Zontes at EICMA 2026 with the ZT853-R prototype

Zontes now has a line-up that ranges from naked bikes, scooters and cruisers through to enduros and supersports. At EICMA 2026 in Milan, the first thing I check out on the stand is the 703R, a naked bike that's set to cost 7,990 francs in Switzerland. I sit on it so you can picture how a bike like this comes across for a full-grown European: like a proper, full-size machine. With Asian products, a big fat display is almost always front and centre, it matters a lot to the manufacturers. This one is crystal clear to read, but also a bit gimmicky in places. For a younger target group that's probably brilliant, for old-timers like me it's a bit too much. Next I want to hop on the 703RR supersports to show the ergonomics, but someone else is already sitting on it. So I move on to the real star of the stand.

Zontes' halo model is called the ZT853-R, and there are three of them on the stand: in blue, red and black. According to the stand display, the triple has 847 cc and 150 hp, and exactly those 150 hp are also on the board at the stand. The features list is long: bidirectional quickshifter, cruise control, cornering ABS, launch control and wheelie control, so it's got the lot. Up front sits a wide display, the front end is correspondingly wide, and the leather inserts look seriously brilliant. Add to that an extroverted exhaust routing, an extroverted front end, aero elements and plenty of carbon. You shouldn't be too quick to pigeonhole a bike like this: reportedly, Brembo calipers do the braking, and a high-quality Kayaba fork works up front. I also like the footpeg assembly, with neatly machined details. Whether the wings actually do anything or are more for show, I can't say. The blue one is my favourite.

I'd love to sit on it so much. No security guy in sight, so I give it a go. He says no, and he was right to shoo me off. The ZT853-R is still a prototype, and I was poorly prepared for it. According to my information, it won't arrive for the start of the season but only in the second half of 2027, and there's no price yet. Still, it's a nice addition to the market. Five or six Chinese manufacturers are currently shaking it up, alongside the four Japanese, the Europeans, plus Harley and Indian. Thanks to brands like Zontes, the Japanese really have to make an effort and in some cases offer more attractive prices than they used to. Competition is good for business. With cars, Chinese manufacturers are pushing into the market in a politically aggressive way, but with bikes I don't see it as that bad. There, they're coming instead with insanely innovative products.

How the ZT853-R looks on the stand in three colours, and how quickly I was back off it, is shown in my four-hour walkaround of EICMA 2026 on the 1000PS YouTube channel. Zontes comes up after just over an hour, this link jumps straight to the stand. You'll see my sit test on the 703R with the big display, the 703RR, the ZT853-R's features board with carbon, leather inserts and footpeg assembly, and my failed attempt to climb aboard. Plus my thoughts on why Chinese brands are lighting a fire under the Japanese. Stick around afterwards and you get more than 40 further stands, from Honda and Ducati to KOVE, with sit tests, stand chats and clear verdicts. Four hours of EICMA to watch back, without the crowds and without paying for a ticket.

• ZT853-R: triple with 847 cc, 150 hp at 12,500 rpm, 90 Nm at 9,000 rpm (all reportedly), aluminium frame with single-sided swingarm, Kayaba suspension, Brembo brakes, quickshifter, cruise control, cornering ABS, launch and wheelie control, price and market launch not announced
• 703R ETC: keyless, heated grips (reportedly), price in Switzerland 7,990 francs, coming soon
• 703RR ETC: Brembo brakes (reportedly), price in Italy 7,990 euros at dealers (reportedly)