04/01/2026

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY JAN 4, 2026

The Keeway brand has done very well for itself under MForce,

Morbidelli is a big Italian brand that found a new lease of life under MForce.

was on three models that particular day: Alltrhike 450, X-Cape 700, and X-Cape 1200. The Alltrhike 450 is powered by a twin cylinder engine and was of course easy to ride due to its low weight and skinny adven ture tyres. The X-Cape 700 has been upgraded from the previous X-Cape 650 and has more power and tractability on hand. But the biggest surprise had to be the X Cape 1200. It looked big and was big but was a hoot to ride, perhaps due to its also surprisingly unconventional engine: 1187cc, 87º V2, with a counter-rotating crankshaft called the CorsaCorta Evo. Yes, the crankshaft spins “backwards” (like in the Ducati V4 engine) which reduces inertia, thereby promoting easier handling. The biggest surprise was its price, retailing for only RM49,888. It also needs to be said that the Moto Morini bikes had the best quality among these manufacturers that we visited, although the quality of the rest was nothing to be sneezed at, either. The design and fin ishing can easily be on par that of Ducati’s. CONCLUSION We initially thought not much could surprise us during the visit, after witness ing how Zontes had grown within 5 years. But no, each visit to these Chinese motor cycle manufacturer never failed to blow our minds away. It seems that the Chinese have a much

short time. In any case, the 318 underwent an ardu ous development by being ridden for 5,476km down Highway 318 in China. In fact, the maker continues to organise tours on their motorcycles down that highway annually. We tested two models that were also launched that night, called the Gobi 250 and Touch 250. While sharing the same platform, the former is an adventure-style scooter, while the latter is an urban/touring scooter. The name “Gobi” alludes to the Gobi Desert. The Touch 250, on the other hand, had a handy feature which Ariic themselves said was inspired by the BMW C-Series scooters. It has an expandable underseat luggage space to accommodate more cargo; a safety switch refuses to allow the engine to be started if it is left in that expanded position. Both models were officially launched that evening at a special event. MOTO MORINI Moto Morini was another well-known Italian motorcycle maker which also endured ups and downs like a WWE wres tler’s career and was ultimately taken over by Zhongsheng, also known as Znen. However, the brand’s design and R&D departments still reside in Italy. Many models were on display during our visit, including three scooters, a cafe racer, and another modern retro, but the highlight

bigger ambition to take over the world, they are much hungrier. No offence to other manufacturers, we know you do not stop innovating and are pushing hard in getting ahead, too, but there is a much different palpable desire in these Chinese makers. We saw and even experienced first hand of how their early products were just 10 years ago, but now they are at least 95% on par with the best out there. One just needs to compare their motorcycles from only 5 years ago to the latest and see the massive amount of dif ference. We are not talking about consumer electronics here – we are talking about motorcycles that are much more complex to get “right” compared to your average smartphone, so to make that massive jump within 5 years is beyond impressive. Or like what we said earlier, mind blow ing. Of course, we found one manufacturer whose products were heavily “influenced” by others, but we feel that they are gener ally not even thinking about competing with legacy makers any longer. Instead, Benda, CFMoto, Keeway, Morbidelli, QJMotor, and Moto Morini are slashing through the undergrowth to forge their own paths and setting new standards. Our advice is: Do not look down on Chinese motorcycles, or do it at your own peril.

that project seems to be on hold at the moment. The maker welcomed us into their motorcycle manufacturing facility, showing us the intricacies of their operations and how the bikes went from separate compo nents to complete, packed and awaiting shipment. Their factory features the latest in com puterised inventory, robotised delivery and manufacturing systems, and high end tool ing, allowing them to produce 700 motorcy cles every hour! We just want to say, put away that image of a Chinese worker smashing parts into place with a hammer already, will you? These guys are high tech. We also test rode several models out at their test track with trackside facilities under construction, and that the weather has gotten much colder with blustering winds. They were: SRK 250 RD with an inline four engine, SRK 450 RR also inline-four powered, ATX 250 X and ATX 250 adven ture scooters, and the SRK 921 superbike. All four models were officially launched that same evening. There was also an Italjet 700 superscoot at hand which uses a QJMotor engine. ARIIC Arric was a “surprise” brand when MForce launched the Ariic 318 this year. It seemed to have come out of nowhere. However, Ariic has been rising quickly in a

Benda motorcycles are becoming increasingly popular in Malaysia these days.

Low and stunning, Benda cruisers look better than traditional ones.