ROLLING STOCK On road the 800 Trail is planted and stable . That said , it is not the most agile machine , but it turns and holds a line well - big 50mm USD Marzocchi forks keeping things taut at the front end probably helps that . Perhaps the not insignificant 224kg of wet weight contributes here . The chassis is a steel tube trellis that the engine is supported from . There is no bash plate or under engine frame rails , leaving the pipes and underbody vulnerable if pushed too far up rough trails – it ’ s a modern Scrambler , remember , not an old Scrambler that was a predecessor to modern motocross machines . And speaking of tight trails , the steering lock is limited , which obviously restricts all tight manoeuvring and this can be annoying . At these times it also feels its weight , although most of the time it is not an issue . Neither are a big deal , both are noticeable .
RIDING The seat height is a people pleasing 834mm , which means only the very tall or short will have
issues and it ’ s pretty comfortable . The suspension action is nicely firm without being hard or harsh , it rides well . Only 15 litres of fuel is carried , so fuel and coffee stops are a regular thing on longer trips . Happy days . The upright riding position and wide high bars are commanding and comfortable . This along with its solid on road feel make the Benelli a happy and confidence-inspiring ride in most conditions . It is a very competent ride when commuting on a variety of terrain from motorways to tighter back roads and gravel . From the initial tarmac riding I was expecting it to be somewhat harsh and a little unresponsive feeling on gravel road corrugations , but the 800 truly surprised and pleased me with how nicely it tracked and absorbed these annoying and often destabilising bumps . The forks have 140mm of travel while the shock that is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping has 145mm . Along with those large diameter forks are big imposing 320mm twin
40 KIWI RIDER