Steve's CFMoto 650 NK（春风 650 NK）

Right.
So I bought a CFMoto. Now what.
I traded in my Asiawing LX 450 and added 34000 yuan to get me a legally plated CFMoto 650 NK yesterday. The shop owner didn't want to do the trade-in first, claiming Asiawing to be POS bikes (which they indeed are), but I showed him a list of mods with the prices, he had a ride and there it was - the deal was struck.
The bike I bought had 0 km on its digital clock and, man, how unprofessional CFMoto dealerships are! The staff are lazy, slow, unhelpful and completely ignorant. Basically I had to check the liquids, tire pressure and stuff myself. Just as I put those stock mirrors on myself and just as I installed the battery myself.
The'd walk in circles around the bike, seemingly not knowing where to start at. Such a waste of time. All 3 of them were wearing nice clean red/white CFMoto polos, though.
OK, battery in, liquids/pressure/electrics checked, screws checked, mirrors on, I started it (and it did start) and went off to the gas station.
I filed my docs for the plates and will apparently be doing all that unnerving legal stuff Monday the 2nd. I rode the bike home yesterday night and home-work today. makes it be like 7 km :)
Anyways, feelings and first impressions.

1. The bike does have power down low and that's what I like about it. Exactly the feeling I was looking for. Slow riding is a bliss - it heats up, it does, like any other middleweight would, but it's far from roasting my legs up (HALLO, ASIAWING). It's stable, handles well and you don't have to struggle with it at low speeds.

2. it's not a sport bike. It's not intimidating. It's a friendly commuter with more of a chopper sound than anything else. In fact I thought stock exhaust would be terrible. Now I really do not feel like replacing it - I do like the sound, esp. at low revs. Actually, I can very well picture that engine in Regal Raptor 350's frame. I think that'd be a hell of a bike. And I can imagine CFMoto building a cruiser around that engine rather than a dual sport/motard (which has been rumoured for a long time now).

3. It is small. Don't think the bike is unsuitable for short riders, my wife could have both her feet planted on the ground and she's around 165 cm or smth like that. I feel the bike woould be too small for anyone over 190cm tall. After I installed the bags, the pillion seat disappeared under bag straps and I don't really think I'll be taking anybody on it. I think should somebody use a couple of serious performance-enhancing mods, this could easily be turned into a stunt bike. I do not stunt, though.

4. The clutch is stiff. It's smooth, but you gotta press it hard. Still way softer than Asiawing's was.

5. The gear shift lever seems to be too close to a foot peg not leaving enough room for your left foot to shift comfortably (I wear European 41 size shoes, I guess guys with larger feet will feel cramped down there), but that's not a major issue and I'll play with the lever later.

6. I like the lights. They're bright and they do illuminate the road. I mean, I can actually see where I'm going at night. Whatssup, Asiawing? The stock headlight produces a "dense" beam, which is very-very helpful riding at night.

7. All the handlebar controls are NOT MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC. Sorry for Caps, but that was a revelation. They feel nice to touch, which is important for me. Actually the bike looks great. Don't know how it compares to '06 Kawasaki ER6N, never rode that one nor saw one in person, but they do look similar on pics.

8.The right mirror has a small dent on its face and when I asked the CFMoto guys to replace it, they said they had no more in stock and bla-bla-bla, liars, because they got like 5 bikes on showroom floor and each is supposed to have a set of mirrors and finding a set that'd be not faulty for a customer would've been a thing do do. Frustrating. Mirrors are useless anyways, because you see nothing in them. The bike doesn't feel vibey but in fact it must be, 'cause the mirrors shake as hell making the picture blurred and thus useless. I'll be installing something aftermarket there for sure.

9.The bike's very forgiving. Wife rode it, couldn't stall it. My friend has like half a year scooter riding experience - he rode it as well - and said an interesting thing (quote): "the bike gives me confidence, I'm not afraid of it. I feel I'm in control. I want to have one"

More stuff to follow, questions are welcome.

Steve

Attachment 8473

Attachment 8474

Attachment 8475

Great, welcome to the world of mid-sized displacement Chinese motos... not that your Asiawing wasn't but it is a completely different league of bike. I and a mate looked at the Asiawing 450 early last year, he was keen, but I wasn't sorry but I am just too sceptical of Chinese manufacturers/sellers claims. Which is not surprising given my decade here in the middle kingd00m. What is surprising is that my mate has been nearly twice as long and been way more burnt that yours truly yet he still will buy this type of crAp, but then rants about it all when it fails...

I'm sorry to read of your experience with the CFMoto shop you bought through. I wish you'd contacted me cause I would have introduced you to a shop where your experience would have been the complete opposite of that which you had. OK, there might have still been some little frustrating aspects, but it would have been a much richer and rewarding experience. Hell if it had been me, I would have told those twats what's up and if they don't lift there game I will walk out... well I'm sure you get the idea. As my wife reminds me, sometimes we waiguorens are too polite and to get anything done, we need to show anger. I'm learning... I realise you are in Jiangsu, but Zhejiang isn't that far away on the planet. Still you've got your ride.

I've ridden the 650NK when it was a prototype and I also thought it was a little on the small side, and felt that the shifter/brake peddles were a tad on the small side, but then it is that style of bike I guess. Interestingly though was that I sat more upright than I would have thought which was a pleasant surprise, meaning less strain on the wrists than expected.

Ironic you should mention about the cruiser, because I was told more than a year ago that CFMoto would be making a cruiser using the 650cc engine, and it was supposed to have been available way before now, so I guess that was just one of those stories. I posted about it here on MCM at the time. It might also have been something lost in translation too.

I'd have the 650TR if it wasn't for the lack of a centre stand, which is a deal breaker for me (and another guy I know who wanted one). I'm hoping that the proposed dual-purpose/adventure bike under development has a centre stand - because if it does it will be fighting the already tight confines in my garage for space.

Anyway this is your thoughts and review, so I look forward to reading more, and seeing more pics and how your bike develops over time. May I ask why you went with the 650NK over the BJ600 or even the 650TR? I like the look of the BJ600 more than the 650NK, but I'm not into the naked bike style myself, there are other things in life that deserve to be admired naked... IMO.

Attachment 8476

Steve, love the bike great colour, blue. Keep posting very interested, this bike is at the top of my list currently. I've both ridden this bike and seen it stunted, shows it can be thrown around, ideal small twin for mountain roads I want to ride on.

It will be nice to hear what you think of the bike as it gets older, from someone that can keep small niggles in perspective and not freak-out over them.:icon10:

bikerdoc, don't like the headlights on TR and am not into touring bikes - I need it for city rides, slapping a couple bags on is enough for me. Besides, if I really needed protection from elements I'd've gone for a maxi scoot. Wouldn't want a BJ 600 given that it kicks in above 8000rpm and where I ride I need power way below that. Won't be revving a bike lots, I'm a city rider after all. Pity they didn't go with a cruiser - that would've been welcome given that there's no competition at the moment. And I bet CFMoto could've crafted something more beautiful & ergonomic than Regal Raptor and QianJiang did.

ZMC888, the color was one of the points in favor of the bike. I wouldn't want black, I'm not a gangsta neither am I a fake Ducati fan. I'm a teacher. Orange didn't look, well, orange enough. Was it that acid orange they paint some Yamaha scoots in, I'd go for it. Besides, blue is the only bike with silver engine finish and silver rims. Orange and black have black engine, black rims. Not my favourite. Will see how it ages, will keep everyone posted. From what I have experienced so far - it's a city bike with a bite.

And one more thing: dashboard. Or cockpit. Or whatever that is that shows your speed, RPMs and all that stuff. it's miniscule. I like the clocks on my wife's Suzuki EN 150. Readable and clear. Well pver here I have a toy tacho that's a bit bigger than your ordinary wristwatch and a tiny display which displays a lot of info within very limited space. Which in turn makes letters/numbers totally unreadable.
Say, I can't tell it straight away how much gas I have in my tank. I feel like I'd better stop, check the display, find what stuff exactly tells me a bout the fuel level and then read it. Inconvenient. Given that I shift by ear, I'd prefer a larger display with big numbers for trip meter and a decent indication scale for fuel.
Asiawing had nothing except for an analogue speedo, which showed anything between 40 km/h and 120 km/h when the speed was around 50 km/h, so it feels like a step forward for me. For those who compare CFMoto VS Japanese bikes, well, I somehow feel the Jap ones would do the indication job more comprehensively.

bikerdoc, you say you rode CFMoto 650 pre-production. Any idea why they designed exhaust in such a funny way? I mean, it looks OK and it does the job. The sound is nice in fact. I mean, what's with all that bling-bling? Did it really have to be so shiny and have those welds on it? Why didn't they go with something lower profile, like, say, matte black or something similar?

Steve few questions...

Tires what brand are they? Have you thought about putting some other rubber on it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Steve few questions...

Tires what brand are they? Have you thought about putting some other rubber on it?

---

haven't checked the brand, will check after work and post here.
Whatever brand they are, I'll first see how they behave in different conditions, and, since my top speed is usually 40 km/h, I don't think I'll replace them until probably half a year later. In terms of replacement, I think there're lots of options there. I'd go for Pirelli most likely.

Also a reviewer somewhere else complained about good but inconsistent brakes, any idea? Sounds to be like that bike's brakes just needed a good bleed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Also a reviewer somewhere else complained about good but inconsistent brakes, any idea? Sounds to be like that bike's brakes just needed a good bleed.

---

Haven't yet had a chance to really try the brakes. But from whatever 10 km I have already ridden, the brakes are good. The bike stops just like you expect it to and where you expect it to. The initial bite isn't strong, so it won't block the wheel at once. The feel is that of control, you instinctively feel how much pressure needs to be applied.
I feel the brakes are pretty responsive. Will see if they work differently when heated up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_Halt

bikerdoc, don't like the headlights on TR and am not into touring bikes - I need it for city rides, slapping a couple bags on is enough for me. Besides, if I really needed protection from elements I'd've gone for a maxi scoot. Wouldn't want a BJ 600 given that it kicks in above 8000rpm and where I ride I need power way below that. Won't be revving a bike lots, I'm a city rider after all. Pity they didn't go with a cruiser - that would've been welcome given that there's no competition at the moment. And I bet CFMoto could've crafted something more beautiful & ergonomic than Regal Raptor and QianJiang did.

---

The main issue I have with naked bikes in China (regardless which manufacturer) is that without the screen or fairing I've found that I end up really grubby after a good days riding. Mind though that my good days riding tends to start at sun-up and end almost at midnight give or take an hour or two. My riding mates tend to want to get sorted for accommodation before dark, but not me. I realise that just on dark and an hour or two thereafter the roads can and do get a little lethal but roll on an additional hour or more and the riff-raff of road users (cyclists, eBikes and pedestrians) all tend to head indoors, and even the numbers of cars decrease exponentially the later it gets. My Dragstar I just had to put a screen on, to afford myself some kind of protection from the dirt and debris that us motorcycling fraternity can be exposed to. I still end up with a dirty face well at least the exposed parts, as I tend to wear a mask with a special filter, so I don't breath that crap into my lungs. Perhaps if I was in OZ or NZ I'd feel comfortable with naked bike, but not here. Besides I want some utilitarian type amenities on my rides, that provide function. I like being able to do a supermarket shop and am amazed myself at what I can stack away especially on my Jetmax. I'm sure CFMoto could have done a pretty okay job on building a cruiser, and who knows given time, that might still happen. JUst have to watch this space I guess.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_Halt

bikerdoc, you say you rode CFMoto 650 pre-production. Any idea why they designed exhaust in such a funny way? I mean, it looks OK and it does the job. The sound is nice in fact. I mean, what's with all that bling-bling? Did it really have to be so shiny and have those welds on it? Why didn't they go with something lower profile, like, say, matte black or something similar?

---

I know I know, the exhaust and collector box etc is somewhat hideous, but I think it was so the bike could meet the Euro3+ emission standards. I know that CFMoto were in discussions with an international after market motorcycle exhaust and muffler manufacturer who have a Chinese operation for manufacturing the range for overseas markets. The brief was for a nicer and slicker design, but I also know some inside information about that company which I won't name, whereby a number of the foreign staff had a "guts full" of the foreign owner and essentially walked out or otherwise left the company. That was around the time when the 650NK was a prototype. One of the key people who'd been with that company in all types of roles over the last 20 plus years left too. As far as I know the ex-employee was taking the owner of the company to court over employment matters. It's likely that this all impacted on the what the company could do or offer CFMoto. As far as I know the current 650NK exhaust and mufflers are no different than the protoype which is not from the company I refer to but cannot name for commercial reasons and to protect my source.

Congrats Steve, i hope she brings you less pain than that Asiawing, though that's a fairly safe bet!

Since the exhaust was mentioned, i much prefer that design to the benelli's under-seat setup because it means you can toss bags over the back without them burning.

Best wishes from a jealous man.

C'mon guys, be quick - ask Steven what you want to know you about NK, because he will sell it until the end of autumn. :lol8:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Steve_Halt

bikerdoc, you say you rode CFMoto 650 pre-production. Any idea why they designed exhaust in such a funny way? I mean, it looks OK and it does the job. The sound is nice in fact. I mean, what's with all that bling-bling? Did it really have to be so shiny and have those welds on it? Why didn't they go with something lower profile, like, say, matte black or something similar?

---

The question was for Bikerdoc, but I have one suggestion regarding the muffler. If you do not like his bling-bling look, find someone who could sandblast the muffler with glass beads. That way you'll get a beautiful muted satin finish.

And one more, as Stierlitz says, "information to think about" - reflective rim tape.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1316/...eb7b89602a.jpg

Not only looks good, but increases passive safety too.

bikerdoc, ok, I see. I just wonder why they designed the muffler that way in the first place. BTW, will the stock Kawasaki ER6n '06 muffler fit there, I wonder?

felix, that actually was one of the reasons I went for CFMoto rather than Benelli. I need those bags on my bike no matter how ugly they are. If you want that bike I suggest you wait until Chinese New Year. First, it'll show up any problems that might occur with my bike; second, they usually have discounts around that time, so you may very well not have to pay as much as I did.

Zorge, sandblast it with glass beads...that IS interesting. I'll ask around if anyone could do that but I don't really know where to start at? A car repair shop? A paintshop? I don't think I'll sell it THAT too soon, it's been quite an investment and I don't see any other viable option on the market as yet. But should a CFMoto cruiser with the same/similar engine appear one day, I'll seriously consider that as a replacement :)
I'll check the rim tape on taobao.com and will stick it onto the bike only after I have it plated, I think.

Regarding sandblasting: I know that glass beads are great for polished aluminum, but do not know if they are just as good for the chrome-plated metal too. Maybe it's better to use baking soda or starch or even wet sandpaper P600 or P800. I do not know. Try to find out how to get what you want.

Another thing about the exhaust... You mentioned that NK's engine has a chopper sound. Forget about the ER-6 exhaust and straight away go to the real thing - buy slip-on Supertrapp with the discs. Let people know that you're going through.

About the rim tapes: as I understand it, there are two types of tapes - one is in a roll, as a standard adhesive tape, with a special tool for precise application on the wheel, and other tapes are designed as 3-4 arches for one side of the rim.

The first type tapes are easy to apply, but wrinkles could appear, so during the application process, regular hair dryer might be handy, to soften the tape if necessary. Other, the arches, will not wrinkle, but they require skilled hands to stick tape neatly and accurately.

These tapes can make yourself if you have a sheet of reflective foil, know to work in Corel or some similar program, and have access to contour cutter. While you're there, you can think up custom fit reflective foil stickers for other positions on your bike. Your bike will probably look at night like something that came out of Tron movie, but nobody will be able to tell you 對不起朋友，我沒有看到你 :lol8:

Zorge, I think I'll sandblast/change the exhaust after I get the bike plated. The cops here won't be happy about the mods. I've never heard of Supertrapp until you wrote about them. Checked them online, and, yes, they're available in China (limited models only), so that might be an option.
Actually, I think the injector will have to be re-mapped after the exhaust swap and I'm not quite sure the local dealer will be able to do it. All the bikes I had before were carburetted ones (except for Yamaha FZ6n, which I never worked on), and I don't know much the EFI system myself.
Those rim tapes, we have the arch ones over here and that's a popular mod, so I think that'll be thing #1 to do once I have the plates.
Why not make it Tron-ish for a change :)

Too bad you're far away. If you were closer, I would easily find here something nice for your "golubec": http://www.race-exhaust.com//compone...page/Itemid,1/ and http://www.dragonada.com/index.srb.html .

I liked that "Hexagonal" slip-on on the first link website. Looks sharp. Sure I can get something similar over here in PRC.

Yes, Robert's mufflers - really good stuff.

OK, last night rode the bike around a bit. Feels solid. Well-build. And the brakes are good too. Felt to twitching, deceleration is smooth and predictable. No need for a bleed, at least now. Bike has powerful acceleration 70 - 150-ish km/h. Could easily do more, but not during the brake-in period. I'm doing my best not to over-rev it.

Was supposed to get the plates tomorrow - called the shop to set the meeting time for the legal stuff, was told that the documents weren't ready yet, so tomorrow's a no-go. I planned my classes around that appointment, and, had I not called first, they wouldn't have informed me about a problem with papers at all.
What kind of customer service is that?
Meanwhile I was told to wait "until called back". WTF? How long should I be waiting there then? A week? 2 weeks? Until winter comes?
I payed the money (in cash) for both: the bike and the plates. Now, my options:
1. Wait for them to call me (and hope they will call me at all);
2. Ride to the shop tomorrow and ask them about the papers in person (I have free time anyway);
3. Complain to... actually, who do you complain to in this case?

Steve,
The CF moto dealers are individual dealer owners and there service does not directly effect CF Moto the company. However that being said ultimately CF moto the brand should be concerned if one of their dealers are providing subpar service as it can reflect very badly on the brand as a whole.

The 2 dealers here in Shanghai are top notch. I have had my bike a 650 TR since the intital launch earlier this year and have had excellent support from both the CF moto dealer, and the company.

I think letting CF moto know what their dealer is up to is a start.... however the end result might be that your dealer will loose his license to sell the brand. THen you out of luck for maintance and repairs.....

If you need technical help or service questions, and can work it over the phone PM when you need something and I can see what Jeff (my CF moto dealer) can do. Mean while I will look for the TR's production managers e-mail address and send it to you so you can begin to discuss the problems you having with you dealer.
Attachment 8585

FYI, the NK and TR both can use ER-6N exhaust parts. Sometimes they need a little help fitting just right but it helps to know their pretty close. For the Exhaust I ditched the big goofy stock can and went with IXIL's which can be found on Taobao
Attachment 8588
New IXIL in place, very short and clean....
Attachment 8590
Routing underneath, its a two into one into one into two:confused1:
Attachment 8589
Stock pipe removed:eekers:heavy looking huh!

Agreed, if you deal with a guy who just bought few NKs and TRs an maybe doesn't even have the official license fom CF, nor provide proffessionnal services, he might close in a year and then you can forget about your 2 years guarantee, I just bought the 650NK and the proffessionnalism of the dealer was decision maker (Jeff) , anyway good luck to you. For your info it takes about 15 working days to get the official license plate here in Shanghai: so patience is advised.

Thanks, guys!
Shanghaifingers, your exhaust is exactly the one I've been thinking of getting from taobao. Yeah, it is there and it is available. I got a couple of questions to ask here, 'cause that'll most likely be my first mod to the bike. So,
1. How long did the delivery take?
2. How's the sound? I mean, that IXIL silencer seems to have removable baffles, does it make difference? If yes then how?
3. Any improvement over stock powr delivery/acceleration?
4. Did they have to reflash the ECU to match your exhaust or was it just a slip-on installation without any ECU tweak needed?
5. How long did the installation take and was it difficult? Any problems in process?
Thanks!

Topmanda, yeah it gets a bit slow here in NJ as well. Anyways, it's raining now and will be in the following week, so I'm OK riding my shopping scooter. It's just that, you know, you buy a bike you want to ride it :)

To all: been to the dealer. Talked to him about the documents delay. He was very straightforward and didn't seem like he was lying or making something up. generally speaking, he's hunting for plates off of an old bike so that they can be registered in my name and my bike could be replated with them. The same weird process you get in Beijing, Shanghai and other big cities.
He got the plates, and the documents will be all done by the end of this week. My Sat & Sun are the busiest in a week, which means next Monday Sept. the 10th I will most likely be getting my plates. And may force be with me.

Take into account that you will, sooner or later, be annoyed by too loud exhaust.

Steve,

Actually he exhaust was on the wall of my CFmoto shop... So instant gratification! The install took less the 40min, but I could be done faster. Basically you unbolt the stock and slip in the new. My baffles are still in, and the sound is a little loader but not by much. IXIL pipes are know for a nice deep exhaust note, unlike the typical Japaness slip ons. I love the new sound. However the baffles will stay in, I think with them out it will just be annoying. I have TR so I put a lot a Kms a day and loud pipes as Zorge said get annoying not to mention the head ache they can cause.

One note. On the IXIL's they have a space to relocate the O2 sensor, but we can' and don't use it. It comes with a screw in blank off plug. make sure you use loctite on the threads as this does start to back off after sometime.
Also watch the swing arm clearance. With the stock bracket Rm it's close to touching the swing arm when the bike is un sprung. Think about modding the bracket a little to gain a little more clearance. I have been running som 4000 Kms with the stock clearance with now issue.... But you never know.
As I posted else where the mechanic did hook up the ecu to the little computer and change some stuff. but I think the mapping adjustment is very limited.

I did notice it gets up to 200kms quicker now with the pipes. Call it weight reduction or freer flowing exhaust, but the main benefit is the bikes tone.... It looks cooler to.

Guys, I joined the CFMoto club earlier tonight, picked up a 650NK in Beijing. Had a great first ride tonight, in the crystal clear air we had in Beijing today. looking forward to posting more feedback on the bike, as well as some fun mods.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fletch7276

Guys, I joined the CFMoto club earlier tonight, picked up a 650NK in Beijing. Had a great first ride tonight, in the crystal clear air we had in Beijing today. looking forward to posting more feedback on the bike, as well as some fun mods.

---

Dear Fletch,

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new purchase. Congratulations also on the rare clean air day in Beijing. I was there on Friday and Saturday and couldn't see but 300 meters. Pollution index was pushing 300.

Looking forward to your wrencher's thread on the NK!

cheers

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zorge

Take into account that you will, sooner or later, be annoyed by too loud exhaust.

---

And also will be my lovely grandpa/grandma neighbors :)