Although there are hordes of Chinese bike firms that are virtually unknown outside their homeland Chang Jiang is recognised much more widely. Even if you’re not familiar with the name you’ll recognise the old-fashioned, boxer-engined machines the company has churned out since the 1960s.
The company’s old CJ750 was a licence-made version of the Russian Dnepr/Ural M-72, itself a pretty straight copy of the WW2-era BMW R71. Built by Chang Jiang for nearly 50 years, the outfits are something of a legend in their homeland.
Now, though, the firm is set for a return. The old CJ750 – which was made in both OHV and sidevalve form right until the 21st century – has moved aside and Chang Jiang has revealed a new sidecar. Called the CJ650, it’s powered by CFMoto’s 650cc parallel twin, with 71bhp. That’s more than three times as much as the sidevalve version of the CJ750 could manage! The CFMoto engine is extremely similar to Kawasaki’s ER-6 motor, sharing the same internal dimensions and performance levels. It’s also Euro4 certified in some of CFMoto’s machines, so there’s even a chance that that CJ650 could appear in this half of the world.
While the CJ650 retains a distinctly retro appearance, it’s actually a new design and shares nothing with the CJ750. The chassis, a tubular steel design, is new and features swingarm rear suspension instead of the old CJ750’s archaic plungers.
The bike revealed in China is still in prototype form, so it’s not clear how long it will be before a production version is ready. However, the firm has hopes that the new engine, as well as meeting emissions rules, will help reduce production costs. The old bikes had to be largely handmade thanks to their ancient design, and as a result cost a surprising amount. A tag of around 7000 Euros is predicted for the new model, compared to around 14,000 Euros for the old one.
