Yesterday Abhi featured a 1974 Benelli Tornado, so when I came across a pristine first-year Tornado Tre example from 2003 I just couldn’t resist. The Tornado failed to garner the same level of attention that its fellow Italian sport bikes of the early-2000’s did (like the MV F4 and Ducati 916) but it’s nonetheless a stellar motorcycle. The model was first introduced on July 21st, 1999 at EICMA in Milan. The aim of the Tornado Tre was to revive the Benelli brand with plans of utilizing the high-spec LE Tornado as a platform for WSBK competition to establish its place in the (then) increasingly-competitive marketplace.
Ducati reigned supreme in WSBK in 2003 as they produced nine out of the ten highest scoring bikes overall that season. Benelli had a monumental challenge laid out ahead of it, but Andrea Merloni – who was running Benelli at the time – brought Riccardo Rosa on board to develop the Tornado super bike. Rosa had previously worked at Scuderia Ferrari, Fondmetal F1, and Cagiva Corsa. Peter Goddard also joined the ranks of those developing the Italian 898cc 12-valve triple. Benelli would continue to manufacturer the Tornado until 2014 when the plug would finally be pulled.
Less than 1,000 Biposto Tornados were produced in the green and grey livery, with this example bearing frame #802. The green and grey superbike boasted a futuristic design that still holds up pretty well nearly a decade-and-a-half since its debut. Its race-inspired tail-section and RC8-esque stacked mono-headlight set-up looked particularly sharp, but the bright red or yellow under-tail dual cooling-fans are quite possibly most people’s favorite feature on the Tornado. As awesome as the pair of under-seat fans look, their design boasted performance benefits. The cooling-fan’s location enables the radiator to be positioned underneath the seat, freeing up space behind the front wheel which allowed the Tornado to sport more aggressive steering geometry without the radiator getting in the wheel’s way.
The Tornado Tre was powered by a torquey 898cc three-cylinder that put down a reported 143 hp and 74 ft-lbs of torque. The machine had a 1/4-mile acceleration of 11 seconds and a top-speed of 167 mph. Wrapped around the Italian liquid-cooled triple was a highly-advanced cast aluminum alloy and molybdenum chrome steel frame that was reinforced via structural gluing to rid the chassis of violent vibrations and micro-movements, a technique often utilized in the aeronautical industry. In total, the machine weighed just over 440 lbs dry.
The frame helped absorb road imperfections along with a Benelli-designed, Marzocchi-built fork. The Tornado Novecento Tre at the time (and may still be?) the only bike in the world to use a rear-shock with an Ergal 55 central body. The Novecento Tre variant of the Tornado boasted full carbon fiber bodywork and tank, and magnesium wheels. The Novecento was the limited edition high-spec version of the Tornado, costing almost four times as much as the standard Tornado at around $30,000 (or £23,000).
As one might expect, this $30K Italian super bike is equipped with some of the finest components money can buy. In addition to top-of-the-line Brembos all around and a seriously generous helping of carbon, the Novecento Tre also sports a ton of CNC engineered parts, including the fairing-fasteners, rear-sets, gear-levels, and steering-damper. This particular Novecento example is remarkably clean for a bike with over 9,000-miles on it, though it has been expertly maintained with invoices saved for all service – which includes a new water pump and radiator in 2013 and a full top-end rebuild in 2012 – and more receipts for almost $2,500 in aftermarket carbon parts.
This 2003 example was fully upgraded to the Novecento Tre limited edition spec with all the necessary parts in 2008, though it isn’t an original Novecento Tre Tornado. You can find this 2003 Benelli Tornado Novecento Tre replica for sale here on RaceBikeMart in Geneva, Switzerland at VIA THEMA with a price of $14,100.