Piaggio and Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zongshen have had a long-standing partnership since 2004, wherein the Italian giant outsourced the development and production of some of its models to Zongshen, specifically those for the Chinese domestic market and neighboring Asian countries. In January, the company confirmed the development of a 900cc-powered model.
It was indeed confirmed that the bike would be powered by an iteration of the 896cc V-twin engine found in the Aprilia Shiver naked bike. What’s interesting, though, is the fact that the company has just recently filed patents of a V-twin engine with Gilera branding. In a report published by Cycle World, the nearly forgotten Italian brand is more than likely making a comeback to the big bike world through this engine. What exactly the bike will be is still up for debate, however, the Gilera-branded V-twin engine was showcased at the 2021 CIMA in China.
