We see a lot of bikes from various Chinese manufacturers, and while many of them are small, mobile and with little chance of making it outside the Chinese market, there are quite a few good and quality models that have caused a stir in the market. One of these newest models comes from Haojin, a motorcycle manufacturer based in Guangzhou, one of the central cities of southern China.
Neo-retro styling is all the rage, and it seems Chinese motorcycle companies are taking notice, even if they have no heritage to back up their retro inspirations. The Letbe Arthur LB 700 is an example of this and from a design point of view, it looks to be battling the likes of the Kawasaki Z650RS and the Yamaha XSR700. Its engine is very similar to the 700cc engine. found in CFMoto’s 700 CL-X series, which in turn is a redesigned Kawasaki 650 engine. The Letbe Arthur, delivers 75 hp at 8,500 rpm. and 68 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm.
From its technological side, the Letbe Arthur is sophisticated but to a point, having an internal gyroscope that records the inclination of the motorcycle on the TFT screen, basic two-channel Continental ABS but without cornering ABS for turns, while the traction control system. The suspension is by KYB, on the front fork and has adjustable damping and preload. However, the rear shock is not adjustable.
The bike is equipped with a TFT instrument panel, with smartphone connectivity. Through a dedicated mobile app, functions such as navigation and entertainment can be accessed, as well as various display settings. Interestingly, the Letbe Arthur LB 700 also has a built-in front-facing camera, although all it does is record the rider’s journeys, with no cruise control or collision avoidance features.
So far, Haojin has yet to announce the price and availability for the Letbe Arthur LB700, however it is important to note that the engine is classified according to Euro 4 standards and therefore the possibility of it reaching Europe is almost nil.
