CFMOTO has always outdone us over the years and, from time to time, it has improved its products, trying to raise the bar while maintaining a low price. It’s a formula that, like it or not, doesn’t always work out as expected, but that can’t be said of the Chinese brand.
Catching the eye this time, after the debut of the new adventure 450, is the CFMOTO 500SR Voom, a sports bike that impresses with its design and much-loved in-line four-cylinder engine. A 500 with a four-cylinder engine? That’s right, it seems that manufacturers are once again entering this market segment, now abandoned, but which is slowly flourishing again.
The eye immediately falls on the design and lines of this medium-sized sports bike, which are truly intriguing. The front end with twin headlights, when the bike is on, gives off a luminous signature reminiscent of the retro style of motorcycles from the 80s and 90s. The headlight isn’t the only reminder of the legends of motorcycling, the shapes of the fairing and windshield take us back to the trends of the sports bikes of 30/40 years ago (Honda CBR400R, Suzuki GSX-R400, Kawasaki ZXR400…). Signature light aside, as soon as we saw it from the front, our eyes went wide because the headlights were very reminiscent of those on the Maxi Enduro DesertX.
A small curiosity about the headlights: they are “slotted” in the middle and also function as air intakes for the in-line four.
The raised side exhausts combined with the rear-view mirrors – attached to the ends of the semi-handlebars – give the CFMOTO 500SR Voom a vintage and elegant look.
The eye immediately falls on the design and lines of this medium-sized sports bike, which are truly intriguing. The front end with twin headlights, when the bike is on, gives off a luminous signature reminiscent of the retro style of motorcycles from the 80s and 90s. The headlight isn’t the only reminder of the legends of motorcycling, the shapes of the fairing and windshield take us back to the trends of the sports bikes of 30/40 years ago (Honda CBR400R, Suzuki GSX-R400, Kawasaki ZXR400…). Signature light aside, as soon as we saw it from the front, our eyes went wide because the headlights were very reminiscent of those on the Maxi Enduro DesertX.
A small curiosity about the headlights: they are “slotted” in the middle and also function as air intakes for the in-line four.
The raised side exhausts combined with the rear-view mirrors – attached to the ends of the semi-handlebar – give the CFMOTO 500SR Voom a vintage and elegant look.
The CFMOTO 500SR Voom already indicates in its name that it is a “half-liter” motorcycle which, at first glance, would not be very different from the current CFMOTO 450SR and CFMOTO 450SR S. The secret ingredient that makes this model even more surprising is the four-cylinder engine (twin-cylinder in the case of the “450”).
Unfortunately, precise figures and values have not been provided, but given the displacement, CFMOTO’s new mid-cylinder sports model could have around 70/80 hp of maximum power.
It all sounds very nice, perhaps too much so…. The bad news was yet to come: for the time being, this model will be dedicated exclusively to the domestic market, i.e. China. Currently, in Europe, the segment is defended by the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR and we’re waiting for the Kove 450RR.