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Whether in terms of square metres, atmosphere or product ranges, it is no longer possible to distinguish between European and Asian stands. In Belgium too, Chinese motorcycle brands are booming and the “dealer hunt” is on. We asked three importers of Chinese motorcycles how they see the situation developing.
The brand that paved the way: Bart Wellemans - CF Moto ranks seventh in the Febiac registration list (Belgian Automobile and Cycle Federation). In the first four months, 193 Belgians put a CF on their number plate, allowing the Chinese brand to perform as well as a renowned European manufacturer such as Ducati. Equally important: CF sold 66 more motorcycles in the first four months of this year than in the whole of last year, which corresponds to an increase of ... 52%. Bart Wellemans first made contact with CF Moto (actually Zhejiang Chungfeng), a company founded in 1989, in 2018. "At the time, I was looking for another brand because I had to sell Royal Enfield after only a year, as the new French importer of Enfield suddenly claimed ownership of the brand. I had seen a diagram of the CF Moto CLX and it caught my eye, just when I had heard about CF Moto's NK project. In 2019, we launched CF Moto in the Benelux and in 2020, my stand covered 375 m² at the Brussels Motor Show," says Bart Wellemans of BW Import in Mechelen.
An agent had made initial contact with CF on behalf of Bart Wellemans, after which the latter and his team had already found 10 dealers before the 2020 motor show even opened. "I was surprised myself, I didn't expect so many dealers to be open to this. The big advantage is that CF Moto was already a well-established name in the quad bike world in 2020. Most motorcycle dealers had also noticed this, which made the introduction of the bikes much easier."
Obsolete, but reliable
The introduction of CF in the Benelux region did not go smoothly. "The motorcycles had already been in development for six years when we started distributing the brand, so we entered the market with a fairly old range. On the other hand, the quality of the motorcycles was very good from the outset and any teething problems had already been ironed out, which convinced many dealers. I was surprised to find that the few minor faults observed during our first – and rainy – product launch in France did not put them off. When I informed CF of the areas for improvement, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly they were addressed. CF Moto is without a doubt the most dynamic partner I have ever had in my entire career. In China, there are many suppliers, but not all of them are necessarily brands. A brand has a vision and a structure. A brand also builds products with the end user in mind and supports its dealers and importers in terms of after-sales service and spare parts. When a brand ticks all these boxes, we can grow together. And that's definitely the case with CF Moto," says Bart Wellemans (48) with great enthusiasm.
A community
Although BW Import had to fight hard against the stigma of ‘Made in China’ in its early years, Bart Wellemans says he is delighted with the cooperation with the Chinese. "In the meantime, this pride has also spread to consumers. I am sometimes surprised that people ask me for extra CF Moto stickers to put on their bikes. The community is growing strongly and I even feel that it is more vibrant than that of other brands. And the ambition is high: "When I first contacted CF Moto, they told me that they had managed to climb to the top of the quad market in 15 years and that they had the ambition to repeat this feat in the motorcycle industry. In Belgium, we are already one of the ten best-selling brands, although the gap with the top five is still considerable. Last year, we tripled our turnover and we have the same goal for this year. I wouldn't dare say that we will one day become number one in Belgium, because too many factors come into play. As an importer, it's up to us to keep shifting gears, even if CF Moto isn't ushing us to do so. They remain very realistic and ask us not to take too many financial risks, so as not to jeopardise our long-term collaboration."
Some opposition
CF Moto is already represented by a dealer in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, but there is still room for an additional sales outlet. In Wallonia, you will find CF at a number of medium-sized dealerships, while in the Netherlands, the brand has found its place at major multi-brand dealerships. In Flanders, it's a different story: "This is partly due to contractual arrangements. Some sales outlets are authorised to distribute three brands, but for a fourth, they need the authorisation of the other three. However, it is often the case that one of these brands refuses, which puts us in a difficult position. In Belgium, we would need five to ten more dealers, although I am aware that such a network is constantly evolving and that it is never really finished. We have already tried placing CF Moto in car companies, with varying degrees of success. The big advantage is that these garages generally have a little more financial resources, the disadvantage is that motorcyclists often expect a very high level of service. Motorcycle dealers are also motorcyclists themselves, who have moved into sales mainly out of passion. The average motorcycle dealer is satisfied with what he earns, but ultimately he doesn't really care about making a profit, even though he is much more aware of his financial responsibilities than he was ten years ago. If a motorcyclist calls his mechanic at 6 p.m. to say he's broken down a hundred kilometres away, it's likely that the mechanic will hit the road to help his customer. I don't think that will happen anytime soon in the automotive sector. That doesn't mean that CF can't work with a car dealer, though. It all depends on the mechanic's motivation."
Inferior...?
Bart Wellemans is aware that CF Moto – and the way Chungfeng Power manages things – are an example for many other Chinese brands. And of course, he also knows that a number of new Chinese players are currently entering the European market, although this does not worry him too much. "For us, these new Chinese brands are competitors like any other, even if it's true that CF paved the way for them. The only scenario that scares me is seeing inferior products from these new brands. If that were the case, it could have repercussions on CF Moto's products. Consumers would once again lump everything from China together and consider it to be inferior, ‘says Bart Wellemans, who is particularly pleased that CF Moto invests 6 to 7% of its turnover in research and development every year. ’When I visited CF in 2019, 200 people were working in the R&D department. Last year, I went back and only visited the department. Last year, I went back and only visited the electric vehicle department, where 400 people are already working. CF is constantly growing and moving up a gear; production is now taking place in four factories. And, just as important, the company continues to analyse and evaluate market developments. Because what is an opportunity today may be completely outdated tomorrow.
The new kid on the block: Robin Talboom – Kove Motorcycles Benelux
Founded in 2017, Kove is a very young brand that nevertheless has an extraordinary track record in racing. Logically, the importer has not been around for long either, even though Robin Talboom of Unicorn Motors (the company behind Kove Motorcycles Benelux) arrived at Kove after a few detours. "As an industrial IT engineer by training, I come from a completely different world, although even in the IT sector I was very entrepreneurial in terms of human resources, planning and management. I wanted to continue working in this sector, but the only way to do so was to merge my company with a larger entity. That's how Kove was born," explains Robin Talboom (43). "I've always ridden motorcycles on the road, until one day I took an off-road riding course and a whole new world opened up to me. I've always enjoyed the freedom that motorcycles offer, but I never imagined that with an off-road and all-road bike, you could enjoy it even more. I wondered why more people didn't know about this feeling, so I decided to do something about it. At first, my ambition wasn't to market a brand of Chinese motorcycles in the Benelux market. I just wanted more people to get on a motorcycle, preferably an allroad. All that was left was to figure out how to do it."
Carte blanche
It was through Endurofun, an organisation offering off-road riding courses, that Robin Talboom came into contact with Kove. At the time, Endurofun was using two Kove 450 Rally bikes, fairly tough off-road machines designed for rally enthusiasts. “When the 800 arrived, things changed a lot. This bike offers excellent value for money. The first European importers focused on the 450 Rallye, while I was mainly interested in marketing the Kove 800 trail bike. At the time, Kove's origins didn't matter much to me, and in fact, I'm just happy that Kove comes from China. Working with Kove, we can develop the European market without me having to take certain rules and regulations into account. We have excellent contacts with Kove's European importers, and we are looking at how we can develop together in the market. The second reason I like the fact that Kove comes from China is that it's a small company. It's easy to work with them, and we can make quick decisions. We have a good relationship with Kove's management, and we are looking at how we can develop together in the market. Suppose Kove were a German company employing former KTM and BMW employees, you would still end up with motorcycles based on something people already know," says Robin Talboom, who has complete confidence in his product. ‘Kove is a premium product that I can sell on the European market without too many rules and guidelines imposed by the manufacturer. How many opportunities like this come along in a lifetime, I ask you?’
First ride, then talk
Unicorn Motors currently sells Kove motorcycles through four dealers in Belgium. That's not many, but Robin Talboom has no plans to add many more outlets. He explains: "We don't need to be on every street corner with Kove. We sell a fairly limited range of high-performance motorcycles, for which I am targeting around six dealers in Belgium. The most important thing is that the dealer is ready to get started and doesn't throw in the towel after three months. They must also have the technical knowledge and expertise to advise and assist the customer. With Kove Benelux, I guarantee dealers that I have the motorcycles and parts in stock, so they know that we share the risks. The specialised press talks a lot about Kove, which has obviously not escaped Robin Talboom, who is also well aware that premium brands are going through a difficult period. ‘The motorcycle market is unstable, and while the A brands are currently on a smooth trajectory, it would be more difficult for Kove to establish itself. To convince a potential dealer, our approach is simple: we leave our test bikes with them and they can ride them for two or three weeks to see for themselves. Then we can talk...’
At European level
Even without a real network of importers and dealers, the Kove 450 Rally was already known to motorcyclists who follow rally news, then the 800X Adventure trail bike arrived, positioning Kove somewhat in the off-road/all-road sector. However, if you visit Kove's international website, you will also find a whole host of other motorcycles, including naked bikes and sports bikes. For an importer, selecting a relevant range does not seem easy... Robin Talboom has his own method: "I order all the models and test them. Only then do we consider whether the bike can meet the demand of certain customers in our market. I'm not going to include a chopper in the range if there's no demand for it. The 450 Rally was an obvious choice, as was the Trailer 800X. I also included the 510X in the range because I'm convinced that it's an ideal bike for everyday commuting and that this lightweight road/adventure bike is also perfect for women and smaller riders.‘ With the expansion of the range, the issue of spare parts is also becoming a point to consider. Robin Talboom is therefore organizing spare parts inventory management with his European colleagues. ’Storing all parts for all bikes in "Storing all parts for all motorcycles in every country makes no sense; it's better to centralise this at the European level, with a usable stock of the most requested parts in each country. Importing motorcycles and stocking parts are two inseparable things, even if they are completely different activities. That's why I started discussions with our European colleagues to set up a centralised system for managing spare parts. Importing motorcycles and stocking parts are two things that go hand in hand, even though they are two completely different activities. That's why I started discussions with AllroadMoto.be, so that they could take over the management of spare parts. They have an online shop and experience in shipping spare parts. AllroadMoto.be to take over the management of spare parts. They have an online shop and experience in shipping spare parts. AllroadMoto.be was therefore the ideal partner for me," explains Robin Talboom of Kove Motorcycles Benelux.
The man with the most important offer: Jan Ykema - MotoMondo
MotoMondo, Jan Ykema's Dutch company, distributes a large number of motorcycles produced in China (or, by extension, in Asia, as there are also Korean and Indian brands) in the Benelux countries. Mash, Hyosung, Rieju, Moto Morini, QJ Motor and Ultraviolet motorcycles all pass through MotoMondo. Ten years ago, Jan Ykema could not have predicted that the Chinese steamroller would roll so strongly.
The world of motorcycles is constantly evolving; Jan Ykema does not deny this; he is well placed to know that the motorcycle trade is not a particularly stable business. Founded in 1998, MotoMondo became a private importer in 2007, distributing Cagiva, Husqvarna and MV Agusta motorcycles in the Benelux countries, all of which are renowned European brands. ‘In 2016, we lost Husqvarna because the brand, which had been bought by KTM, was going to be distributed via KTM itself. At the same time, Cagiva was on its last legs. So we had room in our portfolio. Or, to put it another way, “we had to act”. I was looking for a brand to complement our range, which offered inexpensive 125cc bikes, and that's how I ended up at Mash,’ explains Jan. I was looking for a brand to complement our range, which offered inexpensive 125 cc models, and that's how I ended up at Mash," explains Jan Ykema. In 2016, he began distributing Mash's retro 125 cc models in the Benelux, and a year later he also introduced Mash in Germany. Hyosung (Korea) and Royal Enfield (India) followed in 2019, and a year later he added Rieju to his portfolio. Moto Morini followed in 2021, QJ Motor in 2024, and starting this year, MotoMondo is also distributing Ultraviolette electric motorcycles. "We didn't have any electric motorcycles in our range yet, and I'm happy that Ultraviolette has joined us. It is an electric motorcycle with a range of 200 km and a top speed of 140 km/h. This could be a game-changer for commuting."
A certain impact
In 2016, Jan Ykema had absolutely no idea of the boom that the Chinese motorcycle industry was about to experience. "The quality of Chinese products has improved enormously, which is actually logical: consumers no longer accept mediocre quality, there is no room for junk on the market. When you see the quality that a brand like QJ offers at such prices, it's almost impossible. On the other hand, a brand like QJ also produces for Benelli and is part of the Geely group, which also includes brands such as Volvo, Polestar, Lynk&Co, Lotus, Smart and ZEEKR. We can expect these companies to take some action," says the CEO of MotoMondo. Moto Morini is a brand developed in Italy and produced in China. By using the legendary name “Moto Morini”, the Chinese financiers hoped to sell the motorcycles more easily in Europe. On the other hand, brands such as QJ have no connection with Europe and do everything from China. Jan Ykema does not believe that the brand name makes much difference to modern consumers. "People aren't stupid. Anyone interested in a Moto Morini now knows that it is made in China. So they're not going to buy a Morini just because of the brand name! What's more, European customers appreciate Chinese products much more, partly because Chinese car brands are booming. Many motorists know BYD for its value for money, and other Chinese car brands are also benefiting from this. "
Cars vs motorcycles
Like the other two importers featured in this article, Jan Ykema knows that the Chinese are playing it close to the chest and that new products are coming out at a rapid pace. This puts pressure on sales and after-sales service. "In this respect, 2025 was a special year, as the Euro5+ standard confronted us with a large number of new products. It will be much quieter in the years to come. As far as after-sales service is concerned, Moto-Mondo has created its own portal for all its brands. This means that a dealer who distributes five of our brands does not have to use five different systems to order parts. How do traditional brands perceive the rise of Chinese brands? On the Japanese side, we can see that while manufacturers are not lowering their prices, they have improved their quality/price ratio,‘ explains Jan Ykema. The fact that the market is currently flooded with new brands is a situation that will resolve itself, in his opinion. ’I'm afraid that cars will soon become unaffordable for a whole group of people. These people will then look for other means of transport, and I think this presents an opportunity for motorcycles. At the same time, the Chinese will become even more focused on Europe. They were already very interested, but this will only intensify.’
