Italians have a certain way to do things and that reflects in their automobiles too. Italian bike manufacturers like Ducati and MV Agusta are renowned around the globe for bestowing the world of two-wheels with some of the most gorgeous machines. On the other hand, are the Chinese. We have witnessed many Chinese manufacturers shamelessly copying the iconic designs and this time around, they have chosen something very Italian and a motorcycle that sits very close to every motorcyclist’s heart: The Ducati Panigale 959.
More details
The supersport is now a victim of copy-cat treatment in China. The case in consideration here is of the Moxiao 500RR.
‘Inspired’ design
If you see one parking on the road or even approaching you, for a split second even the veterans would confuse it for the Panigale. That is how blatant the ‘inspiration’ is. Talking about the identical bits, it does resemble with the Panigale quite heavily when you look at it from the front. Move to the rear and it is a similar story.
It is not just about the bodywork here because they have gone ahead and painted it in the same shade of red which is quite synonymous with Ducati. Additionally, Moxiao has, in a rather audacious manner, copied the font which Ducati uses for its branding. Not only this, but the golden upside-down forks upfront, the offset rear monoshock, single-sided swingarm, and even the rearview mirrors with integrated indicators look identical.
Specs
The engine propels this ‘thing’ forward sounds a lot similar to the one found in the Honda CB500X and its siblings. The Moxiao 500RR gets a 471cc parallel-twin motor which is good for developing 47 hp of power and 43 nm of torque. It can help the bike accelerate from 0-100kmph in 6.1 seconds and reach a claimed top speed of 165kmph.
These figures are not that bad at all. The motorcycle has a generous fuel tank though, at 22-litre, and hence if you are looking at long-distance trips on this Ducati, errrr, Moxiao 500RR, well minimum fuel stops are guaranteed! It also gets meaty 120-section front and 190-section rear rubber to look like the real deal.
Now, speaking of pricing, the bike costs around 35,000 Yuan and if you translate that into the Indian currency, the figure comes out to be INR 4 lakh.