Italian Stels Benelli 600 made in China - review and thoughts

RU-MOTO rating

• Reliability
• Chassis
• Appearance
• Comfort

4

Verdict

Stels Benelli 600 is definitely an interesting model that has the right to life. Among expensive Japanese and European analogues, it demonstrates quite decent quality at an excellent price. Gives you the choice and opportunity to purchase a new motorcycle, rather than scouring the used market in search of satisfactory Japanese equipment.

Today we take a look at the Stels Benelli motorcycle and its history as a true tramp. Why is that? - you ask. It so happened that it is difficult to say what kind of motorcycle this is and where its place is.

Benelli has strong Italian roots, but during difficult times the motorcycle company was sold to Chinese manufacturers. In order not to lose the name, Benelli has established conditions under which the Chinese manufacturer should not have a hand in the engine design or radically rework the appearance. They should leave this task to Italian engineers and designers.

That’s how it all turned out, now the motorcycle is produced in Chinese factories and is often assembled by Russian hands. This story causes some skepticism among experienced motorcyclists, but we will now discuss whether it is justified.

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Specifications

The engine of our stallion fits into the large class of motorcycles with a displacement of 600 cc. The four-stroke, four-cylinder inline-four, with a liquid-cooled system and four valves per cylinder, produces 81 hp and 55 Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm. Quite average indicators, but when driving you can notice a peculiarity in the form of sluggish work at the bottom (up to 5 thousand rpm), then it becomes more fun. The maximum speed is 225 km/h, which is quite enough for a street with its wind protection.

Previously, the site Ru-moto.com published a review of the Honda cb 600 motorcycle

The gearbox is 6-speed, with a chain drive to the wheel.

The frame has a stylish design - a birdcage, which has a bright red color. The motorcycle has an inverted telescopic fork. At the rear there is a regular swingarm and an interestingly located monoshock absorber on the right. That, in turn, is painted red, which harmonizes perfectly with the frame.

A definite feature of the motorcycle is the rider's high-mounted street pegs, almost like those of sportbikes. Although this does not add comfort, the turning angle will be much lower than with the classic arrangement.

The brakes are made in China, but do not cause any complaints. There are two discs and four-piston calipers at the front, and a single disc and two-piston caliper at the rear. In urban conditions they cope with dignity.

Thanks to the Italian design, the motorcycle looks very attractive, but when you get closer and take a closer look, you begin to understand where China is hiding. The idea is aimed at reducing the price as much as possible, without losing the fundamental Italian quality of the technical part of the motorcycle. Therefore, as for the wiring, all kinds of plastics, switches, accessories, they are purely Chinese, and with a slight fall they will not make their presence felt in the best way.

Engine

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Transmission

Dimensions and weight

Chassis and brakes

Repair and service

Photo of the rear wheel of the STELS 600 GT BENELLI motorcycle

It’s difficult to call the motorcycle completely rice-like, in comparison with most Chinese equipment, but it still has several pain points:

• The fuel sensor often fails;
• the quality of many bolts leaves much to be desired;
• after a short mileage, the front fork oil often leaks and oil seals fail;
• rear shock absorber is leaking;
• connections and hoses of the cooling system quickly crack and tear - antifreeze leaks are observed;
• the rear wheel bearing is falling apart;
• uneven wear of the pads is observed;
• The quality of the wiring is poor, often frays or breaks are observed.

As you can see, breakdowns occur as a result of savings on components and build quality. The engine does not cause any complaints.

Maintenance is carried out in a standard manner and, if used correctly, will not hurt your pocket. If you have a representative office of this equipment in your city, then you are lucky; this will save time and money.

What is it like on the road?

The new motorcycle from Stels was received with interest, but also with caution. On the one hand, it is attractive - the technical characteristics of the Stels 600 Benelli are enough to compete with Japanese competitors on the roads, and the bike looks good. On the other hand, many motorcyclists are confused by the Chinese origin of the new product, since the stereotype “Chinese means bad” is firmly established in their heads. And the bike also has congenital problems - in the case of the Stealth Benelli 600 model, owner reviews say that at around 5 thousand revolutions the standard muffler begins to rattle very unpleasantly. Nothing critical, of course, but it’s annoying, so tuning the new Stealth Benelli 600 usually starts with replacing the original exhaust with a “can” from third-party manufacturers.

The speakers of the Stels Benelli 600 are impressive - it picks up speed very confidently, and powerful disc brakes provide predictable and well-predicted braking. The usual modification, of course, does not have wind protection, so after 120-130 km/h the wind begins to very noticeably blow away the rider, but the Stels 600 GT Benelli does not have this drawback - its developed front fairing perfectly cuts off the wind flow, and there is no desire to lie with your chest on the gas tank occurs even at higher speeds.

Comparison with analogues

In this class and cubic capacity, finding a rival is not a problem, but we decided to play trump cards and compare it with the popular Honda CB 600 Hornet, which has firmly conquered the market.

Looking through the technical characteristics of our representatives, you can see that Benelli practically does not lag behind, and even if it loses in some of the indicators, it is only insignificant. Honda's build quality and materials are many times better, but the cost is twice as high. Benelli's design seems more interesting than that of the conservative Japanese representative; after all, the Italians manage to add elegance to their technology.

Photo gallery

A characteristic feature, as with all Chinese technology, is the constant improvement of design and the introduction of new elements in the spirit of the times. Let's take a look at this unit in our photo selection below.

Owner reviews

dkkf88evnk

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The motorcycle looks decent enough for a Chinese product. The four-cylinder engine will not let you get bored. Everything seems to be fine if it were not for Chinese production. If you compare this motorcycle with similar Japanese-made motorcycles, the first thing that differs is the price. And not because Japan is further away. It's about quality and reliability. A Japanese motorcycle like this will last you many times longer. And not just longer. There is a qualitative difference. To understand, you need to drive both. Moreover, you first need to travel in Chinese, and then sit in Japanese - the difference will be obvious. The Japanese analogue, of the same cubic capacity, is not just more powerful, it is more pleasant to drive. Less vibration. In the end it is more reliable. The Stels 600 Benelli motorcycle, for all its positive qualities, is short-lived. Because it was made in China. One good thing is the price. But as they say: the miser pays twice.dkkf88evnk

treasurer

While selecting a motorcycle for a price of 200,000 rubles, we came across a motorcycle “Stels Benelli” 600. Of course, it was a good impression to find a new motorcycle of 600 cc with an excellent look for 200,000 rubles, the only thing that was alarming was the name STELS, a well-known Chinese similarity. It accelerates very well, at rpms below 6000 there are minor dips and acceleration drops, but after 6000 rpm it just explodes. The footrest is high off the ground, giving you the ability to corner. The frame is rigid, the motorcycle does not move around, and it cuts the trajectory very much when turning, which is very important. I’m very pleased that this is a road bike that can be laid up to the knees, which is very rare. The engine and spare parts are of very high quality, which is important for buyers. The gears are short and very convenient for city driving. In my opinion, an awesome motorcycle for a low price.treyser

andrey4550

This city motorcycle literally blew up the modern market. A special tubular steel frame geometry was developed especially for this motorcycle. The design of this motorcycle is well thought out; it looks no worse than, for example, a Yamaha or Honda. This motorcycle has a four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 600cc. Engine power 82 horsepower. The motorcycle has excellent acceleration dynamics. The STELS 600 Benelli has a six-speed gearbox. The suspension of this bike is sporty. The motorcycle brakes are hydraulic disc. Overall the motorcycle is very good looking, excellent design, excellent engine, sports suspension and a great price for the motorcycle. andrey4550

Opinion of the two-wheeled public

This Chinese-Italian hybrid is a very controversial bike, not least due to its origins. But in the case of the Stealth Benelli 600, reviews from real, real owners are crucial, because those who have only seen this motorcycle in photographs, but have not owned it, usually judge it with the prejudice that many bikers feel towards Chinese motorcycles .

I bought a bike shortly after the start of sales, new, under warranty, and I did it well, since after six months the prices had already increased. I'm happy as an elephant - I received a vigorous new motorcycle under warranty for the price of an old Ruff or Phaser. There are no problems, although the sound of the standard can is, of course, disgusting, so I replaced it with Arrow. Alexey, Moscow, Stels Benelli 600 '2014.

I was choosing a road bike so that I could drive around the city to work and go to the sea in the summer; the choice fell on the road tourist Benelli 600 GT. The bike is interesting, the acceleration is not exactly hurricane, but decent, the brakes are grippy. The plastic seems quite thin, but, fortunately, I haven’t had a chance to test its strength yet. Wind protection is at the level, I only want to lie down on the tank at 160-170 km/h, but I still don’t drive at that speed, because... consumption immediately jumps to 7-8 liters. I don’t plan to do any tuning; the standard body kit will suit all occasions. The panniers can be removed from the motorcycle in 10 minutes using a standard set of tools, and if necessary, they can be put back just as quickly. In the city they are not needed, as they increase the size, but in a long-distance commute they fit all your junk perfectly. I didn’t notice any assembly problems, although after the purchase, just in case, I removed the plastic, checked how the wiring was laid, and at the same time tightened all the available bolts and nuts. Vitaly, Nizhny Novgorod, Stels 600 GT Benelli '2016

I bought a Stealth Benelli 600 second hand with 22 thousand mileage, completely stock, nothing has been done. The paint on the plastic is easily scratched even by a zipper on a jacket. The standard headlight does not shine at all, I plugged in xenon and forgot about this problem. The acceleration is crazy, if you turn off the gas too sharply, the motorcycle literally moves away from under you, so you have to turn it off carefully. The brakes are good, but there is no ABS, so there is always a risk of overbraking. For the money, he’s a good spender; a Japanese man of that amount would be quite old. Arseniy, Moscow, Stels 600 Benelli '2015.