Chinese motorcycles: development, quality and future of the

THE SUCCESS OF CHINESE MOTORCYCLES

A complicated, sometimes controversial topic: Chinese motorcycles. Unlike what happened with electric cars, the Chinese have been careful not to invade our markets with electric motorcycles. They have developed a very specific strategy. Starting with scooters, they then offered small-displacement models (125cc) designed to satisfy every type of rider. Today, Chinese motorcycles are an established reality in constant evolution. The various Chinese motorcycle brands are now beginning to differentiate themselves in terms of quality, reliability, design and even price. The only certainty is that in the last five years, all Chinese motorcycle brands have made enormous progress. The evolution that started with scooters and small-displacement motorcycles has now reached medium-high displacement. It is precisely in the medium displacement segment that Chinese brands have been able to take full advantage of the gap in the market left by Western manufacturers, who have for years been focused on producing large-displacement, high-performance, high-priced motorcycles. We believe that it is only in the last few years that premium brands have added to their range motorcycles exclusively for A2 licence holders. They have clearly realised that customers also want motorcycles in a rapidly expanding market segment. Motorcycles that are easy to ride, more suitable for everyday use and certainly more economical. In fact, all premium brands now boast motorcycles of this type in their ranges: BMW, TRIUMPH, KTM, HONDA and KAWASAKI offer new models with a maximum of 48 hp.

Unfortunately, DUCATI remains the only manufacturer that does not offer a specific model under 50 hp in the Touring/Adventure segment; Of course, almost all DUCATI models are also offered in DE-POWERED versions, but they remain motorcycles designed and built for other power and performance levels, with prices that are almost prohibitive for a novice. I always give this example: what would be the point of blocking 6 cylinders on a 12-cylinder FERRARI engine? None! What is the point of de-powering a queen of sportiness? None! Let's hope that in the future DUCATI will give us a nice mid-range bike, perhaps taking advantage of the fantastic new
MONO SUPERQUADRO DESMO engine and applying it to new Sport/Adventure models that are more accessible to the general public.

Returning to Chinese motorcycles, there are three different types:

1. Brands created with their own names and factories that design and build their own motorcycles in China

2. Brands that have acquired prestigious names of European motorcycles that have been discontinued or are in financial crisis, which produce motorcycles in China but keep their engineering and design studios mainly in Italy.

3. Brands that collaborate with European manufacturers by supplying parts such as engines, etc., and also produce motorcycles under their own brands.

Let's look at some examples:

CF Moto, perhaps one of the most active emerging brands at present, offers good quality medium-sized motorcycles (up to 800cc) and covers both the ADVENTURE and SUPERSPORT (Moto3) sectors. In addition to being an industrial giant that also manufactures world-famous QUADS, CF Moto boasts a joint venture with KTM.

ZONTES: a brand that has managed to capture an important share of the market. First with scooters and now with increasingly larger displacement motorcycles in all sectors.

BENELLI motorcycles: this ancient Italian brand has been saved thanks to capital injections from the Chinese company QJ Moto. Production has been moved to China, but the beating heart of engineering, development and design remains in Pesaro, Italy. This merger led to the creation of an ADVENTURE model, the TRK 502, which represented a turning point for Chinese motorcycles in all Western markets, reaching the top of the sales charts in many European countries for a long time. A motorcycle with an attractive design, reliable and with respectable performance, but above all with exceptional value for money.

QJ Moto, which owns brands such as BENELLI, VOLVO, LOTUS and SMART, aims to develop its motorcycles to European standards but with a very competitive price-quality ratio. It has entered the Moto2 and SSP world, confirming its desire to achieve high levels of sportiness. QJ Moto also stands out in the ADVENTURE sector.

For MOTO MORINI and MORBIDELLI MOTO, the fate follows that of BENELLI, Chinese ownership and production with design and style headquarters in Italy.

There are cases where the Chinese brand shares components or even engines with renowned European manufacturers. VOGE motorcycles, for example, are part of another Chinese giant, LONCIN MOTOR, which produces engines for BMW (excluding boxers). We think this: if a major manufacturer such as BMW fits a Loncin engine to some models such as the F 900 GS, putting its reputation on the line, it means that these engines have now achieved excellent quality standards.

Of course, VOGE is taking advantage of this collaboration by producing the VALICO 900 model, its twin sister with a price tag that is almost half the price but with slightly different characteristics.

There are also other Chinese brands such as KOVE MOTO that are more niche. They focus less on low prices and more on high performance and the use of top-quality components. KOVE, in fact, is dedicated to the production of competition motorcycles, with excellent results such as the 450 Rally at Dakar.

Nowadays, there are few motorcycle manufacturers that produce motorcycles where the company itself was born and founded.

DUCATI designs and manufactures its motorcycles in Borgo Panigale, Italy, but also has its own factory in Thailand.

BMW maintains production of its flagship models in Germany but also uses facilities in China, Brazil and India.

TRIUMPH manufactures only 10% of its production in the United Kingdom, with the rest in Thailand.

MOTO GUZZI manufactures all its motorcycles entirely in Italy on Lake Como.

APRILIA manufactures its flagship models in Italy and others in India.

KTM manufactures its high-end and large-displacement models in Austria, with the rest manufactured in India by its new owner, BAJAJI.

MV AGUSTA, the manufacturer that has produced some of the most beautiful motorcycles in the world, continues to manufacture entirely in Italy, on Lake Varese. Having split from KTM in 2025, it is now in the hands of Russian entrepreneur Sardarov.

A final note on the excellent Japanese motorcycles. They too now have several factories distributed around the world.

The "flaws" of CHINESE motorcycles: the flaws of Chinese motorcycles are only partially known. They have been on the market for too few years to be able to accurately define the substantial defects of this or that model, or of the service networks. Certainly, in general, they are a little heavier, their performance certainly does not match that of high-end Western motorcycles, and the very short maintenance intervals often represent the most significant “hidden” defect. Perhaps spare parts are not always easy to find immediately. But one thing is certain: they are constantly improving and evolving. Almost all Chinese brands “embellish” their motorcycles with world-renowned components such as BREMBO, KAYABA, MARZOCCHI, AKRAPOVIC, etc.

After all, their trump card to date has been their value for money! Industrial synergies of scale, low production costs and a market presence entrusted to importers rather than expensive official dealers have made it possible to keep prices (for now) at super-competitive levels. Are the loss of value over the years of used Chinese motorcycles and their “perhaps” lack of durability over the years still such important factors that they impress the buyer? Almost all motorcycles are purchased with 2 to 4-year loans and then replaced with newer models at often pre-determined repurchase prices. Once upon a time, 10/12-year-old motorcycles were still considered valuable. Today, after just 5/6 years, they are almost off the market due to their age.

Is the average motorcyclist, not the enthusiast, really interested in owning a motorcycle with over 150 hp and performance that they may never exploit, and which costs a lot to buy and maintain?

If Chinese motorcycles help to increase the number of motorcyclists, then BRING THEM ON. The more of us there are, the better. For a true motorcyclist, there is no such thing as an ugly motorbike. Each of us has the perfect motorbike waiting for us, small, large, powerful or not, for the road, track or off-road, Chinese, Indian or European, it doesn't matter.

Anyone who wants to experience the thrill of riding a high-performance motorbike from a premium brand at least once can contact reputable rental companies that deal with these types of motorbikes. As for us at MMR22, operating on the island of Majorca, we offer DUCATI motorcycles, always perfectly maintained by official workshops. We take care of every detail of all the checks and services offered to our customers, who always give us 5-star satisfaction ratings! So what are you waiting for? Book your
“DUCATI EXPERIENCE IN MALLORCA” with MMR22 now.

Chinese motorcycles: development, quality and future of the market