Through the years Nepal Drives has had a couple of bad eggs during our test rides. Not inherently bad machines, but test units that had been “test ridden” past their comfort zones and carelessly maintained afterwards. So, when the good folks at Zontes told me the test unit they had for me was the same one that had been to Lo Manthang and back, I had to be honest. I looked them straight in the eyes and told them that I would not overlook any flaws on the motorcycle, and from the goodness of my heart, would allow them to rethink their decision and provide me the keys to an untouched 155-U1.

Funnily enough, they just handed me what looked like a Mi Band fit watch and told me to get going with the review. I was left slightly befuddled when they told me the band was the key to the motorcycle, almost as befuddled as when they shrugged off my demands for a brand-new test unit. But, if they were ok with me ranting on about the lack of power, shoddy braking, and rattling noises coming from their bike, so be it, it was their funeral.

Prejudices and bad memories of previous Chinese motorcycles I’ve reviewed run deep for me. For instance, a certain motorcycle company gave my PR team a stern talk on the phone after we published a less-than-glowing review of their motorcycle. Sometime later, we tried to mend the ties and start afresh, but it turned out they had closed up shop and left the business. But, I digress.

My point is, when I pushed the red button to bring the Zontes 155-U1 to life and ride off, I was fully expecting a rickety old machine that felt like it had been to the depths of hell and back. Only, it didn’t.

The 155-U1 felt rock solid. Sure, there were visible battle scars from being the company’s only test unit, but they seemed only cosmetic. The engine started up without hesitation, the clutch pulled in sweetly, and when you released it and accelerated hard, the Zontes pulled forward with noticeable verve and a throaty grumble from the exhaust. And when you put on the brakes, they bit hard and stopped the motorcycle; the BOSCH dual channel ABS worked well to handle any tomfoolery I dished out. The only glitch I immediately noticed was that it felt reluctant to get into neutral.

After riding the Zontes through city traffic and some open twisties in the hills, it was pretty clear that it handled itself well on the tarmac. The power output was significantly more than what I expected from a 150cc segment motorcycle and it egged me to do things that 150cc segment motorcycles typically don’t, like breaking speed limits and making rash overtaking manoeuvres in fast-moving traffic. Let’s say I refrained from doing that. However, you could feel the width of the tyres reminding you that it wasn’t the nimblest motorcycle out there, but it still fared fairly well when you put it through long sweeping corners.

Still yearning to exact some punishment on the Zontes, I went in search of places that would make it feel uncomfortable. Not long after, I found myself between a forest of tall trees and a sketchy single track that led to the unknown… part of the forest. All that was left to do was wring the accelerator and hope for the best. The Zontes scampered forward, the wheels digging into the loose dirt and spraying earth behind it.

Shifting my weight onto the handlebars and gripping the tank with my knee, I pushed the Zontes to perform like an enduro. It didn’t. It would be foolish of anyone to expect it to; it’s large, relatively heavy, and the front tyres are too big. However, it still managed to exceed expectations. As long as you kept feeding the engine, the Zontes clawed onwards. The ground clearance was plenty and while in momentum, it did not feel all too heavy. Once we reached a dead end, and we had to turn around, the bike definitely felt heavy.

Now, it is important to remember that the Zontes was not made specifically to tackle enduro trails. To be honest, I can’t really tell what it was made for. It is a 155cc machine that excels in almost anything you put it to. The engine delivers controllable horses to meander around the city and a few wild ones to make long-haul charges across districts. Albeit it’s only packing close to 19 horses at max and 16 NM of maximum torque, it still performs well in its segment. Want to take it off-road and maybe explore a few new trails, well, the Zontes 155-U1 can keep up with your wandering soul.

Then it has parts that you don’t expect coming stock in small motorcycles. The brake and clutch levers are adjustable, you get a switch on the handlebar that opens the fuel cap, your key is replaced by a smart wrist band which automatically locks your machine the moment you move more than 1.5m away, assist & slipper clutch, dual channel ABS with BOSCH DNA to stop you on a dime, BOSCH fuel injection for efficiency, aluminium swing-arm, and a short chassis to keep things fun. The CST tyres we feel could need a replacement. While everything else felt super reliable on the motorcycle, the tyres did not feel as dependable. Smoother treads instead of the knobbies would probably make it feel lighter.

Since we are now on the topic of reliability and dependability, Zontes’ build quality must be appreciated. Motorcycles of Chinese origin usually come with heavy baggage, baggage filled with reliability and build quality issues. The Zontes 155-U1 is well-built and all the parts look and feel like they are high quality. Take away the badge and oriental genes and you will have a wildly positive outlook on this bike.

One thing I can say for certain is that the Zontes 155-U1 is not a bad egg. Despite my hardest efforts to find as many faults as possible, I was pleasantly surprised when I handed back that fancy wristband to the company. The fact that it’s capable on the tarmac, suitable for mild off-roading, has good build quality, good features, and good performance all while looking magnificent makes it a heck of a good prospect.

This machine fits the bill of the ever-elusive motorcycle that is fuel efficient, powerful, good to look at, and a whole lot of fun to ride. If only it wasn’t for the price tag, which comes in at Rs.5,99,000 for the top variant. But, you do get a lot for that money, including a motorcycle that is under 200cc but doesn’t feel like it. I can see how it would be easy for a kid to convince their parents to get them a “small cc bike” and still have a great little machine.