Benelist enjoyed a short tour and a big raffle
The scorching summer finally came to an end, ushering in the autumn touring season on Sunday, September 29th, marking the first holiday of the season. Japan Benelli Day 2024 was held at Bikers Paradise Minami-Hakone special venue. Following last year's event, this second meeting event saw Benelli owners begin arriving one after another starting around 9:00 AM, despite occasional rain showers and drizzling skies.
Since most participants had pre-registered, registration proceeded smoothly. By 10:30 AM, when the event began, the weather had begun to clear up, and smiling faces were everywhere.
A short round-trip tour of the Tokoku Pass was also held. Participants split into several groups to enjoy a winding road ride on their beloved bikes, a trip that attracted the majority of owners. Some owners completed the ride on vintage 1968 models, mingling with those who drove the new Benelli models. A
grand raffle concluded the event, offering fantastic prizes. Attendees were given a numbered raffle ticket at registration, and as the numbers were drawn for one after another of the luxurious prizes, the venue erupted in cheers of joy every time a winning prize was awarded. This
is only the fourth year since the company began selling the new Benelli bikes, so the number of users is still small. And the number of participating bikes this time was also small, at around 70 bikes. However, this is precisely why the event had such a homey atmosphere, which seemed to make it a comfortable experience for the participants. In the closing remarks, the staff announced that they would like to hold the event again next year and that they plan to increase the number of prizes, which was met with thunderous applause.
Most users had pre-registered, so the registration process went smoothly.
Participants will receive a Sierra cup with the BENELLI logo.
The most popular vehicle among the participants was the Imperiale 400
Reflecting the popularity of adventure, many TRK series were also participating.
The TNT125 with small diameter tires participated by riding on local roads.
Many of the naked sports TNT249S motorcycles were customized.
The Imperiale 400 is popular for its classic style, and many of the models are made into cafe racers or touring models.
The TNT125 brought by the organizer, Proto. It was fitted with numerous custom parts, giving it a racing look.
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Although not driven, some rare vintage cars also participated, catching the attention of the Venetians.
1968 Benelli 125 Sport Special
The unique egg-shaped engine was replaced with a Keihin 28mm carburetor.
Motobi, a sister brand of Benelli. The model is the 1972 Motobi 48 Sport.
The engine is a 2-cycle 48cc and uses a 4-speed transmission.
Motobi’s 1953 Moto B98. The rear suspension is actually a leaf spring.
The engine is a 2-stroke 98cc with a very cute design.
A short tour on winding roads in our favorite cars. We split into groups of about 10 and rode on a route that went round trip between the venue, Bipara, and Tokoku Pass.
Although the number is still small, the number of Benelli fans is steadily increasing. The people who were fascinated by Benelli bikes, which have a riding feel different from Japanese cars, further strengthened their ties at the homely Japan Benelli Day 2024 event. They left the venue looking forward to meeting again at next year’s event.
