New three-cylinder sports-cruiser from China
Chinese brand Zontes has been pushing its 699cc three-cylinder platform development hard over the last couple of years – revealing first the 703F adventure bike and 703RR sportsbike in 2023 and then the 703T tourer and 703R roadster in late 2024 – and now the company has confirmed a sports-cruiser will be coming in 2026 under the name 703V.
The bike, shown in computer renderings in a video released on the company’s social media in China, borrows its cast aluminium frame and three-cylinder engine straight from the existing 703RR and 703R, adding an elongated swingarm for a stretched wheelbase, plus pulled-back bars and a seat that’s mounted substantially further back to create a cruiser-style riding position.
The styling is more akin to a Ducati Diavel than a traditional cruiser, with prominent air intakes on either side of a wide fuel tank that slopes backwards into a single seat with a sportsbike-style hump behind it. The exhaust system and wheels are straight from the 703RR, while the bike in the renderings features uprated Brembo brakes instead of the J.Juan calipers used on the existing production models.
Zontes has released the early images to get feedback from potential customers, calling for their reactions on social media in China. As such, there’s still time for the design to be revised before the bike’s official unveiling, taking those responses into account.
In terms of performance, Zontes says only that the engine has strong low torque and will be fitted with electronic throttles and cruise control, but explains that since most of the key components – including that motor – are borrowed from the 703RR, it can accelerate the 703V’s development process.
If the same engine spec as the 703RR is used the bike will make 75kW at 11,200rpm and 74.5Nm at 8500rpm, and since the chassis is largely the same it should also come close to the 703RR’s relatively light 196kg kerb weight, too.
If Zontes follows its expected path the 703R roadster and 703T tourer, both based on the 703RR’s engine and chassis, will enter production later this year having been unveiled last November. We can then expect the 703V seen here to be shown in the metal at events like EICMA in late 2025 before reaching showrooms in 2026.
