Zontes, a Chinese motorcycle brand, has unveiled its first production three-cylinder bike, the 703F. This is a middleweight adventure motorcycle with a list of features at a surprisingly affordable price.
Originally teased in 2021 as a potential litre-class machine, the Zontes 703F is now seen with a smaller, 699cc engine inspired by Yamaha's MT-09. It has a high compression of 13:1 and despite the downsize, it still packs a punch with 96 bhp and 76 Nm of torque. This is paired with a 6-speed gearbox, while slipper clutch and quick-shifter comes sas standard.
The 703F has a cast aluminium frame. This is mostly done to keep the bike lightweight. The frame is mounted to a fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension. This bike gets its adventure bike stance with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The wheels are cross-spoked so they can run tubeless tyres.
Seat height is slightly tall by Indian standards at 845 mm.. This bike also gets a wide flat handlebar and that should add to better ergonomics by providing leverage.
But the real surprise lies in the extensive standard equipment list. Features typically found on high-end adventure bikes from Europe, like keyless ignition, electronically adjustable windscreen, heated grips, traction control, ABS, cornering lights, and automatic headlights, come standard on the 703F.
The technological marvels don't stop there. The 703F has a TFT dash, a quick-shifter, USB charging ports, tyre pressure monitoring, and even a blind spot detection system with rear-facing radar and mirror-mounted warning lights (something that we have seen in the Ducati Multistrada V4 S & Rally).
Currently available only in China for the equivalent of ₹ 5 lakh, the 703F seems to be cheaper than most middleweight adventure bikes. While the export price is sure to be higher, even at double the Chinese price, the 703F offers unmatched value for its feature set.
