The new Zongsen Carrera, impressions after driving 500 kms.
1.
Looks.
It looks pretty nice like a modern adventure bike
2.
Quality Control
Has a decent quality fit and finish, much better than my Chinese made 2016
XY400 or 2017 Sinski 250. Paint quality, speedometer, RV mirrors, footrests,
plastic fairings etc. aren’t outstanding but of a semi-decent quality. Chinese
are learning and improving fast.
3.
Engine.
It has an air cooled Zongsen 250cc, OHC with 2V, carbureted engine and a
balancer shaft. The specs are as follows,
·
Type: Single-cylinder, 4-stroke, freely
revving.
·
Air-cooled.
·
Displacement: 249.9cc.
72x61.4mm
·
Power: 18.7 HP.
·
Torque: 18-19 Nm
·
Starting: Electric only
·
Ignition: CDI.
·
Transmission: 6-speed.
·
Reliability: Widely praised
for being durable and easy to maintain.
4.
Vibrations. OHC and the balancer shaft control the vibrations
very well. Probably the balanced frame must also be contributing as this is
probably the least vibrating single cylinder bike I have ever tried. The water
cooled 250 Zongsen engines in my other bikes aren’t as smooth, though much more
torquey.
5.
Fuel Economy. With ordinary fuel in the first 500kms it gave
fuel average of around 27-28kpl in city drive.
6.
Transmission. It has a 6 speed transmission enabling it to climb
well in the first gear and make the bike smooth and easy at high speeds in the
sixth.
7.
Brakes. Front and rear disk brakes give reasonable stopping power, nothing
outstanding but better than the local 150s.
8.
Suspension. Long travel front suspension isn’t upside down but
works OK. I am sure the covering rubber boot would help it’s longevity. Rear
monoshock works well making it reasonably comfortable.
a.
Seat height.
At 860mm it can be a bit challenging for those standing 5.7 or less. The rear
monoshock is adjustable so it should be possible to lower it.
9.
Seat. Is OK although a bit hard.
10.
Chain sprockets. Surprisingly it comes with a 428 Chain and 14x46
sprockets. This would make availability easy but needing adjustment and
replacement more often.
11.
Lights. LED lights all around are excellent making auxiliary lights
unnecessary.
12.
Boxes. A 45liter top box and 2 side boxes are of good quality plastic and size.
13.
Crash bars and other accessories. High quality crash bars all around should be
protecting the fairing. Hand guards, USB charger, skid plate come in handy.
14.
Reliability. Carreras are popular across the world including
Europe, Africa and Latin America where it is known for its reliability and
robustness. Reviews are available on Youtube.
15.
Availability of spares. The ZS PR250 engine is being used in Lahore for
many years and is known for its toughness and longevity. It was imported by
Mian Waqar of Sleeper engines and we had a difference of opinion as I preferred
water cooled versions due to their better low end torque. But I understand that
simplicity, lower price and ease of maintenance makes this air cooled PR250 a
good choice. The engine spare parts are easily available in Lahore so should
not cause problems.
Chain sprockets are also available without much hassle due to being 428.
Finding body parts would be a problem and forming owner groups would help.
Once a certain number of bikes get on the roads I am sure importers would fill the
gap.
16.
Price. Zongsen Carrera 250 was launched for around 600k by New Asia. Interestingly
all the new Chinese cars and motorcycle brands are being catered by 3 wheeler manufacturers.
Prevalent prices of other comparable bikes are as such,
a.
Zongsen RX1
200cc. Marketed by Super Power, 800k.
b.
Honda CB150F
without accessories. Around 500k
c.
Suzuki GR 150
without accessories. Over 500k
d.
Benelli 250. Over
1500k.
e.
Morbidelli 250.
Around 1500k.
This makes the Carrera an attractive offering.
17.
Negatives.
a.
Engine power
is low, lower than my bigger bikes or even the water cooled ZS250s.
b.
Imparts feeling
of a cheap bike.
c.
Air cooled.
d.
Carburetor.
e.
Small chain.
f.
Smaller tires.
g.
Spoke wheels.
h.
Monoshock
which is hard to repair/work on.
i.
Wish it had a
kick starter.
18.
Positives.
a.
Monoshock.
b.
Controlled vibrations
(probably its strongest point).
c.
Fully loaded.
Only needs cigarette lighter and a tank pad.
d.
Over 200mm of
road clearance.
e.
Competitive
price.
Final
impressions.
After using it for 3 weeks my observations are as follows,
It does not compare with the bigger Japanese bikes that feel and ride
much more solid, are comfortable and more powerful.
At the same time it drives much better, is more comfortable and powerful
than the locally made bikes.
2 interesting
observations,
·
Does everything well but nothing
extraordinary.
·
Its weaknesses are alsso its strengths
and vice versa.
a.
EFI vs. Carburetor; EFI makes combustion engines fuel efficient giving
improved performance on climbs as compared to carbureted engines but are much
more difficult to work on. I have seen EFI problems in the best of cars and
motorcycle brands needing high tech expertise and parts that can take time and
need transporting the vehicle. The carburetors on the other had are easy to
work on and Pakistani mechanics everywhere can comfortably repair/adjust them. This
makes the Carrera less fuel efficient but more reliable for far off places in
Pakistan.
b.
Air-cooled vs. water cooled. Water cooled engines are much more powerful and keep
the temperature in check. Air cooled on the other hand tends to heat up on
climbs when the air flow reduces further losing power and heating even more.
On the other side water cooled engines have coolant, hosepipes, clamps radiators
and cooling fans that must be running perfectly all the time. A single
breakdown can overheat the engine and cause major damage.
This makes Carrera not as good on hills as water cooled bikes but more
robust and reliable as it has fewer complications and parts that can break down.
c.
428 chain vs. 520. With a 250cc engine a 520 chain is expected but
Carrera has a 428. 428s being smaller and weaker need more frequent adjustments
and replacements but then 428s and its sprockets of all sizes and shapes are
easily available in Pakistan.
d.
Spokes vs. alloys. Alloy wheels with tubeless tires get flat less
often and are easy to plug whereas spoke wheels are not. However alloy wheels
can crack and can’t be repaired as the spoked wheels. This makes Carrera less
suitable for the city and highway travel but more suitable for off-roading and
travel to remote places. Personally I would take an alloy wheel driving to
Islamabad but a spoked going to Karambar.
Take your pick.
e.
Weight. At around 130kgs it doesn’t give the feel of a big
bike but rides much better than the local bikes of similar price range. On the
highways weight helps stabilize at speeds but can be a nuisance on off-road
making raising from falls difficult. No wonder I can’t take my Honda NC on off
roads as even the best riders fall and I am hardly a biker. Had the Carrera
been heavier I wouldn’t have bought it.
I feel Zongsen Carrera would climb nearly all the mountains I can go, cross
the off roads I might encounter, cruise at 100kph easily and would be easily
maintained unlike the bigger bikes. I remember importing a simple rubber
carburetor/engine insulator for my XR650 that cost me 40k with a lot of hassle.
The same part used in Carrera costs 200 and is easily available.
To sum it up, it comes with nearly all the attachments I need, does
everything I ask, is reliable, easy to maintain and inexpensive, it fills nearly
all the boxes of my considerations.
Although it is no match to my Honda NC750, XR650L or SRE300, it is most suitable
for traveling in Pakistan and I would prefer to travel on Carrera over all
others. It appears to be the most suitable (not the best) bike for Pakistani travellers
and best value for money.
In the end I would like to request the sponsors of New Asia, Mr. Ramzan
and Ali Ramzan, not to increase the prices. Enjoy smaller profits and overtime
this policy would profit more, establish your brand/goodwill and create a
flourishing spare parts business. Within no time New Asia would be competing or
beating the big international brands. Sudden increase of prices would hurt this
positive hype which might die down as fast as it rose.
Having said that I don’t think boycotting Carrera would help achieve biker’s
objectives. It might appear as bikers are punishing New Asia for marketing
Carrera 250 for 600k while others were offering lesser bikes for 800k. We can’t
and shouldn’t penalize someone for bringing better products at reduced prices.
I hope you found it useful.
Fi Aman Allah
Dr. Omar Khan
1-1-26
