If you haven’t already heard, something is shaking up the motorcycle world at WSBK, the FIM Superbike World Championship. Earlier this year, WSBK welcomed a new competitor that nobody saw coming: ZXMOTO, a homegrown Chinese motorcycle brand.
And so far, this new kid on the WSBK block has made quite an entrance, taking the podium several times in the WorldSSP (Supersport) class with its race-homologated 820RR-RS version of the 820RR. Its star rider, Valentin Debise, may not come out on top—he’s second at this point with 241 points—and neither may ZXMOTO in the manufacturers’ standings—it’s third now—but this shows that the relatively new brand has plenty of potential in a playing field dominated by Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Ducati.
Anyhoo, we’re not here to talk about WSBK. We are here for the ZXMOTO 820RR and 820RR-R supersport bikes.
The 820RR series is powered by a self-developed 820 cc (818.8 cc/50 cu in) three-cylinder DOHC 12-valve, dual-cooled (oil- and liquid-cooled) engine producing a healthy 99 kW (133 hp) and 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque. However, the “R” model’s engine has a higher compression ratio, resulting in slightly higher power output and torque: 107 kW (143 hp) and 83 Nm (61 lb-ft).
ZXMOTO said its standard three-cylinder, 12-valve engine, whose peak power output arrives at 12,000 rpm, enables a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) sprint in 2.81 seconds.
The RR boasts a front suspension with fully adjustable preload and damping, while the rear suspension features a central monoshock with fully adjustable preload and damping. Meanwhile, stopping power comes from dual 320 mm (12.6 in) floating discs paired with four-piston TAISKO calipers at the front and a 220 mm (8.7 in) fixed brake disc with a two-piston TAISKO caliper at the rear.
It rolls on cast aluminum-alloy wheels wrapped in a CST S7 120/70 ZR17 tire at the front and a CST S7 190/55 ZR17 tire at the rear. The 820RR weighs 193 kg (426 lbs).
The ZXMOTO 820RR-R not only benefits from a more powerful motor; it also enjoys KYB suspension, with rebound damping for the rear suspension setup, Brembo brakes front and rear, and forged CNC wheels shod in Pirelli tires. It is lighter, too, at just 186 kg (410 lbs), though it has a smaller fuel tank: 16 L (4.2 US gallons), compared to the standard RR’s 18 L (4.8 US gallons).
In addition, the “R” also gets the option of a rotomolded fuel tank, carbon winglets, a forged CNC connecting plate, CNC-adjustable foot pegs, and an aluminum-alloy wheel axle.
The 820RR is as pro as a supersport can get. It adopts an adjustable rake angle and anti-squat angle design, allowing you to personalize the adjustments based on your riding scenarios.
Common features include a fully cast aluminum frame, aluminum exhaust system, aluminum swingarm, extensive use of magnesium alloy, integrated steering damper, keyless inductive ignition, forged aluminum triple clamp, quick-replacement air-filter design, front ram-air intake system, exhaust control valve, quick-release rear-wheel design, and carbon-fiber muffler.
As for price and availability, the bikes are available in China, starting at 43,800 yuan (around US$6,530) and 61,980 yuan (around US$9,240) for the standard 820RR and 820RR-R, respectively. International availability is limited. Confirmed markets are Spain and Italy. Meanwhile, select models will be heading to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and more.
Oh, wait. It looks like it is available in Montenegro. However, only the 500RR is available at the time of this post.
Images: ZXMOTO.
