At the end of last year, we revealed that Benda – one of the most interesting of the new generation of Chinese motorcycle brands – had registered VIN decoding documents with the NHTSA to complete a key step in bringing its bikes to the US market. Now, a new small-displacement bobber from the company has appeared in Chinese homologation documents, giving an indication of the type of motorcycle we can expect from the company if it does indeed enter our market.
Benda’s recent launches have been notable for their departure from the norm. The company first drew international attention with its LF-01 concept in 2020, and surprised everyone by putting it into production, unchanged, as the LFC700 a year later. It also debuted the first Chinese motorcycle with a V-4 engine, as well as working on a variety of other ideas, including a 300 cc sports bike. Its new BD250 bobber may not be that radical, but it’s still an unusual machine that doesn’t seem to have any direct rivals.
The frame has a Softail-style design with a triangular swingarm at the rear, but instead of a hidden rear shock, there are visible suspension units that appear to be mounted on the swingarm. But the front suspension is even stranger, at least at first glance. From the only photo available, it appears to be a “beam” type fork, but on closer inspection, there are conventional telescopic fork tubes behind these beams. This is a trick that Benda has already used on the Napoleon 500 bobber launched last year, which completely encloses the fork in beam-like outer housings, but the new design is more complex, with what appear to be spring units mounted between the fork bars and the beam sections.
The homologation documentation reveals important details about the bike, including the maximum power of 25.5 hp from a 249 cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine. This figure is very close to the power output of the slightly larger engine in the Honda Rebel 300, which produces 28 hp with its 286 cc twin-cylinder. With a total weight of 181.8 kg, the Benda is slightly heavier than the Rebel, however, with the Honda weighing 165 kg. Unlike the Rebel, which has 16-inch wheels, the Benda uses 18-inch wheels with a 130/80 front tire and a 160/70 rear tire, and its wheelbase is 2 inches longer than the Honda, at 60.8 inches. There’s a single front disc with a four-piston radial-mount caliper from the Benda brand, with the company’s own BD01 ABS system.
As with most Chinese motorcycles and other products, the Benda’s biggest advantage over its rivals will probably be its price.