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1969 Benelli Dynamo Compact Mini-Bike - 1-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article.Page Size: Approx. 8\" x 11\" (21 cm x 28 cm)Condition: Good
BENELLI DYNAMO COMPACTChapter Two: Enter The Mincing DandyAFTER THE BONANZA bombard,what is there? Is anything left,minibike-wise, surviving in theoverkill rubble after the Double-Looped-Chrome-Piped-Hyperscooter hasrumbled its way back to San Jose?Indeed there is, boys and girls, andit’s even more fun than playing “Doc-tor.” The Benelli Dynamo Compact.This mini has some features until nowreserved only for big bikes. And eventhough the Benelli engine has half asmuch displacement and one less ratio inthe transmission than its competitor, ithas its compensating virtues.The Dynamo is very stylish. It ap-pears to be designed more as a miniaturemotorcycle than a child’s plaything.Note the 8-in. wheels. These are largerthan wheels found on other minis, andon top of that, the factory offersknobby-tired 10-inchers as an option.Also, the frame seems very sturdy. It ismade of large diameter tubing weldedinto a basic triangular configuration.This allows the engine to be slung lowerand more forward in the chassis, con-sequently, better weight distribution.Front and rear brakes are provided,both of the internal expanding variety.They are strong and progressive andcapable of locking either wheel at speedwithout being overly sensitive.The rear hub also accommodates arubber biscuit type cushion to absorbdriveline shocks, a feature rare on minis.Another virtue is the seating position.The seat itself is large and comfortableand, combined with the lowish pegs andhigh bars, affords the rider a veryrelaxing attitude. Passenger pegs are alsoprovided, and considering the bike’ssize, two-up riding is not too un-comfortable.For a mere 50-cc powerplant, theBenelli engine is quite industrious. It’sbore and stroke are well oversquare at49 mm by 39 mm. The engine is nothighly tuned, as it will poke along atwhat seems barely faster than a com-plete stop. Nor does it tend to load upat slow running. A tiny Dellorto carbu-retor mixes the fuel, and a flywheelmagneto supplies electricity, whilestraight-cut primary gears and a multi-disc wet clutch relay power to thetransmission. For all of its three cubicinches, the engine proved a willingworkhorse capable of taking two peopleto 30 mph or a solo rider to about 40mph. Care must be taken to keep thatfront wheel on the ground. Clutching isnot needed for wheelies, particularly infirst gear. Just a little impatience at thetwistgrip will do the job. And still,the rider must be very careful notto slide too far back on the seat,as the short (37 in.) wheelbase ishighly sensitive to weight distribution.The Dynamo’s handling is sur-prisingly akin to that of a motorcycle,particularly off the pavement. Under-standably, street riding invites a fewstunts. But thanks to those big wheels,surface irregularities don’t affect theBenelli as much as most other minis.Regardless, one should bear in mindthat Knieveling around the highwaysand countryside on a mini should bedone with caution.The Dynamo Compact also sports anarray of big bike features. It has adimmer switch, kill button, odometer aswell as speedometer, tool kit and stoplight actuated by either brake. We mightmention too that the handlebars can befolded down in order to fit more easilyinto your car-boat-plane.The benefits of such a completelyappointed machine are obvious (remem-bering, of course that it’s still a mini-bike). The machine is light, portable,relatively well performing and streetlegal. It’s not the fastest mini available,but it’s far from being the slowest. Andwhile you may not be immediatelystruck with its styling, you must admitit’s one of the very few that are styledat all. Sure, with all that chrome,polished aluminum and pretty bitiepaint it looks foppishly fragile, but it’snot. It is an excellent toy.
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