- Zongshen’s current portfolio comprises of adventure tourers, naked streetfighters and a supersport.
- The upcoming bike takes a neo-retro approach.
- The engine casing looking similar to the 378cc unit in the company’s RZ3S streetfighter.
- Features premium components like USD forks, radially mounted brake calliper, cast alloy wheels and more!
A patent image of the upcoming neo-retro motorcycle from Zongshen which will target the sub-400cc segment in China has leaked online. If you haven’t heard about the Zongshen, it recently acquired the rights to build its own mid-displacement motorcycle using Norton’s new 650cc parallel twin engine as its base. The company’s current portfolio consists of adventure tourers, naked streetfighters and a supersport powered by a range of parallel twin and single-cylinder engines.
So why did we just mention the types of engines being used by the manufacturer? Well, it may have a thing or two to do with the bike in question. To cut to the chase, the leaked patent image from Zongshen reveals a neo-retro-styled motorcycle that seems to be using a parallel twin engine. And from the looks of it, the engine appears to be similar to the 378cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin mill powering Zongshen’s RX3S adventure bike and RZ3S naked streetfighter. In the RZ3S, the motor is capable of producing 36.7PS at 8,500rpm and 35Nm of torque at 6,500rpm, mated to a 6-speed transmission. While there’s no official word from the manufacturer, we believe the engine could be used in the upcoming neo-retro bike in the same state of tune.
On the design front, the sub-400cc bike strays away from the company’s usual sporty design approach and adopts a neo-retro design language instead. Whether or not Norton has anything to do with its styling is unknown. Nonetheless, it looks pretty chic! It gets a beefy tank, a round headlight and tail light, LED turn indicators and a flat tracker-styled flat seat. Aside from this, the bike features a small flyscreen, radiator shrouds, an engine cowl, a raised rear fender and a tyre hugger which incorporates the number plate.
A tall handlebar and slightly rear-set footpegs should make for a comfortable riding posture. Zongshen has equipped it with properly modern underpinnings like upside down forks, a twin gas-charged shock absorber setup at the rear, a radially mounted caliper and cast alloy wheels.
Interestingly, Harley-Davidson, who recently partnered with China’s Qianjiang Motorcycle Co., is also working on a smaller bike for the Asian market which will be powered by a 338cc motor. And going by the company’s rendering, it will be based on a flat tracker. The bike will be launched in the Chinese market first followed by other Asian markets including India. So is Zongshen’s upcoming neo-retro motorcycle a coincidence or a well thought out strategy? Only time will tell.
Zongshen could be thinking of stepping foot in India considering it’s the largest two-wheeler market in the world with over 20 million scooter and bikes. And its new neo-retro motorcycle could be a perfect start! However, there’s no concrete information about the brand's entry into the country.
Source: zigwheels.com
