Weird Flex: The Excelle 525X Is A BMW F850GS Doppelganger On Budget

But the Chinese ADV packs equipment that the Bavarian brute doesn’t!

Excelle, a chinese bikemaker, has launched the 525X ADV and like most of the Chinese motorcycles, this one too takes “inspiration” from a big player– the BMW F850GS in this case. It costs the third of the Bavarian brute, but flaunts features that even the Beemer doesn’t.

But first, let’s address the elephant in the room– the styling. Now, you may not immediately see the resemblance with the BMW bike, thanks to the LED headlight, but apart from that, there’s just a pinch of originality. For starters, the Excelle 525X has the same tank design, tank extension, console surround and beak. Even the golden tubeless wire-spoke rims are eerily similar to the Beemer. But that’s about it.

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The hefty-looking Chinese ADV is powered by a 493.9cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor belting out 53.8PS at 9000rpm and 48Nm at 6500rpm. This engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox mated to a slip-and-assist clutch. For reference, the 853cc parallel-twin mill from the Beemer belts out 95PS and 92Nm.

However, when it comes to underpinnings, the Excelle definitely has more to brag about. The 525X comes with adjustable KYB USD fork with 195mm travel while rear monoshock has 200mm travel. BMW, on the other hand, employs a non-adjustable fork, but offers fully adjustable monoshock. Braking duties on the Excelle 525X have been entrusted to Kailing calipers paired with dual petal discs at the front and a single disc at the rear. Excelle even has a variant with a single-sided swingarm.

On the features front too, the Excelle 525X is loaded. From adaptive LED headlight, to dual on-board chargers and smartphone compatible instrument console, the Excelle has it all. However, there are no fancy electronics on offer.

The Excelle 525X is priced at 35,880 yuan or Rs 4.17 lakh for the base variant, or 41,900 yuan (Rs 4.88 lakh) for the top variant, which is almost a fourth of the F850GS’s price of 1,40,900 yuan or Rs 16.45. This motorcycle is unlikely to come to India, however, at this price, it certainly doesn’t seem like a bad deal.