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Is This Simply the Best-Looking Retro-Styled Entry-Level Cruiser Yet?

The super-clean, darkly dazzling bike also boasts a rare platform and a unique bit of rider-friendly tech.

Close-up of a black Benda motorcycle front with round headlight, front tire, and handlebars.Benda
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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With head-turning motos such as the Chinchilla 500 and Napoleonbob 500, Hangzhou City, China-based Benda has kick-started its rep for building attractive, affordable cruisers.

Those bikes have thankfully made it stateside, giving newer and smaller cruiser fans a more approachable alternative to Harley and Indian’s beautiful but decidedly bigger (and pricier) options.

Black cruiser motorcycle with V4 engine and dual exhaust pipes parked on tiled pavement at night.
From its round headlight and pulled-back bars to its chopped fenders and stacked pipes, the Dark Flag 500 is just dripping with throwback style.
Benda

As cool as those Benda bikes are, a bit of forbidden fruit from the brand might be even more compelling. 

After all, the Dark Flag 500 is not only arguably the best-looking entry-level cruiser but also features a China-first V4 platform and innovative seat-lowering tech.

Brass tacks

Introduced in 2022, the Dark Flag 500 now has a more accessorized brother called the Dark Flag Commander, but the latest edition of the base model is impressive enough even without the extras.

Nestled in a cradle-type steel frame, the beating heart is a 496cc liquid-cooled V4 engine that, like the Chinchilla and Napoleonbob, makes 47 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 31 lb-ft of torque at 7,300 rpm.

Close-up of a black Benda motorcycle headlight and front fork with a glossy fuel tank and turn signals.
The bikes come in four colors, with Phantom Black being the most classically cool.
Benda

Complementing that striking engine are other classic cruiser features, including a big round LED headlight, gauge and mirrors, pulled-back bars, chopped fenders and beautifully stacked silencers, plus 16-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.

Benda offers four paint schemes: Glory Gold, Starry Grey, Ray Blue, and Phantom Black, the last of which you can see all over this page. 

Black cruiser-style motorcycle with V4 engine and dual exhaust pipes parked on a paved surface.
The bike’s curb weight of 573 pounds is not exactly “light,” but the seat’s ability to drop down to just over 26 inches makes handling manageable for newer and shorter riders.
Benda

Braking is handled by a 320mm disc at the front and a 260mm disc in the back, squeezed by hydraulic calipers and backed up by ABS and traction control.

Additional rider-friendly tech includes cruise control and idle shutdown, which deactivates the two rear cylinders when the bike is in neutral during brief stops, conserving fuel and reducing heat.

Smart shocks

As solid as all those specs and features are, the bike’s most innovative element is sure to win over newer and shorter riders. 

The suspension features an upside-down telescopic fork offering 3.7 inches of travel and a rear suspension unit offering 2.4 inches of travel.

Black Benda Air suspension shock absorber mounted on a motorcycle frame.
The Benda air suspension system is the key to its rider-friendly automatic seat-lowering capability.
Benda

The latter employs dual-chamber air shocks working with an electric pump, a pressure sensor, a control unit and a height sensor.

Similar to Harley-Davidson’s Pan America, among others, the system automatically adjusts the seat height from 27.6 inches to 26.4 inches whenever you come to a stop.

Black motorcycle with round headlight ridden by a person wearing a black helmet on a green metal bridge.
Dapper AF suit not included.
Benda

That solves one of the most annoying problems for the inseam-challenged among us, who often have no trouble riding bigger bikes once we are in motion. 

Once you put the bike in gear and throttle away, it rises to its full height, boosting the lean angle and letting you turn and burn and take on whatever the road may bring.

Availability and pricing

The Benda Dark Flag 500 is currently only available overseas. However, with four other Benda cruisers now distributed in the US, it could reach our shores eventually. Price-wise, I imagine it would slot between the $6,499 Napoleonbob 500 and $10,899 LFC 700.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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