The Zongshen Cyclone RA9 V-twin Concept made its debut at the CIMAMotor show in China.
For those of you unfamiliar with Zongshen, it’s the Chinese partner of the Piaggio Group.
Cyclone is the high-end arm of the company, and the RA9 V-twin concept is truly a sight the behold, looking more like a wild custom than a possible future production bike.
The Zongshen Cyclone RA9 V-twin Concept – Borrowing From Piaggio’s Portfolio
This motorcycle is a unique design and a beautiful bike, but when you really start looking at the different components, it becomes clear that its biggest parts are pulled from Piaggio’s other brands, namely Aprilia.
This isn’t a bad thing, though. Aprilia makes amazing motorcycles, and it’s a huge benefit to Zongshen to be able to utilize some of these parts.
For example, the engine and frame appear to have come from the Aprilia Sliver and Dorsoduro. The bike utilizes that platform to create something wholly different. It has a new swingarm and seating configuration.
While the engine is derived from the Shiver, it’s a different displacement and not labeled as Aprilia. Instead, the engine that was on display at the show had Gilera badges on it, according to Cycle World.
This comes as a surprise. This could mean Piaggio is gearing up to bring that well-known but long-dormant nameplate back into existence.
As for output, you’re looking at 112 hp and 72 lb-ft of torque. The weight for this motorcycle is set at 474 pounds. It also gets fully adjustable suspension and J.Juan radial brakes with up by Bosch ABS.
Just a Concept or Will This Make Production?
Because this is just a concept, there’s no telling if Zongshen will actually make this motorcycle, but there are some signs that point to yes.
First, is the fact that the majority of the parts come from Piaggio’s portfolio. Yes, there are plenty of completely new parts here, but most o what you see is derived from something that already exists. This will make manufacturing easier.
Second, Zongshen listed the motorcycle’s weight. This isn’t usually listed for concept bikes unless there’s some major interest from the manufacturer to make the bike. That doesn’t mean it will get made, but it’s another indicator.
Third, is the Gilera badging on the engine. If these brands will share engines, then it would make sense for Zongshen and Piaggio to make the most of that R& D, meaning they would make as many bikes as possible using the engine. The Zongshen Cyclone RA9 V-twin Concept could be one of them.
