Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this Tornado sold for a BIN of $3,800 on eBay.
While Benelli had some good success with small displacement bikes, they knew that many American and British riders were only throwing their money at big bikes, and the Italian firm had nothing to attract those dollars. They decided to target these riders with a vertical twin called the Tornado or the 650S. They’re hard to find nowadays and this example stands out as it was recently given a moderate cosmetic restoration – don’t worry, the front fender is included!
At the time of its introduction, Benelli claimed the Tornado produced 57 horsepower and was capable of 117 miles per hour, despite its chunky 480 pound weight. The driving dynamics were surprisingly pleasant, thanks to a high revving engine, Marzocchi forks, Ceriani shocks, and a hefty front brake. Want to learn more? Check out Motorcycle Classics for an interesting write up on this bike which states that it was a great road bike despite some “design idiosyncrasies.”
This example (VIN: 10076) shows 4,782 miles on the odometer but it looks like it has even less thanks to a new seat, rechromed headers, and most importantly, a NOS gas tank. It’s not perfect – the turn signals don’t work, those headers were connected to Harley mufflers for some reason, and of course the front fender isn’t in the photos (but again, it’s included). Ignoring the turn signals, everything is said to work and the bike does not leak any oil.
Find this Tornado for sale in McDonald, Pennsylvania with bidding up to $1,030 and the reserve not yet met