The Benelli was well overdue for its first service. Up until it came into my possession, it had been around Tasmania as a packhorse for a photographer who was documenting a couple of Royal Enfield Himalayan adventure riders who were circulating the state. Fair to say this bike had been well and truly run in, and by no means gently.
So when the engine light came on while I was climbing my nearest twistiest stretch of road up Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, I conceded it was probably time for my new mate to receive its tardy TLC.
Despite the warning light, the engine’s temperature, sound or feel gave nothing to be immediately concerned about and, if it wasn’t for the insistence of the good folk at Urban Moto Imports who came and picked it up, I would have felt completely confident to undertake the 90-minute ride north to the workshop. Turns out the engine light had nothing to do with anything terminal and everything to do with a misguided pressure washer and an oxygen sensor.
My nearest dealer offers a fixed-price first service on the Benelli TRK502 which will set you back $249. You might find that the price of parts or labour may vary slightly between dealers, but it’s a reasonable ball park.
What you’re getting for your dough is a belly full of fresh oil, a new oil filter, a new sump-plug washer, disposal of your used oil and the time it takes the mechanic to carry out the work. According to the bike’s periodic maintenance chart, he or she should also be checking your coolant, brake and clutch fluid levels, checking that any hoses haven’t wiggled loose or cracked in the settling-in period, adjusting the tension of the drive chain and giving it a good once over to make sure, in this case, it has coped just fine with a punishing lap of Tassie.
And while 3000km intervals might seem overly regular when compared to other 2018-model machines, the total cost of servicing should end up being more or less the same. You see, the next service, due at 4000km, only calls for inspections and adjustments, if required. The oil doesn’t need doing again until the 7000km mark, when the air filter will also need replacing, and valve clearances don’t need to be checked until 22,000km. Next up, camping!
What on earth is Roadside Assist?
Two years roadside assist as part of Benelli’s warranty package sounds like a pretty good deal, but what exactly does it offer? The service which is included with the TRK is looked after by a mob called National Roadside Assist (NRA) which has over 1700 service providers across Australia and New Zealand. According to its website, there are two levels of cover; Platinum and Platinum Plus and, due to the fact that my house is more than 50km (maximum towing distance under Platinum package) from Benelli HQ but less than 100km (maximum towing distance under Platinum Plus package), and my engine-light return request was denied, then I can safely assume it’s the so-called Platinum package you’re getting. As well as 50km free towing to your nearest dealer, you need to be on a road discernible by NRA’s mapping program, you’ll get five litres of fuel (at your own cost) if you run out and you’ll get up to $400 towards accomodation, car hire or ambulance if you’re further than 100km from home and you’re sidelined for longer than 48 hours.
By Kel Buckley
