You probably have never heard of Zontes, so let me give you a brief backstory. Zontes is a Chinese bike manufacturer that has entered the Indian market in partnership with Adishwar Auto Ride India Pvt (AARI). The automaker has launched five motorbikes in India, which belong to different segments but share some components. One of the bikes they have launched is GK350, a cafe racer motorbike. I was responsible for reviewing the GK350! Hmm, let’s see how that goes.
In terms of styling, the GK350 looks like a modern take on cafe racers. It has a circular headlamp, bar-end mirrors, cafe-racer fuel tank, a slim tail lamp under the flat seat and spoked rims. On the side, there is a twin-barrel exhaust. All the lighting elements on the GK350 are LED units. Quite frankly, I was stopped by pedestrians and onlookers so many times while I rode the motorcycle, asking me what it was. The paint scheme of silver and orange enhanced the design of the GK350. Funnily enough, while we were shooting, we also had a cop stop and chat with us, asking more about the motorcycle, and he also presumed that it was a 1000cc superbike and not a humdrum 350cc café racer which is considerable praise for the bike.
Furthermore, the fuel tank measures 17 litres which is quite big for a cafe racer. The seat height is 795 mm, which is quite accessible for most people. Braking duties are done by a 320 mm disc in the front, which gets a cover and at the rear, there is a 265 mm disc. There is a dual-channel Anti-lock braking system on offer as well. Suspension duties on the GK 350 are done by 43 mm up-side down forks in the front and a mono-shock at the rear.
Tech Features
I always thought that only four-wheelers could fill pages of their brochures with features, but the Zontes GK350 proved me wrong. This motorcycle is loaded with tech! At the whelm of the rider is an xx-inch TFT display which shows all the information you’d ever need and then some more. As I mentioned earlier, all the lighting elements are LED, and that’s not all the motorcycle has keyless functionality. Right from opening the fuel lid to starting the bike, everything is done keyless, which is something you don’t get in any two-wheeler under 8 to 10 lakh. The party piece of the TFT display has to be the option of screen casting your android or apple device on the screen (while stationary, of course), but this feature blew my mind! Other than that, the TFT display is crisp and shows all the information you need. Plus, riders can toggle between multiple screen display modes such as street, race and more.
Rs 3.47 lakh (ex-showroom) is the cost of the GK350 I tested, which sounds quite steep. I agree. But while I might sound crazy saying it, there is something about the Zontes GK350 that exudes exclusivity. If we speak logically, I would ask you to opt for something like the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 or even the Honda CB350RS, but if you are in the market to purchase something that is more of a style statement rather than a daily commuter. Nothing beats the Zontes GK350. In the end, it boils down to this, should you listen to your heart or your logic and I personally feel that logic should win that debate you’re having.
Specifications
Engine – 348cc, single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor
Power – 38bhp @9500rpm
Torque – 32.5 @7500rpm
Gearbox – 6-speed constant mesh
Price – Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom, India)
Powering the Zontes GK350 is a 349cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor that produces 38bhp and 32.8Nm of torque which for a motorcycle of its size feels quite adequate. But what was a severe letdown was the refinement of the motor, it felt highly gruff, and vibrations were felt through the handlebars and foot pegs right from a lower rpm. Moreover, the power delivery of the GK350 feels lacking since the power is only available in the mid-range that a usual café-racer trait. But that doesn’t translate to a bad riding experience. The ergonomics of the GK350 are pretty relaxed, with the placement of the foot pegs and the height of the handlebar not being too uncomfortable.
Another remarkable thing that the GK350 did was it handled pretty well. It carves corners easily and due to the length of the motorcycle, it feels pretty compact. But the one thing both me and my collogue noticed was the weight of the handlebars, which are quite heavy, making it slightly difficult to manoeuvre the GK350 in situations such as tight parking spots or heavy traffic. The brakes were also a letdown for me since they felt very spongy, and the braking capacity generally was a little too soft for my liking. Furthermore, under hard braking, the bike tends to slide for 2-3 seconds before ABS kicks in to rescue the rider, but that initial slide can surely cause a few tense moments.
