Zontes 703F and 703RR Triples

Admin · November 30, 2023

Chinese brand Zontes will bring a new three-cylinder adventure bike called the 703F and a new sportbike called the 703RR to market in 2024. (Zontes/)

It was back in June 2021 that we first saw pictures and some early details of the Zontes three-cylinder engine and now it’s finally been unveiled in two near-production prototypes that are expected to reach showrooms by the end of 2024.

When it was originally conceived, the Zontes triple was intended to appear in a range of sizes from around 600cc to 1,000cc, but it’s now clear that the initial version will be a 699cc middleweight option powering two models, the Zontes 703F adventure bike and the Zontes 703RR sportbike.

Both machines were shown at EICMA in Milan as prototypes, but production is expected to begin before the end of next year and the three-cylinder machines are expected to be offered globally rather than just in China. In its homeland, Zontes has been stung by criticism that its current range is made up purely of single-cylinder bikes at a time that many of its rivals are turning to parallel twins, so the decision to go to a three-cylinder engine is a conscious move to leapfrog other middleweight brands, at least in terms of cylinder count.

The view of the 703F’s cockpit. (Zontes/)

At its original announcement, the Zontes engine had the potential to be China’s first three-cylinder motorcycle, but that ship has sailed. Not only has Benelli restarted production of the TNT 899, with manufacturing moved to China, but CFMoto has also shown its own 675cc three-cylinder, destined for a new 675SR sportbike in the very near future.

The shared engine is tuned slightly differently for the two applications, with the adventure bike getting more torque and less peak horsepower and the sportbike getting a higher peak horsepower. (Zontes/)

Details of the two bikes are relatively scant, but Zontes is claiming a peak power of 100 hp at 9,000 rpm and 63 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,200 rpm for the adventure-style 703F and expects the engine to be fully Euro 5+ type-approved, meaning it will comply with most of the world’s toughest emissions rules. The 703F itself has an alloy chassis and swingarm, Brembo radial-mount brake calipers, and a combination of 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels that suggest some real off-road ability.

The 703F has a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel/tire package and appears to be available with optional luggage. (Zontes/)

Its styling avoids the cliched “beak” of so many adventure models, instead opting for a steep, tall screen above a bluff nose. The designers have forgone curves too—almost every line on the bike is arrow straight, intersected by crisp folds.

The 703RR sportbike will make a claimed 110 hp and come with Brembo brakes. (Zontes/)

The second new model to get the engine is the 703RR, a race-rep sportbike that uses the motor in a higher state of tune. For the 703RR Zontes claims a peak of 110 hp at 11,000 rpm, 2,000 rpm higher than the adventure bike’s maximum, but sacrifices torque with a claimed 55 lb.-ft. at 8,600 rpm.