1980 Xing Fu 250cc Motorcycle

Description

Little known in the West, the history of Chinese motorcycle manufacturing dates back to 1958 when the Bejing Motorcycle Factory began making copies of Soviet Ural and Dnepr side-valve flat twin bikes for sale to the public, themselves   derived from BMW’s pre-war R71 750cc model. Known as the Chanjiang, the design remained in production for decades and was gradually developed over the years. Another early Chinese bike was the Xingfu (meaning happiness) from Shanghai, essentially a Czechoslovakian Jawa Type 353 built under license. Using a single-cylinder motor developing 14 horsepower, a Sport version was also offered with slightly more power and revised styling. The first Xingfu prototypes rolled out of the Shanghai Second Bicycle Factory in March 1960 and mass production commenced soon afterwards at the newly established Shanghai Motorcycle Factory. Aimed at both the military and private markets, many Xingfus saw service as postal bikes and when China began reforming in the early 1980s, an entrepreneur Zhou Yichu took over the business and substantially increased production with a view to export markets. With a history spanning more than three decades, the original 250A and 250B versions were later joined by a 250C/D with revised bodywork and the Xingfu ultimately remained in production until 1995.