japanese competitors on the roads, and the bike looks good. On the other hand, many motorcyclists are confused by the Chinese origin of the new product, since the stereotype “Chinese means bad” is firmly established in their heads. And the bike also has congenital problems - in the case of the Stealth Benelli 600 model, owner reviews say that at around 5 thousand revolutions the standard muffler begins to rattle very unpleasantly. Nothing critical, of course, but it’s annoying, so tuning the new Stealth Benelli 600 usually starts with replacing the original exhaust with a “can” from third-party manufacturers.

The speakers of the Stels Benelli 600 are impressive - it picks up speed very confidently, and powerful disc brakes provide predictable and well-predicted braking. The usual modification, of course, does not have wind protection, so after 120-130 km/h the wind begins to very noticeably blow away the rider, but the Stels 600 GT Benelli does not have this drawback - its developed front fairing perfectly cuts off the wind flow, and there is no desire to lie with your chest on the gas tank occurs even at higher speeds.

Comparison with analogues

In this class and cubic capacity, finding a rival is not a problem, but we decided to play trump cards and compare it with the popular Honda CB 600 Hornet, which has firmly conquered the market.

Looking through the technical characteristics of our representatives, you can see that Benelli practically does not lag behind, and even if it loses in some of the indicators, it is only insignificant. Honda's build quality and materials are many times better, but the cost is twice as high. Benelli's design seems more interesting than that of the conservative Japanese representative; after all, the Italians manage to add elegance to their technology.

Photo gallery

A characteristic feature, as with all Chinese technology, is the constant improvement of design and the introduction of new elements in the spirit of the times. Let's take a look at this unit in our photo selection below.

Owner reviews

dkkf88evnk

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The motorcycle looks decent enough for a Chinese product. The four-cylinder engine will not let you get bored. Everything seems to be fine if it were not for Chinese production. If you compare this motorcycle with similar Japanese-made motorcycles, the first thing that differs is the price. And not because Japan is further away. It's about quality and reliability. A Japanese motorcycle like this will last you many times longer. And not just longer. There is a qualitative difference. To understand, you need to drive both. Moreover, you first need to travel in Chinese, and then sit in Japanese - the difference will be obvious. The Japanese analogue, of the same cubic capacity, is not just more powerful, it is more pleasant to drive. Less vibration. In the end it is more reliable. The Stels 600 Benelli motorcycle, for all its positive qualities, is short-lived. Because it was made in China. One good thing is the price. But as they say: the miser pays twice.dkkf88evnk

treasurer

While selecting a motorcycle for a price of 200,000 rubles, we came across a motorcycle “Stels Benelli” 600. Of course, it was a good impression to find a new motorcycle of 600 cc with an excellent look for 200,000 rubles, the only thing that was alarming was the name STELS, a well-known Chinese similarity. It accelerates very well, at rpms below 6000 there are minor dips and acceleration drops, but after 6000 rpm it just explodes. The footrest is high off the ground, giving you the ability to corner. The frame is rigid, the motorcycle does not move around, and it cuts the trajectory very much when turning, which is very important. I’m very pleased that this is a road bike that can be laid up to the knees, which is very rare. The engine and spare parts are of very high quality, which is important for buyers. The gears are short and very convenient for city driving. In my opinion, an awesome motorcycle for a low price.treyser

andrey4550

This city motorcycle literally blew up the modern market. A special tubular steel frame geometry was developed especially for this motorcycle. The design of this motorcycle is well thought out; it looks no worse than, for example, a Yamaha or Honda. This motorcycle has a four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 600cc. Engine power 82 horsepower. The motorcycle has excellent acceleration dynamics. The STELS 600 Benelli has a six-speed gearbox. The suspension of this bike is sporty. The motorcycle brakes are hydraulic disc. Overall the motorcycle is very good looking, excellent design, excellent engine, sports suspension and a great price for the motorcycle. andrey4550

Opinion of the two-wheeled public

This Chinese-Italian hybrid is a very controversial bike, not least due to its origins. But in the case of the Stealth Benelli 600, reviews from real, real owners are crucial, because those who have only seen this motorcycle in photographs, but have not owned it, usually judge it with the prejudice that many bikers feel towards Chinese motorcycles .

I bought a bike shortly after the start of sales, new, under warranty, and I did it well, since after six months the prices had already increased. I'm happy as an elephant - I received a vigorous new motorcycle under warranty for the price of an old Ruff or Phaser. There are no problems, although the sound of the standard can is, of course, disgusting, so I replaced it with Arrow. Alexey, Moscow, Stels Benelli 600 '2014.

I was choosing a road bike so that I could drive around the city to work and go to the sea in the summer; the choice fell on the road tourist Benelli 600 GT. The bike is interesting, the acceleration is not exactly hurricane, but decent, the brakes are grippy. The plastic seems quite thin, but, fortunately, I haven’t had a chance to test its strength yet. Wind protection is at the level, I only want to lie down on the tank at 160-170 km/h, but I still don’t drive at that speed, because... consumption immediately jumps to 7-8 liters. I don’t plan to do any tuning; the standard body kit will suit all occasions. The panniers can be removed from the motorcycle in 10 minutes using a standard set of tools, and if necessary, they can be put back just as quickly. In the city they are not needed, as they increase the size, but in a long-distance commute they fit all your junk perfectly. I didn’t notice any assembly problems, although after the purchase, just in case, I removed the plastic, checked how the wiring was laid, and at the same time tightened all the available bolts and nuts. Vitaly, Nizhny Novgorod, Stels 600 GT Benelli '2016

I bought a Stealth Benelli 600 second hand with 22 thousand mileage, completely stock, nothing has been done. The paint on the plastic is easily scratched even by a zipper on a jacket. The standard headlight does not shine at all, I plugged in xenon and forgot about this problem. The acceleration is crazy, if you turn off the gas too sharply, the motorcycle literally moves away from under you, so you have to turn it off carefully. The brakes are good, but there is no ABS, so there is always a risk of overbraking. For the money, he’s a good spender; a Japanese man of that amount would be quite old. Arseniy, Moscow, Stels 600 Benelli '2015.

Italian Stels Benelli 600 made in China - review and thoughts

Recently, the Stels company has begun to produce more and more interesting, and most importantly, high-quality motorcycle models. It’s nice that engineers take their mistakes into account and try not to repeat them in new bikes. The Stels company has become a manufacturer that produces fairly budget two-wheeled vehicles that are not inferior to modern motorcycles in appearance and power. In today's review we will talk about one such motorcycle - the Stealth Benelli 600. Is it worth buying this motorcycle, or should you go for a used Japanese one?

A few thoughts about the Benelli 600 Stealth

An interesting fact is that the motorcycle combines as many as three pedigrees. The fact is that the Benelli development itself comes from Italy, where the company did not have enough funds to implement it. As a result, Benelli was bought by a Chinese manufacturer and sold its production. However, upon purchase, the Chinese manufacturer set the condition that all engineers and designers would remain Italian, which is what happened. That is why this model is distinguished by a very reliable engine and high-quality spare parts that are quite easy to find. This fact determines the fusion of as many as three pedigrees of this motorcycle - Italian design and engineering, Chinese production and Russian assembly. We will return to the question of the reliability of the motorcycle a little later, but for now it must be said that the Stealth Benelli 600 motorcycle really turned out to be very successful. The Chinese manufacturer made the right decision and made the right decision - to buy and implement Italian developments. By the way, this was largely done to create a good competitor to other similar motorcycle manufacturers in Europe, because in China two-wheeled vehicles with an engine more powerful than 250 cm 3 are prohibited.

Appearance of Stealth Benelli

In terms of appearance, the motorcycle is completely worth its price. The bike looks quite nice, has elements painted gold - the front fork, brake discs, pipes. But the clutch and front brake handles were left chrome, which is quite strange. The frame of the motorcycle also stands out; here it is painted bright red, but you can immediately see that savings have been made on the turn signals and mirrors. The turn signals are teardrop-shaped and will most likely break the first time you drop them, so be prepared to replace them. As for plastic, the Chinese manufacturer saved money here too, but the joints and connections themselves are made quite well. It is worth mentioning separately about the mirrors of the Stealth Benelli 600. On the motorcycle they are also made in the form of droplets, and are narrowed towards the end of the mirror. It may be beautiful, but as experience shows, it is completely impractical. It is in the narrowed part that all the necessary information is usually located, which, unfortunately, is not visible in this mirror.

From the detailed review we can conclude that the motorcycle turned out to be really successful, but Chinese production still makes its presence felt. The good news is that there should be no problems with the engine, but tires, mirrors and turn signals may have to be changed.

Engine.

• Inline 4 cylinder with a volume of 600 cc, liquid cooling and a power of 81 hp and 55 Hm.
• Injector power supply system.

The engine is an Italian design and has already earned its reliability. It does not cause problems for its owners.

The only issue is the supply of the ECU power supply system.

Manufacturers equipped it with two ECU modules (Delphi MT 05.2). Each is responsible for processing only 2 cylinders.

The first ECU is cylinder 1-2.

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Second ECU 3-4 cylinder.

Due to their not entirely ideal balance of working with each other. Manifests itself in not quite correct mixture formation. Supplying the first pair of cylinders with a rich mixture and the second with a poor mixture. Forming a distinct failure at certain speeds. Solved by flashing the ECU unit to a modified firmware. Moreover, this allows you to increase power up to 95 hp

in stock the engine produces 91 hp on the dyno instead of 81 hp which is stated in the title.

According to the nature of the acceleration dynamics, the motor is top-heavy. It has good pick-up over 7000 thousand rpm. and right up to the cutoff. At low speeds the motorcycle is friendly. And it allows even beginners to handle it easily. Acceleration with confidence will be enough for a couple of seasons. And you won’t think about replacing.

If you come across a motorcycle for restoration and for some reason the engine has become unusable. Its cost is not so prohibitive and amounts to 50 thousand rubles.

6-speed gearbox. The clarity of shifts is not like on Honda gearboxes. In general, the gearbox works well.

• Of the possible problems, not only this model that you will encounter. The relay-regulator costs about 2.5 thousand rubles. Its main reason for failure is overheating or moisture. But even the famous Suzuki GSX-R600 and Honda CBR 600 are guilty of this.
• A common problem is incomprehensible rear brake force. The rear wheel does not lend itself to measured load distribution. In simple words, it is completely blocked. Only replacing the rear caliper with third-party modifications helps. In general, the brake mechanisms are sufficient.
• There is also strong vibration of the standard mirrors.
• As for the fuel consumption of this model. At a speed of 100-110 km/h, the consumption is about 5 liters. With an active driving style, about 7 liters of AI-95.

It is useful that there is an adjustment for the preload of the rear shock absorber. You can adjust the suspension stiffness to suit you.

Chassis

The chassis of the motorcycle is quite high quality and it is worth saying that the motorcycle handles the road very well. According to the owners, the Stels Benelli 600 is very stable on the road and can be compared with any sports bike. At the front we have an inverted telescopic front fork, which, considering the bike’s weight of 208 kg, behaves very well. This type of fork is usually installed on sportbikes, as it better presses the wheel to the road surface. This is due to the fact that the bulk of the mass is at the top of the fork, and not at the bottom. At the rear of the motorcycle there is a pendulum suspension with a monoshock absorber, which can be adjusted. Both the spring itself can be adjusted - its stiffness can be adjusted, as well as the shock absorber. In general, the ability to adjust on the Stealth 600 is quite important, since the seating position here is quite high. The motorcycle's ground clearance is approximately 18 cm, so a person under 175 cm tall will not feel very confident at a traffic light.

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The motorcycle is equipped with a steel space-type frame consisting of three parts. It is also called a “birdcage”. It is worth saying that the frame is quite strong, so the motorcycle should not withstand too serious impacts and falls.

Features of Chinese-Italian relations

Need I say that the new bike immediately aroused great interest? The Stels 600 Benelli motorcycle is offered to customers at the price of a used Japanese 600 like a Yamaha FZ-6 or Kawasaki ER-6, but the guest from the Middle Kingdom, unlike them, will be new and with a factory warranty. Chinese designers developed the technical side of the new bike, using the developments of their Italian colleagues and giving the Stealth 600 Benelli motorcycle technical characteristics comparable to those of its Japanese competitors. Designers from the sunny European country, in turn, worked hard on the appearance of the Chinese motorcycle and gave it a very recognizable and attractive appearance. In addition to the naked version, by the way, there is also a road-tourist modification - the Stels 600 GT Benelli, which is distinguished by more developed wind protection and luggage cases.

And, by the way, if the Benelli Stealth 600 is a fairly typical road motorcycle, albeit with an aggressive appearance, then its touring modification looks much more interesting, and, perhaps, it will be a worthy competitor to such a popular bike as the Honda CBF 600. Stels 600 GT The Benelli is perfect even for really short trips on asphalt roads, although, of course, it’s better not to drive it off the asphalt - it’s simply not designed for that.

Review of the Stels Benelli 600 motorcycle

RU-MOTO rating

Verdict

Stels Benelli 600 is definitely an interesting model that has the right to life. Among expensive Japanese and European analogues, it demonstrates quite decent quality at an excellent price. Gives you the choice and opportunity to purchase a new motorcycle, rather than scouring the used market in search of satisfactory Japanese equipment.

Today we take a look at the Stels Benelli motorcycle and its history as a true tramp. Why is that? - you ask. It so happened that it is difficult to say what kind of motorcycle this is and where its place is.

Benelli has strong Italian roots, but during difficult times the motorcycle company was sold to Chinese manufacturers. In order not to lose the name, Benelli has established conditions under which the Chinese manufacturer should not have a hand in the engine design or radically rework the appearance. They should leave this task to Italian engineers and designers.

That’s how it all turned out, now the motorcycle is produced in Chinese factories and is often assembled by Russian hands. This story causes some skepticism among experienced motorcyclists, but we will now discuss whether it is justified.