Benelli 302R supersport unveiled; India launch towards the end of the year

The next-gen Benelli 302R has just been unveiled in all its full-faired glory and the new updates bring it up to par with some of its tougher competition.

In terms of design, the new 302R sportbike receives some major updates. The bike is sharper now and looks fairly aggressive. The front gets a vertically stacked projection headlamp unit and sleek panels flank the sides. The rear, too, gets an aggressive step-up seat unit and a new lighter frame has been used allowing for a total weight savings of 22 kg.

Powering the bike however is the same 302cc parallel-twin engine that produces 34 PS and 27 Nm. This is a minor drop in power; the motor has been updated to comply with modern emission standards. The reduced weight too may cancel out the need for the extra horses.

Suspension is now handled by a 41 mm USD fork up front and a preload adjustable monoshock at the rear while braking is taken care of by four-piston calipers biting down on dual discs in the front and a single disc at the back.

The 302R also now gets a full-colour TFT dash to display a host of information to the rider and a new set of switchgears that are backlit.

The Benelli 302R is expected to make its way to India soon and will go up against the likes of the KTM RC390, TVS Apache RR 310 and even the Kawasaki Ninja 300.