You've changed my prospective on scooters. I've been binge watching you're scooter contents. I was watching all the other bike contents as well but the scooters have really grabbed my attention. I love the TFT display on this.
Just bought one in Gibraltar. It was between this, the zontes 350, the forza 350 or the xmax 300. Got this for 3600, with better power to weight and mpg than the others. Large back case is a must as underseat storage cant even take my wife size small jet helmet. Thats liberally the only negative. Felt tiny compared to my old xciting 400 which was huge but a nightmare to park in Gibraltars congested streets. So fast, nimble and comfortable. No regrets.
To advise on the power to weight ratio: Zontes claim 168kg wet weight in the owner manual and on most, (but not all Zontes websites around the world.). However its untrue. My UK V5 registration document showed that the running weight of the Zontes was 188kg. An enquiry with Zontes UK confirmed that this was correct. Wet weight and running weight are identical. So, the 310 does have a slightly higher p/w ratio than competitors, but not as much as they claim. Forza 350 p/w 0.117 kW/kg Yamaha xmax 300 p/w 0.113 Zontes 310M p/w 0.130
i did consider buying a new Zontes 350, however took the safe option and purchased a used low-mileage Honda Forza saving around £500.. The benefits of Honda for long-term ownership are well known, spares availability and the high standard of construction. Zontes are a fledgling operation compared to Honda, I liked the look of the Zontes, externally the bodywork and switchgear they look good, but there is limited knowledge of the internals of the engine such as crankshaft main bearings.. I took the safe option with my money, i do hope Zontes prove to be reliable machines, for those who make them first choice
This is for me a long awaited review and a first for zontes. Again the best man reviewing it giving me all the information I needed. I am seriously considering one of these. I hope they sell well but I'm dubious because larger scooters don't do so well in this country. That's a shame because they are greatly underestimated in my opinion. I've been riding maxi scooters for many years and tour with them. I've surprised many a biker too. Anyway I hope reviews such as yours will persuade others to try a scooter such as this and be converted. Thanks again mark
Ok Phil I've reviewed many scooters as you know and the good ones are like the xmax and Forza 350...but this one really surprised me ...it's as fast as the xmax ,maybe even quicker accelerating because it's light ,and it rides really well Cheers again mark
I have just sold two of these this week to customers in the Isle of Man, and have bought one for my self to use also, as well as me using it as a demo for my customers to try out. I can recommend they are very well made, and the performance is very good. My self, I also have a Honda Sh300i that I had been using to go back and to work on just about every day for over a year, until I got one of these Zontes 310M scooters. I can say it is definitely much better than my old Honda Sh300i in every way. The retail price on the new Zontes 310M at the moment is £4399 + OTR
Please, I wana know about vibration on the handle too. And did you still use this Chinese bike at this time? Please, write a small review text for every body and me. Thank you!❤
I didn't have to wait long for your review on this!! I'm really impressed with it after watching your review. It seem's to ride alot better than some of the longer wheelbase Scooter's you've reviewed down the country lanes, thanks so much for the review, you've put this in my top three of next purchase's,and as mentioned in your other comments let's hope the spares are a reasonable price. I did think about getting the sym 300 you tested,but the spares price's on the official sym UK price list are ridiculous! Thanks again 😀
I like the fact that it's full on sports bike at the front but not such a long bike hence the smaller under seat storage but with a carbon end can and a slight alteration to the seat hump ( another 3 inches further back with a proper Bump stop sports back end ) it would look and sound awesome😂..I may just do that..cheers Mark..Brilliant review as always!!
Very similar to the Honda ADV 350, would like to hear your comparison. Yes, Zontes are good quality, but I'm little brainwashed ifo big four Japanese brands. We also get Zontes in South Africa. I believe the engine is nearly identical in BMW 310.
Just buy new run it for the duration of the manufacturers warranty of 2 years then take it back to the dealer you got it from and part exchange for a newer model or a different make the dealer will give you a fair price to secure a new vehicle sale.
Another exceptional take on this machine, I must confess I've never heard of them. I think that radiator looks to be in a vulnerable place, needs some protection I'd say. Great stuff Mark.
Hi Mark Hope you're well. Another great review and the chinese bikes are getting better. In the video you said it would make an ideal commuter however i would disagree in that the service intervals are so short. I do one thousand miles a month and if i owned one of these it would have to be serviced four times a year with 3 thousand miles service interval compared to a Japenese scooter at every 8 thousand meaning i would only be getting it serviced one a year. The chinese manufacters have to sort the small service intervals out before they can be taken serouisly in my opinion.
Hi Nigel Yes agreed they are short .. they don't really need to be I think it's just the Chinese being cautious.you could easily stretch out the oil change to 4/5 k miles with modern quality semi synthetic...it's only a piston and oil at the end of the day same as a honda .plus I'd change the oil myself at about 4/5 k miles even on a honda just to be safe ,but everyone has their own views . Id just service it myself once out of warranty.. quick and easy oil and filter change....simple services on these Cheers mark
Thanks for the review! In a month I get my Category A license and I can't wait to buy my Zontes M310, when I started school I wanted a motorcycle, but I understood the advantages of a scooter: 1. It has a windshield and it is also electrically adjustable, 2. It has space for an entire helmet, so I don't have to carry the helmet after me, 3. It doesn't have the chain exposed, so it doesn't require maintenance, 4. I don't have to change gears, being a beginner, it's a little hard for me to think about what gear I need to be in. So a scooter has many pluses compared to a motorcycle
Your right it dont have the chain exposed. But you still need to check the belt every few months. The quickest way a belt goes on a scooter is if the inside of the transmission case isn't cleaned and heat kills belts. Also need to check the variator, rollers and ramp guides. Also the clutch. The clutches don't last as long as a motorcycle due to the motorcycle clutch is a wet clutch (it's on oil). Scooter clutches are dry clutches that have no oil.always check the belt aswell. If that snaps expect a pricey build. The belt often wraps up inside the clutch and gets inside the grease in the drive pulley. Always regularly maintain a scooter.
A few points: The power to weight ratio of the Zontes is 0.146 kW/kg, the Beveley 400 is 0.130 . So I would guess better acceleration. As others have pointed out, there appears to be less underseat storage volume than, say the Honda Forza 350. (P/W 0.117). I'm also noticing the narrow windshield, with what seems from Mark's video, only a small adjustment low to high. This could be a problem for taller riders, who may get helmet blast. It looks impressive, thanks Mark.
I would appreciate your opinion on wet weight/mass in service V5C registration document. In Zontes 310M publicity and owners manual, wet weght 168kg. On Registration document 188kg!
@@geoff6942 hi Geoff sorry no idea on that one....it's not uncommon for small typos on Chinese bikes ...I'd say it's 168kg wet not 188 kg which is quite heavy best wishes mark
@@markpulling12 Thanks Mark. Zontes UK did tell me there are chinese/english translation errors in the manual. However that doesn't explain why Zontes UK website is showing wet weight 168kg. (same as handbook). The running mass, (V5),(surely the same), is 188kg, and I have been assured by Zontes UK that it is correct! So a dichotomy exists!
Hi, I own this scooter since March this year. I already got almost 2000 km driven, I was also able to test top speed (the first 1600 km you shlould drive slower). So official top speed is 129km/hour. Mine indication top speed was 155 km/hour - minus 10% real top speed is about 140 km/hour at 8200 rotations per minute (indication seem to be constant 10% optimistic). For 140 you need a bit downhill, 135 you can go anywhere. The top speed is limited by rotation of engine, not by lack of power. Comfortable speed is about real 110-120km/hour, but you can speed up if you need to 130-140 quickly. But highway in only option for this scooter, it is design for city and that is where I use it 90% of time. I find out that I don't have to use full power in city anywhere. To be on trafic lights faster than cars or than 125ccm scooters you need just a small move of throttle and very soon you see speed 50-80 km/hour and you have to stop acceleration. Moving in city is easy, no speed is problem (you can move 5km/hour and scooter is still stable). So far I have only one "problem" with quality. To close and lock seat I have to close it to exact position. On previous scooter I was used to just drop seat down and it was lock every time. It does not work like that on my Zontes.
@@markpulling12 Hi, I just made 1000 km trip (500km one way) on this scooter and I can correct my information. The scooter is a bit faster :-) . On one downhill I reached 156 km/hour indication speed, but this time I had navigation where I saw GPS speed 146 km/hour. So real speed is about 10% smaller in lower speeds and 10 km in speeds over 100km/hour. On the first part I was driving a bit slower, so consumption was 2.9 and average speed was 91 km/hour, on return journey I was a bit faster was so consumption was 3.0 and average speed was 102 km/hour. This consumption is smaller than maker promises :-) But it city it take 3.7-4.1 l/100km. The scooter handle this long journey without any problem, but I did not. After 2 hour I had to stop and walk a bit. I'm 1.9 tall so I can't stretch my legs. So you can use this scooter also on highways, but it is not design for long trips. But I do this long trip just one per year. The rest of my trips are shorter then 2 hours on one way, so it is ok for me.
Can you give a reivew of Zotest 350D and 350E, Zontest just opened showroom in my country...I want to know more about these 2 models since it is much cheaper than my Forza 350 2021
Front looks like Darth vader seems a good scooter, don't like the exhaust look though. Personally I prefer the look and build of Forza 350, but this looks a good scooter. Another very good information filled video. 👌
G'day Mark, good looking scooter and a cheap price to take away from other competitors, only one thing wrong, China,s companies don't retool fast enough and it's good when a new item is made but buy the same a year later when the machines have already made millions the accuracy and quality starts to fall and market slows because of this fact and the company closes down, that's China in a nut shell, cheers mate, Neil.
Nice review Mark. I recently bought a new Piaggio Beverly 400 which generates 35 BHP from its 399cc engine. Had I not bought that scooter I would have definitely looked at the Zontes. Whilst I think the Zontes is good value I think the exhaust is awful compared to the Piaggio which has a twin pipe setup. I would have also preferred the Zontes to have traction control instead of tyre pressure warning. Any chance of a review of the Beverly 400 in the future ?
Great review Mark. What I would like to see included is warranty , service intervals and price for each service . All in all tho , this is a serious contender in the scooter market -)
Thanks for an informative review. It looks a great alternative to the mainstream offerings for a significant saving. If the spares situation is good it would be a worthwhile consideration. Price negates worrying about the resale value. What’s not to like. 👍
can't wait t get a hold of one of these bad boys. chinese motorbikes have come a long way. Japan better lower their rediculous prices lol long live competition.really appreciate how you compared to the competition enjoyed your video mate.
Great review Mark, any idea what parts is like sourcing for this bike? I know it's new, but thinking ahead once the warranty has ran out and you need a certain part for it are they easy to find with this brand?
Hi ...Clements moto are the importers for these ...parts are available through them ...send them an email and they can tell you the full availability Best regards mark
The sad thing is that Chinese bikes got off to a bad start gaining a not so good reputation. But I remember back when I was 16 and everyone saying, these Japanese bikes are a flash in the pan. I ride a Honda SH125i and get 200 miles out of a tank. I think this and economy is what puts people off larger scooters. Also of course it's not straight forward to get a bike licence these days. I only have a A1 licence and don't understand why it's not legal to ride an A2 on L plates using an A1 licence in order to get used to a larger bike and the next test up. Your reviews are very informative make good comparisons and down to earth. You kind of remind me of a chap from Man about the house, who in another series went on to get a bike with a side car.
Thanks for the review, looks like a very good value and capable, economic scooter. The front view of the scooter looked a bit lacking for me, as you say you either love it or hate it! I'm only recently part of the scooter fold having ridden motorcycles since I was 17 in the 70's. Last autumn I picked up a used Kawasaki J300 scooter and I love it. Scooters do have advantages over similar sized motorcycles with low maintenance belt drives, under seat storage space, low centre of gravity for stable handling, decent weather protection, high mpg, etc. For general commuting to work and fun trips they are hard to beat.
@@markpulling12 Think am set on a classic 350 but the GK at a similar price point is a tempter. Although the Enfield garage is 10 mins vs 1hr 30 (Bigger tank and double the bhp for around the same price..probably lighter than say the interceptor which on paper just a bit more powerfull).
Good review again Mark, particularly as I'm a bit vertically challanged like yourself. I bought an Aura 300 recently but someone reversed into me after only 400 miles and killed it unfortunately. If you remember I had a few issues with the electronics when I first got it and it put me off Chinese bikes a bit but I think I might give this one a go as soon as the insurance pay up!
So the quality is allright although it’s a Chinese build bike. I quite like the styling and the dash is wonderful!! Hopefully - maybe - you will get to do a video of the new Piaggio Beverly. Again great video Mark!!
Hi blain the lexmoto is good for the money but definitely spend the extra if you can afford it...this is in another league....it rides just like the x,max 300 :)
Yes I did the nikken a while ago but that's a bit of a monster ... sometimes crescent Yamaha have the tricity on demo so I'll look into that cheers mark
Yet another tempting product from China. Japan will need to raise their game and lower their prices, or this will be the new market. Great review Mark.
Hi Charlie it's a compact short wheel base scooter ,so compared to a burgman 400 which is longer it feels a lot more nippy ...less leg room but still plenty for riders up to say 6ft ...very comfortable seat and the forward and back feet positions are well placed Cheers mark
I was waiting for someone to ask this lol. !! No I'd get the adv just because it has slightly better suspension for our bumpy roads but they both ride very well...the zontes is great for the money 💰
I appreciate your good review. I see the advantage of a mid size scooter above a 125 as well, (if you have the permit). The power to weight ratio is very good and reminds me to my old Kymco Downtown 300i with the engine having 33 horses. (later models less) . I assume it´s fun to ride. The space below the seat is considered as "minimum", the front view of the scoot is "acceptable" with one eye closed ;)
I have been waiting for months for this scooter as you say it's been available in the Asian market for over a year, it's not even on the main importers website! let alone for sale anywhere, I hope they are going to pull their finger out, I love my Zontes ZT 310 T2 wire wheel model, but the scooter my suit my aging bones better, Did you show us beneath the seat? and will it take a full face?
Yes Danny at the beginning...it should take a full face .. mine wouldn't fit because I've got all the camera mount , Bluetooth etc fitted to it cheers mark
Hi tough choice....money no object I'd go for the latest tmax ,560 but that's very expensive...best value I'd go for the adv,350 .... budget choice this zontes 310 cheers mark
I've just seen kymco,s latest 320cc scooter and now I'm even more convinced this is the one I'd go for. In my opinion kymco have gone the same way as many other producers, they have priced them too high. I started my maxi scooter journey with the burgman 400. Excellent scooter, now way too expensive so I switched after two models of the 400, one a 2003, then a 2008 one to kymco with the now discontinued downtown 3 00i.I then went on to the xciting 400. I still have this, a 2015 model. Excellent scooter, now again discontinued.which bri vs me up to date with a look at k ymcos latest offering, the dx360. A confusing title since it is only a 320cc.at £5600, compared to this zontes to me its a no brainer.so now I'm selling my kymco since I've had it for seven years and its time for an upgrade. Zontes here I come
Great review mark,I think zontes is on to a winner with this one all that spec for the price they are asking it's a no brainer. And u carnt moan about it being Chinese, because most things are made in china.
Hi ...I gave it a good look over build quality seemed excellent 👍 Even some Hondas can cheap out a bit with things like exhausts etc No it was very stable...168 kg Is a nice weight ...very easy to move through the corners Cheers mark
My friend wants one of these, and so do I but I am in not so much of a hurry, He rang Clements Moto (Main importer) they don't even show the bike on their site, anyway they weren't helpful and didn't even put him onto one, he rang the nearest dealer for Zontes Lightning Storm Motorcycles in Lowestoft and has heard FA back from them, after digging around it's either go to the dealer Mark got this from which is 211 miles away, or believe it or not the Isle of Man of all places which is 374 miles plus a ferry! Zontes just like Mash (I owned one) and SWM will go the same way as them. No customer service, A worry over parts, (Someone was just told 5 weeks for a REC/REG (charging problems) and no real commitment to sell or promote them apart from people like Mark. Still my friend has just brought two new Enfield's and an 850 Moto-Guzzi all new within the space of a year, so He'll take his money elsewhere I guess. Think on think on and then think again!
Hi they are all very good the zontes is great vfm ...me personally I'd buy a year old Forza 350 at a good price ...that one Is my favourite the electric screen is brilliant Best wishes mark
Great review Mark! What did you think compared to the Forza 350? Are they roughly similar handling and performance? Also, I'm seeing prices being quoted at £3499 in a few places on the UK internet...
Hi Andy it rode just as well as the Forza 350 ....I was very impressed...light handling and good ride quality ...I'd take those prices with a pinch of salt but I may be wrong ...it's just come into the UK and it's not even on the zontes website...I was told the price I said on the video Best regards mark
@@markpulling12 Thanks Mark...I've been on the verge of buying a Forza or a Royal Enfield GT...and here's another choice! Figured the price would be higher, but it's still damn good!
If that's the Dundee Scooters / Biking Direct pages they seem to list Zontes bikes way before they are available at guessed prices then up them when the real price is known. They have the Zontes 350GK (gk350) up, which nobody else is showing, at £4299 but it started at £3699 and has slowly crept up over a few weeks.
Great review. What about vibration at higher speeds or lower speeds? I want to buy it but i hate it when its starts vibrating to hard at higher speeds. When doing long trips your arms start aching. And can you stretch your legs when you are 5 ft 10? And when you use your signal and want to turn it of, do you push the button down or do you have to search yourself for the middle? Great review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best review i have seen on any bike! I subscribed.
@@christiansigrist9244 great choice ☺️...it's only a small underseat storage on these you might be able to at a push ....I'd highly recommend fitting a single top box to the rear rack .. that would be my choice for putting a helmet in Best wishes mark
No not really...it makes it more maneuverable in town ... possibly not as good if you hit a big pot hole but generally the smaller wheels work very well on scooters Best wishes mark
You’re really not helping my desire to get a scooter as a 2nd bike. The TMAX Tech looks amazing but it way too pricy for a 2nd bike. This Zontes on the other hand is very affordable. I’ll keep an eye for a second hand one 😎. Thanks Mark, a great review.
Yeah, while it does look nice and you get a load of tech for the price, I'd be concerned about long term reliability. Service intervals are really short too, compared to the Forza's 8000 miles.
@@applecorp If I was going to get one then I would only do so if I was going to keep it long term. Zontes do seem to be the nicest of the Chinese brands. A Lot of dealers wont even take a chinese bike in P/X even some of them that sell them new !!
Update on my ownership of the 310M I owned this for 3 months. A powerful scooter, with particularly good drl's, backlit switches, excellent tft dash, electric windscreen. However, there were a couple of things that made me part with this scooter: 1/ vibration through the handlebars, which caused me deadhand. Fitting grip puppies did not help. Maybe not a problem for younger people. 2/ a failed smartkey (you get two). It took a month for a replacement to be imported from China, which was unacceptable to me. 3/ I've got doubts about the battery/regulator. My dashboard symbol would flash red when starting 12.1V. This is a low battery voltage for starting. It never failed to start, but the lithium battery and charging system is suspect in my view. It would only increase to 13/14v after travelling 400 yards up the road. I hope this post helps prospective buyers.
Chris, it would be wrong of me to 'dis' a brand/model based on one user experience. I notice my sold bike (traded in at Honda, and sold to the trade), was sold within a month. Of course it still has Zontes warranty. G.@@chrislawton5486
Nice review but I don't think I could bring myself to buy a CCP scooter. I know everything has something CCP in it, but I try to avoid if I have a choice. Great review though.
This looks good. Not familiar with the name tbh. I don't really like the exhaust & for me, I don't like the front end at all. When you gave us a close up of the front end before you set off it looked just like Skeletor. So that put me off tbh. For me up to yet it has to be the ADV 350. Looks nicer, build quality seems better & suspension. Plus more under seat storage & looks a bit more of an adventure bike compared to this. Oh and I'm 6f 2in so I need the extra bit of seat height. This isn't bad though, just not for me.
I think the front looks like a bat! It also looks like you could really fit a lot of wet market take away under that seat. The seat really seems to lock down quite well too. Well done comrades.
In the future, if Zontes boosts the engine to 350cc, they should put 15-inch rims on it as well. 15-15 or 16-15, not 15-14 (like Honda and Yamaha). No 14-inch rims! Add a 40-liter top box as standard to compensate sacrificed storage space.
