CF MOTO 450SR (2023 - on) Review

CFMoto 450SR has transcended to the next level. The Chinese manufacturer’s second attempt at an A2 sportsbike has pretty much blown the competition out of the water, by being classy, stylish and extremely refined.

Although small, this isn’t some flimsy toy-like A2 bike wearing ill-fitting fairings and a mishmash of components – the 450SR has real big-bike presence courtesy of its be-winged styling, premium components from Brembo, Bosch and JT, and extremely stable chassis.

The 450SR was designed to knock the market-leading Kawasaki Ninja 400 off its top spot in the sportsbike-mad Chinese domestic market - and it worked. Now it aims to do the same in Europe - albeit in slightly less powerful A2 spec.

The in-house developed 449cc parallel-twin motor with its 270-degree crank (the only bike in the A2 sports class to have this) has smoothness and punch in equal measures, meanwhile the handling characteristics and ride quality are seriously sweet.

The styling, which has been steered by CFMoto’s ex-Ducati and MV Agusta Design Director, is totally standout and the inclusion of aerodynamic winglets means it looks the part – even if they are totally unnecessary on a bike that makes 47bhp! (Although CFMoto claim they add around 1kg of downforce at 75mph.)

But it’s not cheap. This is a Chinese bike that’s pitched right in the same price bracket as its established rivals from Japan and Europe – and although on the surface, the SR has the performance and quality to back this price up (not to mention the support of European distributors, KTM), CFMoto have still got an uphill battle to win over the hearts and wallets of traditional European bike buyers.

It’s a properly sweet-handling machine. With a chro-moly steel tube frame that weighs just 11kgs, the first sensation you get from the CF Moto 450SR is one of agility. The chassis has that race-bike-alike hollow feeling when you push it from side to side, and on the move it turns keenly and with precision. Although, that said, it retains a ‘big bike’ stability and doesn’t come across as flighty or toy-like.

Launched on track in very wet conditions, we didn’t get the chance to fully load up the SR’s suspension. However, the overall sensation and ride quality is plush and supportive. The SR’s 37mm non-adjustable USD forks provide excellent control under braking and were ideal for the wet conditions, in both compression and rebound. Whether this translates into a fork that’s slightly too soft for hard riding in dry conditions remains to be seen.

At the rear, the preload-adjustable monoshock with its rising-rate linkage performed well too, being firm enough to provide support and stability for the conditions. Having only ridden the SR on a billiard-table-smooth racetrack, the jury’s still out on whether it’ll provide decent bump absorption on the roads, but the suspension certainly feels of good enough quality to do a reasonable job.

Up front, the Brembo M40 4-piston caliper provides compelling stopping power with the perfect amount of initial bite and plenty of feel coming back through the span-adjustable lever. The rear brake is adequate, although not overrun with feel, and the whole system is backed up with a switchable ABS system.

Overall comfort is good, however the SR’s riding position is sportier than its A2 sportsbike rivals with its clip-ons below the top yokes and fairly high footpegs – good news for track riding but may prove uncomfortable over distance. That said, the SR is also offered with a choice of optional seats too, to suit both taller (815mm) and shorter (785mm) riders which may help boost comfort.

In fact, the only thing letting the SR’s chassis down are the CST Adreno HS AS5 tyres. These semi-slick, supersport-style tyres from a relatively unknown brand initially struck fear into my heart given the cold, wet conditions, but they warmed up quickly and generated decent grip. However, they gave almost nothing in the way of feedback which meant that riding on them was a bit of an exercise in blind faith! I’d shove a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV on in a heartbeat.

This is CFMoto’s own 449cc parallel-twin engine, developed entirely in house and which provides 46bhp alongside a very healthy 28.9lb-ft torque, an output which is only a sniff behind Honda’s heavier CBR500R. With a 270-degree crank it sounds great, has bags of punch and a smidge of character.

With a pair of balancer shafts, the motor is very smooth and refined, whilst also being extremely free-revving, and it generates a really friendly, useable power delivery. The fuelling is smooth, but there’s a bit of disconnect as you first crack the throttle from fully closed, with the initial few degrees of twist not doing anything resulting in a slack sensation.

The engine makes its power in a very linear fashion, which on one hand is a good thing as it means there’s ample amounts of drive from low rpm all the way through the rev range right up to 10,000rpm and results in the SR being able to pull high gears at low engine speeds. But a downside of this is that the motor feels a little flat and unexciting on track. And, although the SR will happily rev on to its 12,300rpm redline, there’s very little point in doing so as this part of the range serves as an overrev only.

The gearbox is positive and easy to use, with every cog slotting home via clutchless shifts smoothly. For the times when you need to use the clutch, the action at the lever is extremely light, plus the addition of an FCC slipper clutch helps keep things smooth when backshifting.

Whilst there’s not yet an option for a factory-fit quickshifter, the gear lever itself can be pivoted into race shift, a useful feature for those with track intentions. However, one of the other testers on the launch pointed out that the gear shift lever can be forced upwards on its pivot, if excessive pressure is used when shifting into top gear, causing it stick in an upwards position.

If I were to describe the 450SR's build quality in a word, it would be 'refined'. The bike looks and feels well put together – the footrest hangers, panels, forks, brakes, levers, switchgear and top yoke combine to create a very premium-looking package, certainly comparable with (if not better than) some of its rivals from established names.

There’s nothing plasticky or cheap-looking about the SR, and in fact the only thing that tarnishes its appeal are, in my opinion, the somewhat cheesy ‘play to win’ and ‘more fun’ graphics on the fairings.

In terms of how it’ll last, being a completely new model with a brand new engine, only time will tell. However, CFMoto claim they’ve subjected the motor to over 4000 hours of high-revving punishment on the engine dyno and are confident in its reliability. As such, there’s a four-year warranty and spares are being distributed from KTM’s Mattighofen HQ in Austria. Meanwhile, CFMoto have plans to expand their UK dealer network with up to 30 new showrooms over the next 12 months.

Our CFMoto 450SR owners' reviews indicate nothing too concerning. The most pertinent comment is "Some of the finishing could be better. the carbon winglets had a rough edge and smoothed out."

With the SR’s build quality and pricing, it’s clear that CFMoto are now very keen to put themselves on par with the established Japanese brands. At £6199 the SR is clearly up for going toe-to-toe with the market-leading Kawasaki Ninja 400 (£6099), which it matches pretty closely in terms of mechanical spec, but eclipses slightly with its attractive 5in TFT screen.

Interestingly, though, the SR is priced £500 more than the KTM RC390 – which, although less powerful and not as nicely finished, does come with TC, quickshifter, adjustable suspension, and cornering ABS.

Although the SR in many ways feels more premium than the aforementioned Kawasaki and the Yamaha R3 (£6400), many potential owners won’t be able to reconcile with forking out top dollar on an unestablished brand – and a Chinese one at that. Plus, depreciation is likely to be horrible – at least for now.

There are some nice touches here. Of course, it’s the only A2 sportsbike to come aerodynamic wings (seemingly 2023’s must-have styling attribute) but other design touches include the frame sliders, pop-off mirrors to prevent damage in a crash, span adjustable levers, the attractive and effective Brembo caliper with its Bosch ABS, and a very jazzy curved-screen 5in TFT complete with gear position indicator and shiftlight.

The front positioning lights and rear tail light are animated, meaning they breathe into life when you turn the key. Plus there’s a USB-A/USB-C connection socket for charging devices.

The SR also offers the option of CFMoto’s T-box, which opens up 4G and Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, tracker, and 6D IMU sensors for data recording via CFMoto’s smartphone app.