The motorcycle industry is in a period of change led by a wave of Chinese manufacturers, whose determination made them go from being supplies to having their own brands today. And they stand for a remarkable improvement in the quality of their products and undeniable functionality.
Zongshen Group has been involved in the Chinese motorcycle industry for nearly 40 years, with an estimated clientele of nearly 20 million users worldwide. And it’s surprising that not so long ago, when people talked about “Chinese motorcycles”, the comment had an undoubtedly derogatory tone.
Chinese products are associated with poor quality, a quick, disposable consumer good, and in the case of the motorcycle industry, Chinese motorcycles do not inspire much confidence. Today, some prestigious companies commission the production of engines and even complete motorcycles from Chinese manufacturers.
In Europe its landing is through the Cyclone brand, where models above 250 cc will be distributed. The added value of this import is the contribution of 30 years of experience that Zongshen has in manufacture motorcycles. It is not surprising that it has obtained the European CE quality certification, as well as the American EPA.
Typhoon started its activity in 2016 and has had eight models in the commercial arena to be admired by all since then.
The aesthetic design and the performance of its engines are not against the European standard. For better proof, the team commissioned is Italian, a studio that works for most of the main European motorcycle brands, as well as for prestigious car companies such as McLaren and Bugatti, with their exclusive Veyron.
The so-called smart adventure motorcycle
the Cyclone RX650 It is a trail bike that uses the ND650 engine developed by Norton and Zongshen. The most notable thing is that it debuts the Zongshen Feel Fun intelligent system, responsible for optimizing performance with constant adaptation thanks to self-diagnosis. With this, its power is optimized between 5 and 10%, in addition to a fuel saving of 15%.
Among the elements it includes, the wide 6.75″ TFT screen, the start of the SmartWatch, it has PEPS contactless contact and three driving modes. It has a new Cyclone T-box (4G) app that manages functions such as unlocking, starting and closing, locating the motorcycle, monitoring its condition, recording the routes taken and its updates. OTA.
A retro European style
The Cyclone RE5 is a neo-retro model that adopts the iconic British classic design. It has a DN560 engine with Norton technology, which offers a maximum performance of 43.5 kW (59 HP) of power and 55 Nm of torque.
Zongshen claims its engine is 20% more powerful and has 22% more torque than its most direct rivals. This allows the RE5 to reach a top speed of 182 km/h and go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. It was in second gear that exceeded 100 km/h.
It mounts the HSC stability system provided by Bosch, in addition to mounting a tubular structural frame made of high-strength manganese steel Q355B, as well as aluminum parts. The suspension is adjustable, with an inverted fork for the front and a monoshock for the rear.
The Chinese company said that tests were carried out over 115,000 km with its prototypes and one of them was tested for 460 hours in a row, which is equivalent to traveling 40,000 km in a row.
The Storm business card for Europe is unbeatable, and we look forward to making the corresponding tests as soon as they become available.
