The Zongshen range of motorcycles is aimed primarily at 16-year-olds (lots of different 125cc models) and workday commuters (a selection of neat, if basic, scooters) but its flagship is a 248cc cruiser, a mini-Harley so laid-back it's almost horizontal.
The ZS250-5 bumbles along courtesy of an air-cooled V-twin that looks like it's derived from the Yamaha Virago engine of the 1980s. Given the predilection of Chinese bikemakers for cloning old Japanese technology, it could be just that.
It's fed by a single Keihin CV carb, mounted sideways on a Y-shaped manifold to simulate a downdraught set-up; it looks odd but works well within the limitations of this engine's tuning.
Zongshen has chosen to make the engine way undersquare at 49x66mm bore/stroke, sacrificing revs and power in a quest for torque.
The result is a lazy little mill with just about enough grunt to pull the skin off a rice pudding but that suits the personality of the bike.
The factory claims 13.2kW at 8000rpm and 15.5Nm at 6000, which is difficult to quantify without a rev-counter. Despite the strangulated flatulence issuing from the single cylindrical tailpipe, the intake has a healthy growl if you give it a real handful of throttle at low revs and the bike will pull (just) hard enough to stay in front of normal workaday traffic.
Beware, though, that the GTI Joes in their hot hatches will eat you for breakfast.
The bike runs gently up to a maximum of 112km/h, with just a little vibration above 90 to remind you that it really is a V-twin, but it will hold 100km/h all day without taking strain - although you might.
It drives through a light clutch with a pleasantly positive take-up and a slick five-speed box, operated by a forward-set lever on a long, rather flimsy, linkage. As a result its action is vague, especially on downshifts, and it's just as well the box itself is crisp and positive, although sometimes reluctant to shift when the bike is stationary.
Final drive is by chain, with remarkably little snatch despite the bike's 1600mm wheelbase. From carb to rear sprocket, the whole set-up is relaxed and easygoing; no terrors lurk for the novice but equally there is little excitement for an experienced rider.
It's all contained in a long, low, double-cradle frame welded up from ordinary mild-steel tubing, almost hidden behind various bits of sheet-metal either chromed or sprayed - in this case a gorgeous metallic silver.
Limited suspension travel
A very conventional pair of 35mm forks guides the front wheel but the rear suspension has a central monoshock under the nose of the saddle rather than the usual twin hydraulic shocks of most cruisers.
Rear suspension travel is very limited, as on most cruisers, and its damping isn't really up to the choppy movements involved so the rear end is oversprung and underdamped like Japanese bikes of 20 years ago.
The front end has longer travel as well as better damping and deals more easily with the slings and arrows of outrageously bad South African roads.
That said, the ZS250 never bottoms out and is amazingly stable at any speed it can attain; it has light, accurate steering and enough ground clearance for some interesting cornering through suburban back-streets.
Strangely, for a cruiser, its best feature is its handling, thanks to its rigid frame and stiff suspension.
'Pressure equaliser'
The front brake has a twin-piston floating calliper biting a 275mm stainless-steel disc; it works well although it has a strange little bottle-shaped device called a "Zongshen pressure equaliser" that seems to have no effect on braking other than to remove all feel and feedback from the system.
I've seen the same thing on other Zongshens and I've no idea what it does.
Nevertheless, the front brake is more than adequate for the machine's performance and its action is very direct so you soon learn to compensate for being unable to feel what's going on between tyre and tar.
The rear brake is a single leading-shoe drum on a light cable that runs the length of the frame and is thus very prone to "springing" under pressure. The result is a rear brake with no power, no feel and a spongy lever action that doesn't engender much confidence in its ability to stop anything.
Conservative ergonomics
Due to the bike's limited performance, however, the rear brake is never needed for anything other than hill-starts and not even the most ham-footed of novices will be able to lock up the rear wheel, an indication of Zongshen's conservative approach to motorcycle ergonomics.
The ZS250's styling is a little contradictory, with the blocky styling of the rear fender and side covers contrasting oddly against the flowing lines of fuel tank, headlight nacelle and front mudguard.
Practically the entire engine is chromed, as are all the little sheet-metal covers that seem to hide every serious piece of engineering on the whole chassis - which make routine maintenance a bit of a chore but make the bike look even chunkier than it is.
Superb finish
General fit and neatness onare not up to the best of the Japanese offerings but the finish of the painted parts - metal and plastic - and the quality of the chrome plating are superb.
The switchgear is solid and chunky, as are the mirrors, adding to the overall quality of the bike's appearance.
The chromed nacelle on the tank houses the speedometer, three warning lights and a little LCD that displays the odometer reading and a sadly pessimistic bar-graph fuel gauge - which you can ignore until the orange reserve light comes on.
The plough-shaped rider's seat, separate pillion and neat backrest are neatly upholstered in quality vinyl with 1970's-style piped edges and buttons. They're very stiffly padded, however and the bike is not as comfortable as it looks.
Natural seating position
The seating position, however, is almost perfect with footboards instead of pegs and high, not-too-wide handlebars. Hands and feet are naturally disposed for relaxed cruising and the controls fall perfectly to hand.
The bike feels just right, for novices as well as experienced riders, which is its greatest strength; its weakness is that it promises more in terms of performance than it delivers.
At R29 995, it's an affordable way to cruise; it's a brilliant entry-level bike and a delightfully easygoing way to introduce non-bikers seduced by Milwaukee hype to the pleasures of riding slowly enough for the plebs to see how good you look.
But ultimately anyone who gets serious about bikes is going to want more.
Price:
R29 995
- Test bike from Cumfy Motors, Cape Town.