New V4 engine previews CFMOTO's ambitious future By Ben Purvis
Rumours of a 1,000 cc V4 superbike from China's CFMOTO have swirled for the last couple of years and at EICMA the company confirmed those plans by unveiling the engine that will power it into the top echelon alongside the best that Europe and Japan can offer.
The plan is to have a competitive machine to enter WSBK, which means a street-legal superbike is needed, and alongside the new engine - dubbed V.04 and sub-headed 'Core of Speed' - CFMOTO showed a stylised sculpture of that bike, branding it 'Master of Speed.'
The engine is understood to have been under test in China for at least a year already. It's a 90-degree V4, measuring in at 1, 000 cc and featuring a conventional, modern design with DOHC cylinder heads, the inlet cams chain driven from the crank and then geared to the exhaust cams. Those camshafts operate finger-followers to the conventionally sprung valves.
Like the Ducati Panigale V4, the CFMOTO V.04 engine uses a reverse-rotating crankshaft to cut down on the bike's gyroscopic forces, making it quicker to turn into corners, as well as better resisting the tendency to wheelie. The exhaust ports are oval, and the intakes feature secondary fuel injectors spraying straight into the open mouths of the intake funnels.
The throttles themselves are ride-by-wire electronic units, as you'd expect on a modern superbike, and CFMOTO claims a peak power of 209 hp (156 kW) at 14,500 rpm, building on a maximum torque of 114 Nm at 12,500 rpm.
'450' electric CFMOTO motocross bike previewed
As electric motorcycles continue to struggle to gain a substantial foothold on the sales charts a growing number of companies have spotted that motocross is perhaps the ideal proving ground for the technology - allowing them to demonstrate their capabilities in terms of performance without highlighting the shortcomings when it comes to range.
In motocross, races are short and a combination of torque and traction are more important that flat-out pace, playing directly into the areas where electric powertrains excel and meaning they don't have to be hamstrung with big, heavy batteries to give a viable real-world range. CFMOTO's CF-X concept - which, like the V4, isdestined for production in the near future - illustrates those advantages and is intended to have performance on a par with 450 cc motorcross machines.
The electrical system is more advanced than most, with 400V architecture that could open the door to rapid charging. While CFMOTO hasn't revealed the battery size, it's likely to be quite small, as the bike's all-in weight is a competitive 125 kg. That powertrain is liquid cooled, but thanks to the different cooling requirements of an EV, the radiator is positioned under the rider's seat where it's well protected from damage.
675NK triple joins 675SR-R sports bike
CFMOTO's 675SR-R - its first three-cylinder machine and a rival to the likes of Triumph's Daytona 660 - was launched in the USA and China a few months ago and made its European debut at EICMA alongside a new spin-off version in the form of the naked 675NK roadster.
It's not unexpected. CFMOTO has 'NK' versions of all its sports bikes, and the current market suggests that a three-cylinder roadster like the 675NK will sell in larger numbers than the 675SR-R. The bike's specifications are similarly within expectations, with virtually every major component shared with the 675SR-R.
That means a 675 cc triple with a 72mm bore and 55.2 mm stroke putting out 66 kW (88.5 hp) at 11,000 rpm and 68 Nm at 8,250 rpm - exactly matching the Euro-spec 675SR-R. It sits in the same steel tube frame, ahead of a cast aluminium swingarm, and the two bikes even share an identical kerb weight of 189 kg.
Both use 41mm, fully-adjustable USD forks from KYB and a rear monoshock that can be tweaked for rebound and preload, plus 300 mm discs gripped by J.Juan four-piston calipers, harnessed to ABS.
CFMOTO 125NK fills a vital gap in the range
A year ago CFMOTO showed a concept version of its 125NK roadster and now the production model that closely follows the style of that 2023 show bike has been launched.
The concept's single-sided swingarm is gone, as is the carbon-fibre rear wheel shroud and the front brake cooling ducts, but the overall shape is retained - even if the addition of mirrors and a slightly larger dashboard means the stance isn't as nose-down as the concept's.
The bike fills a vital and surprising gap in CFMOTO's range, which until now has lacked a 125 cc learner-legal machine.
Power comes from a 124.2 cc single, with a 58 mm bore and 47 mm stroke and a peak of 10.6 kW (14.2 hp) at 10,500rpm - just under the 11 kW legal maximum for learners. Max torque is 10.2 Nm at 8,500 rpm, making for numbers that are in line with expectations in the class. The engine itself is a DOHC, liquid-cooled single, designed to meet the latest Euro5+ emissions rules.
CFMOTO 800MT-X challenges KTM
Another bike to make the transition from concept to showroom is the CFMOTO 800MT-X - shown at EICMA 2023 as the MT-X Concept and now launched as a full production model looking all but identical to that 2023 version.
Like the more road-biased 800MT, the 800MT-X uses the 799 cc LC8c parallel twin engine from KTM's 790 Adventure and 790 Duke models, which are manufactured by the CFMOTO/KTM joint venture in China. It's mounted in a frame that's also very KTM-like, if not identical to the chassis of the 790 Adventure, and unlike the 800MT, the MT-X even uses the same low-slung, side-mounted fuel tanks that are a signature of KTM's parallel twin adventure models.
Where the CFMOTO strays from the KTM it's based on is the suspension - KYB instead of WP components are used, with 48mm inverted forks and a rear monoshock, both fully adjustable and offering 230 mm of travel - and the styling, which is in the mould of CFMOTO's other adventure models. In line with the bike's serious off-road intentions, the front wheel is 21 inches and the rear is 18 inches in diameter.
Peak power is 67kW (90hp) at 8,250rpm, with 86Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm, and with its 22.5 litre tanks filled the bike weighs in at 220 kg. An extra 8-litre auxiliary tank is optional.
The high equipment level includes cornering ABS and traction control, along with a portrait-oriented, 7-inch TFT dash and full LED lighting.
