Up-market Chinese manufacturer CFMoto is bringing motorcycles back into Canada for 2023, with seven separate models listed on its website. The machines range from a short-legged 125 hooligan bike to small-cc commuters to middleweight roadsters and scramblers. See a rundown below:
125 St Papio
Obviously aimed at the same market as the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Z125. A $2,949 MSRP will attract some buyers, and others will like the standard five-year warranty. Available in grey or bright yellow; more info at CFMoto’s website.
300NK
You’ve got to love CFMoto’s Keep-It-Simple-Stupid approach to model names. The naked bikes get the NK badge, nice and easy to remember. This machine is aimed at the commuter and learner markets and has a very reasonable $4,699 MSRP. It might be the cheapest full-sized motorcycle you can buy in Canada—certainly the most affordable highway-capable bike with a five-year warranty. The liquid-cooled single-cylinder makes 28 horsepower, which is more than enough for around-town jaunts and enough to get you along secondary highways with no trouble, and even along the busier multi-laners if you’re careful. More info here, at CFMoto’s site.
300SS
The fully-faired take on the 300 platform. Definitely not a supersport, although the name might fool some people. For an extra $500, you get sportbike looks, if not race-bred performance (MSRP is $5,199). The NK is a way better deal, but many buyers will prefer this machine’s looks—it is admittedly sharp, especially when compared to the awful-looking sportbikes that came from China in the past (see also: Lifan KPR). CFMoto lists more info here.
650MT Adventura
Is it a sport tourer, or an “adventure sports” bike, or an adventure bike? We’ll take the second option, but you could make an argument for any or all of those choices. This bike has an engine that’s clearly derived from Kawasaki’s Versys 650; Kawi and and CFMoto had some sort of licencing arrangement, or so we’ve heard. With 61 horsepower on tap and hard saddlebags as standard, you’re getting a lot of bike for your $7,899 MSRP. Still, it’s up against some stiff competition here; adventure riders will compare it to the Suzuki DR650, with its 25-year-history of rugged reliability and MSRP in that ballpark. Admittedly, the DR is quite crude compared to the Adventura, but the recently-updated Kawasaki KLR650 has a $7,999 MSRP and would be a closer equivalent. The Japanese bikes that are closest in design are the Honda CB500X (with MSRP over $9k) and Kawasaki’s Versys 650 (with MSRP over $11k). Even the Versys-X 300 now has a $7,149 MSRP. If this is the style of bike you want and an old-school dual sport won’t do, CFMoto is still killing it on pricing. More deets here.
650NK
As the name implies, a 650 naked bike. Once again, it’s based on the familiar 650 Kawi twin design, but with a $7,899 MSRP, it comes in almost $2k under the Z650’s price (too bad—it feels like it wasn’t that long ago that Kawi’s 650 naked was in the $8k ballpark). Styling is contemporary, along the lines of other modern naked bikes from Europe or Asia. More info here.
700CL-X Sport
This seems to be CFMoto’s reply to the Suzuki SV650X neo-retro-cafe-roadster mash-up, or maybe the Yamaha XSR700. The Chinese-built 700 engine appears to be an evolution of the 650 twin, with 75 horsepower available, two riding modes and cruise control. Brembo brakes come standard. The price is higher, though, with a $10,850 MSRP. See more at CFMoto’s site.
700CL-X Heritage
Who wants a scrambler with a $8,299 MSRP? That doesn’t get you much on the Canadian market these days, but it does get you a CL-X Heritage. It has the same 75 horsepower engine as the CL-X Sport, but doesn’t appear to have the same components elsewhere: cruise control is standard, but there is no mention of Brembo brakes or riding modes. KYB makes the suspension, though. Honestly? If this thing is reliable, it could be one of the best deals in Canadian showrooms right now. It comes with five-year warranty, like the rest of CFMoto’s line.
Didn’t we go through this with a bonafide alternative from S. Korea a decade or so back? These Chinese pieces of crap will make those Canadian Tire minibikes available some
years ago a GREAT bedfellow in your local landfill. NOBODY is that stupid or frugal to buy
any model from our local Chinese police.Go buy an outrageous priced Ducati bicycle.
Our local Honda dealer brought these in last year. When you look at them beside a Honda they look inferior and cheap. Unfortunately the savings you think you’re getting won’t be worth the hassles down the road. Break downs, waiting for parts and no resale value isn’t worth the upfront savings. Well built machines don’t need long warranties.
Agreed show me local CFMoto dealers still in business 5 years down the road and I might take a look. Riding season is too short to be waiting for gasket or clutch cable.
CFMoto well I m Old enough to remember that they screw over everyone in North American that own one of there scooter . How? with no warning shut down providing parts and sale . 2009 ? if I remember right . I said that to say why in the world would I trust a company that did ? I m not dropping cash to find out 7 years down the road that I cant buy the part I need to fix it. I rather drop the cash on an old KRL for 2 to 4 grand . Spend the other 4 grand on touring with it.