With that being said, riding a bike that doesn’t exist in a legal “grey area” is worth every penny when you find yourself sitting in traffic in front of a squad car. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve all experienced the thrill of taking “legal-ish” bikes like Honda’s legendary XR400R for a proper rip on the pavement. You can’t really call a motorcycle a dual-sport unless it’s street legal. Sure, the OEM suspenders could be just fine, but at first glance both the 200mm USD fork and direct mount rear shock appear to be the same standard DNM/RST sourced components we’ve seen on countless other Chinese electric motorcycles and eBikes. In theory, the weld-free design of the Caofen F80 should add strength and rigidity to the chassis, making it a serious contender for a proper set of off-road suspension upgrades.

That’s because one of the things that’s set the best Chinese bikes apart from the pack is their worthiness to be built up and improved over time. While the components of the Caofen F80 all seem to reflect a “budget build” approach, the fact that Caofen builds this bike around a single-piece monocoque chassis shouldn’t be overlooked. The 2022 Caofen F80 seems to toe the line somewhere between the two at this time, but after seeing it on display at EICMA this year, here’s why we think it’s worth a second look.

Unfortunately, for every decent Chinese two-wheeler out there, you’ll find a dozen or Alibaba specials for sale muddying the waters with unknown names, obscure specs, and outrageous performance claims. Some bikes (*cough* SurRon X *cough*) are truly outstanding and bring killer bang-for-your-buck to the table. It’s no secret that Chinese bikes can be a bit of a mixed bag these days.

China onyx electric bike