[cycleworld.com] - The Chinese Connection

[Ninjette Newsbot]

The number of American, European, and Asian motorcycle companies with partnerships is growing all the time. Here is the current breakdown of who makes what.

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Revived Italian brands such as Moto Morini depend on Chinese partnerships. (Moto Morini/)Over in the car industry, it’s become ever more common for companies to link up, either for long-term strategic deals or for individual projects when the result benefits both parties. As a result we have single companies overseeing lots of different brands, like Stellantis, parent to Dodge, Chrysler, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Maserati, Opel, RAM, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, and more. Additionally, there are projects like the current Toyota Supra and BMW Z4 joint effort, which are essentially the same car under the skin despite being made and sold by two completely separate companies. Here’s the current state of play when it comes to relationships between Chinese companies working with established household-name brands.


Pierer Mobility, parent company of KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas, also owns a 25.1 percent stake in MV Agusta. (MV Agusta/)Pierer Mobility

Stefan Pierer’s Pierer Mobility owns* KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, has a 25.1-percent stake in MV Agusta and is responsible for global distribution of MV Agusta. Indian firm Bajaj, which manufactures KTM and Husqvarna models in India, has a large shareholding in Pierer Mobility AG. In China, Pierer Mobility has a joint venture with CFMoto that sees it manufacture several KTM models and engines as well as using KTM engines in several CFMoto-branded bikes. From this year forward, KTM will take over distribution of CFMoto bikes in much of Europe. Additionally, Italian brand Moto Morini will also use CFMoto engines in multiple upcoming models including the X-Cape adventure bike and the Seiemmezzo roadster.


The MV Agusta Lucky Explorer is made by Qianjiang. (MV Agusta/)Qianjiang

Owner of the Benelli marque since 2005, Qianjiang also manufactures bikes under the QJiang and QJMotor brands, as well as producing motorcycles sold under the Keeway name. Qianjiang’s majority shareholder is the Geely group, which oversees car brands including Lotus, Smart, and Volvo as well as the London Electric Vehicle Company (maker of electric versions of London’s traditional black cabs), and several Chinese-market car brands. Qianjiang has a deal in place with MV Agusta to make the Lucky Explorer 5.5 adventure bike and to use MV’s four-cylinder engine in future large-capacity bikes. Qianjiang has set up a joint venture with Marzocchi to manufacture motorcycle suspension in China, and another joint venture with Zhejiang Jisheng Motor Vehicle Co., Ltd., and Harley-Davidson to manufacture the upcoming X350 and X500 parallel-twin models for H-D.


The Zhejiang Jisheng Motor Vehicle Co., Ltd., will manufacture the Harley-Davidson X350 and X500. (Harley-Davidson/)
QJMotor has reskinned an MV Agusta Brutale 1000. The two companies have been linked and may be working on this future superbike. (QJMotor/)Zongshen

Another Chinese brand, Zongshen, bought rights to manufacture Norton’s parallel twin 650cc engine—essentially half of Norton’s 1200cc V4—from the British brand before it was then bought by Indian company TVS. The twin was originally destined for the Norton Atlas and Superlight models, but under new ownership those projects have been shelved, and the Norton version of the engine may never appear. Zongshen, meanwhile, has redeveloped it for use in the RX6 adventure bike and is working on an enlarged 850cc version for a future RX8 model.

Zongshen also has close ties to Italy’s Piaggio. The two companies have operated a joint venture —Piaggio Zongshen Foshan—for nearly 20 years, turning out Zongshen-made versions of various Piaggio and Aprilia models, as well as some machines that aren’t offered in the West, like the Aprilia GPR250 sportbike. The same joint venture also manufactures bikes that are sold under the Malaguti brand name, including a new 250cc version of the Drakon using the Aprilia 250 engine.

Recently, Zongshen has been working on a reborn version of the Aprilia Shiver. It’s been spied testing in China wearing Gilera badges as part of a planned revival of the Gilera name. The 900cc V-twin engine will also power the Zongshen Cyclone RA9, seen as a concept in 2021 and launched in production form late last year for the 2023 Zongshen range. Recent news that Moto Morini is planning 750cc and 900cc models with water-cooled, DOHC V-twins has led to speculation that the firm could also be intending to buy the Zongshen-made, Aprilia-designed engines.

Other Chinese Tie-ins

Other big-name connections include BMW that has a deal with Chinese brand Loncin, which makes components and engines for the German company, as well as manufacturing complete C400 scooter models. BMW also has ties with TVS in India, which makes the G310 models on its behalf. TVS, in turn, has owned Norton since 2020.


BMW’s G310 models are made in China by Loncin. (BMW/)Suzuki has a tie-in with Haojue in China, where several models are made, and also with Qingqi for the Jinan Qingqi Suzuki joint venture, founded in 1994. Honda’s Chinese manufacturing arm includes the Sundiro Honda Motorcycle joint venture, set up in 2001. Yamaha has a joint venture with Jianshe, Chongqing Jianshe Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., to manufacture complete bikes in China.