Benda BD700 Cruiser Patents Leaked

The four-cylinder Ducati Diavel-inspired cruiser motorcycle is likely to be launched next year

• Benda is an Asian brand well known for the sporty, radical-looking Asura 400 naked bike.
• The company is now planning to launch a 700cc inline four-cylinder cruiser.
• Patents reveal a modern power cruiser-like design with easy-going ergonomics.

Benda is a Chinese motorcycle company that was well known for its radical-looking Asura 400, a streetfighter motorcycle. It then followed it up with an equally neat-looking 300cc cruiser, Jinjira (or Jinjila as per inconsistent Simplified Chinese to English translation). Now, the brand is set to go further up in the segment with the planned launch of a 700cc cruiser, called the BD700. The recently leaked patent images give us a clear idea of what the production version will look like.

We must say, even though the Chinese are notorious for copying other mainstream brands’ designs, they have designed this cruiser rather well. It looks unique enough to have its own identity. The circular headlamp gets an aerodnamic cowl, which looks really cohesive with the wide, butch-looking tank extensions. The massive fuel tank neatly swoops down to a low-slung rider’s seat and a surprisingly roomy-looking pillion seat. 

The stubby tail section is complemented by a meaty rear tyre covered with a tyre hugger for better practicality and also doubles up as a number plate holder with indicators. The fat perimeter frame enhances the looks from the sides. The best part of the design, in our opinion, is the neatly stacked horizontal four-outlet exhaust system. It looks compact but is sporty enough to provide a centralised visual mass to the motorcycle.

The motorcycle is powered by an inline four-cylinder 700cc liquid-cooled engine. It isn’t every day you see an inline four-cylinder cruiser. That’s because this kind of motor has a peaky power-biased character whereas cruisers are all about low-end torque. It will be interesting to see how Benda tunes the motor to suit this motorcycle’s laid-back cruiser genes. 

Underpinnings look quite premium, thanks to the fat inverted front fork, rear monoshock, dual disc brakes with radial calipers up front, and a disc at the rear. Expect the bike to get a dual-channel ABS as standard for optimum safety. Benda is likely to launch the motorcycle in Asia in early-2021, provided there is no delay due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It will go up against the Harley-Davidson Street Rod and the Kawasaki Vulcan S.