Zongshen Cyclone RA9 V-twin Concept Revealed

Among the hordes of small-capacity machines unveiled at this year’s CIMAMotor show in China, the Cyclone RA9 stands out as a machine that might be closer to production than its concept looks suggest.

Cyclone is the high-end brand of bike-making giant Zongshen, which is the Chinese partner of the Piaggio group, and is tasked with producing a variety of Aprilia-branded machines. And it’s those European connections that give a hint as to the origins and technology of the new RA9 that was the centerpiece of the firm’s show stand.

Related: Norton-powered Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Nears Production

Although it looks like a pure concept bike, the RA9 actually incorporates a lot of production components, including an engine and frame that are developments of the components used in the Aprilia Shiver and Dorsoduro. The chassis, with its tubular steel front section and cast alloy rear, is straight from the Shiver and Dorsoduro, albeit fitted with a new single-sided swingarm and much more radical bodywork including a huge single exhaust that effectively doubles as the rear bodywork section. This is clearly a single-seat design with no provision for luggage or passengers.

The engine, too, is derived from the Aprilia DOHC V-twin, but in a new spec for the RA9. Where the Shiver debuted the engine as a 750cc unit in 2007, and expanded it to 896cc in the Shiver and Dorsoduro 900 models and eventually 1,197cc in the Dorsoduro 1200 for 2011, the RA9′s engine is 987cc.

Externally, despite the Cyclone badges, the engine is still the Aprilia unit, though given the fact that Piaggio and Zongshen operate a joint venture in China, it can’t rightly be called a knockoff. Intriguingly, the firm also displayed the engine alone on its stand with Gilera badges fitted—suggesting Piaggio could be preparing to breathe new life into the famous, but largely dormant, Gilera brand.

According to Zongshen, the Cyclone RA9′s specs include a peak power of 112 hp at 9,500 rpm, allied to 72 pound-feet of torque at 7,500 rpm, and the bike’s wet weight—not the sort of thing that’s often mentioned for concepts, and hence another suggestion that a production version is coming—was put at 215 kilograms (474 pounds). Budget J.Juan radial brakes, backed up by Bosch ABS, are fitted, along with unbranded but fully adjustable suspension.

Related: CSC RX3 Cyclone Riding Impression

In addition to the RA9, Zongshen showed off another newcomer to the Cyclone range in the form of the RX850 adventure bike. This machine is a development of the RX6 that the firm launched earlier this year, which carries an officially licensed-made version of the Norton 650cc parallel-twin engine that’s destined for the British brand’s Atlas models. While Norton’s own version of the engine has been delayed by the company’s collapse and then its takeover by Indian brand TVS, Zongshen forged ahead and developed an enlarged 850cc spinoff. With production of the RX6 about to start, the 850cc version won’t be far behind it, and Zongshen has plans to offer the bike internationally as well as on the Chinese market.

Interestingly, Zongshen also had an example of the Norton 1,200cc V4 superbike engine on its CIMA stand. There have been rumors the firm’s licensing deal for the parallel twin also allows it to build the V4 (the twin is effectively the front two cylinders of the Norton V4, so components are shared), and the engine’s presence on the stand suggests there’s some truth in them.