As Dwight from The Office will tell you, identity theft is not a joke. Yet Chinese bikemakers barely have any regard for the crime and whip up blatant doppelgangers of popular motorcycles every other week. More often than not, these copies take inspiration from big American cruisers, which is also the case with the newest entrant, the 2023 Jonway YY400. However, even though it's clearly a Harley-Davidson Fat Bob copy, the cruiser actually makes a decent case for itself, as you’re about to find out.
The Jonway YY400 Tries Hard To Nail The Harley-Davidson Fat Bob Essence
One glance at the Jonway, and you’re reminded of the Fat Bob. The fascia, with its rectangular LED headlight and round turn signals, are obvious Fat Bob inspirations, just like the bulbous fuel tank. A similar treatment follows outback, with the tiny pillion seat and slash-cut exhaust pipes. The dual upswept exhausts are nowhere near as well-finished, though.
Once you hop aboard, the Jonway greets you with not one, not two, but five circular embeds. The protagonist here is a semi-digital instrument cluster (identical to the Fat Bob), flanked by one USB charging port and a keyless ignition switch up top. Meanwhile, the other two (finished in chrome) serve duty as a compass and fuel lid. This may be a pretty busy cockpit, but coupled with the backlit switchgear, adjustable levers, all-LED lights, and TPMS, we believe this is a job well done, especially for an entry-level motorcycle.
The Jonway YY400 Has A 398cc V-Twin Engine
This brings us to its heart. The cruiser employs a 398cc, V-twin engine that produces 32 horsepower and 20 pound-feet. Though this is nowhere near the Fat Bob’s 1,868cc powerhouse, it does send all the power to the rear wheel via a Gates toothed belt, just like the Harley-Davidson. Not to mention, the output is considerably more than its arch-rival, the Honda Rebel 300.
Under all this lies a double-cradle chassis, placed onto upside-down forks and dual shock absorbers. This is paired with 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels that wear double discs up top and a single disc at the rear. Plus, the seat height is an uber-low 710 mm for utmost accessibility, even if you’re short. We can’t comment on the comfort just yet, however.
The Jonway YY400 Costs Just $3,700
Yes, you read that right! Jonway sells the cruiser for RMB 25,999, which equates to just $3,760. Not only is this super affordable by American standards, but this is $7,000 less than the Chinese Harley-Davidson X 350. Sadly, however, we don’t expect the Fat Bob doppelgänger to set foot in the American market because Chinese motorcycles aren’t received well here. Heck, even Harley-Davidson refrains from selling its Chinese roadster here, and that’s saying something.