NEWS
By Ben Purvis
Gaokin isn ' t a brand name that means much in the west , but it is one of the leading Chinese motorcycle engine suppliers , and is the company that manufactures the machines we know as Brixtons on this side of the globe . Now Gaokin has launched its latest large capacity model , the V1000 Thor , using a new DOHC V-twin engine in a distinctive , cruiser-style machine . The Thor ' s engine is an 80-degree V- twin that measures 997 cc , combining a 92 mm bore , 75 mm stroke and a 10.3:1 compression ratio to develop 88.5 hp ( 66k W ) at 7200 rpm and 70 lb-ft ( 95 Nm ) of torque at 6000 rpm . It is bolted to a cast aluminium frame with a distinctive design that reflects the engine ' s V configuration , with a monoshock rear end and upside-down KYB forks . Bosch supplies the engine electronics and the ABS for the radialmount brakes . The bike ' s muscle-cruiser styling is emphasised by the use of a 240 / 40VR18 rear tyre , with a
130 / 70R18 front , and while the bike ' s weight - 252 kg dry or 269 kg including 20.5 litres of fuel - is far from light , neither is it vastly heavier than rival machines . At the moment , the Thor has only gone on sale in China , with a price that ' s equivalent to € 9200 , but most of the company ' s bikes are offered in Europe under the Brixton brand name . The Gaokin GK500 is the Brixton Crossfire 500 , for instance , and the Bonnevillestyle GK1200 is the Brixton Cromwell 1200 . While not Gaokin ' s biggest bike - the 1200 cc GK1200 takes that crown - the Thor is its most powerful . It ' s also relatively high-tech , with ride-by-wire throttles , multiple engine modes and cruise control . Given the company ' s European access via Austrian importer KSR , and the fact that Chinese emissions rules are close to those in Europe , if there ' s demand for the machine in Europe there should be relatively few barriers to importing it .
CFMoto 450SR officially launched in China By Ben Purvis
More power and less weight - it ' s a reliable formula for sports bike success and CFMoto is following it with the new 450SR , now officially unveiled in China . We have known about the 450SR for a while and included the first leaked picture of the production model in our last issue , but the official details make for impressive reading . The bike , which was teased by last year ' s SR-C21 concept , features an entirely new , 450 cc twin-cylinder engine that uses a 270-degree crankshaft to mimic the firing interval of a 90-degree V-twin . CFMoto claims the engine is entirely selfdeveloped , with 4500 hours of continuous dyno testing to prove its reliability . With 37 kW ( 50.5 hp ) at 9500 rpm and 39 Nm ( 28.8 lb-ft ) of torque at 7600rpm , the engine is claimed to be more powerful than most 500 cc rivals - it certainly outguns the Honda CBR500R , although the bike ' s 35kW ( 47hp ) is tailored to suit A2 licence restrictions in Europe . Just as Honda ' s original FireBlade intended to combine 1,000 cc-class power with 750 cc-class weight , the CFMoto 450SR has the power of machines a capacity class above it with the weight of much smaller bikes , coming in at only 168 kg wet - that ' s 24 kg less than the CBR500R . It ' s a promising combination , and the 450SR doesn ' t
disappoint in chassis terms either , with 37 mm USD forks and a monoshock rear suspension , allied to Brembo brakes at both ends with ABS as standard . There ' s a colour TFT dash to continue the impression of a high-end machine , and all the lights are LED . The styling was done in Europe by Modena 40 , CFMoto ' s Italybased design operation , and it ' s a resounding success , ticking all the sports bike boxes without being a slavish copy of larger superbike . There are even MotoGP-style winglets on the fairing sides and carbon-look panels on the fairing and tank . Iit is expected that CFMoto will launch a higher-spec ' SR-R ' version of the machine with a single-sided swingarm to even more closely match the original SR-C21 concept bike . Although an official European launch isn ' t expected until later this year , CFMoto has already filed for European trademark rights on the 450SR name and logo . There is little doubt that this machine will be offered in Europe in the near future .
Zongshen Cyclone RC401 By Ben Purvis
Zongshen is one of China ' s most well-established bike makers and one that ' s respected enough to have partnered with Piaggio among others . Now the company has launched its sportiest-ever machine in the form of the Cyclone RC401 . Built around the company ' s own 33 kW ( 44 hp ) 401 cc parallel twin , the RC401 has already been shown a couple of times , initially wearing the ' RC3S ' name before settling on the ' RC401 ' name . It has now gone on sale in China as part of a growing class of 400 cc sports models , and given the fact that Zongshen ' s machines have been |
sold under various brand names in Europe and the USA before , there ' s a good chance it will emerge on global markets in the future - though not necessarily wearing Zongshen or Cyclone branding . Featuring a trellis-style steel frame , LED lights and upsidedown forks , as well as twin front discs with Bosch ABS , the RC401 weighs in at 178 kg wet - not as light as some rivals , but not as unexpectedly heavy as some Chinese-made bikes . Visually , the RC401 is a convincing machine , ticking all the modern sports bike boxes with those LED lights tucked |
between a pair of nosemounted air intakes , and small winglets flanking them on the fairing sides . On board , it leverages the fact that China is overflowing with electronics brands , churning out low-cost colour LCD screens , offering a large , configurable TFT display in sharp contrast to some of the old-fashioned looking instruments that more established brands still use on their cheaper models . There are even backlit bar control blocks , although Zongshen has |
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stopped short of adopting the keyless ignition set-up that several Chinese rivals are using . |
14 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JUNE / JULY 2022 www . idnmag . com