Zongshen has officially revealed the Cyclone RX6 at the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show, with engine derived from Norton Motorcycles (subsidiary of TVS)
Chinese automaker Zongshen has taken the wraps off the Cyclone RX6. The upcoming motorcycle has been unveiled in two variants – a touring model and an off-road biased model. The Cyclone RX6 is the largest motorcycle from the manufacturer, with a 650cc engine derived from Norton (which was acquired by TVS last year).
The design of this Zongshen motorcycle is quite handsome, with a tall (electrically adjustable) windscreen, a sleek-looking half-fairing, a muscular fuel tank (21 litres), and a sharp tail section. The Cyclone RX6 gets LED lighting all around (headlight, DRLs, turn indicators, and taillight), along with USD front forks and an offset monoshock rear suspension.
In typical ADV fashion, the handlebar is tall, the footpegs are centre-set, and the seats are long and narrow. The saddle height is quite tall, reported at 820mm, while the kerb weight is a healthy 245 kg. The touring variant comes with alloy wheels, while the off-road version offers wire-spoked rims and long-travel suspension.
The braking system on both variants consists of twin disc brakes at the front and a single disc at the rear, sourced from Nissin. The motorcycle also gets a 7-inch TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity, keyless ignition, split grabrail for the pillion, Bosch dual-channel ABS, and a bunch of electronic riding aids.
The bike also gets the option to add saddlebags, suitable for touring and adventure. The engine is a 650cc, DOHC, parallel-twin unit, mechanically the same as the upcoming Norton Altas and Nomad. However, it has been detuned to generate a peak power and torque of 71 PS and 62 Nm, respectively. Considering the hefty weight, we don’t expect the motorcycle to offer blazing performance.
Zongshen Cyclone RX6 has only been announced for Asian markets currently, and is expected to go on sale in China soon. The motorcycle will also likely make its way to Europe and UK at a later stage. As for India, launch seems highly unlikely, as the manufacturer has not revealed any plans of entering the Indian market yet.
