When Benda first showed off its hybrid boxer engine concept, the immediate takeaway was simple. It was small, horizontally opposed, and paired with an electric motor in a way we almost never see on motorcycles. At the time, it sounded wild on paper. Now that the full specs are out, the numbers finally give that idea some real weight.
Benda is still a relatively under-the-radar name outside Asia, but the brand has been doing its own thing. Instead of chasing safe layouts or cloning established players, Benda has leaned into unconventional engines, outlandish styling, and powertrains that look like they were designed to be intentionally off-script. From V4 cruisers to boxer hybrids, the company seems more interested in experimentation than playing it safe.
The centerpiece here is a compact 250cc horizontally opposed twin. The boxer layout keeps mass low and packaging tight, which already makes it an interesting choice for a cruiser or cafe-style motorcycle. Benda then adds a battery-powered electric motor, creating a full hybrid system that can run as a combustion bike, a pure electric motorcycle, or both together for maximum output.
That combined output is the headline. The system is rated at 62 horsepower and a claimed 74 pound-feet of torque. That torque figure is especially eye-opening for something in the 250cc class. Benda also claims a zero to 60 miles per hour time of around 3.7 seconds, which puts it well outside what anyone would normally expect from a small-displacement bike, and well within middleweight territory.
What makes this setup more interesting is how the hybrid system is being used. This is not mild hybrid assist meant solely to improve efficiency. The electric motor is doing real work, filling in torque, boosting acceleration, and reshaping how power is delivered across the rev range. It’s hybrid tech used as a performance enhancer, not an emissions compliance tool just for the sake of it.
Despite the added complexity, weight stays reasonable. Claimed curb weight for the P51 concept is about 178 kilograms, or roughly 392 pounds, putting it in the same neighborhood as many conventional 300cc motorcycles. The aluminum frame and conventional telescopic forks appear similar to hardware Benda already uses on other models, suggesting this is closer to production reality than pure concept fantasy.
Design-wise, Benda describes the P51 as neo-retro with aviation inspiration. Its name alone makes its aviation inspirations clear as day. But in practice, the teaser images which annoyingly crop out the bottom portion of the bike, clearly depict low and compact proportions and an LED headlight that clearly borrowed some styling cues from the world of flying things.
At the end of the day, the bigger takeaway here isn’t just the spec sheet. It’s what Benda has actually made as a whole. The P51 hybrid boxer shows a fairly new Chinese brand exploring a space most manufacturers are ignoring. Small displacement paired with genuinely big performance, and hybrid tech used to make bikes more exciting, all while keeping weight (and hopefully eventually, cost) down.
Will this exact engine make it to US roads in the near future? That’s still unclear, even though Benda has already set up shop in the US. But as a technical statement, this engine matters. It shows Benda pushing ideas into real hardware and asking uncomfortable questions about what small bikes can be. And that’s usually where the interesting stuff begins.
Source: Visor Down
