Benda Aims To Butcher The Honda CB650R With This Knife

Benda Motorcycle certainly knows how to put up a good show. Months after teasing the silhouette of the LFS-700, the chinese manufacturer has finally pulled the veil off the mid-displacement roadster, christened Tang Knife. This brute carries a price tag of CNY 38,800 (roughly Rs 4.46 lakh, excluding Indian taxes), and can scare the living daylights off the Honda CB650R. This bike has also been positioned lower than the Benda LFC700.

The world is smitten by neo-retro motorcycles, and no manufacturer is shying away from developing their own. However, not everyone manages to strike the right balance between the neoteric elements and a retro design, but Benda did it. The Tang Knife’s muscular styling, hefty proportions and the bold colour choices are reminiscent of the era gone by, while the integrated indicators, LED illumination and the TFT console suggest otherwise. What will leave you awestruck is probably the twin underseat exhaust setup that is neatly hidden behind the race plate-inspired side panels.

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Doing justice to its brutish appearance is the 680cc liquid-cooled in-line four motor that belts out 94PS at 11,000rpm and 63Nm at 8500rpm that is shared with the top variant of the Benda LFC700. All this power is put down via a 6-speed gearbox assisted by a slipper clutch.

This engine is nestled in a unique two-piece perimeter frame that is suspended onto a beefy USD fork and an offset monoshock, both adjustable for preload. Benda has deployed four-piston Brembo calipers at the front and a dual-piston caliper at the rear to keep this beast on the leash.

The Benda Tang Knife’s sharp pricing will certainly wound the Honda CB650R in China which retails at CNY 1,05,800 or approximately Rs 12.19 lakh. Pricing aside, the Benda beats the Honda in terms of performance as well. As much as we have grown fond of Benda Motorcycle for their authentic design and engineering, we won’t be seeing this brand in India. That said, after a 298cc V-Twin cruiser, a 680cc in-line four cruiser and a roadster, is Benda done? No. The brand is yet to pull out its ace (Hint: It’s turbocharged), so stay tuned!