Chinese Retro-Style Sportbike Zeths ZFR 525 R Avenger Unveiled

Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zeth's is a relatively new player in the two-wheeled world. Founded in 2016, the brand focuses on the premium segment, with its models ranging from 250cc to 1,000cc motorcycles consisting of cruisers, naked bikes, and sportbikes. One of its newest models stands out among the Chinese copycat bikes, as it takes the form of a retro-inspired, fully faired sportbike. 

It's called the ZFR 525 R Avenger, a bike that appears to be the production-ready version of the ZFR 500 R concept we talked about way back in January. From a styling perspective, the Zeths ZFR 525 R takes the form of an 80s-inspired sportbike. Doing away with the angular and aggressive styling of today's machines, the ZFR 525 R is fitted with a rounded fairing and twin headlights giving it a distinctly retro look. Beneath its retro bodywork, the bike gets thoroughly modern underpinnings consisting of an inverted front fork and single-sided swingarm with a monoshock at the back. 

In terms of performance, the ZFR 525 R is powered by a rather common engine when it comes to Chinese motorcycles –  the 494cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine. Apparently reverse-engineered from Honda's 471cc parallel-twin, this engine can be found in bikes from other Chinese brands, in particular, Loncin and its premium subsidiary Voge. In the case of the ZFR 525 R Avenger, the engine has been tuned to produce 48 horsepower – a perfect fit for Europe's A2 licensing parameters. 

Other features of the Zeths ZFR 525 R include an aluminum bridge frame, as well as the previously mentioned single-sided swingarm at the rear, giving the bike a very premium aesthetic. The bike comes to a stop with dual disc brakes up front with radially mounted four-piston calipers, and with a single disc at the rear. ABS comes as standard, too. 

In terms of pricing and availability, the Zeths ZFR 525 R is expected to retail between 40,000 to 50,000 Yuan, or about $5,500 to $6,800. Furthermore, it's not yet known if Zeths has any plans of exporting this bike to other markets outside of China.