On the evening of March 30th, Cyclone released its new middleweight race-aping model RC401 as scheduled, priced at 28800 yuan, and the touring bike RX401 flagship version at 29980 yuan and Deluxe version at 31980 yuan. Race-aping and touring models are hot in recent years, and the competition is mainly on the two 250cc and 500cc products. Therefore, RC401 is the first domestic 400cc level twin-cylinder race-aping bike in real sense.

Most consumers weigh more on the appearance over power for a race-aping bike, thus the manufacturer designed an attractive appearance of RC401. The biomimetic shark gill on the fairing looks very aggressive, so do the front hollowed-out air inlet and the pressure wing. According to the manufacturer, these air kits are not all for the show, rather they achieve a 43° windshield angle, a 13% reduction in drag coefficient and a 9% reduction in lift coefficient.

RC401 is designed with a high-strength manganese steel frame, aluminum panels, lightweight rear rocker arm, front and rear multi-section adjustable shock absorbers, sliding clutch, Bosch 9.1 dual-channel ABS, and a 6.75 inch TFT meter. It is worth mentioning that Cyclone has carried out a series of tests on RC401 in various working conditions to obtain the side rake angle, heading angle and pitch angle.

The 401cc engine equipped on the RC401 an upgrade from the previous TC380 engine. It is a 180°-phase water-cooled parallel twin four-valve engine with a sliding clutch. When equipped on RC401 and RX401, the maximum power is 33kW/9500rpm, the maximum torque is 37N.m/8000rpm. The engine is adjusted to medium and high-rev performance. With the use of lightweight forged pistons and DLC technology, vibration suppression and durability are excellent. Cyclone claims that the engine can operate reliably and trouble-free during 400 hours of continuous heavy-load operation. RC401 has two power modes, with an officially claimed acceleration time of 5.8s from 0 to 100 km/h in the sport mode.

Although the RC401 has the same engine as the RX401, it has been redesigned in key parts such as the frame. The body is made of aluminum alloy parts to reduce weight. Adopting the aerodynamic low wind resistance exterior design, the riding triangle is not aggressive. The 785mm seat height suits most riders.

RC401’s suspension features an inverted front adjustable shock absorber and an adjustable multi-link mid-mounted rear shock absorber. The front and rear wheels use the CST MIGRA S1 sport tyres with specifications 110/70 R17 and 150/60 R17. The front brake uses 300mm double discs, four-piston calipers, and the rear brake has a 256 mm single disc and single-piston calipers.

In terms of electric systems, it has full LED lighting system, 6.5-inch TFT smart meter and Bosch dual channel ABS. However, there is no TCS.

Zongshen’s team has accumulated strong technology in sports models since it participated in motorcycle racing in 1999. Cyclone constantly improve and adjust the vehicle structure and center of gravity position through working conditions tests so as to optimize stability at bends. At high speeds, wind resistance significantly affects vehicle acceleration. Through aerodynamic design, RC401’s drag coefficient is reduced to 0.51cd. Beside, the fairing and pressure wings help enhance the stability of the vehicle at high speed.

he RX401 is more appealing to motorcycle touring enthusiasts than a race-aping bike. Reliability is the most important attribute in a journey. The RX401 has been upgraded from the previous generation of Cyclone RX3S, which means it inherits all the advantages of the RX3S.

Source: https://www.newmotor.com.cn