Review of the new CFMOTO 650GT

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While Chinese industry was churning out small-scale equipment in huge quantities, no one paid attention to its similarity to well-known prototypes. And why? All clones were sold mainly in the third world and the sales statistics of motorcycle grandees in the “white world” were not spoiled.

However, recently it began to seem that the Chinese were about to get their own modern “mid-sized” car. Not some kind of “solid-drawn” device, but a new model based on original drawings. And it doesn’t matter who exactly will do the engineering. After all, Chery orders the design of its cars from the Japanese studio SIVAX and the Italian Bertone, and the design of its engines from the Austrian company AVL. Why don't motorcycle companies follow the same path? And there, you see, it’s not far from the “liter”... But when last summer the first official photographs of the large first-born CFMOTO 650NK and the tourer based on it CFMOTO 650TR appeared on the Internet, it became clear that the revolution had not happened.

Guess for yourself who copied who. And the shape of the frame, and the engine, and the appearance of the suspension and brakes shout about the pedigree of the “Chinese” in the voice of photographer Lacerda from Terry Gilliam’s film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”: “Ka-va-sa-ki!” It’s a pity that the work was not “rolled out” perfectly.

Let’s leave the traditional “feeling of quality” of Chinese plastic alone. Just like the artistic taste of the author of the external “tuning”, richly flavored with pseudocarbon, exaggerated lighting equipment and Chinese emblems, everyone has their own ideas about beauty. Personally, I had another question: how legal is such a copy?

The answer from Russian importers AWM Trade was not surprising: “That’s what we first asked the CFMOTO management. And at the same time they asked whether we would have problems with the manufacturer of the original ER-6n. They assured us that there was no need to worry... But they didn’t show us any supporting documents.”

Not surprisingly, walking around the 650NK, I recognized the unmistakable Kawasaki ER-6n from 2006. The steering wheel is moderately wide, the controls are conveniently and logically located, and the instruments are quite readable. I remember that the progenitor was considered one of the best motorcycles for beginners. Of course - with such and such a saddle height! Even the tallest driver can stand on the ground with both feet.

It's easy to get going. The clutch is quite soft and informative. As I carefully rolled along the makeshift pit lane, the 650NK idled softly, without twitching... Pit lane? Yes, the St. Petersburg circuit was chosen as the location for the Russian presentation. The Northwestern track is quite controversial, both in terms of the quality of the asphalt surface (lumpy and with poor grip) and in terms of the level of personnel (what kind of marshals are they who don’t know the purpose of the flags?), but it’s still better than pushing around a jam-packed city.

And now - banza-a-ay!

God, how familiar everything is! The parallel 649 cc “two” drives acceptably almost from the very bottom and up to the maximum 10,800 rpm. But to say that the character is even... At first the engine drives calmly, without fanaticism, then there is a noticeable burst of thrust at 8000 rpm, which stretches at most for a couple of thousand revolutions, and then there is calm again. And even with this character, there is no high-speed hysteria in it, and the sound of the engine resembles the everyday chugging of a diesel locomotive. Nevertheless, it spins up much more vigorously than the V-twins of its classmates - just have time to click through the tight gears. At the same time, it’s worth getting used to the damped throttle handle, which responds to commands with a delay, which is especially noticeable when changing the throttle and during sharp accelerations.

But, like the Japanese dad, the Chinese son cannot be called straightforward. The CFMOTO Roadster changes direction in accordance with the pilot's command: easily and naturally, even if it is absolutely not exciting. The specifics of handling are determined by the suspension, and it does not like chipped asphalt with sharp edges of potholes. That's why it didn't make any impression in terms of ride comfort. It's strange that with such an intolerant setup, the 650NK chassis cannot boast of any groovy behavior. By shifting it from side to side, you get exactly the reaction you are counting on, but the unclear feedback does not allow you to maintain the trajectory on one impulse. Fortunately, in normal situations the reactions are unambiguous, without a catch. That is, the “Chinese” was inherited approximately the same manners as the “Kawasachi” prototype possessed.

It seems that you say “ahalay-mahalay”, pay the price of a five-year-old “used” one for a new motorcycle - and... However, magic spells are in vain! The transformation of the Chinese CFMOTO 650NK into the Japanese Kawasaki ER-6n will not happen with just the power of thought. You understand this when, imitating an emergency situation, you sharply slam on the brakes. But instead of demonstrating adequate deceleration, the motorcycle “plows its face” and crushes the front suspension, depriving the wheel of contact with the asphalt. In addition, the brakes on the three cars provided for testing worked differently: on one example everything was within the genre, on the second the rear caliper jammed, and on the third the pressure in the front circuit was lost from time to time for no reason. Brrr... Well, if there is room for maneuver. And if not?.. The Chinese CST CM615 tires that the CFMOTO is equipped with are also of little use - their only merit is that they are round. Because even after a 10-minute session on the St. Petersburg “ring” they stubbornly did not want to warm up.

All this left an aftertaste, as if it had been copied, but they couldn’t fully understand how it should work. And this is understandable. Where, in a country where until recently the majority of the population rode bicycles, and where a car is still a dream of the distant future for many, should its test engineers, its tuning specialists, its suspension specialists get it? There is none of them.

Or rather, they exist: CFMOTO has 1,300 workers, of which 260 are engineers directly involved in design. But they are just learning how to do normal technique. How the whole country is learning this.

In principle, if you cannot completely cure the flaws, you can at least add predictability by replacing the tires with more grippy ones during pre-sale preparation. Of course, this will raise the price. How much? I daresay, ten to fifteen thousand at most. If we take into account the estimated cost of the motorcycle (approximately 256,000 rubles - the exact price will be known when sales start), then these additional costs do not look critical. Safety is more important!

Review of the new CFMOTO 650GT

The new CFMOTO 650GT "is proof that Chinese motorcycles have come of age." It's well-built, comes with plenty of luxury equipment, is comfortable, easy to ride, fast and practical, but its soft suspension and limited luggage space don't make it a proper two-seater tourer.

Its biggest selling point is its affordable price, but is it good enough compared to its more established Japanese rivals? Chances are if you're on a budget, but if you spend a little more you can get yourself a more polished bike with more poise and playfulness.

Weighing in at a claimed 226kg combined (not including the optional Shad hard panniers you see in the pictures), the CFMoto is no lightweight - 30kg heavier than the Tracer 700 and 33kg heavier than the Ninja 650. You get the feeling that most The mass moves when riding, but this may not be noticeable in the city, where the motorcycle does not have a negative impact on handling.

It is always stable, easy to control and thanks to its natural position of the bar, peg and soft seat, it is comfortable for long trips. Metzeler sport touring tires are considered a bit dated and take time to warm up, but offer increased grip in dry and wet conditions.

For solo driving, the 650GT's suspension is well controlled and has plenty of ground clearance, making it easy to throw into a corner with a little effort. The brakes have decent bite but need some heavy application to convince them to do their job. But for a relaxed type of riding, the brakes are quite enough to confidently stop the bike.

The extra load is hard on the bike, and the soft rear shock will struggle to maintain its shape when you add luggage. In addition, there is not much space for complete comfort for two.

There is no doubt that the CFMoto rides very well. The deep, gurgling induction roar is very pleasant to listen to, the six-speed gearbox is decent, and the top speed is 185 km/h. But the 60 hp, 650 cc mini-tourer lacks the quick acceleration of the more powerful 73 hp Tracer 700 and 67 hp Ninja 650.

Average consumption is 5.7 liters per 100km, so you'll be able to squeeze 333km out of the GT's 19-litre tank.

Our MotoJet showroom managers can help you choose a bike. We will tell you about all the nuances that will interest you. You can buy CFMoto 650GT right now. Call us or send a request by email, and we will definitely select a tourer that suits your needs.

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The CFMOTO instrument panel features a classic combination of an analogue tachometer and a digital display.
The readings are much easier to perceive than the original Japanese one, where the speedometer needle was adjacent to the liquid crystal tachometer strip. The CFMOTO instrument panel features a classic combination of an analogue tachometer and a digital display. The readings are much easier to perceive than the original Japanese one, where the speedometer needle was adjacent to the liquid crystal tachometer strip.

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RESULT. To paraphrase astronaut Neil Armstrong, the CFMOTO 650NK is a small step for the global motorcycle industry, but a giant leap for China. I have no doubt that this “mid-sized model” will find its market niche in Russia. Using his example, he showed that the Chinese, in principle, are already capable of making quite digestible equipment. A little more - and she will be able to compete with... No, she is still far from the “Japanese”. But it will spoil the blood of the Czechs, Koreans and Taiwanese. But it won't be cheap. Therefore, the requirements for it are appropriate.

The CFMOTO 650NK test was organized by AWM Trade.

Rev'It!, Motto and Gaerne equipment was provided by PRO Moto, Knox gloves by Mobiline, AGV helmet by Fuji Motors.

Carbon copy: CFMOTO 650NK

Specifications

The Chinese know how to surprise! Copying the aforementioned Kawasaki model in many respects, they did it so well that they ended up with a very interesting bike. Dynamic, reliable and visually attractive , it is also inexpensive.

Engine

The 2-cylinder, 8-valve liquid-cooled engine was developed within the depths of a Chinese corporation. Maximum power of 70.7 hp. and a torque of 62 Nm are achieved at 8500 rpm and 7000 rpm respectively. At the same time, the engine has practically no “tops”; all thrust is concentrated in the low and middle speed range, although at around 4500 there is a noticeable pickup. The CFMoto 650NK speakers are enough for the eyes both for the city and for the highway, especially since due to the lack of wind protection at speeds above 140 km/h the pilot begins to be noticeably blown away by the headwind. The stated maximum speed is 180 km/h , and from 0 to 100 km/h the bike accelerates in 3.9 seconds , keeping up with Japanese sportbikes.

Transmission

The cassette 6-speed manual transmission behaves perfectly. Gears change easily, without knocking or extraneous noise, and no effort is required. No one has ever heard of problems with the transmission on this model either, so this unit can be considered reliable.

Chassis and brakes

Chinese engineers used a steel tubular frame instead of an alloy frame to reduce cost, but this increased the weight of the motorcycle. But they equipped the bike with decent brakes, installing two 300 mm brake discs on the front wheel and another 200 mm disc on the rear. Unfortunately, the ABS system was not delivered...

Electronics

This bike does not have any auxiliary electronic systems, so its electrical circuit is very simple, no more complicated than that of some Honda CB400. The most complex part is probably the Ducati injector. If any problems arise, any normal motorcycle service center will be able to sort out the electronics.

Weight and dimensions

The CFMoto 650 NK motorcycle weighs a lot, dry weight reaches 180 kg . But in fairness, it should be noted that it does not seem heavy at all due to the fact that the engine, which accounts for a noticeable share of the weight, is shifted downwards. But the dimensions of the model are small, and tall bikers (190 cm and above) may find it a bit cramped.

Controllability

The bike steers extremely easily . Almost too easy, according to some pilots, who claim that it tends to stall during tight turns at low speeds. You just have to be careful and everything will be fine, but the impressive maneuverability of the balanced Chinese naked allows it to dart between cars with ease.

Fuel consumption

With moderate driving in a mixed cycle, consumption is about 5 liters of AI-95 . Some owners fill in AI-92 without any consequences, but in this matter it is better to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. And if you drive “with all your money”, squeezing everything possible out of the engine on the highway, consumption can jump to 8-8.5 liters. Although, due to the lack of wind protection, only a notorious masochist can drive for a long time at a speed of under 200 km/h.