China's newest big bike brand is moving quickly
By Ben Purvis
A year ago, a virtually unknown Chinese bike maker, Benda, showed a crazy-looking four-cylinder concept bike - the LF-01 - with bold plans to make its own engine and put the machine into production. Now that bike is rolling off the production lines under the name LFC 700 and a second model is due to reach showrooms before the end of the year.
Called the LFS 700, the new model shares the same 680 cc four-cylinder engine, which is vaguely based on Honda's CB650 unit, sharing the same bore and compression ratio but with a 2 mm increase in stroke to expand its capacity. According to Benda, the result is 93 bhp at 11,000 rpm and a peak torque of 46.5 lb ft at 8,500 rpm.
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| Benda four-cylinder LFS 700 |
In the original LFC 700 model, the engine is bolted to a cast aluminium frame in an enormously long, low-slung cruiser-style bike, with a huge 310/35R18 rear tyre - the biggest ever seen on a production bike. Benda's first European dealer network, in Spain and Portugal, is already listing the LFC 700 as an upcoming model, due to go on sale in Europe in 2022.
The LFS 700 is a more tempting prospect though, with more conventional proportions but still featuring radical styling that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. It gets a new frame, combining a chromoly steel trellis front section with a cast alloy swingarm pivot area, and a much more compact wheelbase than the LFC - measuring 1,480 mm instead of the cruiser's huge 1,720 mm.
Benda says the bike is good for 130 mph, 9 mph more than the LFC 700, and thanks to a combination of KYB suspension and Brembo brakes, as well as conventional 17 inch wheels with 180/55 rear and 120/70 front rubber, it should be able to handle that sort of performance.
The bike's styling might not be for everyone, but it can't be accused of ripping off any existing design. The circular LED headlight with a ring of DRLs on the edge might be normal looking, but it's set between jutting side panels that meld into the radiator cowl and feature neatly integrated L-shaped LED turn signals.
At the back, there's a flat tracker look to the bike with prominent number boards on either side. These boards actually serve a purpose, hiding a duo of slimline, high-level silencers with slot-like exhaust exits flush with the rear edge of the bodywork; LED indicators are frenched into the rear bodywork.
On board, there's a 5 inch TFT screen with all the phone connectivity and navigation kit that's becoming the norm on modern bikes, but as a Chinese-made machine the LFS's price is remarkably low.
In its home market, the LFS 700 will cost 38,800 yuan, which equates to around a mere € 5,100. Of course, import costs and duties mean the bike will inevitably be more expensive when it reaches Europe, but the indications are that it will still be a bargain. The wilder-looking LFC 700 cruiser is being offered in two forms in China - a cheap version with a lower-spec 85 hp engine and Nissin brakes goes for 45,800 yuan (about € 6,000) while the full-power, 93 hp model with Brembos and a slipper clutch costs 46,800 yuan (€ 6,150).
