Benda BD500 Black Flag Cruiser Bike Showcased With A V4 Heart

A 500cc V4, sounds crazy, right? Not to the Chinese

When you think V4’s, big burly Ducati’s would come to mind, certainly not a 500cc cruiser, now would it? Well, it looks like Chinese bikemaker Benda is looking to challenge the status quo on the traditional V4 market space with the BD500 Black Flag, its newest cruiser showcased recently at China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition.

The BD500 is a proper muscular, American cruiser style in design and its 1575mm wheelbase and the fat 150/80 R16 section rear tyre will certainly help it establish that identity even more. It’s strikingly beautiful and thankfully isn’t opting for an in-your-face retro theme. It gets LED lighting but also gets a semi-digital instrument cluster for that hint of old-school. What we find most attractive are those twin, flat exhaust pipes which gives it a rather sexy appeal. 

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The BD500 is powered by a in-house developed 496cc, liquid-cooled V4 engine making 57.10PS at 10,000 RPM and 45Nm at 8,000rpm. While the engine configuration is certainly impressive on paper, it’s having to carry a staggering 241kg (kerb) weight, which could make the power output feel a little underwhelming. Moreover, it’s six kilograms heavier than the LFC700, its older sibling. 

Yes, Benda is throwing in features like air suspension, cruise control, and cylinder deactivation on the BD500, but the takeaway from this motorcycle is that small capacity V4 engine will now make its way onto different models across Benda’s lineup which should liven things up.  

It’s unlikely that we will see the BD500 make its way to Indian shores but the Benda Fox 300 has been rebadged and is being retailed by Keeway as the V302C cruiser in India. If you’re looking for a middleweight cruiser, the Kawasaki Vulcan S is the only choice, but the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 is all set to be launched real soon.

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