The Benelli 354 was the 350 cc four-cylinder of the Quattro range that Benelli built in the 1970s and 1980s. It began as the Moto Guzzi GTS 350, gained a Benelli-badged 350 RS in 1977 and a fully equipped 354 Sport in 1979, and stayed in the catalogue until 1986.
Benelli 354 at a glance
| Maker | Benelli, Pesaro; engines assembled at Moto Guzzi, Mandello del Lario |
|---|---|
| Production | 1975–1986 |
| Engine | four-cylinder OHC, air-cooled |
| Capacity | 345.5 cc |
| Bore and stroke | 50 × 44 mm |
| Claimed power | 31 hp (GTS 350), 38 hp (350 RS), 39 hp (354 Sport) |
| Top speed | about 160 km/h |
| Front brake | double-cam drum, disc from 1975; three discs on the 354 Sport |
| Related models | Benelli 500 Quattro and 750 Sei |
| Also sold as | Moto Guzzi GTS 350 (to 1979) |
The 354 is described in a section of the Italian Wikipedia article on the Benelli Quattro series (one detailed source); English Wikipedia has no separate article.
History of the Benelli 354
The Quattro programme
In the early 1970s Alejandro de Tomaso, who had taken over Benelli in 1971 and Moto Guzzi in 1972, wanted to challenge Honda’s four-cylinders. To save time he bought a Honda CB500 Four and told the Pesaro engineers to take inspiration from its engine; the styling was entrusted to Ghia and Vignale, both owned by de Tomaso. The plan was to sell the 500 and 750 as Benellis and the 350 through Moto Guzzi dealers. Sales began in spring 1974, and the engines were assembled at the Moto Guzzi works in Mandello del Lario before being fitted to bikes built at Pesaro.
GTS 350 and 350 RS
The 350 was sold as the Moto Guzzi GTS 350, with a 345.5 cc four-cylinder engine of 31 hp and a top speed of about 160 km/h. At first it had a double-cam, four-shoe front drum brake, like the 500; a disc replaced it in 1975. That year also brought an enlarged 400 cc version (397.2 cc, 40 hp, 170 km/h) intended to fight the Japanese 350 fours. The GTS sold poorly: it was expensive (1,335,000 lire in 1975, 11% more than a Honda CB350 Four and more than a Moto Morini 3½), its components were not always of good quality, and buyers did not regard it as a “real” Guzzi. The GTS remained on sale until 1979.
From 1977 the 350 was also offered under the Benelli name as the 350 RS (Rapido Sport). Its plainer styling resembled the two-stroke 250 2C, power rose to 38 hp and shorter gearing brought the top speed down to about 150 km/h.
354 Sport and Turismo
The 354 Sport of 1979 had better finish and more careful machining, Moto Guzzi’s integral three-disc braking, and Guzzi-sourced fork, instruments and fairing (the fairing came from the first-series Le Mans). Painted black with gold pinstripes, it made 39 hp and reached about 160 km/h. The following year brought the 354 Sport II, with small detail changes, and the 354 Turismo, without a fairing and with chrome mudguards and a passenger grab rail.
Sales, especially of the Turismo, were poor: at more than three million lire in 1980 it cost more than a Moto Morini 3½ at two million and a Moto Guzzi V35 at two and a half million. The 354 left production in 1986.
Design and features
- Four-cylinder engine: a 345.5 cc OHC unit making 31 hp in the GTS.
- Shared engineering: closely related to the 500 Quattro, with Moto Guzzi assembly.
- Guzzi-derived cycle parts: fork, instruments, fairing and three-disc brakes on the Sport.
- Rare and expensive: priced above the Honda CB350 Four and the Morini 3½.
Benelli 354 versions
- Moto Guzzi GTS 350 (1975–1979): the original version, 31 hp.
- GTS 400 (1975): enlarged 397.2 cc engine, 40 hp, 170 km/h.
- Benelli 350 RS (1977): simpler Benelli-badged model, 38 hp, about 150 km/h.
- 354 Sport (1979): black with gold pinstripes, three-disc brakes, 39 hp.
- 354 Sport II and 354 Turismo (1980): detail update and unfaired tourer.
The 354 was the 350 cc member of the same family as the 500 Quattro and the 654. More Benelli models are in the Benelli collection.
Sources
- Benelli Quattro, Italian Wikipedia: 354 section, versions, prices
- Benelli, English Wikipedia: company background
