Test drive CF MotoCF 650NK

000_moto_0812_028

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!

Test drive CF MotoCF 650NK

Having cut its teeth on the production of small-capacity scooters and all-terrain vehicles, the Chinese company Zhejiang CFMOTO decided to hit the motor market with a large caliber and produced the CF 650NK road motorcycle.

Exclusive rights to supply CFMOTO equipment to Russia belong to. This company took the lead in organizing a test drive of the new CF 650NK bike at the autodrome near St. Petersburg. Representatives of AVM-Trade immediately noticed that they are aware of some similarities between the CF 650NK model and the Japanese naked Kawasaki ER-6n (popularly known as the “ruff”). Moreover, in order to dispel any doubts, they turned directly to the manufacturer of the CF 650NK for comments on the topic: would there be any legal claims against AVM-Trade, as the official suppliers of this motorcycle, from the legal services of Kawasaki and their partners. The Chinese comrades confidently answered: “No! There won't be any problems." This is understandable. In my personal opinion, talking about some similarities between the CF 650NK and the Kawasaki ER-6n is openly flattering the Chinese motorcycle. The master from the Middle Kingdom completed the task of cheating with a C-minus. The creation of the wizards from CFMOTO only vaguely resembles the Japanese naked bike, so there is no need to talk about any evidence of illegal cloning.

No matter how hard the Chinese masters tried, they failed to give their motorcycle the sleekness and clarity of the precise forms inherent in the Kawasaki ER-6n. However, for the sake of fairness, it must be said that looking at a naked bike from the People's Republic of China, there is still no desire to, succumbing to the surging longing for beauty, go and drown in the first roadside puddle. Yes, the CF 650NK is unprepossessing (compared to its progenitor) and makes you smile with its pseudo-carbon overlays. Nevertheless, it looks like a completely normal motorcycle that you want to ride.

The two-cylinder in-line engine is very quiet, almost rustling. In order to comply with European environmental standards for exhaust and noise, the exhaust system was equipped with a three-component catalyst. At low speeds, “life” in the 649 cc in-line “double-barreled gun” barely glimmers. The motorcycle starts smoothly, with smooth lazy acceleration. The fireworks of speed begin after 8000 rpm. The fun doesn’t last long, but the bike gets a very noticeable acceleration kick. Closer to 10,000 rpm, the dynamic pressure subsides, but the CF 650NK delivers its declared “maximum speed” of 180 km/h without any titanic stress.

When cornering, the CF 650NK shifts obediently and willingly from one side to the other. I think that if the stock tires CST CM615 of the budget Chinese “spill” are replaced with something more worthwhile - say, the same Dunlop, then it will be possible to draw turns on the CF 650NK with a “knee”. The front fork cannot be called completely flimsy. But if you go through it and make it tougher, the motorcycle will noticeably benefit from it.

Brakes?! Of course they exist! The trouble is one thing - they are absolutely not prepared for an aggressive driving style: after 3-4 laps they overheat, and their efficiency drops sharply - well, not to zero. The most offensive problem identified during the test was the critically rapid (after 8-10 laps and far from the fastest) drop in oil pressure in the system. This was eloquently indicated by the flashing red indicator on the instrument panel. The indicator started flashing at idle speed and, by the way, on all motorcycles from the test fleet. Unpleasant! Very unpleasant! However, representatives of AVM-Trade assured that this is a pilot test batch of CF 650NK. So to speak, prototypes. They will definitely inform the manufacturer about all identified deficiencies and will insist on their correction. We hope that these are not empty words.

A situation has already matured in the domestic market when Japanese used motorcycles can be worthy of competition from an inexpensive, high-quality bike from the Middle Kingdom. The generation brought up in Java and Urals, who happily bought second-hand Japanese and spat with contempt at Chinese handicrafts, grew up and acquired more powerful and expensive toys. Today’s youth, who have had a chance to taste inexpensive scooters, are much more loyal to Chinese technology and are quite ready to switch to new Chinese motorcycles. The key word here is “new”, which determines the relevance of such pleasant bonuses as a warranty, civilized maintenance and the availability of inexpensive spare parts.

Text: Automobiles Magazine

006_moto_0812_028

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.

009_moto_0812_028

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

Yeah, this is already becoming a trend. Again and again I review the new product of the Chinese motorcycle industry. So what? CFMOTO 650NK is the second large-capacity (compared to other Chinese) motorcycle that has just gone on sale in Moscow. Several units are already in the showrooms of official dealers, but they suggested to me... not to go there. “I can have this bike with me for a couple of days. Will you come and see?” Damn, of course! PS I apologize in advance to amateur photographers: almost all the images and videos here lack quality, common sense and... color. Don't ask why - that's not my condition. It would seem, what does Ruff have to do with it? ... you ask if you have never seen a Kawasaki ER-6n in your life. As correctly noted in the review of Moto magazine (August 2012), the Chinese device is literally copied from the Japanese beauty. Only the latter is a hundred thousand more expensive (30% of the price - 225k VS 325k). Ah, those insidious Chinese! What did they save on this time?

Engine. Suddenly: exactly the same as on Kava. An in-line (parallel) twin with four valves per cylinder produces 70 horses from its 649 cubic meters. Injection, of course. I don’t even know what else needs to be written here, because the engine is an exact copy. I heard that they have problems due to oil starvation during sudden acceleration... I heard, I don’t know. The engine sounds great, by the way.

Chassis. Here everything is a little sadder. Rubber, as I understand it, has become one of those things on which they saved money: it costs Chinese CST . I won’t write about its tenacity and slipperiness, but judging by the reviews, the grip matches its appearance - it’s... present. To the touch the tires reminded me of the infamous stock from my good old Stels Flame.

The brakes are four-piston calipers (two discs) at the front and single-piston at the rear, operated via standard rubber hoses. The manufacturer is the famous Chinese company Noname . Well, I mean, Zhejiang Cfmoto Power Co., Ltd. (device manufacturer), you heard it, right? Me too

Suspension: upside-down fork, regular fork (thanks, vitals) at the front, monoshock at the rear. It is adjustable. But, apparently, to adjust it you need to remove the plastic, which surprised me a little. The drive chain with oil seals is 520, if I'm not mistaken.

Light. Here I give it a big plus. You won’t surprise anyone with LEDs in the turn signals and brake lights, but the lensed head optics are five! Tested it on a garage door - just the right beam of light. Front dimensions - two rows of powerful diodes near the lens - me gusta.

Design in general. Of course, there is no arguing about tastes, but I believe that this is a double-edged sword. If we enter from one side, we see Ruff - cheerful, handsome, modern. Well, almost... The first (and main) feature that will upset those who decide to stick a “Kawasaki” sticker on the tank is a shining plate with the frame number and the perky inscription Zhejiang Cfmoto Power Co., Ltd. in a very visible place - on the right under the tank. In general, such boasting is surprising - I saw a similar plate on the Patron Taker 250 . So we either honestly tell the people that we bought a Chinese one (which doesn’t bother me personally), or we paint over the hated inscription with nail polish. And we don’t get caught by connoisseurs - they’ll distinguish it from Kava in no time. How can they tell the difference, he’s a copy?! Yes Easy. Firstly, the sides (at the level of the ill-fated sign) really ask for plastic . And the point is not only that the wiring can be clearly seen through the gap between the tank and the frame... Look at that triangle under the tank - well, there really must be something there!

Secondly, the dashboard. Analogue tachometer, digital speedometer with fuel level indicator, temperature (not a number, but markings from COLD to HOT) and blue backlight. The latter, by the way, reminded me of a cheap bicycle computer (that’s what labor cyclists call their speedometers) - the readings are small and difficult to read. In general, this device looks much better on the stealth 600, but more on that later. Remote controls, knobs and other controls are nothing remarkable. Everything presses, clicks and spins - as usual.

A very interesting location of the underseat glove compartment lock. We searched for a long time . On the one hand, unnecessary details do not spoil the appearance. On the other hand, go get in there. I would prefer a more convenient location over aesthetics. The glove compartment, by the way, is standard—a couple of Snickers for a pack of cigarettes. By the way, putting the seat back in place is much harder than removing it.

Purpose The device speaks for itself - “I took your ass to the club!” Typical naked, streetfighter or whatever it is... In general, not for long-range combat. And this is sad - when will the Chinese start doing something like this for tourists? For evening/night shooting through an empty city, the 650NK will do just fine. Moreover, it is difficult to see Zhejiang Cfmoto in the dark... .

Conclusions. They immediately told me that there was no point in comparing these two motorcycles. One is the Chinese heir to the Italian brand, the other is an equally Chinese clone of the Japanese. Different (power/technology) engines, different factories, but... There are now 600cc+ Chinese in Moscow - one, two, and it’s all gone! Have you seen any others? Me not. Moreover, their price is approximately close. So what? price of CFMOTO is 225 thousand rubles from official dealers (by the way, in the August Moto test it was indicated 250+). There are several devices throughout Moscow, as far as I know. Whether there will be an increase in price for the season is unknown, but it will happen, of course. People in Moscow are greedy. Stels currently (out of season) costs 210 thousand. The first batch is at dealers. By spring there will be a rise in price - 100% info, but within reason - they promised 220 thousand, we'll see. But... Benelli has Metzeler tires, reinforced hoses, a readable instrument panel, 80 horses versus 70, and a more pleasant (in my opinion) appearance. Plus, despite approximately the same mass, Stealth seems lighter. Landing? May be. In addition, the price of Stealth (we are looking for bj600gs on taobao.com) in China is about 190,000 rubles (yes, not 50 or 70!), and CFMOTO (CF650NK there) is approximately 185,000. Is the greed of our suppliers taking its toll? The dark side is now rattling the keys to the brand new Stels and whispering to me “Sell your German pensioner...” And, sadly, it has a chance. Will the dark side have a chance with CFMOTO ? Absolutely yes. But not in my case.