CFMoto NK650 Impressions

I met I guy called 'Cowboy' today who let me have a quick spin on his NK650. He has some kind of friendship with CFMOTO, and is a semi-pro stunt rider for them, He and his friends make stunt videos, speak OK English and are likable guys, they hang about on http://www.moto8.com/. They said the bike is registrable in Shandong province for 1000RMB, and that they can source the bike for 30,000RMB, less than the advertized 37,000RMB.

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First I had a look at the bike, a tangerine and white colored CF, looked a bit like a cross between a Kawasaki Ninja 650 or ER6 and a KTM Duke. After I started it I noticed was that the engine noise was very loud, not particularly from the pipe, but a massive clatter from the valves, pistons and cams. Although this must be normal operation. I was impressed when I sat on the bike all the levers hand and foot grips were in the right places, a nice city 'supermoto' style riding position just my style, no racer wannabe or cruiser couch, slightly more dynamic than a CBF500 with the hands and similar foot position. Finding first gear was easy, as the road was cold and dusty I put the machine in 2nd gear fairly early and took her through the power bands in 2nd. Well there is nothing missing from the machine here, she pulled up toward red line nicely and I had to back off early due to a few old women wobbling around on ancient ebikes on the wrong side of the road carrying vegetables. The brakes came in nicely and gave me the same capable stopping power that you'd expect on a Japanese middleweight street bike of this kind which is very impressive on a China bike.

The bike is on first impressions nearly as good as a Japanese bike of the same kind, albeit slightly less refined. So now I'm split on one side I want to take the gamble. Just my kind of bike, a 650 twin with a regular riding position, ideal, and for a good price. A bike China and Chinese bikers can be proud of, yes it's openly a Kawasaki copy, but it proves China can make something a bit more than a potato carrier. If CFMOTO sell quite a few it helps the Chinese economy and makes bike bans and big bike bans less likely. On the other hand I worry about all those noisy internals. If I buy one will I be bombarded by niggles because the bike hasn't been R&D'd properly? Will the bike develop some problem that can't be fixed after a few years when I'm out of warranty? Would CFMOTO help me out? :deal:

possibly it is noisy because it has had the living snot caned out of it since it was a pup

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

Would CFMOTO help me out? :deal:

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G'Day,

Make sure your not getting Jialing'ed...

Saw a red / white one yesterday with a Shanghai "C" plate out in Minhang, not bad looking but smallish bike.

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Originally Posted by zhu

possibly it is noisy because it has had the living snot caned out of it since it was a pup

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Bike was brand new.

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

Make sure your not getting Jialing'ed...

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Jialing have done quite a bit of damage to the China moto scene, will CFMOTO step up? I might leave of a purchase of this bike to 2013 if at all.

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

not bad looking but smallish bike.

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Yeah it might be a bit small for the Shanghai F1 race circuit, but on a Chinese road with blind pig farmers a 650cc twin is more than enough. Or do you mean in dimensions? I reckon that the size is about right.

The dimensions are definitely small, and I think the bike would not be well-suited to panniers and pillion. The pillion barely rates half a seat, so she better be tiny!

As a solo ride for day trips, I think this bike would be a lot of fun.

The risk of being Jialinged? Well, that's a mystery that reveals herself slowly! We owners of the 2009 and 2010 JH600 are only now finding out how little Jialing cares about bikes that are out of warranty. Those riding the JH600A, which is purported to have resolved the JH600 stalling problem, are all still under warranty and have too little mileage on them to expose them to Jialing's duplicity.

Bikerdoc is most knowledgeable about CFMoto and their service record, and has given good reports. But he too has indicated that CFMoto are not averse to using their customers as R&D guinea pigs just as Jialing has done. In his case, at least, I think they recalled his big scoot and replaced a bunch of parts, which ranks them above bottomfeeder Jialing.

cheers!

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

Bike was brand new..

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mate if its brand new and it sounds like a sack full of hammers

why even consider it

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Originally Posted by euphonius

The dimensions are definitely small, and I think the bike would not be well-suited to panniers and pillion. The pillion barely rates half a seat, so she better be tiny!

As a solo ride for day trips, I think this bike would be a lot of fun.

...

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If you'd like to see pix of this bike under a decent-sized European, I've parked some pictures here.

In fact, apart from this new thread there are now at least three other threads about this bike, which is starting to be a bit confusing.

CT 650NK Experience which is kind of mislabeled (That CT should be CF or ChunFeng or CFMoto)
CFMOTO 650 Nice Pics
CFMoto CF650 sport bike

I guess there's no way to corral these together, but perhaps it would be nice to have one designated as a sticky, and have that be the main place for comment. Can these threads be combined somehow?

cheers!

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Originally Posted by zhu

mate if its brand new and it sounds like a sack full of hammers why even consider it

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It's noisy, but a sack full of hammers would be an exaggeration. Also that's normal operation. It pulls well as it should through all power-bands. If there was blue smoke, the oil stunk of petrol or there was oil pissing over the engine then that would be a giveaway that the engine was shit. Some engines can be noisier than others, that just the way the are. Doesn't mean they can't last or that it isn't rubbish.

Anyway I ain't gonna buy it. This is because Chinese customer service sucks balls, and I swore I'd never buy a 100% Chinese bike again. I don't want to take a 30,000 RMB gamble on a Chinese bike.

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Originally Posted by euphonius

CT 650NK Experience which is kind of mislabeled (That CT should be CF or ChunFeng or CFMoto)
CFMOTO 650 Nice Pics
CFMoto CF650 sport bike

I guess there's no way to corral these together, but perhaps it would be nice to have one designated as a sticky, and have that be the main place for comment. Can these threads be combined somehow?

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You might notice that my post was the only one to get the name of the bike correct.

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

Anyway I ain't gonna buy it. This is because Chinese customer service sucks balls, and I swore I'd never buy a 100% Chinese bike again. I don't want to take a 30,000 RMB gamble on a Chinese bike.

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This is my position on Chinese bikes right now too. Our options in this price range are fairly nonexistant though. Either you buy a grey market bike or risk getting "Jialinged" (tm TB-Racing) with a Chinese bike.

Still hoping to hear some more opinions on this bike. Thinking that the touring version might have a better seating arrangement. As noted above the pillion seat on the current version is pretty awful.

/edit - miscredited quote

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

Or do you mean in dimensions? I reckon that the size is about right.

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G'Day,

The bike is quite small (dimensions) and will not fit larger guys (6'4")...... saw two today going up HuQingPing highway with a large group of big bore Jap bikes.

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

This is my position on Chinese bikes right now too. Our options in this price range are fairly nonexistant though.

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For sure, I'm thinking a Haojue Suzuki GW250 in 2013, but this may change, depends on availability. Not really enough in the power department, but adequate.

Jialing, do you hear this? I'm not buying a Jialing JH600A, because you won't fix your customers problems. Also I've mostly crossed CFMoto NK650 off my list because I'm afraid that you might treat me the same why Jialing has treated other buyers. There is one way you can have me as a customer, a three year 30,000 kilometer warranty. I know it sounds like a lot. Maybe you think "who the hell do I think I am to demand this?" But that is honestly the only way I'm ever gonna buy your bike, sorry.

As an alternative to being Jailing'd, i can recommend a Yingang 250 for aftersales service. chinaV bought one last year and it had a few issues, which they sorted out. My mate Tom bought the bike from chinaV and they just updated the brakes on the current model, Yingang just sent him the whole braking sytem front and back with a xmas card. They have also promised to send any other parts which they update. Not a bad company and the customer service guy speaks english. rich

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Originally Posted by richardktm

As an alternative to being Jailing'd, i can recommend a Yingang 250 for aftersales service. chinaV bought one last year and it had a few issues, which they sorted out. My mate Tom bought the bike from chinaV and they just updated the brakes on the current model, Yingang just sent him the whole braking sytem front and back with a xmas card. They have also promised to send any other parts which they update. Not a bad company and the customer service guy speaks english. rich

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Thanks for this post, Richard. Any idea why Yingang has done this? Are they acknowledging that the earlier parts were faulty or defective and needed to be replaced? Or are they rolling out an updated model and want Tom and perhaps other owners of earlier versions to enjoy the upgrades? Either way, it's surely evidence that they care about their customers, though it would see also to indicate that they are letting their customers do the quality control testing of the bike, which is a risky proposition if it's released before it's ready for prime time.

What do Yingang say when they provide these friendly services? Any explanation?

Thanks, and best new year's greetings!

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Originally Posted by richardktm

chinaV bought one last year and it had a few issues, which they sorted out. My mate Tom bought the bike from chinaV and they just updated the brakes on the current model, Yingang just sent him the whole braking sytem front and back with a xmas card. They have also promised to send any other parts which they update. Not a bad company and the customer service guy speaks english. rich

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Unfortunately ChinaV gave up on YG, I wonder the front braking has improved? and the welding job.

The GW250 is one of the few, one hundred percent legitimate, choices in China, holding true to the real actual meaning of the words.

I didn't really give up on Yingang, having both the QingQi 250 and the Yingang 250 wasn't really necessary, and Tom wouldn't stop drooling on the YG. The original brakes were not very good, but Tom said the new ones they sent are great.

Yingang is not a state owned MC company, perhaps this is why they care about making their customers happy.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

...Yingang is not a state owned MC company, perhaps this is why they care about making their customers happy.

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What a concept! Jialing, are you listening?

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

Make sure your not getting Jialing'ed...

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Jialing'ed ... I like that expression a lot :lol8:.....