The news comes from the East, the new custom Lifeng Regal Raptor V2 (below) is about to debut on the Chinese market, with its official presentation taking place on Friday 13 September at the Chongqing Motorcycle Expo.
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Until now Lifeng had specialized in small-displacement custom motorcycles (no more than 500 cm3), now the group has decided to double its number, with an unprecedented 1000 twin-cylinder proposal that seems to look beyond the Asian market. In any case, the arrival in the price lists will have to wait until next year and it is not known – at this time – whether the model will remain confined to the Land of the Dragon or will also be exported to the Old Continent.
Gaokin Engine and CVT Transmission
The engine is a generous 1,000 cm3 V-twin, capable of 75 HP and 85 Nm of torque. Probably a typical “long stroke” with good mid-range backbone, produced by Gaokin, specialized in the production of similar engines for ATVs. The transmission is the real interesting piece, however: a continuously variable CVT (the classic scooter variator) connected to a final drive shaft.
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Here is the engine of the Regal Raptor, note the shaft drive output at the bottom
From the images we can also see a telescopic fork for the front end and a swingarm to which a monoshock is directly attached on the right side, in an inclined position. Also at the front are the two brake discs with radial calipers with four pistons, for which the “surveillance” of a Bosch ABS system would be expected. The Regal Raptor 1000 V2 wears large tires that contribute to making it a cruiser with a “muscular” style: 220/55-R17 at the rear and 140/80-R17 at the front
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Sober look, exaggerated tank
Speaking of style: in terms of design, the bike appears quite elegant, with a generous front fairing, inside which two LED headlights are framed. Exaggerated is instead the only adjective with which we could define the tank, with its capacity of 38 liters it guarantees a range of about 700 kilometers.
Will we see it at EIMCA 2024? We’ll know soon…
