That the Chinese like to present cars and motorbikes with a similar design (to put it mildly) to that of the European ones is no secret to be surprised about. But this time it takes even more effort to grasp the differences compared to the original product: we welcome the Modiwei 800 RR.
PANIGALE IS THAT YOU? Among the dozens of Chinese replicas, one of the most targeted brands is Ducati, after all the design of the Borgo Panigale company is envied even by premium competitors. This time it’s about a sports car incredibly similar to Ducati’s latest twin-cylinder superbike: the beautiful 1299 Panigale. It takes up practically everything from the latter: the silhouette, the nose, the tail, the tank, the fairing and even the details such as the mirrors with integrated indicators and the design of the Ohlins side mono. The fairing, however, features a design taken from the current Panigale V2 and one of few truly new elements from Modiwei: an aerodynamic appendage of dubious functionality. The other two aesthetic innovations are the design of the rims and the exhaust pipe very similar to that of SC Project S1.
Modiwei 800 RR rear three-quarter view
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ENGINE AND EQUIPMENT What has certainly totally changed compared to the 1299 Panigale is the engine: derived from the 4-cylinder in-line of the Honda CB 650 R, it has been increased to 777 cc of displacement, for 117 HP and 83 Nm of torquecertainly much more interesting than the design chapter. The electronics seems to be very complete: TFT instrumentation with smartphone interface, LED headlights, heated grips, quick-shifter and traction control. The front braking system includes a double 320 mm disc with radial mount caliper and ABS, while we have no information on the refined-looking suspensions but, from the presence of the adjusters, they seem to be adjustable.
Modiwei 800 RR posing
MARKET AND PRICE The Modiwei 800 RR it is already available on the Chinese market at a price equivalent to 4,800 euros. It’s true that we can’t make a real comparison with Western prices but at this price it’s cheap even in China, which makes it extremely interesting in terms of content and, obviously, design. Thanks to Ducati.
Published by Alessandro Moro, 10/23/2023
