CFMOTO 450SR – the first sporty version

I’ve been doing international presentations for 20 years now, but some still manage to surprise me. In this case, CFMOTO, a brand still unknown to many, decided to gather around 200 people in Istanbul (half of them journalists from all over the world), including distributors and dealers from every continent! The reception was “very Chinese”, even though the brand’s representatives are very adapted to the Western lifestyle. And there was one thing that made me “dance” with everyone, making toasts at the table! But maybe we’ll leave that for another occasion…

And it was a great event because the brand itself is already great, even though it was only born in 1989. The group manufactures motorcycles, quad bikes, engines, frames and many components in giant facilities where more than 4,800 employees work, and while the facilities in Hangzhou have an area of 280,000m2, where the partnership with KTM is based and CFMOTO and ZEEHO (the brand dedicated to electric vehicles) products are produced, the CFMOTO Thailand factory has also been in operation since 2021. The strong focus on competition and the electric component is also in line with what the brand’s managers say: that they still have a lot to improve but that they intend to become a global premium brand!

ENGINE

With a displacement that is immediately reminiscent of single-cylinder motocross engines, this sports bike nevertheless has a parallel twin-cylinder that is in line with what is seen in practically all the competition. It delivers 34.5 Kw of power to match the A2 license and the maximum torque of 39.3 Nm is no less interesting. The two-cylinder has a 270-degree crankshaft to enjoy the characteristics and sound of a V-twin and the double balance shaft ensures minimal vibrations. This type of engine also guarantees a shorter and more compact assembly, with magnesium and aluminum alloy cylinder heads and various internal components made of alloys that reduce weight and improve reliability, while the forged pistons improve the engine’s response. The brand assures that it has been tested for more than 4500 hours without any problems, on a set that has a new integrated water pump and an easy-to-remove air filter, among other technologies used by CFMOTO to reduce internal friction and increase performance and reliability. The gearbox selector has a system that can be easily changed to give you a reverse gear, something that many people prefer to use on the track.

AERODYNAMICS AND CYCLING

In terms of aesthetics, the aerodynamics of this model, which has spent many hours in the wind tunnel, immediately stand out. And according to the brand, the “wings” aren’t just a joke and are capable of generating a lot of downforce, starting with around 2 kg at 120 km/h for greater stability. The curb weight is 179 kg in running order, the suspension is in line with what is used in the segment (at the rear, the monoshock is mounted on a system of connecting rods), and the braking system relies on bulky Brembo calipers at the front, with the slipper clutch being an important ally in the most aggressive downshifts.

The seat is placed 795 mm from the ground (there are optional lower and higher seats), and the instrumentation consists of a 5” TFT, which can be completed by an optional “T-box”, a 4G module that provides connectivity to the phone and offers various information to the user such as driving information, IMU, etc., in addition to the respective brand App also offering numerous information to the owner.

ON TRACK

In person, this bike is beautiful, with absolutely fantastic lines, and with very interesting technical specifications, everything was perfect for a day at the incredible Istanbul Park circuit, which has hosted the F1 World Championship and MotoGP. Of course, there was the bad weather to spoil (almost) everything! It was very cold, rainy and foggy all day, which with semi-slick CST tires could have been a tricky combination… Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and even though we needed heaters as soon as we got to the pits, everything went smoothly! I always felt confident on the bike, perhaps because the suspensions aren’t too hard and read the terrain well and, of course, because the asphalt is very grippy and ends up having a “grip” that doesn’t exist on the road. We found the 450SR to be very agile and fun, with a fairly linear engine that has to be provoked at high revs to go fast, so it was often on the redline, especially when we missed a gear shift or on the longer straights where we reached 170 km/h. The riding position seemed pleasant and only the aerodynamic protection is very low – almost as if it were a naked bike – forcing you to put your whole body into the tank. We also liked the feel and power of the braking and the fact that, even when we oversteered on both axles (in heated moments with our fellow competitors) we never felt the ABS extend the braking. Only at a few points on the track, when we needed to open the throttle at a certain rpm, did we feel a somewhat abrupt response from the injection, something we would try to assess better the following day on the road. But we were very sorry not to ride this “piston” dry. Maybe next time!

ON THE ROAD

Instead of riding the 700CL-X Adventure (see box), we did a few more kilometers with the 450SR on the road, which cleared up some doubts. The excellent riding position and comfortable seat were confirmed, but so was the poor aerodynamic protection. Our wrists didn’t get tired and the clutch is very light, while the suspension works very well and is one of the most positive elements. Even on the roads around Istanbul, which are not always clean (and sometimes with cows or dogs around the corner) we were pleased with the braking system and only the injection once again proved to be too jerky in some situations and sometimes made a slight pit, with the system still lacking some “refinement”. And the throttle travel is also too long, which doesn’t make much sense.

On the other hand, with a well-tuned clutch lever and more road-going boots, we liked the way the gearbox worked, which proved to be smoother and more precise than it seemed to be on the track. Then, when we got back to the hotel, we took the engine for a spin on the highway and realized how all that work on the internal components had paid off: we reached 189 km/ on the speedometer and the engine was still developing when we had to cut the throttle due to lack of space. It’s certainly a strong engine and it stretches a lot!

It’s a beautiful bike, excellent as a first sports bike and could be great for a speed trophy. And it’s expected to arrive in Portugal at the end of the first half of the year at a very interesting price, so let the competition beware!

WITH THE 700CL-X ADVENTURE… BUT ONLY BRIEFLY

We were supposed to do the whole route on the road with the latest 700CL-X, the Adventure, but unfortunately the bikes didn’t arrive in time for the event and we only had six (for a few dozen journalists), which had been on the road from Greece! So we only rode half a dozen kilometers for a few photos, where we appreciated the liveliness of the twin-cylinder engine and the magnificence of the whole. The KYB suspension has plenty of travel, the braking system is from Brembo and even the Pirelli tires are excellent, and the only thing we didn’t appreciate, once again, was the somewhat harsh response to the throttle. But we found it to be a comfortable bike and a lot of fun on the road, so we’re looking forward to a future occasion when we can do more kilometers on this multi-talented scrambler.