Made in China, but with European technology. This is a big trend we're seeing in all sorts of new motorcycles from Chinese manufacturers. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you to decide, but what it means in the real world is that affordable bikes from China are becoming more and more high-tech and boasting impressive performance.
We've seen it in the likes of CFMoto with KTM's technology, as well as with QJ Motor and MV Agusta. This time around, it's Chinese manufacturer Zongshen and Norton Motorcycles, or at least, the remnants of it.
You see, back in 2020, when Norton Motorcycles closed its doors, the brand had a series of middleweight 650cc, parallel-twin-powered models in the pipeline. Since the company was later purchased by India's TVS Motors, the project seems to have been shelved. That being said, Zongshen managed to acquire the technology of Norton's parallel-twin engine, which is apparently based on the front cylinder bank of the company's 1,200cc V4 engine.
A recent article by Cycle World goes into great detail about an upcoming model to be powered by this engine. For reference, we've already seen the engine in two iterations also under the Zongshen name. For starters, it's featured in an adventure bike called the RX650 under Zongshen's premium brand Cyclone. A bigger version with 850cc is also reportedly in the works. That said, Zongshen appears to be working on a new model with retro-inspired styling – a bike that could have been what Norton's middleweight models were envisioned to be.
According to Cycle World, the new model could be called the Cyclone RE650. Indeed, if you take a look at Zongshen's model lineup, its retro-inspired models carry the "RE" designation – check out the brand's RE3 400 retro-inspired roadster below. Furthermore, according to the design renderings obtained by Cycle World, the RE650 could feature slightly more rugged, flat-tracker-inspired styling. The bike is underpinned by an exposed steel trellis frame giving it a lightweight appearance. Its retro styling is accentuated by wire-spoked wheels, while modern touches include an inverted front fork and LED headlamp.
A lot of elements seem to be shared by the RX650 and upcoming RE650 such as the trellis frame as well as the lightweight aluminum swingarm. The rear suspension setup, which consists of an offset-mounted monoshock, seems to also be shared between the two bikes. Nevertheless, it seems that Zongshen is taking a similar approach to other manufacturers when it comes to its middleweight lineup. That is, producing multiple models under one platform.
In terms of performance, it's speculated that if the upcoming roadster is fitted with the 650cc engine, it'll have a maximum power output of 71 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and a torque rating of 42 pound-feet at 7,000 rpm. This would put it at par with the likes of the Yamaha XSR700 and the CFMoto 700CL-X range of neo-retros. However, if Zongshen opts for the 850cc engine, bearing identical styling and proportions, it'll be much more powerful at 98 horsepower and 59 pound-feet of torque.
