Chinese motorcycle manufacturers have always been known for copying designs of other more established brands in the business. It doesn’t really matter where these Chinese brands find their origins, chances are you’ll find that the tech they’re packing is either supplied by a different manufacturer, or straight up copied from a different bike.
Take, for example, the Stormbreaker from SWM. Yes, SWM is an Italian motorcycle brand, and it is indeed headquartered in Italy. However, it’s owned by a Chinese company called Shineray, a brand that’s been quite a dominant player in the automotive industry for some time now. The Stormbreaker is, for all intents and purposes, a Harley-Davidson Sportster Evolution copycat all the way from its design, and even the engine that powers it. SWM says, however, that the bike was designed in Italy in its headquarters, so it’s up to you if you’ll take their word for it.
It’s worth noting that the SWM Stormbreaker comes after the discontinuation of the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200, so technically speaking, if you absolutely wanted a brand-new 1200 Sportster-style machine that isn’t the Sportster S, you could get this bike. That said, there are tons of used Sportster 1200s for sale all over the world, so you’re probably better off copping one of those. Surely, they’d fetch south of the Stormbreaker’s 9,990-euro ($10,889 USD) price tag.
Beneath the surface, the SWM Stormbreaker is packing an air-cooled, fuel-injected, V-twin engine with 61 horsepower and 90 Nm (67 pound-feet) of torque. According to SWM, the engine conforms to the latest Euro 5 standards, and has a top speed of 165 kilometers per hour (just north of 100 miles per hour). The entire package is supported by an old-school-style tubular steel frame, and the bike rolls on 16-inch wheels. It follows the weight, dimensions, and styling of the now-defunct Sportster 1200 to a tee.
After all is said and done, the likelihood of a bike like the SWM Stormbreaker ever making it to the US is pretty slim. If anything, this bike will be seen plying European and Asian roads. Regardless, its design and technical specifications which mirror those of the iconic Harley Sportster 1200 will surely raise some eyebrows.
