Zontes aRe set to IntRoDUce
five motorcycles in the Indian market. we got a
very short spin astride two of their motorcycles.
the first of these is the 350t aDV which boasts
of a few segment-first features. In terms of design,
it looks like a proper adventure motorcycle and
one of the other models from this line-up is a
variant with alloy wheels compared to the
tubeless spoked wheels on this one. this aDV
makes use of a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch
one at the rear, while the road-focused t variant
uses 17-inch wheels at both ends. what makes it
unique is that it is keyless, so the fuel-tank and
seat can simply be opened with a button
incorporated into the switchgear. apart from that,
a really cool feature is the windscreen that can
also be adjusted with the touch of a button.
all the Zontes bikes that have been brought to
India make use of the same 348-cc liquid-cooled
motor that puts out 38.8 hp at 9,500 rpm and a
peak torque of 32.8 nm at 7,500 rpm while being
mated to a six-speed gearbox. as I got going, it
felt natural to stand up on the pegs, but I felt that
the handlebar of the motorcycle was not as wide
as I would have liked for off-road use and the
motor quite vibey. the seat height of 830
millimetres is accessible, the suspension set-up
More from China
Zontes of China is the second brand to
partner with Adishwar Auto under the
Moto Vault venture. We sampled two of
their offerings
Story: Azaman Chothia
Photography: Apurva Ambep
allows a rider to take on very short off-road stints,
and the braking set-up worked decently. More
on the ride quality later, for we hardly spent a
couple of minutes in the saddle.
apart from that, the bike gets a very tiny
storage compartment for documents at the front,
right under the lcD dash. this dash is
engaging, displays important information, and
there are also different layouts to select from.
the switchgear feels nice and is easy to use once
a rider gets acquainted with it. while this might
be called an aDV, it seemed like a bike that will
be more comfortable on road with the capability
of short off-road stints. now all that is left to be
seen is how this motorcycle is priced as well as
the after-sales service and durability. thIs stReetFIghteR FRoM the
Zontes range is called the 350R. given its sharp
styling, I must agree that this one looks futuristic
and gets three unique colourways to choose from.
In terms of features, this one, too, is keyless which
makes it more convenient and a feature we see on
larger and more expensive motorcycles. the
riding position is comfortable as the bike places
the rider upright with the foot-pegs in a sporty
position, set towards the rear. this model rides on
17-inch cast alloy wheels at both ends and a nice
touch is that they sport dual-tone colour schemes.
like all the other motorcycles in the range, this
one also makes use of the same 348-cc, liquidcooled motor that puts out 38.8 hp at 9,500 rpm
and a peak torque of 32.8 nm at 7,500 rpm. the
power delivery is linear but it did feel more like a
250-cc motorcycle. Vibrations do tend to creep
in at the pegs, tank, and handlebar post the
4,000-rpm mark. It would have been nice to test
this streetfighter through a set of corners, but we
were at a location dedicated to off-roading with
only a short straight stretch of tarmac.
the 350R feels extremely light and its 795-
mm seat height is easily accessible for most
riders. the suspension set-up comprises 43-mm
UsD forks and a monoshock at the rear. It is a
set-up on the stiffer side to suit the character.
the brake feel is not as sharp, so that is
something to watch out for.
this model makes use of the same lcD dash
with similar options to toggle between. the
quality of the switchgear is decent and it is easy to
use on the go. with the streetfighter segment
already having some very reliable options, we will
have to wait and see if this one gains popularity.
the design language is surely a plus, but I am not
so convinced about it taking on motorcycles in
the 300- to 400-cc segment. It did feel more like a
250-cc and not a very refined one. we can bring
you more updates once we properly test it within
the city and also see its handling capabilities
through a set of twisties.