The Chinese motorcycle market may have given us some capable motorcycles (like the Benda BD500) in the recent past, but it is still dominated by rip-offs for the most part. The list of doppelgängers is ever-increasing and the latest entrant here is the new Xiang Shuai XS 800 cruiser–an odd fusion of two popular Harley-Davidsons - the Fat Bob and Road Glide limited. Oh, and to jog your memory, Chinese bikemaker Xiang Shuai is anything but new to doppelgängers since it already has a Harley-Davidson Iron 883 rip-off in its portfolio.
The Xiang Shuai XS 800 Looks Weirdly American
The Xiang Shuai XS 800 looks quite American from afar. The massive fairing, beefy radiator shrouds, alloy design, and humongous luggage carriers are all reminiscent of the American-built Road Glide Limited, while a closer look reveals a Fat Bob-inspired all-LED headlight and upside-down forks. This makes it a bit of a mixed bag, but it could still turn heads, considering it measures 98 inches in length, just 4 inches shy of the gigantic Road Glide Limited.
As for features, the XS 800 is packed to the teeth, just like most Chinese motorcycles. The fairing hides two chunky speakers behind it, topped by a big digital instrument cluster in the middle. Concurrently, backlit switches, smartphone connectivity, two rear speakers, and cameras at both ends round out the package. For comparison, the Road Glide Limited features four analog dials, alongside a relatively smaller display and four speakers.
The XS 800 Has A V-Twin Engine
Since the design wasn’t enough, Xiang Shuai has also copied Harley-Davidson’s V-twin layout. The XS 800’s mill is nowhere near as juicy or large as the Road Glide’s 1,868cc mill, though, and produces just 61 horsepower from its 800cc heart. Couple this with the cruiser’s 332 kg (731 pounds) heft, and you shouldn't expect any more than basic performance. However, the Chinese mill does feature liquid cooling, which is more modern than Harley’s air/oil cooler system.
Elsewhere, the XS 800 is built around a double-cradle steel chassis, sprung on upside-down forks with a monoshock at the rear. This is topped by 140/200-section tires (F/R) which house dual disc brakes up top, clamped by Nissin calipers. In comparison, the Road Glide Limited rolls on slimmer 130/180-section tires and more basic telescopic forks up front.
Xiang Shuai Won’t Come To America
Xiang Shuai is a China-only manufacturer and there’s little to no hope of this coming to America anytime in the near future. Plus, even if it did, we’re pretty sure Harley-Davidson will slap the Chinese giant with a handful of copyright infringements. Regardless, it is quite easy on the pocket, though, thanks to its RMB 61,400 ($9,100) retail price in China–less than a third of the Road Glide’s American MSRP.