Go cruising on a budget with the £5599 CFMoto 450CL-C | An A2-friendly middleweight with laidback vibes

CFMoto are preparing to take on Japanese heavyweights Honda and Kawasaki with their new 450CL-C A2 licence friendly parallel twin cruiser.  

Priced at £5599 in a choice of black or red, the bikes will roll into dealerships from May 2024 – ready to go up against Honda’s popular £6399-on CMX500 Rebel range, and Kawasaki’s incoming £5999-on Eliminator 500. You could also consider the incoming 649cc Moto Morini Calibro.

We first saw the 450CL-C concept at the Eicma trade show back in November ’23, but since then the bike has unsurprisingly lost its girder forks and distinctive bobber rear end.

Featuring a typically cruiser-style laid back riding position the production model gets 16in rims shod with chunky CST bobber tyres, a manageable 690mm seat height and tips the scales at 181kg with fluids. There’s also 160mm of ground clearance, with some room for a small pillion (so not a true bobber).

Like all of its main rivals, the CFMoto uses a parallel twin engine. In this case, it’s a 449cc liquid cooled DOHC unit, producing a claimed 43.6bhp at 9000rpm. Torque meanwhile sits at 31lbft at 6250rpm, with a slipper clutch installed that should help newer riders get to grips with downshifts.

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This motor is housed in a steel tube frame, with a 270-degree crank – as used in the 450MT adventure bike – likely to provide a little more of a rumbling feel than its competition. This is then met with a twin exit shotgun style pipe, exiting to the right side of the motor – completing a look that wouldn’t be out of place from one of the more established marques from either Japan or Europe.

Sat relaxed, with mid-level foot pegs for a more engaging riding experience, the CFMoto also features thick non-adjustable 37mm upside down forks, plus a single rear shock shrouded from view, thanks to a rear end that hugs the 150/80×16 back tyre.

These springs offer 130mm of travel up front, plus 96mm at the rear, with a single disc brake at each end for stopping power. Up front, you get a 320mm rotor and four-piston J.Juan radial caliper, with a smaller 220mm disc at the back end.

Despite the classical looks, the CFMoto has a couple of modern touches up its sleeve, including a TFT display. This is a rounded unit designed to look like a single analogue clock, displaying all of your vital information.