I have spent many hours in the saddle of a Zontes 310 T. I rode from Pretoria, all the way to Verneukpan, and from there on to Cape Town. Zontes had enough faith in their product to do that kind of trip. Even though these mini adventure bikes were never meant to be serious off roaders, the little 310 did not shy away from the odd gravel road in the Northern Cape. I must admit that the small front wheel did cause me a bit of a bother when I hit a sandy patch close to the pan, but other than that, the T rode flawlessly.

To make their product look a little tougher, Zontes replaced the alloy rims with spoked wheels and they increased the size of the front wheel to 19”. The spoked wheels look really good, and the wheels stay tubeless, but the larger diameter front wheel will make a world of difference when you reach technical terrain. They have also upgraded the clutch, so it does look as if Zontes is pitching this as more than an urban adventure bike.

The bike does look ungainly if you look at it side-on with the larger wheel, but you will also notice a more pronounced hump in the tank. That is because they have now increased the fuel tank to 19 liter. That is a lot of fuel for such a frugal little bike. I think you will be able to ride pretty far before you need a fill-up.

Another noticeable improvement is the TFT display that replaces the LCD screen of the T. There are four themes to choose from and overall, I am impressed with this new display. Because you now have extra functionality on the screen, the buttons on the left handlebar had a slight revamp to allow you to access the menus on the screen.

The little Zontes is still a lot of fun to ride, and now with these small cosmetic changes it makes the overall package even more attractive. Zontes also offers a comprehensive luggage system that proved not only spacious but also dust and waterproof.

So if adventure is your game, but the budget does not stretch all the way to a big adventure bike, then you should really consider the little Zontes 310-T2.

Article: Brian Cheyne