These are the best Chinese-built motorcycle of 2025

Chinese motorbikes don't exactly have the best of reputations, and that means a lot of riders will readily dismiss them. However, the bike industry in the country has turned a corner.

Chinese brands are becoming more and more viable options, when compared to the Japanese and European competition. In many cases, they are becoming much more mainstream in their styling, performance and features.

Chinese bikes also have a neat trick up their sleeves at the moment, as while they are trying to steal sales from the more mainstream brands, they can offer a lot of kit as standard - the kind of kit brands like KTM, BMW, and Honda would have you paying extra for.

What's particularly interesting about the Chinese bike revolution is how some more familiar brands from Europe, such as Moto Morini, Morbidelli, and Benelli, are popping up as revived marques now under Chinese ownership.

With all these emerging options vying for your cash, though, where should your money go? Below are what we rate as the best Chinese motorcycles currently available. 

CFMoto 750SR-R

Of all the Chinese manufacturers making gains in Europe, CFMoto has certainly been the most proactive with a slew of enticing models hitting the market based on trusty - albeit dated - mechanics from engineering partners KTM.

One of its most exciting new models, which hasn't quite arrived yet, is the 750SR-R, a road and track-ready sports bike with an extremely high level of spec.

Genuinely looking like a middleweight sportsbike that could take the fight to the mainstream, the 750SR-R boasts an inline four-cylinder engine (remember them!?) that boasts 110bhp. That might not sound like much from a 750, but this is the era of the new-breed of supersport models, meaning it'll be going toe-to-toe with bikes like the Yamaha R9, Suzuki GSX-8R, and Aprilia RS660.

Where the CFMoto gets interesting, though, is the spec of its electronics and its expected price. It's equipped with a proper six-axis IMU which means cornering ABS, traction control, and rider modes. You also get some other intriguing features, such as Insta360 camera integration and control, keyless ignition, cornering lights and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) all fitted as standard.

Lexmoto LXS SE 125

The allure of models like the Yamaha R125 and Suzuki GSX-R125 for those who want to step out with something sporty with their first purchase, for many the Lexmoto LXS 125 fulfils the same brief more than adequately.

And sales charts don’t lie. The Lexmoto LXR 125 regularly appears towards the top of UK sales charts, with its mix of excellent value, striking looks and eager single-cylinder engine enough to win over an increasing number of buyers.

However, we’d encourage you to shell out for the LXS which retains the LXR’s sensibilities but throws in a bit more desirability for not much more cash – especially as its price has now been reduced further. The looks are sharper, it offers retro charm with its underseat exhausts and the 13.8bhp engine beckons you to rev it hard on the back roads.

An R125 or GSX-R125 are more accomplished all round but it’s hard to find a new motorcycle that offers more smiles per mile for little more than £2,500.

Visordown Review | Lexmoto LXS 125 [2021]

Morbidelli T1002VX

If you’re of a certain age, you’ll probably remember Morbidelli for one thing, and one thing only: the infamous V8. A bike so awkward-looking that even its own reflection probably turned away in shame. It’s regularly wheeled out in internet listicles about the “ugliest bikes ever built”, and for good reason. Have a look at it if you dare, but maybe keep a bucket nearby just in case.

Happily, the design team responsible for that rolling optical offence were nowhere near the Morbidelli I’ve been riding this week: the neat-looking T1002V and its wire-wheeled sibling, the T1002VX. The only real difference between the pair is the cross-spoked rims, which do a decent job of dressing the VX up as if it’s about to head off across the Sahara. In reality, though, this is a road-going adventure machine first and foremost.

Yes, it comes from a Chinese manufacturer that’s slipped into the European market through the side door, but let’s not get too sniffy about that. Pretty much every big name in the industry has a factory somewhere in Asia or the Far East, so the “Made in China” label isn’t the shock it once was.

And here’s the thing: the Morbidelli T1002VX makes a strong case for itself on price alone. You get all the kit you could reasonably want on an adventure bike (short of electronic suspension and adaptive cruise), without having to remortgage the house or trade down to a smaller-capacity twin. For riders who want the big-bike experience with a sensible price tag, the Morbidelli might just be the sweet spot.

You may also like to read our Morbidelli T1002VX review.

Voge DS625X

The Voge DS625X is the newest face in the bustling middleweight adventure class, rolling in from China with a clear mission: undercut the established Japanese players on price. Think Honda’s NX500, Yamaha’s Tracer 7 – familiar names with bulletproof reputations – now imagine a rival that costs less than six grand. Tempting, isn’t it?

But here’s the question: can the DS625X serve up the performance, gadgets, and polish that today’s adventure riders expect, or is it simply another budget option that looks good on paper but struggles to keep up on the road?

We spent a day blatting around the countryside to find that out, and the Voge is a strong performer from such a relatively 'young' brand. It does have a handful of niggles - over-eager traction control and weak front brake being the biggest. That said, as with most of the bikes on this list, you get a hell of a lot of add-ons and extras already bolted on and for a very appealing price.

You may like to read our Voge DS525X review.

Benda Napoleonbob 500

Another bike we've not ridden (yet!) but one that is most definitely already in the UK market, thanks to the team at MotoGB. The Napoleonbob is Benda's take on the A2 bobber theme, and from the first glance, it's a very handsome little thing.

With styling that wouldn't look out of place on a plinth at the Bike Shed Moto Show, it's an eye-catching option in the sometimes tawdry A2 segment.

Power comes from a 467cc V-twin engine, boasting 47bhp and 30lb ft of torque and while its a hefty bike, tipping the scales at 215kg, it's super low 695mm seat and relaxed riding position should mean it's extremely accessible.

CFMoto 450MT

As mentioned above, CFMoto is one of the most impressive of Chinese manufacturers aided in no small part by its partnership with KTM, whose mechanicals, some engines and design studio – Kiska – it shares.

Arguably it’s most impressive offering so far is the new-for-2024 CFMoto 450MT ADV. It’s a twin cylinder, middleweight adventure bike with smart styling, decent spec including KYB forks credible dual-purpose ability and, best of all, a price tag that’s over £1000 cheaper than any comparable Japanese machine. Think softer, less powerful Yamaha 700 Ténéré but with the accessibility and ease of Honda’s NX500 and you won’t be too far wide of the mark.

As such it’s a truly tempting proposition, impressed on our in our recent test, is genuinely versatile and has enough pleasing touches to satisfy. In short, it’s one of the best Chinese offerings so far.

You may also like to read our CFMoto 450MT review

Moto Morini Seiemmezzo

One of motorcycling's most historic brands, while Moto Morini has endured multiple periods of uncertainty since the turn of the Millennium, its most recent takeover by Chinese conglomerate ZNEN is giving it a Benelli-inspired new lease of life.

Having cleared out its ageing large capacity range in 2018, it hit the comeback trail the following year with the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 ADV-cum-tourer crossover and has since gone on to follow it up with the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo, a new entry into the mid-size naked class.

Literally translated as 6½ - a nod to the 3½, one of its most popular models of the 20th century - the Seiemmezzo is available in sporty STR and scrambler-inspired SCR guise, with the latter £300 more.

From the outset, its clean, chunky lines owe a lot to the Honda CB650R, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, while it handles with some vigour, even if the 649cc engine is a touch restrained at 61bhp, putting a fair few ponies down on its nearest rival, the CFMoto 700CL-X Sport and Heritage.

Nevertheless, at just £6,699, it is well-kitted and great value.

Visordown Review | Moto Morini Seiemmezzo

KTM 790 Adventure

What? An Austrian KTM in a listing of Chinese motorcycles? Shurely shome mishtake? But no. Although the Austrian brand’s mid-capacity parallel twin adventure bike was first introduced in 2019 before being replaced by the 890 version in 2020, the smaller version was introduced in 2023 as a sort of cut-price alternative.

And that’s because the 790 Adventure (along with the 790 Duke) is now built by KTM’s Chinese partner CFMoto, which also makes many of KTM’s engines and whose own 800MT Touring is based on many of the same mechanicals.

It’s a worthy addition, too, with few giveaways that it’s ‘Chinese built’ – in fact it’s actually an improvement over the original with an updated 790 engine (which is also, unlike the 890, A2-restrictable), decent suspension and brakes and great versatility. The 790 Adventure may no longer be quite the sub-£10K bargain it was when first revived, but it’s a worthy middleweight offering that defies its Chinese origins.

Lexmoto RSS 125

Having tasted success in the 125cc sports bike category with the LXR and LXS, Lexmoto gave its 125 platform some added flair in 2023 with the launch of the RSS 125.

Stripping away the fairing before drizzling it in some well-judged 'neo-retro' design cues, the RSS 125 cuts a dash with its simple lines and bulbous tank, plus some attractive colourway options.

Under the skin, the RSS 125 offers a useful 14bhp from its single-cylinder engine, while its feathery 163kg should ensure it is nimble through the city streets when pushed.

Other welcome touches include a 5" TFT dashboard, a 17-inch rear wheel and a six-speed gearbox, while at £2,899, it is over £2k cheaper than the Yamaha XSR125.

Benelli Leoncino 800 Trail

As with Moto Morini, the inclusion of Benelli here shows a bit of artistic licence since it is also one of motorcycling's longest-serving Italian-founded manufacturers.

However, Benelli is in much ruder health these days thanks to the efforts - and financing - from parent company QJMotor, which has used a successful badge-engineering strategy in Asia to give the Italian marque a strong foothold in the world's largest markets.

It means Benelli now out-sells the likes of Triumph and Ducati with ease, while even Italians have returned to its showrooms in droves to elevate the TRK 502 to the top of the sales charts.

For this ranking, however, we've gone for its UK flagship, the Benelli Leoncino 800 Trail, which stands for Little Lion, and puts a paw in the Modern Classic, Cruiser and Scrambler segments.

With its low-slung riding position, easy-going dynamics and punchy – if languid – 754cc engine, the Leoncino 800 looks more upmarket than it is, while this Trail version even gets some off-road ability with its knobbly tyres and raised suspension.

With its price reduced recently by £1,000 to an even more tempting £6,999, the Benelli Leoncino 800 Trail is definitely a worthy alternative to the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

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