The best Benelli TRK 502X upgrades fix the few things Benelli saved money on: the headlight, the brake pads, the dash and the finish on the fasteners. The rest of the bike is already well equipped, with crash protection, an exhaust guard, a centre stand and a 20 litre tank as standard. Our own TRK has covered 11,000 miles, including a loaded trip through France, Spain, the Pyrenees and Andorra, so this list starts with what we actually fitted and why.
0 of 16 ticked as on your bike. Ticks stay on this device only.
What we fitted to our TRK 502X
These are the mods on our own TRK 502X, and why each one earned its place.
Brighter headlight bulbs
The stock headlight is weak, and it is the one thing that made long road days into the evening tiring. Uprated bulbs made the biggest difference for the least money.
Worth knowing: Buy E-marked uprated halogen bulbs in the stock fitting. LED or HID bulbs put into a halogen headlight are not type approved for road use in the UK and can dazzle oncoming drivers.
EBC brake pads
The twin 320mm discs use two-piston calipers, and with stock pads the brakes feel adequate rather than strong on a bike this heavy. Better pads give more bite and feel without touching the hydraulics.
Worth knowing: Bed new pads in on a quiet road before relying on them, and keep the stock pads as a spare set.
Upgraded crash bars
The stock bars do the job on a gentle tip-over, but a heavy bike that goes down on a lane needs bars that keep the tank, radiator and engine cases clear of the ground.
Folding mirrors
Stock mirrors snap or bend in a drop. Folding mirrors fold out of the way instead, and they tuck in for tight gates and hedged lanes.
Heated grips
The TRK is a year-round road bike for us, and cold hands make you clumsy on the controls. Heated grips are the single best comfort upgrade for UK winter riding.
Windscreen extender
The stock screen is decent, but a clip-on extender lifts the airflow over the helmet on long motorway days and cuts buffeting and noise.
Mesh seat cover
The seat is already comfortable. A mesh cover lets air under you on long, hot road days and stops the sticky, numb feeling after a few hours.
Android Auto navigation screen
The stock dash is basic: speed, revs, fuel, temperature and trip, with no phone connection. A bar-mounted screen running Android Auto gives proper navigation and keeps the phone in a pocket, out of the weather and the vibration.
Worth knowing: Wire it to a fused, ignition-switched supply rather than a loose USB lead, and set your route before you set off.
Other common TRK 502X mods
Roughly in the order we'd fit them for green laning, after the ones above.
Tyres with more off-road bias
It comes on Metzeler Tourance, a road-biased tyre. The 150/70-17 rear limits the choice of knobbly tyres, so most owners who leave the tarmac pick a 50/50 adventure tyre rather than a full knobbly. see the tyres we list in its sizes.
A full bash plate
The sump and exhaust headers sit low on a 235kg bike. A full aluminium plate stops one rock or rut from ending the trip.
Hand guards with metal backbones
Plastic hand guards keep the wind off. Metal-backed guards also protect the levers when the bike goes down, which on a heavy bike in a lane is a matter of when, not if.
Folding or shorty levers
Stock levers snap at the ball end in a drop. Folding levers survive it, and adjustable ones help riders with smaller hands.
Bar risers
Lifting the bars brings them closer when you stand on the pegs, which is how you should ride anything rough. Check the cables and hoses have enough slack before you fit them.
Rear shock preload set for the load
The rear shock adjusts for preload, rebound and compression, and with luggage it needs more preload than most owners give it. Setting sag properly costs nothing. Heavier riders sometimes go further with fork springs or an aftermarket shock.
Corrosion protection
Owners report corrosion and finish issues on fasteners and exposed parts, particularly on earlier bikes. A corrosion-inhibitor spray on the fasteners, wheels and engine cases before winter is cheap insurance.
Luggage
Most TRKs end up as touring bikes. Soft luggage is lighter, survives a drop better and doesn't widen the bike as much in a narrow lane as hard boxes do.
Known TRK 502X weak points and fixes
How easy the TRK 502X is to live with
- The standard centre stand makes chain adjustment, wheel removal and puncture repairs far easier than on most bikes in its class.
- It's a simple parallel twin with ABS and nothing else: no ride modes, no traction control and no electronic suspension to go wrong.
- Dealer support is thinner than for the Japanese brands, so keep a spare set of brake pads and the common filters at home rather than waiting on parts.
TRK 502X mods to skip
- Full knobbly tyres. On a road-biased 235kg bike with a 17 inch rear, a full knobbly costs a lot of road grip and wears fast for little gain on the easy lanes it suits.
- A loud exhaust. Noise is one of the main reasons lanes get closed. A loud bike on a byway hurts every rider who uses it. If you change the exhaust, keep it road legal and quiet.
Then find somewhere to ride it
Plan a day of green lanes across England and Wales on the Holloway map, with each lane's difficulty and legal status.
Open the mapSources: Our 11,000 mile Benelli TRK 502X review, Motorcycle News TRK 502 review, Benelli UK TRK 502 X, Adventure Bike Rider TRK 502 X review.