Is The Dayang TMV 450 Timo Just Another Copycat V-Twin Cruiser?

Squint hard enough, and you just might think you're looking at a Harley.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Apr 12, 2024 at 9:00am ET

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We’ve talked about Chinese motorcycle maker Dayang when it dropped its copycat ADV 350 scooter. It was clear that Dayang had ripped a page clean off Honda’s book. Adding insult to injury, the company threw in fancy tech like built in cameras that the Honda didn't have.

And Dayang’s back at it again with its own "interpretation" of a V-twin-powered cruiser, doing very little to keep its American inspirations a secret.

Dubbed the TMV 450 Timo, this thing borrows a whole bunch of styling cues from American cruisers from the likes of Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle. It gets the signature low-slung stance of an American V-twin and, to my eye, looks like a mish-mash of elements found on bikes like the Harley-Davidson Nightster and Indian Scout Bobber.

Two-tone wheels mimic the styling of Harley and Indian.

It is, however, smaller in stature than the bikes it idolizes, seemingly slotting within the same segment as the likes of the Honda Rebel 500. It’s worth noting that mid-sized cruisers like this have popped up in recent years, with notable entrants to the market including the Kawasaki Eliminator and CFMoto 450 CL-C.

What makes the Dayang TMV 450 Timo interesting, however, is the technology that lies beneath the surface. While it could be described as a blatant copy of American V-twin cruisers, Dayang’s put in quite an effort to add some substance in to this machine. For starters, it’s powered by a V-twin engine displacing 450 cubes—a clear departure from the parallel-twin-powered middleweight cruisers we’re seeing today.

It's one of the few small-displacement V-twin cruisers out there.

It gets a rather massive digital instrument pod

In true cruiser fashion, the TMV sends power to the rear wheel via a belt final drive. Dayang’s baked in a few goodies, too, like traction control, ABS, and a color display. Suspension consists of a duo of rear shocks and a beefy-looking inverted fork up front.

What do you think?

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Comments

Indeed, it’s easy to be tricked by the allure of bikes like this, especially when their price tags are a fraction of those of their mainstream rivals. In Dayang’s case, the TMV 450 Timo has yet to be given a price tag for the global market, but if and when it’s launched, chances are it’ll be one of the more affordable options in the entry-level cruiser market.

And while there are a few Chinese motorcycle brands that have shown they have what it takes to play in the big leagues, there’s no denying that a lot of them still have a lot to prove.