Benda LFS-700 proves you don’t need to copy to be a Chinese success

There has been plenty of airtime and column inches given over to Chinese motorcycles on these here pages in recent months, be it for ambitious plans to move into Europe or for rather shamelessly tracing existing western models to sell locally.

Some on social media have accused Visordown of pedalling the message because we’re being bankrolled (we’re definitely not) but the frequency of news is simply a measure of both the big steps being made by a number of marques… albeit mixed in with the backward steps of these eye-rolling copycat models.

However, some brands are stepping out on their own in a fairly dramatic way, none more so than up-and-coming marque Benda (hold your giggles) which has been making some waves with its bold model plans.

You may remember last year the launch of the LFC-700, an eye-catching cruiser in the silhouette of the Ducati Diavel, plus the recent news that a sportsbike by the name of VTR-300 will arrive with a V-Twin Turbo. You have to admit, it’s got your attention…

Now there is news out of China that Benda’s other new launch - the striking looking LFS-700 naked motorcycle - has proven so popular that the company has had to stop taking orders or it won’t be able to meet waiting lists.

Dubbed the Tang Knife, the LFS-700 is a roadster that wears its four-cylinder 680cc inline four-cylinder heart on its exterior, blended (or is that ‘Benda’d) in to its design with a porthole nose and bluff front-end, together with 17-inch wheels and low-down exhaust looks striking alongside the fluro-painted signature colourway.

With a solid 93.8PS at 11,000rpm, boasting a top speed of around 210km/h (130mph), the LFS-700 holds its own against rivals from Europe and Japan, but there is one particularly redeeming feature that would certainly help it stand out against the competition - a 38,800CNY (£4,300) price tag, which compares very favourably against a model like the Honda CB650R (which starts at £7,299).