HSR-Benelli breaking new ground PersonalWatercraft.com February 14, 2008 Shares Comments Austrian company developing US strategy and sales structureIn 2007, the company formerly known as Hydrospace acquired Italian engine builders Benelli Motori. After changing its name to HSR-Benelli in October, the company began a significant rebranding process. HSR-Benelli promised that its customers would see a number of different PWC models powered by Benelli Motori engines. At the Paris International Boat Show in December, the newly named company delivered on its word and revealed an entirely new series of personal watercraft. Known for race-proven, one-person stand-up watercraft, HSR-Benelli changed gears with a new line of runabouts dubbed Series R. Four different three-seaters make up the Series R line, but it’s the Race Edition that has caught people’s attention. Powered by an industry-first six-cylinder, 4-stroke engine, the Race Edition pumps out an incredible 2,196cc and a whopping 342 horsepower. To put that in perspective, of the four major PWC manufacturers, Sea-Doo currently leads the way with two vehicles that produce 255 hp. The HSR-Benelli Series R Prestige also runs off the same V6, 4-stroke, 2,196cc power plant, but churns out a slightly more modest 278 hp. For customers not looking for all-out power, the Naked Edition and Pro Edition are both powered by a 4-stroke, 1,098cc engine. The Naked Edition provides 142 hp, while the Pro Edition offers 172 hp. With a new engine builder, a new name and a line of new vehicles in tow, the next step for HSR-Benelli is distribution. When the company was still known as Hydrospace, Riva Motorsports of Pompano Beach, Fla. was the exclusive US distributor and operated as Hydrospace USA. Late in 2007, however, HSR-Benelli took over control of US distribution. When asked by PersonalWatercraft.com, the company would not discuss the specifics of its North American business strategy, but said it is planning a sales and after-sales structure. Once HSR-Benelli develops a dealer network, it will be interesting to see if the Series R Race Edition will be allowed to be sold in the United States. Personal watercraft manufactures have a voluntary gentleman’s agreement with the US Coast Guard to not produce a stock vehicle that will exceed 65 mph. With so much horsepower, the Race Edition may need a limiter to restrict the top speed like those found on some motorcycles. Share Share Subscribe Like PersonalWatercraft.com on Facebook Comments Most Popular 2024 Yamaha VX Cruiser HO Review January 17, 2024 Top Guns: Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 vs. Yamaha GP1800R SVHO July 4, 2022 Remembering the Sea-Doo XP March 16, 2016 Yamaha Unveils New 1.9 Liter Engine August 14, 2023 2023 Sea-Doo GTR 230 Review June 6, 2023 2008 Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 250X Review July 11, 2008 Latest Stories 2024 Sea-Doo RXP-X 325 Review Heavy Haulers – PWC Storage Options First Look: 2025 Kawasaki Jet Ski Ultra 160LX-S Angler 2024 Yamaha VX Cruiser HO Review 2024 Sea-Doo Spark Trixx Review Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Newsletter