HomeBike NewsZongshen Taro GP1-250R debuts in China - Priced at Rs 1.71 lakh
Zongshen Taro GP1-250R debuts in China – Priced at Rs 1.71 lakh
Abhinand Venugopal
Zongshen's new 2020MY Taro GP1-250R is a quarter-litre twin-cylinder sportsbike
Chinese two-wheeler manufacturer Zongshen Motorcycle has unveiled a new faired sportsbike dubbed the Taro GP1-250R. The quarter-litre twin-cylinder motorcycle is priced at CNY 15.980 or INR 1.71 lakh ex-showroom. This is quite a decent pricing for a 250cc motorcycle with two cylinders. It is available in three colour themes: black, blue and red.
The new Zongshen Taro GP1-250R is essentially a toned-down version of the ~400cc Lexmoto LXR380 sold in certain European markets. Either motorcycle looks almost identical except for graphics, paint job and some minor details. However, the overall styling seems to have taken 'inspiration' from Aprilia's RSV4 range. Needless to say, the RSV4 easily wins the beauty contest.
China's two-wheeler market has certainly got some interesting products. It was only recently that we shared the first official images of the QJ SRK 600. The inline-four motorcycle is actually a badge-engineered Benelli 600N which would replace the TNT 600i previously sold in BS4 format in India. Benelli India might introduce the 600N or SRK 600 as a BS6-compliant CKD (Completely Knocked Down) product sometime around the second half of next year. Apparently, the Chinese automotive market is witnessing more electric vehicles in the four-wheeler segment while the two-wheeler segment flourishes with sporty-looking motorcycles that are way cheaper than popular foreign alternatives.
Noticeable 'inspiration' from Aprilia's RSV4
Coming back to the GP1-250R, Zongshen Motorcycle has followed a sharp styling approach across its body. Visual highlights include full-LED dual-headlamps and -taillamps, clip-on handlebars, dual-outlet single-sided exhaust, five-spoke alloy wheels, split seats and a full-colour TFT instrument console. The trellis-frame chassis is supported by USD front forks and rear monoshock suspension. Furthermore, the motorcycle is equipped with clip-on handlebars.
These features are expected at this price point and in the quarter-litre sports motorcycle segment. However, the GP1-250R also gets twin front petal discs, which is a rarity even in entry-level middleweights. Dual-channel ABS is offered as an option. Powering the Zongshen GP1-250R is a 249.5cc liquid-cooled engine with two cylinders. It churns out almost 17bhp @ 8,500rpm and 16.5Nm @ 6,500rpm.
Gets dual-outlet exhaust
As you can observe, the figures are much lower than the usual standard of 250cc motorcycles or even an average entry-level twin-cylinder. Low-displacement multi-cylinder engines also rev substantially higher to produce its peak power output. A good example of this is the all-new 2020MY Kawasaki Ninja ZX-25R which revs its 250cc inline-four to almost 17,000rpm.