Lifan: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- SSE 601777
Lifan was one of the defining names of the Chinese motorcycle boom. Founded in Chongqing in 1992 by Yin Mingshan, it built commuter motorcycles and engines at scale, exported widely to Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, and moved into cars in the 2000s.
The car ambition proved costly. The listed parent applied for bankruptcy protection and a Chongqing court accepted its reorganisation in August 2020; Geely and Chongqing state funds took control in 2021, and the company was later renamed Chongqing Qianli Technology with an artificial-intelligence and software strategy.
The motorcycle brand came through it. Lifan-badged machines are still produced across cruiser, off-road, scooter, touring and electric ranges, though the name no longer carries the weight in export markets that it did before 2020.
The Lifan motorcycle business belongs to the Chongqing company now called Qianli Technology, which was reorganised through a Chongqing court in 2020-2021 and is controlled by Geely and Chongqing state funds.
The brand survived the parent company's 2020 bankruptcy reorganisation and the subsequent rename to Qianli Technology; motorcycles continue to be built and sold.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 力帆 “lee-FAHN” 力 'strength, force' + 帆 'sail' |
|---|---|
| Also written | LIFAN and Lifan Motorcycle |
| Owner | Lifan (now Qianli Technology) |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Chongqing, China |
| Origin | China |
| Vehicles | Motorcycles |
| Segment | Motorcycle |
| United States | Not sold in the United States — No current official United States distribution was found for Lifan motorcycles as at 2026-09-04. |
| Official site | www.lifanmotos.net/ |
| Founded | 1992 in Chongqing by Yin Mingshan |
| Bankruptcy reorganisation | Accepted by a Chongqing court on 28 August 2020 |
| New control | Geely and Chongqing Liangjiang New Area funds took controlling stakes through the 2021 restructuring |
| Current range | Seven model series covering cruisers, off-road machines, scooters, tourers and electric motorcycles |
Who owns Lifan?
No ownership holding is recorded for this entity.
The full ownership page for Lifan · Is Lifan Chinese?
Where Lifan is sold
Recorded in 1 market : CN. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
Lifan: questions people ask
- Are Lifan motorcycles still made?
- Yes. The brand survived the parent company's 2020 bankruptcy reorganisation and continues to build cruisers, off-road machines, scooters, tourers and electric models.
- Who owns Lifan now?
- The Chongqing company that owns the brand was renamed Qianli Technology after a court-supervised restructuring in which Geely and Chongqing state funds took control in 2021.
- What does Lifan mean?
- 力帆 combines 力, strength or force, with 帆, a sail.
Related
Sources for Lifan
- Wikipedia, Qianli Technology. Read .
- China Daily, Chinese automaker Lifan announces public recruitment of investors. Read .
- Lifan Motorcycle, Lifan Motorcycle official site. Read .