For years it has been unclear if China ' s huge but largely domestic-facing motorcycle industry will ever replicate the rise of the Japanese manufacturers more than forty years ago . Now , a growing number of high-end , export-focused Chinese brands suggest just such a revolution could already be underway ...

Benda LFC 700

surrounding the small LED headlight , while the exhaust is just as flamboyant , with four individual exits from a central under-engine collector box . The LFC 700 isn ' t the only ambitious project underway at Benda , either . Earlier this year the company said it is also working on a small-capacity , turbocharged sports bike , the VTR 300 Turbo . Given the fast development of the LFC 700 , it might not be long

The latest Chinese brand to appear on European markets is a relative newcomer to the bike industry , Benda . The cruiser-focused company has hit the market in Spain and Portugal as well as related territories , including the Azores and Canaries - and later this summer it will launch its most ambitious model yet , the LFC 700 . At the moment , Benda ' s range is made up of singles and twins between 125 cc and 400 cc , with its newest in Europe an impressive looking 300 cc V-twin , called the Fox . However , the LFC 700 will catapult the brand into a completely new market , as it uses a homegrown 680 cc inline four-cylinder engine mounted in an aluminium chassis - all wrapped in styling that will turn heads even if parked alongside the latest European exotica . The LFC 700 was previewed as the LF- 01 concept bike last year , but

Voge ER10

prototypes have now been spotted on test in China and the company is promising a full unveiling on 1st July 2021 . All indications are that the production model will be nearidentical to the show bike , which had a Ducati XDiavel-style muscle-cruiser stance , but a look all of its own .

Benda LF-01

The engine , developed by Benda , appears to share some similarities with Honda ' s CB650 four-cylinder , but it ' s not a direct copy . The 67 mm bore is the same , as is the 11.6:1 compression ratio , but Benda ' s unit has different castings for the cases , cylinders and head , as well as a longer-throw crankshaft to add 2 mm to the stroke , at 48 mm , for a 680 cc total capacity . The bike itself is much larger than you might expect from that engine size , with a total length of 2,430 mm - the same as a Harley-Davidson Road Glide - and a vast 1,720 mm wheelbase . However , the alloy frame means it weighs only 215 kg , at least in LF-01 concept form . The crazy dimensions are matched by a huge 310 / 35-18 rear tyre , allied to a more modest 130 / 70-19 front . Benda has said that buyers will be able to specify a 240-section rear tyre if they prefer . The original concept bike ' s engine featured an unusual intake system with a single ride-by-wire throttle butterfly and a long manifold splitting the air going to the four cylinders , rather like a car engine might use , but the production version is expected to revert to a more conventional setup with individual throttles for each cylinder . The intake air itself enters via a finned duct

before we see that bike as well . Benda isn ' t the only Chinese brand to have arrived in Europe recently , as Voge - a high-end sub-brand of the long-established Loncin marque - has also met Euro 5 emissions requirements with its machines . They are already sold in countries including Spain and Germany and will arrive in the UK soon . Lexmoto parent firm Llexeter Ltd has already set up a Voge UK website , and its dealer network is ideally placed to provide nationwide coverage for the brand . Voge ' s current product range includes a range of 300 cc and 500 cc models , but its most intriguing and latest offering is the ER10 electric bike - the result of a long-running development project that originally began under another Chinese company , Sur-Ron . The ER10 fits into the 125 cc licence class with a rated ' continuous ' power of 8 hp , but like most electric bikes , it ' s capable of brief bursts of significantly more than that . Torque is rated at 31 ft-lb , and the ER10 should be good for around 56 mph and a range of about 60 miles at 30 mph . The range may be short , but it ' s plenty for most daily commutes and means the ER10 can use a relatively small , light battery , keeping the bike ' s weight down to just 122 kg .