Essay – Zontes 350E – comfort and equipment

The Zontes motorcycles and scooters are no longer a novelty here in the magazine, but this time we bring the most complete and equipped model of the entire range of the Chinese brand. The designation is simple, it’s called 350E, but more complex is everything this version has as standard, so it’s best to start right away!

The Zontes brand continues to revamp its range of motorcycles, where we already find trail, scrambler, naked, sport touring, custom, and scooter models. Soon higher displacement models will arrive that have already been shown at the last edition of the Milan Motor Show, but for now Zontes is launching several 350 cc motorcycles that are gradually replacing the previous 310, which were a bit less powerful and sophisticated than these latest versions. This is not the case with this 350E, which is a completely new scooter and features a more maxi-scooter configuration, unlike the 350D version which is smaller and narrower, meaning it has more city ambitions.

COMFORT AND SMALL LUXURIES

Starting with talking about comfort, we immediately find a very pleasant driving position. We have legroom, arm space, and the seat is very soft, both for the driver and the passenger, a great improvement compared to the previous Zontes scooters we knew. The passenger also has very generous handles to hold onto and good foot platforms. But there are many more aspects to highlight, which usually go unnoticed in automatic scooters. Starting with the heated grips that come as standard and are adjustable in six positions, which were very useful in the very cold days of January. We also find an electronically adjustable windshield, which in the highest position can offer excellent protection on the highway, and it is worth noting that the levers are adjustable in distance to the grip, both on the right and on the left. Next to the left lever, there is a parking brake, which is always handy when we want to park the scooter on the side stand.

Right here we understand how Zontes learns quickly and meets the needs of those looking for quality and important details. The seat has improved a lot compared to the other scooter from the brand, and all the components mentioned, especially the electric windshield, heated grips, and adjustable levers, are details that any scooter user, in all 4 seasons, will appreciate. Oh, and by the way, the handlebar is adjustable, with a tool, in two positions.

Something that will be unprecedented is the fact that this scooter has hand protections, which will also help on colder winter days, although aesthetically it is always a debatable aspect in a touring scooter. And since this is a large model, the two glove compartments are also huge, with great depth, and one of them has a double USB socket. Under the seat, there is also plenty of space, with capacity for two helmets, possibly full-face helmets, depending on the helmet shape placed at the front. MORE DETAILS This 350E is also very well-equipped in terms of lighting, with a fully LED system with six DRL lighting spots, and we can choose between night or day lighting, with night lighting being the ideal choice as it is prepared for all occasions and leaves the controls backlit. The key is keyless and has the shape of a small bracelet, which can be worn on our wrist, in our pocket, or simply in a small compartment under the instrumentation. The instrument panel is a full-color TFT display, with connectivity and the possibility to pair with the Carbit App, allowing us to project our navigation from the large screen of the instruments.

There is no lack of a on-board computer that gave us a huge range, as this scooter has a 16-liter fuel tank capacity, and with an average consumption of between 3.5 to 3.8 lts/100 km, it is possible to travel many kilometers without refueling. In this instrumentation, there is also information about the tire pressure, front and rear. Even more curious than that, we have access to the real-time temperature of both tires, something that seemed to work beautifully. In most cases, it is information that we will not miss, but I confess that we almost felt like MotoGP riders with this data. And we can also switch between several display modes on the panel, and interestingly, it was in Race mode that we liked reading all this data the most.

It should be noted that the lighting capacity is quite good, while in terms of accessibility, the seat at 765 mm from the ground, and narrow in the front, will not cause difficulties in trying to put your feet on the ground. And still in terms of equipment, it should be mentioned that this automatic also comes equipped with a camera pre-installation.

HEART AND DYNAMICS

Speaking now about the engine, it is a single-cylinder with about 36 hp of power and liquid cooling. It offers 38 Nm of maximum torque and this makes it one of the strongest engines in its class, even including scooters up to 400 cc here. It is also quite economical, and offers good performance, both in accelerations and recoveries, with a maximum speed around 155 km/h. Therefore, nothing is lacking in terms of performance, which would be even better if it weren’t for the high weight of the set, around 182 kg. We only found that this engine could be a bit smoother when starting compared to its competitors, meaning at low speed it always seems to struggle a bit, reminiscent of some older single-cylinders. In the end, it’s a matter of getting used to it, and it’s also worth noting the presence of a traction control system, which is always commendable because the accelerations are strong and not always do our roads have the grip of the Portimão Circuit. Speaking of aspects that could still improve a bit, for example the grip capacity of CST tires on wet pavement, as they do not offer the grip we would like. On dry pavement, they are fine… but if you plan to ride in the rain, then it’s better to change them unless you like strong emotions at every moment. The braking is sufficient, but if it were a bit more biting, both at the front and rear axles, we wouldn’t mind at all, and at the rear, the two shock absorbers offer a comfort and acceptable behavior on good pavement, but on more degraded pavement they make the scooter jump a bit and have a somewhat dry behavior. A traditional construction solution, so in a more lively rhythm, it is advisable to pay attention to potholes and speed bumps, so that composure is maintained.

THE BEST Very complete equipment, comfort, price/quality ratio

TO IMPROVE Rear suspension, tires on wet pavement

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, we can see how Zontes already knows how to make excellent motorcycles and scooters, and if some aspects of the handling can be improved, it is only because the brand wanted to maintain an excellent retail price, even with a very high level of equipment.

Despite mentioning some aspects that could still be improved on this scooter, it is important to say that this 350E has met our expectations, as it is a very complete and highly technological scooter. We really liked the heated grips, as well as the adjustable height windshield, and the storage capacity is very good, both under the seat and in the two glove compartments. And the instrumentation is very comprehensive.

For just over 5,000 euros, you can’t really ask for much more!

ZONTES 350E

ENGINE single-cylinder, 4 valves, liquid cooling

DISPLACEMENT 349 cc

POWER 36.7 hp @7,000 rpm

TORQUE 38 Nm @6,000 rpm

Automatic Teller Machine

Tubular steel frame

16-liter tank

Telescopic front suspension, 109 mm travel

Rear suspension with adjustable dual shock absorbers, 88 mm travel

Front brake 268 mm disc, J.Juan radial caliper with 4 pistons

Rear brake 265 mm disc, 1-piston caliper

Front tire 120/70-R15

Rear tire 140/70-R14

Wheelbase 1,565 mm

Seat height 765 mm

Weight 182 kg

Price (from) 5,220€