The most likely to be revealed during the upcoming Chongqing Motorcycle Expo is the new sports bike Cyclone from the Chinese manufacturer Zongshen, probably aimed at the domestic market.
The announcement was made by Chinese media and the RC680R – this is the model’s name – seems to be very close to the Honda CBR650R in terms of engine and frame. The engine is actually a 674 cc 4-cylinder unit, very similar in layout to the Japanese 650 cc, but it seems that the stroke has been increased to 47.8 mm to achieve a larger displacement. No performance values have been disclosed, but it is not impossible that the power output is around 100 hp.
The aesthetics are very sporty, with winglets on the fairing and an enlarged fairing from which an accentuated exhaust system emerges on the right side, highlighted by the presence of a single-sided swingarm, another peculiarity of the RC680R. From the few – and not excellent – available photos, the frame seems to be a double beam aluminum one, while the calipers of the two front discs could be from the Brembo brand.
As already mentioned, it is highly unlikely that this motorcycle will reach Portugal, but it is worth noting that the Asian market is open to proposals for medium-displacement motorcycles with engine architectures that, due to homologation reasons and changing customer preferences, have been phased out of the national market: let’s wait for the Kawasaki ZX-6R (announced for 2024) to hear the sound of the four-cylinder 600 engine again.
