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China Motorcycling: Great Leap Forward
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2011/chinese-motorcycling-great-leap-forward

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The expansion strategy for Chinese motorcycling includes the acquisition of foreign brands. Benelli made headlines when it was bought by Zhejiang Qianjiang, which produces over 1.2 million two-wheel units, including half a million scooters, and everything from cars to lawnmowers to golf carts.

The company proudly highlights its "ultra-modern city-sized factory occupying 670,000 square meters, equipped with sophisticated machine tools imported from Germany, Italy and the U.S." Its executives lauded the Benelli bikes at CIMA: "These motorcycles are ‘toys for rich boys.' But what is particularly interesting for us is Benelli's single-cylinder direct fuel injection, an example of where Italian companies have excelled." When the financial muscle of Chinese companies enables an Italian icon to flourish, is it the death of the nation-specific motorcycle? Or is it the birth of a global best-of-the-best in design and development, for an ever-larger audience? At CIMA, cross-pollination showed many faces.
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