Much of China’s rise as a global power is linked to its low-cost manufacturing prowess
Rival to KTM 125 Duke, the Hanway NK 125 Furious 2021 edition packs in a range of updates. It is expected to give tough competition to 125 Duke in select European markets. In terms of functionality, Hanway NK 125 Furious gets full colour TFT display. It offers features such as USB charger, Bluetooth connectivity and Light and Dark modes. Colour options include black, red and white.
The updated bike gets an aggressive headlamp unit with LED lamps. Tail lamp and turn indicators are also LED units. The fuel tank now looks a lot more muscular and comes with extensions that look similar to that of 125 Duke. Other striking features include USD front forks in bronze finish, large exhaust canister and a short tail section.
Powertrain and specs
The bike is now equipped with a new Euro5-compliant liquid cooled motor that is capable of generating 15 bhp of max power and 11 Nm of max torque. Suspension duties are performed by USD forks and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear. Braking apparatus comprises 280 mm and 240 mm disc at front and rear, respectively. Dual channel ABS is offered as standard.
In Germany, Hanway NK 125 Furious retails at EUR 3,399 (approx. Rs 2.50 lakh). In comparison, KTM 125 Duke is priced at EUR 5,350 (approx. Rs 4 lakh). For customers with limited budget, Hanway NK 125 Furious can surely be an attractive proposition. In comparison, KTM 125 Duke is priced at Rs 1.61 lakh in India. Not that NK 125 Furious is coming to India, but even if it does, it won’t have the price advantage it has in Europe.
Hanway Himalayan lookalike
Chinese auto companies are often derided for coming up with complete rip-offs of popular products. The world is witness to many examples wherein exact copies of products from top brands such as BMW, Kawasaki and Ducati have been created. Hanway also falls in the same list, as it had earlier created a complete rip-off of Indian made Royal Enfield Himalayan.
Called Hanway G30, the Himalayan lookalike is offered in two variants, standard and G30-X. Here too, the lookalike is priced lower than the original. The only difference is that G30 utilizes a smaller capacity 250cc motor. Himalayan gets its power from a 411 cc engine.
Chinese rip-offs are usually sold locally to avoid design copyright violation issues. Contesting such cases in China can be a long-drawn process with no assurance of fair play in the country’s legal system. To avoid high cost of litigation and unnecessary hassles, many global auto companies choose to turn a blind eye to such copyright violations.
Moreover, China is currently the largest auto market in the world. So, global auto companies choose to focus on expanding their presence in the country instead of chasing after copycats. The former approach would probably be more profitable, which is what matters most from a business perspective.
