China's "most powerful" motorcycle is nearly ready
By Ben Purvis
China's motorcycle companies pump out millions of bikes every year, but until very recently they were almost all sub-125 cc mopeds and commuters. Now there's a sharp increase in interest in high-powered, large-capacity bikes in the country and Chinese manufacturers are rushing to fill the demand.
Zontes might be a relatively young company, but it is forging a strong reputation both at home and in export markets, including Europe, with a range of relatively high spec 312 cc singles. In China, Zontes has faced criticism for having no mid-sized twin-cylinder models in the range, and to answer those critics it is leapfrogging that sector entirely and jumping straight into building a range of 650 cc and 1000 cc triples.
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| Zontes three-cylinder sports bike will likely produce in the region of 150 hp |
The larger engine is expected to debut first, and Zontes has already revealed the first images of the motor and some of its components, including crankshafts, cylinders and camshafts - apparently on a production line. A sketch of the first bike to get the engine - a naked sports model with a single-sided swingarm - has also been revealed.
The company admits that the Yamaha MT-09 engine is its inspiration, but unlike some less scrupulous Chinese companies, it hasn't opted to make a straight copy of the Japanese design. Like the Yamaha, the cylinders and upper engine cases are cast as one, but Zontes claims to have a new process to achieve this that adds extra strength to the engine and means it can be tuned for more performance.
As a result, the compression ratio is set at 13.5:1, which is higher than any rival three-cylinder. The MT-09 achieves only 11.5:1, and even MV Agusta's F3 engine has a 13.3:1 compression. Zontes also says that the 1000 cc unit will be more powerful than 80% of similarly sized engines on the market, suggesting a peak power of somewhere in the region of 150 hp.
At the moment, China's most powerful home-grown bikes are the CFMoto 1250 tourer and the Benelli 1200GT, both using engines derived from older European-designed motors and offering around 140 hp. Other details of the Zontes engine include its use of finger-follower valve gear, as featured in many modern superbikes, and a 240-degree firing interval.
The 1000 cc unit will be followed by a 650 cc three-cylinder, although at the moment it's not clear whether it will be a sleeved-down version of the same design or a completely separate unit. The latter makes more sense, as a sleeved-down litre engine would be unnecessarily big and heavy for a 650 cc class bike.
Given that Zontes currently offers its 312 cc single in a range of machines from naked sports bikes to cruisers and adventure models, with both dual and single-sided swingarms, the triples are also expected to appear across a wide array of models in the future. With an existing worldwide dealer network, the machines are sure to reach markets in Europe not long after their official Chinese launch.
We're expecting to see more of the engine, and perhaps even a complete bike, at shows later this year, but mass production is probably still at least 12 months away.
