Benda Unveils 950cc V-4 Cruiser

Benda is one of the upcoming Chinese motorcycle companies that’s focusing on large-capacity models (and particularly cruisers) with an eye to global success. Now it has officially created a European arm and unveiled the upcoming Dark Flag 950 cruiser with the company’s own V-4 engine.

Benda Moto Europe GmbH was officially established in October, with a base in Salzburg, Austria, after a two-month consultation with Kiska, the KTM-adjacent brand and design agency (part of the Pierer Mobility Group) to build a strategy to enter the market. The company already has dealers in several European countries, but the creation of a European arm should allow for a more cohesive route forward for the brand.

In pursuit of increasing international sales, Benda is also set to bring its Dark Flag 950 cruiser to production in the near future, which is the largest-capacity bike yet to come from the company.

Shown as a prototype in China in September, the Dark Flag 950 has now appeared in design registrations that potentially show a more production-spec version of the bike—with slight detail changes including the adoption of J.Juan brakes instead of the show model’s Brembos. Other than that tweak and a repositioned ignition key on the right-hand front side panel, just below the fuel tank, the styling is identical to the bike that was shown in China, right down to the leather belt running down the center of the tank.

It’s Benda’s second V-4 machine, following on from the Dark Flag 500. The engine is externally near identical to the smaller version and was originally shown back in 2021 as an 1,198cc unit, suggesting there’s scope to make it larger in the future. In terms of performance, Benda says the 950 puts out a peak of 100 hp at 9,000 rpm, with max torque of 62.7 lb.-ft. at 7,000 rpm. That’s substantially more than the 56 hp of the 496cc version in the Dark Flag 500, but still a long way short of the 151 hp at 9,500 rpm that’s claimed for the 1,198cc variant, and has yet to be seen fitted to a bike. Benda confirms it has a ride-by-wire throttle and slipper clutch, but we’ll have to wait for the production version’s official launch to get full specifications of the bike.

While the Dark Flag 950′s styling shares a family resemblance to other bikes in the Benda range, it makes a couple of unusual departures from the pattern set by the Dark Flag 500. For example, the Dark Flag 500 has an upside-down fork and adjustable pneumatic rear suspension units, while the 950 model has a more simple, conventional fork and dual shocks at the back. Also unusual is the fact that, despite its bigger capacity, it’s physically smaller than the Dark Flag 500. The seat is 0.2 inch lower at 27.4 inches, the overall length a similar amount shorter at 91.5 inches, and the bars are 0.3 inch narrower at 35.4 inches.

Although there’s no word yet on Benda’s plans for the US market, the company’s onslaught into Europe is surely an indication of global intentions. It also gives a clue as to the export pricing of Benda’s bikes. In Germany, the Dark Flag 500 V-4 costs 8,999 euros (that would be $9,450 in US currency at time of writing), while the current range-topper, the crazy-looking, inline-four LFC700, with a cast aluminum chassis and a 300-section rear tire, is 11,999 euros (equivalent to $12,600 US).