Bristol Venturi 500

From an underrated two-wheeler maker in front of established Japanese and European players, the Bristol Venturi 500 comes out as a rather pleasant surprise for the package it looks like. The adventure tourer looks smart and modern from whichever angle you look at it. It has a certain European flair which definitely makes it look quite expensive and premium.

At the front, the Bristol Venturi 500 has got a tall stance, with a high mounted V-shaped all-LED headlight, which is surrounded by a black plastic cowl on either side and a tall, adjustable and transparent front windscreen at the top of it. The plastic cowl cowls on the sides get wedge-shaped silver panels, in which the LED turn indicators are tucked in. The colored beak-shaped fender-mounted just below the headlamp unit adds to the aggression and purpose of the motorcycle, whereas the motorcycle gets an additional conventional small fender above the front tire. 

The beak-shaped high mounted front fender of the Bristol Venturi 500 extends towards the large fuel tank, which looks sharp and gets angular and protruding knee recesses, which also make it look wide. There are additional silver-finished tank cowls placed on the lower front edges of the fuel tank, which manage to make the motorcycle look big. The busily styled side body panels as well as engine have been given a black treatment here, whereas the 2-into-1 exhaust pipe, with its mixed finish of golden and black treatments with sump guard at the bottom, looks quite purposeful too. 

The tail piece of the Bristol Venturi 500 rises sharply like that on a supersport, which accommodate the large and comfortable split seats, and end up in a petite LED tail lamp with a large aluminium finished pannier holders above it. Apart from the small conventional rear fender at the back below the tail lamp, which has number plate holder as well as LED turn indicators mounted on it, the Bristol Venturi 500 also gets a small hugger for its rear tire.

The part digital instrument console of the Bristol Venturi 500 consists of a rectangular LCD panel as well as an analog tachometer to the left side of it, with the former providing readouts for speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer, trip meters, gear position indicator, and few more on-ride data. The handlebar looks wide and good with the presence of premium switches and well-finished crash guards ahead of the levers.

The top-notch mechanical hardware of the Bristol Venturi 500 consists of a dual-beam diamond-shaped frame, with the suspension combination of the motorcycle consisting of upside-down hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and inverted mono-shock at the rear, both of which have been sourced from KYB. The overall suspension feels a bit stiff, which makes the ride quality a bit harsh, but makes the overall handling and stability very good. The motorcycle is fitted with 300mm dual disc brakes at the front and a single 240mm disc brake at the rear.

Powering the Bristol Venturi 500 is a four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 8-valve, fuel-injected, parallel-twin, 471cc engine, which happens to be the most refined and biggest engine from Bristol. Paired to a 6-speed gearbox, the engine is capable of putting up 47.6 PS of maximum power and 43 Nm of maximum torque. The engine feels smooth and torquey, particularly in lower rpms, and promises a fuel efficiency of 28 kmpl.

Save for a dual-channel ABS, there are no other safety features in the Bristol Venturi 500, which looks like a missed out opportunity, for the competition is moving fast forward by offering additional electronics.

The Bristol Venturi 500 might surprise you with its top-notch premium big bike appeal reminiscent of other pricier counterparts from more established rivals, with a potent engine as well as mechanical setup only adding to the overall good value. However, the motorcycle could have been equipped with more new-age features to make it look even more upmarket.