Most likely to be unveiled during the upcoming Chongqing Motorcycle Expo is the new Cyclone sports bike from Chinese manufacturer Zongshen, probably aimed at the domestic market.
The announcement was made by the Chinese media and the RC680R – this is the name of the model – seems to be very close to the Honda CBR650R in terms of engine and frame. The engine is, in fact, a 674 cc four-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 obtain a larger displacement. No performance figures have been released, but it’s not impossible that the power output will be around 100 hp.
The aesthetics are very sporty, with winglets on the fairing and an extended fairing from which an accentuated exhaust system appears on the right side, highlighted by the presence of the single-sided swingarm, another peculiarity of the RC680R. From the few – and not excellent – photos available, the frame appears to be made of double-braced aluminum, while the calipers on the two front discs could be from the Brembo brand.
As already mentioned, it’s very unlikely that this bike will arrive in Portugal, but it’s worth pointing out that the Asian market is receptive to medium-cylinder proposals with engine architectures that, for reasons of homologation and changing customer tastes, have left the national market: let’s wait for the Kawasaki ZX-6R (announced for 2024) to hear the 600 four-cylinder engine again.