Loncin 500cc twins spied

CHINESE firm Loncin is to launch a range of 500cc twin-cylinder bikes in the near future – and no fewer than three different varieties have been caught on camera.

The models include a retro machine, with wire wheels and styling that combines classical elements with modern cues like an LED headlight, as well as a sporty naked bike and a sports tourer with overtones of adventure bike. While both the sports tourer and the naked bike have alloy wheels and upside down forks, the retro has gaiter-clad right-way-up forks and wire wheels.

The engine is believed to be Loncin’s own 500cc twin. The Chinese firm is already understood to be supplying a similarly-sized, water-cooled twin to Motrac, which uses it in its MG500 adventure bike. It’s impossible to tell from these low-res pictures whether this is the same engine, but it seems likely.

Loncin has previously toyed with a middleweight naked bike, making the LX650 single using a licence-built version of BMW’s G650 engine.