Baotian is a Chinese manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, established in 1994 under the full name Jiangmen Sino-HongKong Baotian Motorcycle Industrial Co. Ltd. Its small-capacity scooters found a wide market in Europe, and in Britain the brand became one of the best sellers in the 50cc class.
Baotian at a glance
| Full name | Jiangmen Sino-HongKong Baotian Motorcycle Industrial Co. Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Country | China |
| Products | motorcycles and scooters |
| Best known for | 50cc scooters, the BT49QT range |
| British importer | Baotian UK, operating since 2005 |
| Sales result | BT49QT-9 third best-selling two-wheeler in Britain, January 2007 |
| Distribution | sole distribution to Baotian UK from October 2007 |
This page is based on the English Wikipedia article on the Baotian company, which is short; the article is therefore shorter than usual and has no second source. No free photographs of a Baotian scooter were found, so the original cover picture is kept.
History of the Baotian
Baotian was established in 1994 as Jiangmen Sino-HongKong Baotian Motorcycle Industrial Co. Ltd., a Chinese maker of motorcycles and scooters. The company concentrated on small-capacity machines, the kind of cheap urban transport that made Chinese scooters popular across Europe in the 2000s.
The brand’s strongest market outside China became Britain. Baotian UK has been operating since 2005 and has consistently topped the 50cc scooter sales chart. In January 2007, according to industry statistics, the Baotian BT49QT-9 was the third best-selling two-wheeler in the country.
In October 2007 sole distribution of the brand was granted to Baotian UK, and the scooters were then sold through a wide network of motorcycle and scooter dealers. Tuning of Baotian scooters is also popular in Finland, where the small two-strokes are modified by their owners.
Design and features
- Small-capacity focus: the range is built around 50cc scooters for urban use.
- BT49QT family: the core of the line, sold in several versions such as the BT49QT-9, BT49QT-11 and the BT49QT-12 Rebel and Rocky.
- British success: the brand topped the British 50cc sales chart after 2005.
- Tuning scene: Baotian scooters are widely modified, notably in Finland.
Baotian versions
- BT49QT-9: the model that reached third place among British two-wheelers in January 2007.
- BT49QT-11: another version of the same 50cc family.
- BT49QT-12 Rebel and Rocky: two named variants of the BT49QT line.
- BT49QT-28A-13 Diablo: a 50cc two-stroke with the 1E40QMA engine, a copy of the horizontal Minarelli 50cc unit.
- Eagle 50, Falcon 50, Tiger 50 and Flash 50: further 50cc scooters in the range.
- Tanco 125 and Citibike 125: larger 125cc models.
More scooters and motorcycles are in the Baotian collection.
Video: Baotian BT49QT-2 tuning.
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Baotian Motorcycle Company, English Wikipedia: history, British sales, model list