China has a reputation for making some of the best motorcycle models in the world. Over the past years, there have been a lot of comments and articles about Chinese motorcycle brands.
According to the comments, so many people were dissatisfied with China-made motorcycles. However, in recent years, motorcycle reviewers and enthusiasts have been changing their earlier comments in a new twist.
Chinese motorcycle brands have been focusing on making small, single-cylinder brakes for a long time. These were only popular for transportation. Some of their engines were clones of Honda Club, Honda 400, and Honda CG single-cylinders.
Chinese motorcycle manufacturing is rapidly changing, and in this article, you will learn more about the different Chinese bike brands and what makes them special.
Which are Some of the Famous Chinese Motorcycle Brands?
The competition for the top motorcycle brand in China is stiff. Some brands have left the best impression on the road testers as manufacturers promise to deliver more on the triple-cylinder models.
Cyclone
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| Image Credit: Zongshen Motor |
Cyclone is a brand of the Zongshen Industry Group. Today the Cyclone brand focuses on producing domestic motorcycles.
One of its famous motorcycles is the Cyclone RE3. It has a Harley style that focuses mainly on the compact design with an overpowering flavor of the cruiser motorcycle.
Kiden
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| Image Credit: Kiden |
Kiden is a famous Guangdong Daye Motorcycle Technology Co. Ltd brand. This famous Chinese motorcycle brand was established in 2003 with an investment of 409,100,900 dollars.
Kiden has worked its way up and obtained the customs AEO advanced certification.
Kiden’s operations area covers 400,000 square meters. It has about 1600 employees, and 60% have at least college degrees and above. It mainly focuses on small and medium-displacement motorcycles and mini cars.
One of its best motorcycles is the KIDEN 150-G2. It has an impressive design with an extreme avant-garde performance. It expresses not only simplicity but also integrates functionality smoothly.
Benda Motorcycles
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| Image Credit: Benda Motorcycles |
Benda Motorcycles is formerly known as Zhejiang Zhongnan Motorcycle Co. Ltd. Founded in 1994, it is one of the best Chinese motorcycle manufacturers with the longest history in Zhejiang province.
Benda Motorcycles was restructured in 2012 from a traditional product line to an independent heavy machinery R & D department and engine business. Its best-selling motorcycle is the Chinchilla 300, which gives the unique charm of cruiser motorcycles.
Which is the Largest Motorcycle Manufacturer in China?
To tell the leading manufacturer of motorcycles in China, you can use statistics in terms of sales per year.
In the first half of 2017, the manufacturers produced more than 8 million motorcycles in China, and the monthly production was between 1.14 and 1.6 million units per month.
In 2020, sales statistics showed that Da Changjiang ranked first with a sales volume of approximately two million units in China alone.
According to a breakdown of the motorcycle production volume by type, two-wheeled motorcycles take up the most production, with 1.3 million units in China.
There have been a series of limitations and bans on motorcycles in Chinese urban centers, which has led to poor sales development in the PRC (People’s Republic of China).
Are Chinese Motorcycles Good?
Chinese motorcycles are worth investing in, especially if you want value for your money as a first-time rider.
When it comes to Chinese motorcycle options, the choice can be overwhelming. Each passing day, the quality and brands of Chinese motorcycles keep growing. There are also motor scooters that are quite durable and have the perfect performance.
Chinese motorcycle manufacturers get motorbike parts from Chinese suppliers because they are trying to get the best deals. Some suppliers are always better at what they do than others.
Some Chinese motorcycles are good, while others really aren’t.
Where Can I Buy a Chinese Motorcycle?
You are finally tired of the cramped bus journeys or trekking to work. Or maybe you like taxis, but the new taxi-hailing apps are making it hard for you.
Whatever your reason, you have finally decided to buy a motorcycle. But where do you start? Which one do you buy and how?
The law regarding buying motorcycles is not as restricted as with e-bikes because they use gas and are much faster. They have the same licensing as cars, number plates, and insurance covers. But where can you buy a Chinese motorcycle?
Made-in-China
Made-in-China is a wholesale motorcycle shop that connects different buyers with Chinese suppliers. This site sells different types of motorcycles from different manufacturers at wholesale prices. Whatever category of motorcycle you are looking for, you can get it from Made-in-China.
There are racing, electric, scooters, offroad, and on-road motorcycles. Each category has a minimum order, which varies from one piece to 100 pieces or even more, depending on your demand.
Alibaba
Alibaba is a famous wholesale market globally and is mostly full of Chinese wholesalers and dealers of different items.
Alibaba is a perfect place to buy your motorcycle, provided you do a thorough background check to ensure you are working with a legit seller.
Some dealers sell from one unit, while others start at a minimum of 5 units, which may not be favorable for you if you are only looking for a single motorcycle.
The good thing with Alibaba is that you can also buy used and vintage motorcycles from them. They also ship to any country worldwide.
Local Dealers
If you do not like the risk of buying your motorcycle online, you can visit a local dealer in your region. These dealers tend to have different motorcycle brands, including Chinese motorcycles.
The best part about buying from a local dealer is that you get a lot of room for negotiation. This is also possible in Alibaba and Made-in-China, but there is always a limit they cannot go below.
How Chinese Motorcycles Compare with Other Brands
For years, Chinese motorcycles have had a trashy reputation that may be overrated. While Japan, Europe, and America have the best motorcycles globally, you would be surprised to know where most of their parts and components came from.
For instance, some BMW engines are manufactured by Kymco Taiwan. Do not let what reviewers and other people think put you off. Kymco is famous for making reliable machines, and KTR is one of their versatile motorcycles in the region.
But, how did Chinese motorcycles gain this reputation, and are they still valid? Everything has a season, including fame.
The Chinese make motorcycles specially for each occasion, whether for a classy look, muddy roads, rocky mountains, or busy city life.
For all this, Chinese motorcycle brands remain ranked high among the leading motorcycle brands in the world, ensuring the rider’s comfort as a priority.
Chinese Motorcycles vs American Motorcycles
China may be home to most manufacturers of different things, but other countries are also proving to be the best in the game.
The US, for example, also has some of the most amazing motorcycle brands in the world.
American-made Motorcycles
Every time you try to window shop for motorcycles, you will find Japanese brands everywhere. But there are also some old-fashioned American bikes you can look at.
Brands like EBR may have some fantastic motorbikes, but investing in one of these may be a gamble as they are liquidating everything at auction.
Chinese Motorcycles
While the US may have some of the best motorcycles, they still cannot beat China in the game. In 2019, Chinese motorcycle output was 17 million, a drop from 22 million in 2013. During this time, they exported 39.75% of their total production.
China is also known to be the leading motorcycle accessories manufacturer. Although the Chinese motorcycle industry is doing well in the export business, their domestic market is suffering. This is due to the ban on motorcycles in most urban centers.
Domestic sales have been decreasing drastically despite China being among the best manufacturers in the world. Undoubtedly, the Chinese motorcycle industry is bigger than the US.
With over 200 individual manufacturers, it beats the US as the leading supplier worldwide with some fantastic engines and high-horsepower motorbikes.
Chinese Motorcycles vs Japanese Motorcycles
China and Japan have been enemies for decades over motorcycle manufacturing. When the Chinese motorcycle industry started in 1951, there was no guarantee that it would evolve and become the leading manufacturer or challenge its traditional rivals.
When some brands started in China, their main focus was on military equipment and motorcycles for the domestic market. There was no cause for alarm at the time as Japan already had the ‘Big 4 bike brands’, which were successful and dominated the world’s motorcycle market.
It’s almost 30 years later, and tables seem to have changed. The blame could be put on the end of WWII. At this time, the Japanese government prohibited the manufacturing companies from producing armaments for the external market.
Instead, they were to concentrate their efforts on being a global supremacy through the automotive and electronic industries.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the Chinese motorcycle industry is relentlessly marching toward becoming the world’s principal motorcycle manufacturer for both petrol and electric models.
The rapid growth of Chinese brands of motorcycles is due to their ability to clone the Japanese styles of motorcycles and then sell them much cheaper. They have also proven to match the world’s yearly demand for motorcycles.
