Chinese manufacturer Lifan sticks to what works. You may ask, what’s the problem with that? Well, Lifan typically sticks to what works for other OEMs, merely shrinking proven platforms into market-appropriate models.
For proof, we turn to Lifan’s Ducati Scrambler copycat, the Hunter 125. If that smoking gun isn’t enough evidence, the KPT 150’s BMW R 1250 GS-inspired headlamp and the KPT 400’s Harley-Davidson Pan America-esque styling should close the case. For the brand’s latest outing, it ventures into the cruiser segment. Lo and behold, the Lifan LF600 borrows from class mainstays as well.
Gallery: Lifan LF600
While Italian outlet Moto.it and German publication Motorrad are quick to point out the LF600’s potential showdown with Kawasaki’s Vulcan S, the model liberally borrows from another category stalwart – the Ducati Diavel. From its muscle-bound silhouette to its V-twin configuration, the Lifan rips several pages from the Bologna brand’s design book.
If you can move past the uncanny resemblance, though, the LF600 still shuttles the Chinese marque into new territory. Best known for producing sub-500cc singles, Lifan’s new water-cooled, fuel-injected, 573cc V-Twin powers the Diavel doppelgänger to 40.6 pound-feet of torque and 58.5 ponies. The brand claims that the pokey powerplant propels the LF600’s 233-kilogram (513.7-pound) mass to 165 kilometers per hour (102.5 miles per hour).
Lifan relies on brakes from Spanish Brembo subsidiary J.Juan to bring that heft to a halt, but two-channel ABS prioritizes safety all the while. Up front, the USD fork benefits from adjustment clickers while a monoshock steadies the rear. The LF600 also appeals to classic cruiser conventions with a 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheel, but all-around LED lighting and a digital gauge modernize the model.
Lifan may not score high on the originality scale, but the LF600 proves that the brand continues to elevate and refine its offerings, regardless of its derivative styling.
