Within the city known as the "city of engines," a small motorcycle manufacturer was founded in 1911. One-hundred years later, the bike marque is ready to celebrate a century of making some of the most desired two wheelers ever made – Benelli is 100 and it's time to party.
Benelli at 100
Coming in September of this year it will be the now Chinese owned, and sporting a slight name adjustment, Benelli QJ's 100th year of existence. There were several years which had the unfortunate experience of not having Benelli motorcycles produced within their twelve-sectioned bounds. There were problems with stagnant engineering in the face of more modern Japanese bikes, and the usual mis- or over-management of inexperienced bosses, both of which led to Pesaro production totally ceasing in 1988.
They came back, after the usual slow start for any returning Italian legend, in 2001 with the Benelli Tornado Tre 900 Limited Edition. The machine was not perfect, but it sure could perform and was revolutionary for its time by sporting an 898 cc inline-triple in a hybrid frame using both a chromoly trellis and cast aluminum sections. The company faced some tough times, but has recently seen some significant investment into the future of the marque – its 100th year may be one of its best thus far.
Benelli Pesaro
Benelli has been part of Pesaro for every year motorcycles were produced by the factory, and the Italian city is where the soul of the company is even though its parent is headquartered on the other side of the world. Pesaro has motorcycles and the people who love them in its heart; some of the greatest racers of all time grew up riding the roads there. Among them are Tonino Benelli, Paolo Campanelli, Silvio Grassetti, Eugenio Lazzarini, Dorino Serafini, and Valentino Rossi, who is currently riding for Ducati (Bologna) in MotoGP.
The city of Pesaro has joined on as a supporter of "Benelli Week" and will work with Benelli QJ, the "Registro Storico Benelli" and the "Moto Club Pesaro T. Benelli" to put on a large program chock full of Benelli-themed activities – and some of the best food you may ever eat outside or inside. The roads where some of the world's best riders will be open and inviting for all enthusiasts of the "House of Lion."
Seven Days of Benelli
When someone turns 100 years old, it's a big event, and Benelli week will be much larger than many before its time. It consists of seven full days of Benelli motorcycles, organized motorcycle tours, beautiful Italian machines of all kinds, a very rare tour of the working Benelli factory, a complete host of events involving Benelli history, a live "Benelli Talk Show," live music, a demonstration of historic racing Benelli motorcycles being fired up, and just so much more...
Benelli Week runs from 12 to 18 September 2011 and the organizers claim to have arranged a special rate at a local hotel APAHOTEL for all Benelli enthusiasts – better to call sooner than later!
Apologies if this comes too late for you to make plans, but sometimes a once in a lifetime event comes along which may be worth hopping a plane and just going for a ride – they will rent motorcycles at the event. Get to Benelli Week and celebrate 100 years of the fine motorcycles of Benelli QJ.
Benelli and the city of Pesaro have gone to the trouble of creating a website specifically for this event which is worth a click or two: http://www.turismopesaro.it/ (Italian only – use your browser's translator).
