Virago Reinvented

Motorcycle News
P21, January 28, 2009

Chinese Zing Storm is near as dammit a Yamaha XV535

Remember the Yamaha Virago? One of the smallest lightest cruisers of all time, it appealed specifically to women, with a low seat, easy manners and fuss-free shaft drive.

Yamaha sold thousands of them. Trouble is, they shopped making the XV535 cruiser years ago, and the Drag Star 650 that effectively replaced it wasn't as nimble and easy to ride.

Well, now you can buy a Virago again. Actually, that's not strictly true, for the Zing Storm is neither a Yamaha nor Japanese. It's made in China, by the giant Lifan Corporation that claims to churn out 1.2 million two-wheelers a year.

The Storm might not be a pukka Virago, but it's as near as you can get. It's not made under licence, but is a near-as-dammit copy. Like the original, it's a cruiser in miniature, powered by an air cooled V-twin, with a five-speed gearbox, shaft drive and basic suspension. Instead of 535cc, the motor is a 399cc, but that still makes this the biggest bike yet to come out of China.

So to anyone who's ridden the original, plonking yourself on the Storm's dual seat comes with a big slice of deja vu. You sit low, just 720mm off the ground and even the shortest riders can put both feet flat on the tarmac.

A lonely speedo, with just three warning lights, faces you. Now grope down somewhere below your left thigh, because the ignition switch is down there. A little further forward is a choke lever - this is an old-fashioned carb-fed motor, and it needs encouragement from a cold start. Still, it fires up readily, and once underway proves reasonably willing. But let's get one thing clear - the Storm musters a claimed 27bhp, so it's not over endowed in the power department. Add fuel, oil and even a modestly proportioned test rider to the claimed 175kg dry weight, and it's never going to set asphalt alight. Rev it through the gears, and you get is buzzy vibration and some reasonable, rather than socket straining acceleration.

It makes more sense to sit back and cruise in the way that Viragos were intended to do. Do that and the little V-twin is smooth, sweet and tractable - quiet too, despite the slash-cut mufflers.

The importers claim an 80mph top speed, and judging by the ease with which it keeps up an indicated 70, that's probably about right.

You might expect the upright riding position to have you hanging on to the bars at that sort of speed, but it feels fine. Maybe it's the low seat and the droopy bars, but you're not as exposed as on many naked bikes. It's not an extreme feet-forward position, so it's comfy, certainly for an afternoon pootling around the countryside. Pillions get a good deal too, with a decent-sized seat and a backrest.

The Storm goes round corners just like the Virago - in a stable, lazy sort of way. There isn't a lot of ground clearance, but the (unbranded) tyres don't give me any cause for concern.

Suspension is fairly basic - non-adjustable forks, and twin shocks that can be tweaked for preload = but it does the job. The same goes for the brakes a single front disc and, wait for it, a rod-operated drum at the back, but they're adequate for the Storm's performance. The bottom line is that the bike is well up to the gentle cruising that it's designed for.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise is quality. Its paintwork, chrome and switchgear is streets ahead of your average Chinese cut-price scooter. It feels solid and well put together.

There's something else in the Chinese cruiser's favour. Since the demise of the Drag Star, there's nothing else in this sector, between the teen 125cc cruisers and Suzuki's Intruder 800.

As long as you can accept a 1980s riding experience, then the Zing Storm looks attractive as the only mid-size cruiser you can buy.

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