Some new bike brands creep onto the scene unnoticed – but that’s not an option for the new Benda Moto brand from China. The marque’s name itself is unusual enough – but its bikes are also very much set to catch the eye, with names like Chinchilla 500 and NapoleonBob 500…
They have interesting specs as well, with novel 500 V-twin engines, and an all-new 676cc inline-four engine, plus radical suspension designs and premium running gear.
The flagship model is the LFC700, which uses a unique inline-four engine, in a ‘sport cruiser’ chassis design, with an 85bhp peak power output, 60Nm of torque, and solid chassis spec. That water-cooled, 16-valve, DOHC fuel-injected motor has a bore and stroke of 67x48mm, compression is 11.4:1, and it features a six-speed gearbox. On the chassis front you get smart Brembo performance brakes with radial four-piston calipers, 320mm slotted discs, and dual channel ABS.
There’s premium adjustable KYB suspension front and rear, with cast aluminium swingarm and dual-sided swingarm, and the widest rear tyre on a production bike – a massive 310mm wide hoop.
The bold styling is rounded off by a sweet four-outlet underslung exhaust, while a full-colour TFT display and riding modes help provide a customisable and thrilling experience. It looks to be priced well at £8,999 too.
The two 500s are less extreme, and share the same 476cc 47bhp 8-valve v-twin water-cooled engine, but still have some interesting features. The Chinchilla 500 has classic bobber cruiser style, while the Napoleonbob is a bit more radical, with extreme front fork shrouds and gold highlights. Short bobbed fenders, teardrop tanks and twin shotgun silencers rounds off the spec on both the A2-licence friendly cruisers, and they’re priced at £5,199 for the Chinchilla and £5,499 for the Napoleonbob.
The Benda Moto brand is owned by the Hangzhou Saturn Power Technology company, which is based in the Yuhang District of Hangzhou City in China, but its bikes are imported to the UK by top distribution firm MotoGB, which has a strong history if importing bikes.
It used to be the main agent for Royal Enfield in the UK, and also brings in Lambretta scooters, Voge and Benelli bikes amongst others. More info from MotoGB: www.motogb.co.uk
BENDA BIKE SPECS
BENDA LFC700
Engine: Inline four-cylinder, 16v, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC
Displacement: 676cc
Gearbox: six-speed
Power: 84.48 HP @ 9000 rpm
Torque: 60 Nm @ 8,000 rpm
Dimensions (LxWxH): 2440mm × 880mm × 1100 mm
Seat height: 700mm
Tank capacity: 17 litres
Napoleonbob 500 specifications
Engine: V-twin, 8 valves, liquid-cooled
Displacement: 476cc
Gearbox: 6-speed
Power: 47 hp @ 8,800 rpm
Torque: 42 Nm @ 6,700 rpm
Dimensions (LxWxH): 2260mm x 846mm x 1183mm
Seat height: 695 mm
Tank capacity: 16 litres
Chinchilla 500 specifications
Engine: V-twin, 8 valves, liquid-cooled
Displacement: 476cc
Gearbox: 6-speed
Power: 47 hp @ 8,800 rpm
Torque: 42 Nm @ 6,700 rpm
Dimensions (LxWxH): 2220mm x 890mm x 1150mm
Seat height: 705 mm
Tank capacity: 16 litres