Weird Flex: Check Out This Chinese ‘Khichdi’ Of American Cruisers

This Chinese cruiser is facing an identity crisis!

• The Xiangshuai JS700 is a Chinese 700cc V-twin cruiser.
• Its design language is quite similar to the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob.
• It is priced at an equivalent of around Rs 4.77 lakh.

Chinese manufacturers are notorious for copy-pasting designs from other mainstream manufacturers across the globe. Launched recently, in March this year, the Xiangshuai JS700 really takes the cake as far as cruisers go. It feels like the company’s design and marketing honchos wanted to mix and match all the aspects of the most popular cruisers in the world and the result is a motorcycle that seems to be having a serious identity crisis.

Also Read: Benda 300cc Cruiser Launched In China

The first motorcycle that comes to mind after looking at it is the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob. But the exhaust layout is reminiscent of the Indian Scout, albeit with slash-cut ends, presumably for ‘originality’. If you look at the rearview mirrors, you’ll realise they look similar to the ones on the Bajaj Dominar 400 BS6. If that wasn’t ‘unique’ enough, there’s another variant that looks even more like the Indian Scout, complete with a round headlamp, easy-to-reach handlebars, and a full-length rear fender.

The JS700 is powered by a 681.3cc V-twin liquid-cooled engine which generates 48.9PS at 7000rpm and 56Nm at 5500rpm. The engine is linked to a chain drive with a large sprocket at the rear. For reference, the Harley-Davidson Street 750’s 749cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine makes 59Nm at 4000rpm. So as far as performance figures go, this cruiser is pretty much right up there with the competition.

Another area where it scores some brownie points is the underpinnings. It gets modern inverted front fork and dual rear shock absorbers. The bike’s stopping power is also expected to be good enough thanks to the dual-channel ABS-enabled twin front discs with Nissin radial calipers and a disc at the rear. It is also properly touring-friendly thanks to the voluminous 22-litre fuel tank capacity. Geeks will be happy to know that it gets a full-LED headlamp and full-colour LCD instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity. The motorcycle is also very accessible for shorter riders as the seat is just 666mm tall. 

While it appears to be a sound motorcycle in terms of mechanicals, we just wish it had its unique identity rather than trying hard to emulate other cruisers. What do you guys think?