Benelli Misano and Rapida

New electric-assist bicycles from this Italian/Chinese company with the famous name.

Benelli, owned by the QianJiang Group from China, entered the electric-assist bicycle market two years ago with models that were quickly embraced by the public in Europe and the Far East, where "pedal-electric" bicycles are very popular. This positive start triggered an immediate expansion of the bicycle division at Benelli, which unveiled a whole new range of models at the recent Eurobike 2014 Show held in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

There, Benelli surprised the audience by presenting not just its new electric-assist bicycles, but also its state-of-the-art road and racing bicycles. These are the Monza, Imola and Misano models, which feature a carbon-fiber frame and forks, Shimano transmission, and top-class brakes and wheels.

The Misano model is also available as a pedal-electric version called the e-Misano. It has the style of a real roadracing bicycle mixed with all the convenience of an easy-to-pedal electrically assisted bike. Very smart. Among the “City” models, the most innovative is the Rapida, based on a sturdy but elegant frame and offering electric motors that range from 250 to 500 watts. With that latter amount of power, the Rapida is capable of about 30 mph. No wonder why it (and the e-Misano) is equipped with a front disc brake.