This Chinese Sports Tourer Is India-bound

The sub-400cc-motorcycle segment in India will soon have a new player in the form of the Zontes 310X. A test mule was recently spied, confirming that the bike is being considered for our market. For the uninitiated, Zontes is a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer known for its small-capacity motorcycles, and the company has its presence in many European and Asian countries.

The Zontes 310X is a beefy sports tourer, and it looks much bigger than other bikes of its segment. But it's not just the aesthetics that make this bike interesting; Zontes has equipped it with some premium features unique to this segment or even one above.

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The 310X has everything to make it appealing as a sports tourer. For starters, it gets keyless ignition with an electric seat lock and fuel tank cover. As expected from a bike of this genre, the windshield is big, but more importantly, is electronically adjustable. Furthermore, the TFT instrument console gets Bluetooth connectivity with features like tyre pressure monitoring and brightness adjustability. There are even two USB chargers onboard.

Complementing the extensive list of features is the 312cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine (paired with a six-speed gearbox) belting out 34PS and 35Nm. Zontes has even equipped the bike with two riding modes -- Economy and Sports.

The frame is suspended on a telescopic fork and a monoshock, and there are disc brakes at both ends. Zontes has armed the bike with 17-inch wheels wrapped in tarmac-oriented tyres. Despite its big proportions, the bike has an accessible seat height of 795mm and weighs just 149kg.

Zontes Motorcycles is likely to debut in India via Moto Royale. The group previously had brought the likes of FB Mondial, SWM, and even MV Agusta to India. With Zontes, Moto Royale could tap into the sub-400cc segment, and the 310X could be just the first of many products to arrive. The Zontes 310 platform itself has five motorcycles, all of which could arrive here eventually.

The launch timeline or any official news, for that matter, is not out yet. But we expect this bike to come to India next year and carry a price tag of Rs 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom). It would be a middle ground between sporty options like the TVS Apache RR 310 and KTM RC 390 and touring-oriented bikes like the Bajaj Dominar 400.