Benelli provided their response to the successful revival of Triumph with their triples, unveiling the Tornado Tre 900S Tornado at the Milan show in 1999.
After a failed attempt to revive Benelli under Giancarlo Selci in 1989, in 1995 Andrea Merloni bought the rights to the Benelli brand from Alejandro de Tomaso. Needing a relaunch model, Merloni noted the success of John Bloor in reviving Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, and so he instructed Benelli’s design team to build a stylist and exclusive motorcycle around a distinctive triple-cylinder 1000cc capacity motor.
The 140bhp Tornado suffered from some reliability issues and lack of dealer support, limiting the appeal of a premium bike on sale at a premium price.
