Benda Napoleon 450 gets the green light
By Ben Purvis
Bikes like Honda's Rebel 500 have been enduringly popular in the small-capacity cruiser market and it's a scene that's getting more intense with the addition of Kawasaki's Eliminator 450. But China's brands are also looking at the same market, first with CFMoto's 450CL-C and now with relative newcomer Benda and the Napoleon 450.
Benda has been the Chinese surprise of the last couple of years, first with a range of 700 cc, four-cylinder bikes, then some 300 cc V-twins and most recently a 500 cc V4, and while the company is still struggling to fulfil demand in China, hampering its expansion plans, the longer-term goal is to offer its models internationally.
The Napoleon 450 is an intriguing bike in the sub-500 cc cruiser class, adopting a much more convincing V-twin layout and bobber style when compared to the parallel twins offered by Honda, Kawasaki and CFMoto. First shown as a concept, it's now been signed-off for production in virtually unchanged form, right down to the low clip-on bars and unusual-looking front suspension.
At first glance it appears the forks are pre-war-style girders, but those are really just cleverly styled plastic cowls over a conventional set of telescopic forks giving a convincingly old-fashioned look, but without the compromises in terms of ride and handling.
With 49 hp (36.5 kW) the Benda has a fraction more than most of its obvious rivals but, if it ever reaches the European market, it's sure to be dropped to 47 hp/35 kW to suit A2 licence rules. It's also a little heavier than most competitors, with a wet weight of 196 kg.
The wide tyres are 16 inches in diameter at each end, with a 150/80-16 at the front that's as large as most of the rear tyres of its direct rivals. The back wheel carries a huge 180/65-16 tyre. Like the CFMoto 450CL-C, the circular instrument is actually a round TFT display, so underneath the old-fashioned styling there's modern technology.
