Tasty styled Norton 650 powered Zongshen RX6 to hit the production line next year
Chinese motorcycles usually don’t sound exciting to any enthusiast’s ears, and most of the models merely being unwieldy clones of the reputed brand of bikes. But at times, there are a few exceptions as the Qianjiang Group. Post their acquisition of the Italian motorcycle brand Benelli there has been a flurry of announcements of their new models in the pipeline under the Italian badge. On similar lines, Chongqing based Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zongshen has unveiled its forthcoming adventure motorcycle called the RX6 at the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition 2020.
Though it’s easy to discount the Zongshen RX6 as yet another showpiece with a below-average motor at the helm, on the contrary, the biggest highlight of the Zongshen RX6 is its engine- a Norton powered 650 parallel twin. The design and license agreement between Zongshen and Norton was entered way back in July 2017 for a 650cc engine and a prototype of the RX6 being showcased in December last year. The new Zongshen RX6 doesn’t have much to differentiate from the original concept with the alloy wheels been replaced with spoked units to correspond to its adventure spirit.
The design scores high on appeal, and the RX6 has an impressive specifications sheet to flaunt. The Norton 650cc parallel-twin in a detuned state churns out 70 bhp as against the actual 84 bhp that the original motor cranks out. This deficit is well suited to the adventure trait of the RX6 making maximum power at 8500 rpm, -2500 rpm less in comparison to the full-powered unit. Also, torque figures read a healthy 62 nm @ 7000 rpm. Top speed might not sound too impressive, but 180km/h for a 650cc motorcycle should be adequate for both road and adventure touring.
The seat height measured at 820mm falls in the bracket of most adv and touring motorcycles. As for RX6's suspension set up, it is an excellent pair with long travel KYB inverted forks with stopping power provided by an ABS enabled twin-disc Nissin braking unit. A tall touring screen, LED lighting, wide comfortable seats, a 22-litre fuel tank, spoked wheels, bash plates, crash guards, and luggage racks with boxes- the Zongshen RX6 looks every bit of a hardcore adventure motorcycle.
Similar to the earlier RX6, the new motorcycle is showcased as a concept too. However, the good news is that Zongshen is confirming the new RX6 would be hitting the production line in 2021. Prices have not been confirmed yet, but considering its origin- the Zongshen RX6 should be priced on a competitive scale. The motorcycle already has enough positives to its favor with attractive adventure styling, a capable motor, and decent hardware bits to boast. It’s uncertain whether the RX6 would make it to international markets, but the Chinese customers would have an added choice. However, the Zongshen RX6 adventure motorcycle should provide stiff competition to the likes of Benelli TRK502 sold in China as the QJMotor SRT 500. If this RX6 do come in Singapore, the choice between a Chinese 650cc to Japanese brands like Kawasaki Versys 650 or the Suzuki V-Strom 650 might be a big hurdle to many local buyers.