Megelli ?

[recracer]

I am not sure what the story behind all this is . megelli web site appears dead and this link shows up http://bbs.zongshenmotor.com/thread-8150-1-1.html Zongshen lightning.

[culcune]

'Oengus' who posts alot as 'MJH' on Mychinamoto had mentioned Zongshen purchasing Megelli a few months ago.

[SpudRider]

Yes, I read somewhere that Zongshen has purchased Megelli.

http://www.cycletorque.com.au/megell.../#.UrPvZfRDsrU

[FastDoc]

That may be a good thing!

I'd like to see the liquid cooled 4 valve engine originally planned for it.

They will have a hard time competing with the CBR250 though.

Yamaha and Suzuki and even Triumph also make low cost high performance 250's now also.

This is probably a case of too lttle too late for this model, but we will see! I like it!

[culcune]

These are two former Megelli models that are shown on Zongshen's site;

http://www.zongshenmotor.com/?q=node/867

http://www.zongshenmotor.com/?q=node/868

I am hoping we get these, provided they don't try charging 'optimistic' prices (not Megelli-related, but Zongshen related);

http://www.zongshenmotor.com/?q=node/862

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the interesting information, Culcune.

The Zongshen America website was not updated for years, and now it has disappeared completely. We never saw the arrival of the Zongshen Fly (ZS150GY-10), which was supposed to replace my ZS200GY-2 motorcycle. I fear Zongshen is abandoning its presence in the United States.

[culcune]

If I remember, the 150 was bought by the member from the Phillippines who had a long thread of his adventures with it a couple years ago. Sadly, they never came here, because I think it would have been an intriguing bike, even if only 150cc.

It looks like the RX3 is now the spiritual successor to your bike, Spud. I think that the founder, Zuo Zongshen meant what he said in the 'chinamotoworld' interview about improving quality across the board for his bikes, and the Chinese bike industry in general. I am a believer considering my TMEC uses an archaic in design Zongshen manufactured CG200 clone engine that met EPA/DOT requirements (still does with the '13 models) and has given me 8000 miles, so far (plus however more there were before I bought it).

[SpudRider]

Zongshen builds good engines, and good motorcycles. The RX3 looks like a very nice motorcycle. I certainly hope that bike is exported to North America, but it appears Zongshen America is closing down its operations in the United States.

[Weldangrind]

I'm not at all surprised. Take the population of Canada and the USA, add a billion, and you have the population of China. We're such a small market segment, that I'm surprised they even bothered with us.

[Oengus]

Zongshen always had manufactured that engine; it’s their design. The production of the Megelli was done at Hisun and now has been moved to Zongshen and the brand name Megelli may continue or may not?

The Zongshen RX3 is being offered in China with that same engine and with EFI legally, so it’s likely these will follow into the market in China.

It’s not likely you will see Zongshen reenter the US Market, other then what is sold under the Piaggio brand name. Zongshen manufactures one scooter for Piaggio that is offered in the USA, the Typhoon those sell for $2,000.00 for a 50cc and for $2,900.00 for the 125cc version. Piaggio shifted the production of their Fly 50/150 scooters to Vietnam. Zongshen can currently earn more as an OEM for Piaggio, the Piaggio brand has more value in the market.

I imagine you could purchase the 250cc models from Zongshen as a wholesaler, but bet that the prices would make the models economically infeasible to sell in the USA. Even if you could get them to a dealer at a cost to them of $2,500.00 each, the margins would be so small and sales so weak…it would not be worth the effort. You would need to buy many of them and sell them all to keep going and there simply is not that kind of demand here.

The only feasible way to bring them to the USA would be through another brand, like
Aprillia, which is owned by Piaggio, then it, would save costs since they could be sold through an existing system in the USA. Aprillia also sell a Zongshen the SR Motard is made by Zongshen and sells for $2,000.00 the 2-stroke factory is made in Italy and is 2-stroke it sells for $3,300.00.

If they refined these bikes, they might be able to get $4,000.00 for them? But they already get too much attention maybe to pass as Aprillia? I am sure that the Italian do not want discount their brand name either.