If you’re into mid-capacity sports bikes, we have some good news for you. Chinese-owned Italian bikemaker Benelli is ready to bring its Tornado 550 sports bike to America. It aims to take on the popular Honda CBR500R by offering more in every way, be it power or feature-wise. Here’s what you need to know.
The Benelli Tornado 550 Produces 56 Horsepower And 40 LB-FT
The engine is the crown jewel here. The Tornado employs Benelli’s 554cc, parallel-twin engine that’s good for 56 horsepower and 40 pound-feet of torque. The power comes in at 8,250 RPM, and the torque at just 5,500 RPM–both ensuring there’s ample grunt low down. The power reaches the wheel via a six-speed transmission.
At these figures, the Chinese-made sports bike is more powerful than all of its rivals. The CFMoto 450SR and Kawasaki Ninja 500 come the closest with their 50 horsepower output, while the Honda CBR500R and Aprilia RS 457 are almost 10 ponies down on the Benelli. However, the performance is a bit offset by the 437-pound curb weight (15 more than the CBR).
2026 Benelli Tornado 550 Power And Torque
|
Engine |
554cc, parallel-twin |
|
Power |
56 HP @ 8,250 RPM |
|
Torque |
40 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Transmission |
Six-speed |
Adjustable Suspension And Trellis Chassis Make Up The Tornado 550’s Underpinnings
The engine is cradled inside a steel trellis chassis, coupled with what looks like a cast subframe. Helping the chassis absorb bumps is Marzocchi suspension (41 mm USD forks and monoshock) with adjustability at both ends. This pairs up with 17-inch cast alloy wheels, where the front houses dual discs and the rear a single rotor. Radially mounted Brembo monobloc calipers ensure there’s plenty of stopping power to slow you down.
The ergonomics follow the same brief. Benelli has mounted the clip-on bars under the triple-tree, the split saddle appears aggressively shaped, and the footpegs appear rearset. None of this is visibly too extreme, though. Once in the seat, a five-inch TFT greets you. While the display gets the basics right (smartphone connectivity and view modes), it misses out on electronic aids. Only dual-channel ABS is present as standard.
Key Features
- Adjustable suspension
- Dual-channel ABS
- LED lights
- Five-inch TFT
- Smartphone connectivity
- USB ports
The Benelli Tornado 550 Will Reach American Dealerships Soon
Like what you see? Then, you’d be happy to know the Tornado could reach America soon. Keeway (the new importer of Benelli) has already confirmed its arrival and shown it in a couple of American motor shows. So it’s a matter of when, not if. That said, the MSRP remains unclear, and so does the exact timeline. Looking at Benelli USA’s usual strategy, we expect the sports bike to undercut its arch-rivals, though.
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