Essay – CFMOTO 450SR – the first sports bike

It may be the first sporty for many, and after the recent changes with the brand in our country, it is also the first sporty that we can find in the range of the Asian manufacturer. More than enough reasons for a mega presentation halfway between China and Western Europe, so we went to the fantastic Intercity Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey! I’ve been in this business of international presentations for 20 years, but some still manage to surprise me. In this case, CFMOTO, a brand still unknown to many, decided to gather about 200 people in Istanbul (half of them journalists from all over the world), where distributors and dealers from all continents were also present! The reception was “grand and Chinese”, even if the brand representatives are very adapted to Western lifestyle. And they outdid us all in one thing, making toasts at the table! But maybe we should leave that topic for another occasion… THE BRAND

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

ENGINE

Introducing an engine displacement that immediately brings to mind the single-cylinder engines of motocross, this sportbike however has a parallel twin that meets what is seen in practically all the competition. It delivers 34.5 Kw of power to be at the level of what the A2 license allows to drive and the maximum torque of 39.3 Nm is also quite interesting. The twin-cylinder has a 270-degree crankshaft to enjoy the characteristics and sound of a V-twin and the dual balance shaft ensures minimal vibrations. This type of engine also ensures a shorter and more compact assembly, with the cylinder heads made of a magnesium and aluminum alloy, with various internal components made of alloys that reduce weight and improve reliability, while the forged pistons favor the engine response. The brand ensures that tests were carried out for over 4500 hours, without problems, in an assembly that has a new integrated water pump and an easily removable air filter, among other technologies used by CFMOTO to reduce internal friction and increase performance and reliability. The gearbox selector has a system for easy changing to have the inverted gearbox, something that many prefer to use on the track. AERODYNAMICS AND HANDLING

In the chapter of aesthetics, the aerodynamics of this model is immediately highlighted, which spent many hours in the wind tunnel. And according to the brand, the “wings” are not just a joke, being capable of generating a lot of “downforce”, already with about 2 kg at 120 km/h for greater stability. The weight of the assembly is 179 kg in running order, mounts competent suspensions according to those used in the segment (at the back the monoshock is mounted on a linkage system), and the braking system features a voluminous Brembo caliper at the front, with the slipper clutch being an important ally in more aggressive reductions. 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 complemented by an optional “T-box”, a 4G module that ensures connectivity to the phone and offers various information to the user about driving, IMU, etc, in addition to the brand’s respective App also offering numerous information to the owner. ON THE TRACK

Live this bike is beautiful, presenting 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, bad weather was missing to spoil (almost) everything! Very cold, rain and fog was what we had throughout the day, which with CST semi-slick tires could be a tricky combination… Everything happened fortunately without any hitches, and despite needing heaters as soon as we arrived at the pits, everything went smoothly! I always felt confident on the bike, perhaps because the suspensions are not too stiff 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 felt the 450SR quite agile and fun, with a fairly linear engine but that needs to be pushed in the high revs to go fast, so it was common to hit the “redline”, especially when we missed a gear change or on the long straights where we reached 170 km/h. The riding position seemed pleasant to us and only the aerodynamic protection is very reduced – almost like a naked bike – forcing us to lean our whole body on the tank. We also liked the feel and power of the brakes and the fact that, even when we overdid it on both axes (in more heated moments with our competitors), we never felt the ABS extend the braking. Only in some points of the track, when we needed to open the throttle at a certain rpm, we felt a somewhat abrupt response from the injection, something we would try to evaluate better the next day on the road. But we were very sorry not to ride this “beast” dry. Maybe next time!

ON THE ROAD

Instead of riding the 700CL-X Adventure (see box), we did a few more good kilometers with the 450SR on the road, which helped clarify some doubts. The excellent riding position and comfortable seat were confirmed, but the aerodynamic protection was also lacking. We didn’t get tired wrists and the clutch is very light, while the suspension continues to perform excellently, being one of the most positive elements. Also on the roads around Istanbul, not always clean (and sometimes with cows or dogs around the corner), we were pleased with the braking system and only the injection again proved to be too abrupt in some situations, causing a slight hiccup at times, still lacking some “refinement” in the system. And the throttle response is also too large, which doesn’t make much sense. On the other hand, with the clutch lever well adjusted and more road-oriented boots, we already liked the operation of the gearbox, which turned out to be smoother and more precise than it seemed on the track. Then, when we returned to the hotel, we pushed the engine a bit on the highway and realized how all that work on the internal components paid off: we reached 189 km/h on the speedometer and the engine was still developing when we had to cut the throttle due to lack of space. Without a doubt a strong engine that stretches quite a bit!

A beautiful motorcycle, excellent as a first sports bike and that could be excellent for a speed trophy. It is expected to arrive in Portugal at the end of this first semester at a very interesting price, so the competition better watch out!

WITH THE 700CL-X ADVENTURE…BUT ONLY FOR BRIEF MOMENTS

We were supposed to complete the entire road route with the latest 700CL-X, the Adventure, but unfortunately the bikes did not arrive in time for the event and we only had six (for a few dozen journalists), who had been riding from Greece! So we only did a few kilometers for some photos, where we appreciated the liveliness of the twin-cylinder engine and the grandeur of the ensemble. The KYB suspensions have a high travel, the braking system is from Brembo and even the Pirelli tires are excellent, and we only didn’t appreciate, once again, the somewhat harsh response to the throttle. But it seemed to us a comfortable and fun bike on the road, so we look forward to a future occasion to be able to do more kilometers with this scrambler with several attributes.

CFMOTO 450SR

ENGINE 2 parallel twin cylinders, DOHC, liquid cooling

DISPLACEMENT 449.5 cc

POWER 34.5 kW (47 hp) @ 10,000 rpm

BINARY 39.3 Nm @7,750 rpm

6-speed gearbox

Tubular steel frame

14-liter tank

Front suspension: 37 mm inverted telescopic fork, 120 mm stroke

Rear suspension: mono-shock, 130 mm stroke

Front brake: 320 mm disc, Brembo 4-piston caliper

Rear brake: 220 mm disc, 1-piston caliper

Front tire: 110/70-R17

Rear tire: 150/60-R17

Wheelbase: 1,370 mm

Seat height: 795 mm

Weight: 179 kg

Price: €6,490 (estimate)