เปิดตัว Banda Darkflag พาวเวอร์ครุยเซอร์ 500 ซีซี ที่มาพร้อมขุมกำลัง V4
Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Benda has always been known to come up with some pretty unconventional motorcycle innovations, and their latest product is the Darkflag 500. It’s an aggressive power cruiser and comes with a V4 engine, but surprisingly, it only has a capacity of 496cc.
Of course, the engine type is one of the elements that creates a unique personality for the product. Most often, we see V4 engines with a cylinder capacity of more than 900 cc. In this era, the brand that is famous for this type of power plant is Ducati, which has many products that use this type of engine. But what Benda thinks and develops is different. What the Chinese brand creates is a medium-small engine that requires the personality of a large-capacity engine.
The first thing that makes the difference on the Darkflag 500 is the power. The engine is a V4 4-cylinder, 4-valve per head, liquid-cooled, generating 55 horsepower (HP) at 10,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 52 Nm at 7,000 rpm. When we look at the engine speed, it is considered very high when compared to engines of the same size but using a different format. The maximum power climb is as high as 10,000 rpm, equivalent to a sports car that requires high power in the rev range. And although the torque is reduced at low revs, it uses a high rev range of 7,000 rpm. We can assume that the Darkflag 500 will have to roar a lot when starting off and will likely climb speed slowly. But in exchange for the stability of the speed that gradually climbs on a graph that keeps on soaring.
Another interesting thing about the Darkflag 500 is its weight, which is 241 kilograms without liquids. When including liquids from the fuel and cooling system, the bike weighs approximately 262 kilograms, which is quite heavy when compared to the Honda Rebel 500, which uses a 471cc inline 2-cylinder engine, which weighs only 187.7 kilograms with liquids. With such a heavy weight, we can clearly predict that the Darkflag 500 will be quite slow to start off. And when combined with choosing to use a higher-than-normal engine speed, we will definitely have to drag the accelerator pedal more than usual.
But what should be able to replace it is the form of the vehicle that uses the cruiser approach, emphasizing straight-line driving, emphasizing the stability of the vehicle. Darkflag 500 should definitely meet the requirements. With its weight and high engine speed, driving on long straight roads will reduce the symptoms that the rider will have to fight to control the vehicle. And this stability will have an immediate effect when we gain speed for a while. And importantly, it will be stable in maintaining speed with this high engine speed, which the designer should see as the vehicle’s highlight more.
The equipment on the vehicle is quite simple in the style of a cruiser. The vehicle has a belt transmission system to the rear wheel. The engine exhaust system is a 4-1-4 with double pipes on both sides. The display screen is a round clock-shaped box and has a small LCD screen that shows the information needed for riding. The lighting system is LED. The assistance systems are simple, with a Dual Channel ABS system and a Traction Control system with 2 levels to choose from.
Banda Darkflag 500 is now available on the European motorcycle market with a price tag of 8,790 euros or around 347,370 baht, which is considered quite a high price. And with the power of the car higher than the A2 License, the owner is required to have the highest level of driving license. And when looking at the overall picture, the car should be one of the niche products that may not be Mass to the point of being able to crack the market for sure.
Thanks for the information and pictures from lajumotor.com.
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Keattisak Ngamkham – Writer, automotive journalist with experience The whole motorcycle industry and the motorsport industry Expert in doing reviews of all types of motorcycles.