Benda VTR-300 Turbo Spied

Until a couple of years ago the name Benda was largely unknown, but since the middle of 2020 the company has launched three projects that mark it as perhaps the most interesting bike maker in China. First we saw the Benda inline four-cylinder cruiser, initially as a patent code-named “BD700,” then as a concept bike—the LF-01—in September 2020. Come July 2021, the production version was launched as the LFC 700, and Benda simultaneously revealed a second four-cylinder machine, the LFS 700, based on the same 680cc motor. As if that wasn’t enough, in September of last year Benda revealed two new V-4 engines, in 1,200cc and 500cc forms, that are set to power future models. Now a fourth project is on the way.

However, this new machine might be more interesting than any of those—at least from a technical point of view. Back in January last year Benda revealed the outline of a small, fully faired sportbike along with the name “VTR-300 Turbo.” Now, new design patent images show the final styling of that machine. The name is the indication of what makes this bike special. It’s due to have a turbocharger on the tiny 298cc V-twin engine to hike its performance into a completely different league.

How much performance remains something of a mystery; we can’t even reach into the history books or make comparisons with rivals to guess at the figure, since among the tiny handful of turbocharged production bikes to reach showrooms, none have been as small as this. We do know that the base engine is Benda’s own 298cc V-twin, currently offered in the company’s VTC-300 cruiser model. In that bike, it makes 30 hp, which is about what’s to be expected given that it’s a relatively long-stroke, torque-focused engine with 58mm bore and 56.4mm stroke. How much a turbo can add to that will depend on boost levels and tuning, making it impossible to guess. Maybe 50 hp? More seems unlikely, especially when you realize the VTR-300 Turbo has only a single front brake, but even at that level it’s going to be in a field of its own.

Related: Benda Debuts 1,200 and 500 V-4 Engines

Others have considered small turbo bikes in the past. Most famously, Honda developed a VT250 Turbo prototype back in the 1980s, at around the same time the firm was working on creating an F1-derived 250cc turbo four-stroke racer as a potential competitor to 500cc two-stroke GP bikes. That racer was supposed to be a twin-turbo design, using one for each of its 125cc cylinders, and bearing in mind Honda was winning in F1 at the time with a 1,000 hp, 1,500cc twin-turbo V-6, rumors that the 250 turbo race engine made 150 hp don’t seem unrealistic. A single-turbo streetbike based on the existing VT250F was developed in the mid-1980s as a companion to both the proposed racer and the CX500 and CX650 Turbos of the same era, and was expected to make around 50 hp, hinting at the potential performance we might expect from the Benda VTR-300 Turbo.

Honda’s old VT250F Turbo prototype had its small, single turbo mounted low, down ahead of the V-twin’s engine block, and while the all-enveloping bodywork of the Benda VTR-300 Turbo means we can’t see where its blower is placed, it seems likely that it’s in a similar position. There’s certainly space there, and the bike appears to have an airbox mounted above the front cylinder, which would be easier to feed from a front-mounted turbo than if the blower was positioned behind the engine.

The Benda’s bodywork is unusual in itself. The strangest part is a single body panel that runs down each side from just below the nose to the footpegs, before kinking upward to meet the tail unit. At first glance, this appears to mimic a beam frame, but the design might actually be hiding a cooling duct. The frame itself seems to be a tubular-steel trellis design, largely hidden by the plastic panels.

At the front, there’s also questions over the bike’s headlight arrangement, as the monochrome images don’t give any clue as to which elements are opaque and which are clear. It looks like there are lights around the air intakes on either side of the nose, but there’s also a larger central part, higher up, that may or may not be an additional headlight. The screen above it is quite conventional, though not as wraparound as most sportbike designs, perhaps due to the relatively high-mounted bars. Two bolted-on knee pad sections, just below the tank, are also an unusual touch. They appear to be designed to stop riders from tucking their legs tight into the sides of the bike—perhaps to ensure that hot air from the engine and radiator can escape more easily.

Given Benda’s fast-paced new model releases, it’s unlikely to be long before the VTR-300 Turbo gets an official unveiling, so hopefully some of these questions will be answered soon. As to whether those of us in the West will be able to buy one, Benda already has a small dealer network in Europe and the company’s plans appear to be global rather than focused on the Chinese market, though it is likely to be a few more years before the company’s products are widely available.