It's common practice among Chinese motorcycle manufacturers to launch their models in multiple markets under different brand names. This is either a marketing strategy to better match the models to the respective cultures in those countries, or a strategic partnership with brands that already have a presence in said country.
For example, Chinese marque QJ Motor has a number of models available in the Chinese domestic market, which are otherwise re-branded under its sister companies—Benelli or Keeway—in countries in Europe and Asia where these brands are already established. It seems that Kove, a fairly new motorcycle company also from China, is adopting the same strategy in the Philippine market. At EICMA 2022, the brand made its debut on the global stage, and made it clear that it had intentions of establishing a global footprint. Its sportbike, the 400RR, has entered the Philippine market as a model under Bristol Motorcycles' portfolio.
Bristol Motorcycles is a Philippine-based motorcycle brand that sources its models from a variety of Chinese manufacturers. It's particularly popular among beginner riders and two-wheeler enthusiasts on a budget, precisely because of its affordable two-wheelers. The Kove 400RR, renamed as the Invictus 400RR, is indeed a fine addition to its growing model lineup.
It is immediately apparent that the Invictus 400RR intends to compete against popular entry-level sportbikes such as the Kawasaki Ninja 400 and the recently launched CFMOTO 450SR. In terms of performance, it actually has a lot in common with the Japanese sportbike. A 400cc parallel-twin engine, which has about 40 horsepower and 19 lb-ft of torque, and has electronic fuel injection from Bosch, provides performance that's at par with the entry-level sportbike segment.
Since the Honda VFR400 NC30, no other 400cc sportbike has had a single-sided swingarm, making it one of the Invictus 400RR's most distinctive characteristics. The muscular fairing and menacing facia of the Invictus, which has twin LED headlights, give it a modern appearance as well. The Invictus has a large full-color TFT display, ABS-equipped front and rear disc brakes, and LED front and rear lighting. Last but not least, Kove has added inverted front forks and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear.
In terms of pricing and availability, there’s no surprise that Bristol Motorcycles undercuts the Japanese and European competition by pricing the 400RR incredibly attractively. It retails for just PHP 278,000, which translates to approximately $5,055 USD, which is even more affordable than CFMOTO’s recently released 450SR.
