China’s big bike future

This Bmw-rivalling 1200cc tourer is the tip of a vast Chinese big bike iceberg

You are looking at a tipping point in world motorcycling. This leaked CAD design shows a cc Qianjiang tourer and, along with the spyshot (right), is proof that at least one large-capacity Chinese motorcycle is about to hit the market. Insiders suggest there are several more in the wings.

This is a huge deal. For decades China’s multitude of motorcycle manufacturers have been churning out millions of low capacity two-wheelers that the rest of the world has largely ignored. But if China can combine the rock-bottom prices of their little bikes with the manufacturing savvy they use to make iphones, BMW engines and small KTMS, then cheap, high quality, large capacity Chinese motorcycles are imminent.

The bike in question is branded as a Benelli, which Qianjiang have owned since 2005. The Chinese company used European engineering expertise to create the tourer – the engine is based on the ‘ cc triple used in Benelli’s Tornado, TNT and Trek models, but bored out to “cc. It’s tuned for torque rather than power, peaking at ‘”bhp.

It won’t lag behind on tech either – there’s Bosch cornering ABS which suggests it will also have Imu-controlled traction control, brakes are Brembos and it has a TFT screen. There’s keyless start and the electric screen adjusts to a pre-set angle while the mirrors motor into position. The last couple of years have been transformative for Benelli, with huge sales of machines such as the TRK502 – Italy’s third bestseller last year after the BMW R ˜ GS and Honda Africa Twin.

The price for the tourer is yet to be announced, but if it follows the pricing for the rest of the Benelli range it will undercut its nearest mainstream rivals by at least %, putting it around £ ,˜ .