[DeTomaso] LPC - guess what followed me home a few weeks ago? A Benelli Sei 900

[Mike & Elizabeth Thomas]

Nice scooter!  Is it possible to give us a sound bite?
Mike T.

-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso [mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com] On Behalf
Of Charles McCall
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2017 11:03 AM
To: Detomaso Email List <detomaso at detomasolist.com>
Subject: [DeTomaso] LPC - guess what followed me home a few weeks ago? A
Benelli Sei 900

Limited Pantera content, but there is some. Sharp readers may remember that
I asked more than a year ago if anyone had any experience with the Benelli
motorcycles introduced by Alejandro DeTomaso. A few people answered, and I
was intrigued enough to begin investigating. 

 

Facebook people have seen some pix and heard a version of this story. Roger
Brotton of the UK DeTomaso Club asked if I'd pen a short article about the
history for their magazine - since there are few members of the DTDC on this
list, I thought I'd share it here. In summary - what an amazing bike!!!!!!!

 

In 1971, Alejandro DeTomaso was on a roll and looking for new challenges.
His gorgeous DeTomaso Mangusta was still being produced, and the DeTomaso
Pantera was now being sold through Ford in the US in volumes anticipated to
be in the thousands.

 

Looking for something to keep him occupied and to fill his spare time, he
decided to purchase Benelli, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Benelli
had a long history spanning back to 1911, which included several European
Championships and Moto GP World Championships. But by the early 1970's, the
shine had worn off and they were in serious financial difficulties.
Alejandro, always looking for a challenge and a bargain, incorporated the
company into his empire, something he would later do with Moto Guzzi,
Maserati, and Innocenti. 

 

He immediately decided that what Benelli needed was a "halo bike" - a
product that would attract the attention of the world press, appear on
magazine covers, and get people talking about the name again. He instructed
his engineers and design team to set about building the world's first
road-going 6-cylinder motorcycle. To help reduce development time, he was,
erm, heavily inspired by the Honda 500/4. The engine was basically identical
with an extra cylinder stuck on each end and everything else adapted for the
new configuration. However it was wrapped in a new and splashy design and
used some of the best components available on the market at the time in
order to create what was a truly excellent product. Brembo brakes were used
all-round - twin disks up front and a drum in the back that was highly
effective. However all eyes were inevitably drawn to the
rocket-launcher-type exhausts - three on each side - that just screamed
"Look at me!"

 

Reading numerous period reviews of the motorcycle, DeTomaso achieved his
goal of creating a true Superbike when he launched the Benelli 750 Sei in
1972 . When the motorcycle was released, the press raved about its
performance, about the smoothness of the in-line 6 engine, about the balance
and stability, and about how it felt so much lighter and nimbler than they
were expecting. The sound of the engine was frequently compared to that of a
1960's Maserati or V-12 Ferrari and was universally loved for the music it
made.  It consistently out-performed the competition from Europe and Japan,
and was the King of the Hill. 

 

True to DeTomaso methodology, once the design was finished and the product
was released, Alejandro lost interest and moved on to his next project. Very
little development work was done over the next few years on the 750 Sei. The
Japanese, on the other hand, poured tremendous resources each year to
improve their products, and they soon caught and surpassed the 750. In a
matter of a few years, their products were less expensive than the Sei and
could outperform it in just about every aspect.

 

So DeTomaso took another step and decided to up the ante and introduce a new
model. The engine was bored and stroked to a total of 906cc. The cam was
modified to suit the new displacement. The bodywork was also updated, and
the rear drum brake was replaced by a disk. One of DeTomaso's stranger ideas
was to link the brakes so that the brake pedal activated the rear brakes and
one of the front calipers. The other front caliper was activated by the
traditional brake lever. The fact that this system didn't catch on and was
only used on the Benelli and a handful of Moto Guzzis (by then part of the
DeTomaso Empire) before dying a natural death gives an indication of whether
this was really a good idea or not. When the new motorcycle went into
production in 1978, the dramatic 6-into-6 exhaust had been replaced by a
more mundane 6-into-2, made by a company called "Silentium". the name kind
of gives an indication of the sound produced. This decision was partly due
to economics and partly due to the ever-more-restrictive sound limits being
implemented in Europe. 

 

The 900 was a moderate leap forward, and once again situated the Benelli Sei
near the forefront of the world's Superbikes. However once again, DeTomaso
had moved on to his next project and year-on-year development of the 900 Sei
was basically zero. So it wasn't long before the 900 Sei was once again
outclassed, and production only continued in very small numbers, even if
production did continue at a trickle over a 12-year period. Benelli
manufactured 1800 Benelli 900 Seis during this period. 

 

My particular motorcycle is from 1987, a year when they built 88 units. The
first thing I did was replace the 6-into-2 exhaust with a custom set of
6-into-6's that came, erm, rather lightly muffled. While the stock mufflers
deliver a powerful but muted sound, with the 6 pipes it doesn't sound at all
like a motorcycle. Mike Drew, who would know these things, says it sounds
like an unmuffled Jaguar D-type. Whatever the exact model of sports car, it
simply sounds amazing. I found the bike in a private collection in
Barcelona, where it hadn't been registered since 2000. I had it freshened,
carbs rebuilt, rubber bits changed, and of course the boring, stock exhaust
was put on a shelf. I find the motorcycle to be a truly exceptional thing -
it just FEELS so right. It's nimble, stable, the Brembos are simply
fantastic, and it is very well balanced. The engineers really got it right
when they put this design together. There are faster motorcycles in
existence if that is your goal (it's not mine), but the Sei works extremely
well and was one of the best around in its day. Despite years of having
ridden motorcycles, I'd never experienced riding through town and having
heads turn to follow me (as happens in the Pantera), or to watch cars run up
alongside to check out the motorcycle (again, as happens in the Pantera).
Fuel stops inevitably turn out to be twice as long as planned, due to the
questions. Many people don't know what a Benelli is, or if they do they have
never seen one in person. And when I fire up the engine, the result is
universal. "WOWWWWWW!!!!!!"

 

Since it has been sitting for so long, I'm sure that little niggles will pop
up. But my plan is to use the motorcycle regularly to find out what needs to
be rebuilt and to enjoy it. Stowing it away in a collection seems to be a
shame to me, much like it would be a shame for a Pantera. As long as the
weather cooperates, I'm using it to go back and forth to work. The road I
take is rather entertaining, with little traffic and few traffic lights, and
as I like to say, "like is too short to drive a diesel every day!!"