Zonsen (Zongshen) – all the news from EICMA 2023

In Europe it is still little known, but, as is often the case, in its home country the Zonsen Group (which we have always written as Zongshen, but in official communications is now simplified to Zonsen) has already sold more than twenty million vehicles in about forty years. The Cyclone brand is the one that within the Zonsen group identifies motorcycle production since 2016, with a range that starts at 250 cc and that year after year we see completed with proposals in all segments, from scooters to nakeds, passing through sports bikes and adventure bikes. Currently there are eight models in the catalog and among these two were the protagonists of the launch at EICMA 2023. They are the mid-displacement RX650 and the roadster RE5 (a name, by the way, that reminds us of the famous Suzuki model with a Wankel engine from the 70s, but with which it has nothing in common).

Adventure European style

The RX650 is presented like this: a “smart European-style adventure bike”. The definition is not by chance, because Cyclone’s goal is to conquer the market of the old continent and the tools used are a design developed in Italy by the Ricardo team and a twin-cylinder engine developed in conjunction with Norton. It is also the first model to be equipped with the Zonsen Feel Fun Intelligent System, an “intelligent” system capable of regulating power and consumption, learning from our driving style and performing self-diagnosis, and thanks to which the manufacturer claims to have improved power by 5% to 10%, saving 15% on fuel consumption. The bike is equipped with a 6.75-inch TFT instrumentation and SmartWatch keyless start, the Cyclone APP, and three start modes. The T-box connected to the network (4G) offers some useful functions, such as remote unlocking, on/off, vehicle search, vehicle status monitoring, dynamic track playback, and remote OTA updates. The six-axis IMU is Bosch, as well as ABS Pro and MSC. The two-cylinder engine has eight valves, liquid cooling, and the six-speed gearbox is equipped with two-way Quick Shift. The maximum power is 52 kW at 8500 rpm and the torque is 62 at 7000 rpm. The fuel tank has a capacity of 20 liters and the seat is 820 mm from the ground. The fork is KYB and the wheels are both 17″ with 120/70 and 160/60 tires. The maximum speed is 180 km/h and there are four colors: red, gray, blue, and black. Unfortunately, the only mysteries remain the price and availability.

A roadster between the past and the future

The RE5 also has a lot of European influence, at least in terms of inspiration, because it resembles a British roadster that promises style and handling. Here too we have a liquid-cooled, eight-valve, two-cylinder engine, derived from collaboration with Norton, a manufacturer from which it also claims to have drawn inspiration for its design. The maximum power is 43.5 kW, the maximum torque is 55 Nm and the acceleration is 4.2 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. The top speed is 182 km/h, but above all, the Cyclone insists on telling us that it is also very quiet and comfortable, with very little vibration and a lean angle of 42°. Another curious piece of information concerns the tests carried out: the RE5 test drivers reportedly covered 115,000 km in different environments and with different motorcycles, while in a single unit they covered 460 hours and 40,000 km. Moving on to the equipment, the RE5 has the HSC stability system, a steel tube frame and an aluminum swingarm, adjustable shocks, Juan brakes with dual-channel Bosch ABS. Both wheels are 17″ with tires sized 120/70 and 160/60. The seat height is 800 mm, fuel tank capacity is 20 liters, weight is 204 kg, and it comes in three colors: black, grey, and silver. Even for the RE5, we currently cannot indicate the selling price and availability in our country.