China’s Benda has made waves in the last couple of years with a growing range of intriguing-looking bikes including the LFC700 four-cylinder muscle cruiser with a 310-section rear tyre and most recently the Napoleon 500 bobber to rival the likes of Honda’s Rebel. Now the company is aiming at even smaller-capacity cruisers by type-approving an astounding-looking 250cc V-twin.
Remember Royal Enfield’s 883cc V-twin KX cruiser concept revealed in late 2018? This is Benda’s Royal Enfield knock off, a 250cc V-twin cruiser called the BD25.
The Benda looks every bit the Royal Enfield 2018 concept, right down to what appears to be a girder-style front suspension system, but it should be noted that Benda has a history of placing cowls over a conventional fork design to give the appearance of a pre-war girder design, as it did with its Napoleon 500.
The BD250 might pack just 19kW from its 249cc engine but rarely has so little power been wrapped in such an eye-catching package. The bike’s long, low look emphasises a stretched, 1545mm wheelbase and Benda has added intriguing suspension at each end.
The rear features a triangular steel swingarm that follows the lines of the frame for a hardtail-style shape, but rather than hiding the rear shock, it’s clearly visible on the side and appears to be operated via an unusual rising-rate linkage. We’ve only seen the left of the bike so far, so it’s not clear if there’s another, matching shock on the right, but it seems likely.
The new type-approval shows that the BD250 weighs 182kg wet and uses 18-inch wheels at each end with 130/80 rubber at the front and 160/70 at the rear. The top speed is a mere 120km/h, but it’s clearly a bike that’s about being seen on, not going fast.
WORDS: KEL BUCKLEY & BEN PURVIS
