Design patents reveal the look of Zontes’ production 350GK (Zontes/)
Out of all of China’s upstart bike firms, Zontes is perhaps the one worth paying more attention to than most—already offering an impressive range of 311cc single-cylinder models and promising new 650cc and 1,000cc triples in the future. Now Zontes is preparing its second-generation single-cylinder line with a new 350cc that debuts in this scrambler-style streetbike.
Called the 350GK, the design was previewed in official renders earlier this year but these CAD images from the firm’s design patent show the final look of the production version. Given the firm’s previous record, the mechanical parts including the engine, frame, and suspension will also be used on a range of other machines across a spectrum of styles and markets.
The new 350cc single keeps several elements from earlier Zontes 310 models, but integrates newer shapes, like the circular headlight, as well. (Zontes/)
With the earlier 311cc “310” models, Zontes introduced a KTM-style, externally braced aluminum swingarm, and the 350GK takes it a step further with a fatter, angled version instead of the straight original. At the front, the design patents show the same forks and brakes as Zontes 310 models, albeit with an unusual cowl over the single brake disc.
The circular headlight follows trends seen in bikes like Husqvarna’s Vitpilen/Svartpilen range and Honda’s CB650R, looking slightly oversized and featuring several LEDs behind a clear lens, a horizontal strip separating the high- and low-beam units.
Overall styling can be best described as scrambler-meets-standard, a look influenced by the Svartpilen. (Zontes/)
The rest of the styling has that modern scrambler look popularized by the Svartpilen, which has already inspired several imitators, but the Zontes design isn’t a blatant copy. The body panels including the tank, seat, and bellypan are all distinct to the Zontes machine, and unlike most bikes in this mold, the radiator cowls are integrated into the main bodywork, meshing with the tank above and the bellypan below rather than standing alone.
The twin exhausts follow the stacked arrangement seen on past Zontes bikes, and the engine looks to be externally similar. (Zontes /)
The 350GK’s stacked twin exhausts are a Zontes signature, used on most of the firm’s bikes, and given the similarity between the new 350cc engine and the old 311cc version they may even be identical. The CAD images show that the engine is externally similar to the previous design, although in both the patent images and earlier Zontes renders, the cylinders have lost some of the ridges in castings, leading to a smoother, cleaner look. The covers are also new, but essential elements like the engine mounts, the overall shape, and layout are unaltered, so Zontes will be able to slot the 350 into its existing models easily if needed.
In terms of performance, the firm is promising around 43 hp—a significant hike from the 34 hp of its 311cc models and enough to exactly match KTM’s 390 Duke or the Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen 401 duo.
With these final design patents issued, we can expect to see the 350GK officially unveiled very soon. (Zontes/)
