What makes a good maxi-scooter? Well, in essence, a maxi-scooter combines the traits of a touring motorcycle with the ease-of-use of a scooter. The Yamaha TMAX is arguably the model responsible for this trend, when it first hit the market around two decades ago. Nowadays, you could certainly say that the maxi-scooter segment is full of choices, and continues to grow.
One of the newest entrants to the maxi-scooter game comes to us from Chinese manufacturer Zontes. The brand has developed quite a presence in Europe and Asia thanks to its selection of small-displacement, beginner-friendly models. More recently, the brand has entered the maxi-scooter segment with scooters like the ZT500 and 350D. This time around, it has added yet another model in the form of the sporty 350E.
Touted as a touring scooter, the 350E is powered by a 349cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 37 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. Like all scooters of this sort, it sends power to the rear wheel via a belt-driven CVT. On top of that, it's complemented by a simple yet effective suite of electronics consisting of a traction control system and two riding modes.
In the styling department, the Zontes 350E is equipped with full-LED lighting giving it a thoroughly modern look. It gets a sleek fairing, with a streamlined windscreen that gives the scooter a sporty aesthetic. The same windshield is also electronically adjustable, allowing riders to toggle the height on the fly. Overall, the Zontes 350E is quite a long scooter, with a wheelbase of 1,565 millimeters designed to provide extra stability at speed. The scooter is also expected to return quite a lot of range in between fill-ups thanks to a large fuel tank with a 16-liter capacity.
Last but not least, Zontes has thrown in quite a wide array of technology to the 350E. Just like the 350D, it gets heated grips, adjustable handlebars, and of course, a full-color TFT instrument cluster. Furthermore, it's equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), as well as keyless ignition.
In terms of availability, Zontes offers the 350E in colors consisting of matte black and white. Once launched in the European market, it's estimated to carry a price tag of 5,290 Euros, or the equivalent of about $5,682 USD.
