IF A CHINESE-made, high-performance, three-cylinder machine sounds unexpected, how about a brace of new V4s from an even less well-known brand?
Benda, which surprised the world in 2021 by launching a pair of 680cc inline four-cylinder machines – the LFS700 and LFC700 – as well as expanding into the European market for the first time, showed two new V4 engines earlier this year with plans to put them into bikes during 2022.
The engines, physically similar externally, differ vastly in their capacities. The smaller one, at 496cc, promises 42kW at 10,000rpm, while the bigger one measures 1198cc and claims 113kW at 9500rpm. Both are modern, DOHC designs but appear to be intended for cruiser-style bikes rather than sports models. The 1198cc motor shares its bore and stroke with the old…
