AS well as revealing its new 500cc parallel twin, Chinese firm Loncin has unveiled a single-cylinder adventure tourer using the 652cc motor that used to power BMW’s G650GS and the earlier F650 single models, not to mention the Husqvarna TR650.
It’s not the first time Loncin has shown a bike with that engine. Back in 2012 it revealed the LX650 street bike with the same power plant. Having previously built the engine on BMW’s behalf, it’s an engine Loncin is more that familiar with.
While BMW no longer makes any bikes around the old single-cylinder 650, Loncin clearly still has plans for it. And they include the new bike shown at the CIMA show recently and dubbed DS8.
As with the new 500cc twin-cylinder model, the DS8’s styling isn’t bad at all. It’s a fairly generic adventure tourer – with the inevitable beak and no real intentions for off-road use – but elements like the reverse-raked headlight are quite distinctive.
The frame is a tubular steel arrangement, with an aluminium swingarm at the back and USD forks up front. ABS is clearly fitted, as are the side reflectors needed to pass European regs these days.
Engine specs show the bike’s power to be 50hp, with 37lbft of torque at 5,500rpm. Those numbers are much the same as the old BMW G650GS, as you’d expect. The bike’s wet weight is pegged at 198kg.
In terms of equipment, there’s a manually-adjustable screen and a rather basic set of LCD instruments, and details like the dash-mounted USB charging socket will be appreciated.
Big question marks still hang over prices, production plans and availability outside China, but it’s easy to imagine a bike like this, with a low enough price tag, proving popular.
Pictures: newmotor.com.cn
