The Benelli 752S has had its day. In China, parent company QJ has filed documents of its successor, which will probably be marketed under the name 802S. The new 802S has a larger displacement, is significantly lighter and has considerably more power.
It is a continuous trend of manufacturers to increase the cylinder capacity with a major update of a model. Ducati already did this in the 1990s with the further development of the 851, which was followed by the 888, 916, 996, 998, 999, 1098, 1198 and 1298.
Now you could argue that Ducati did that at the time to make maximum use of the technical regulations of the World Superbike Championship, which allowed two-cylinders up to 1,000cc in the early years and later up to 1,200cc, but what about BMW, where the The story of the GS started with the R 850 GS and we have now arrived at the R 1250 GS, with an R 1300 GS in the pipeline.
Also in the sporty Naked segment it has been the trend for years to make the cylinder capacity ever bigger and bigger. Not so long ago, the mid-range was formed by motorcycles such as the Kawasaki Z800, KTM 790 Duke and Ducati Monster 821, three models whose displacement has now grown to 948cc (Z900), 890cc (890 Duke) and 937cc (Monster).
The fact that they have used the same philosophy at Benelli in the further development of the 752S is therefore not wrong at all in that regard. New type-approval documents filed in China show that the engine capacity of the successor to the 752S, codenamed BJ800-B, has increased by 45cc to 799cc.
Much more interesting, however, is the increase in power, which is disproportionate in relation to the increased displacement. Where the 752S is good for a top power of 75 hp, that has grown to no less than 95 hp with its successor – an increase of more than 25% (against an increase in displacement of ‘only’ 6%).
With a top power of 95 hp, Benelli gets the most out of the European regulations regarding 35 kW engines – only if the original power is not more than double the 35 kW, 70 kW or 95 hp, a 35 kW version may be released.
In addition to the fact that the block has received a significant boost, the successor to the 752S has undergone a significant diet cure. According to the documents, the new bike weighs 208 kilos, compared to 228 kilos with the current 752S – a difference of no less than 20 kilos. When you compare that to the increase in power, you are talking about an increase in horsepower/weight ratio from 0.32 to 0.46 hp/kg.
Visually, though, you’ll have to look damn closely to spot the differences between the 752S and the 802S, the image QJ added to the documents looks like two drops of water on the current model. Provided a good price, it could become a serious competitor in the sporty middle class.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.