CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km

CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km x2

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I've hit 11,000 doing long rides, and Soberpete is a few thousand behind doing mostly commuting so this review is basically a 20,000 kilometer review.

The Good News
When the bike runs well it really is a nice machine, Probably not much behind a 2006 Kawasaki ER6N, although somewhat more rattly and less refined.

Brakes 7/10
Properly bled from factory with braided lines. They are single sided calipers that work acceptably. By contrast with the average Chinabike no name brake they are excellent, but they are by no means great. Lever is a bit crap though with a fair bit of play.

Comfort 6/10
Seat is comfortable, and riding position is too, some vibrations and lack of refinement distract the rider though.

Engine 7/10
Plenty of power, you can get away from all car plus driver combos anytime except maybe supercars. Plenty of torque means nice acceleration and great engine braking. Cheaply made EFI system and busy cooling system is a cause for potential concern, especially long term.

Handling 9/10
Bike is very easy to ride especially at first, can seem hot 'n heavy in town but you soon get used to it. New tires help a bit, mostly with confidence.

Suspension 6/10
A bit underdamped, but its OK.

Tires 6/10
Cheng Shin's were OK, could slip a little under power, but actually aren't terrible except in the rain according to UK reports. Continental tires on new models will certainly help sales. We fitted Pirellis, they've been good.

Assembly 5/10
Many of the bolts weren't torqued up to spec, engine bolts, rotor bolts were OK and master cylinders rest not really. Fork bolts were very under torqued, I was easily capable to getting another half turn on the bolts. The semi permanent thread-locker seemed watered down and ineffective.

The Bad News

Problems

• TPS (throttle position sensor) failure at 1000 kms: warranty successful
• Rusty fuel tank (internally): warranty successful
• Rear seat is a PITA to fit, usually takes 2-5 minutes of hitting and cursing, mains seat no problem
• Cheap plastics that no longer fit, with broken connectors
• Cheap iron bolts holding many parts on especially plastics
• Many threaded frame screws
• Bar, mirrors, pegs, non-load bearing bolts and plastics are garbage much worse than an a Sundiro or Jianshe 125cc quality
• Cannot switch off blinking EFI 'service' light on my bike, goes away after 10 seconds though
• Overzealous fan comes on when bike isn't that hot and even when bike started slightly warm
• Heavily corroded headers, doubt will see out lifespan of the bike
• Rear sub-frame very weak, I wouldn't try to put more than 5KG in a top-box or take a big pillion.
• Many under-torqued and poorly thread-locked bolts
• Chinese bike, so fast depreciation

Long term Fears and Concerns

How long will the bikes lifespan be? I keep mine indoors, change the oil early and use the best filters, and only do long 'freedom' trips, so bike couldn't be better looked after. Still I worry, will the Cooling system survive long term? The fan is always whirring away are the bearings in it Chinese? Will the EFI light throw up some random code? Am I going to be faced with bills? Will parts be available long term?

Conclusion

This bike is fairly OK and provides you with a characterful middle weight bike for a very reasonable amount of money. However, if you could buy a Honda CB500, Kawasaki ER6N, Suzuki SV650 or other 'budget' middle-weight for 50,000RMB (with no or low trade tariffs) or approximate price in another country, the 35,000-40,000 asking price for this bike really doesn't stack up short term or long term with all the potential problems. Modern Japanese bikes are much better made, although CFMOTO are doing well and IMHO are a cut above most China bikes, still the penny-pinching has hurt this bike. Here's an example: I've got Kawasaki copy mirrors which after year are swinging around in the breeze and are useless. For 20 RMB you can buy Sundiro Honda or Yamaha Jianshe mirrors from their 125cc models that can make it to three years, so why if I've spent 35,000 should I have run of the mill Chinabike 125cc mirrors, could they not splash out an extra 5 RMB?

To sum up: It ain't bad, but save for longer and buy a Honda.

Thanks for taking the time to post the review.

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

To sum up: It ain't bad, but save for longer and buy a Honda.

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Funny thing.. I just did ;)

But seriously, I think I did over 20.000km with my bike and it had its troubles.. :/

second where i took heavy hit was depreciation of the vehicle :bs:
Even if I thought it was pretty good for the price buyers did not see it that way (sure I also was eager to sell it away and make room for my Honda ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wald0

Funny thing.. I just did ;)

But seriously, I think I did over 20.000km with my bike and it had its troubles.. :/

second where i took heavy hit was depreciation of the vehicle :bs:
Even if I thought it was pretty good for the price buyers did not see it that way (sure I also was eager to sell it away and make room for my Honda ;)

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My last ever Chinese bike. Life is too short if you can afford a (or are allowed) a reliable bike.

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Originally Posted by ZMC888

My last ever Chinese bike. Life is too short if you can afford a (or are allowed) a reliable bike.

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+1 I have 3 Chinese bike and have done over 50,000 km between
them now . 2 of the bikes will go and will be replaced with the new
2015 650 Versy from Thailand
With the imported bike coming over from Thailand
at good reasonable prices it's time for me to think
about upgrading to a more reliable bike, why should we have
to think about "WILL" my Chinese bike make IT ! , what modifications
can I do to make it better !! This is all bullshit .
To be fair to the 3 bike I have which are
CF 650TR , CF 250 Jetlux and a Yamaha 125 YBR GK i have been happy
most of the time but that's it's just most of the time and not ALL the time
So for me it's time to step up .

I dont consider my Chinese Yamaha as a China bike, sure its made in China but, but........ Id still say its a reliable jap bike. My has 30k and its all good, never had to push it. Had 2 wee problems in 2 years, nothing major tho.

Id love to have bigger foreign brand but I cant force myself to pay the high tax....it just feels wrong and dont want to give them my money. I know those complains are pointless but I cant shake it. Once I get over that daylight muggery I will get myself a nice 500-700cc jap

Quote:

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Originally Posted by modron

I dont consider my Chinese Yamaha as a China bike, sure its made in China but, but........ Id still say its a reliable jap bike. My has 30k and its all good, never had to push it. Had 2 wee problems in 2 years, nothing major tho.

Id love to have bigger foreign brand but I cant force myself to pay the high tax....it just feels wrong and dont want to give them my money. I know those complains are pointless but I cant shake it. Once I get over that daylight muggery I will get myself a nice 500-700cc jap

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I also think the Japanese branded made in China bikes are much much better than the Chinese brands, close to made in Japan quality, but not quite. Similar to Japanese brands Made in India and Thailand. Thai made bikes are coming down in tax to be affordable, my next bike could well be assembled or made in Thailand or China

A Chinese bike facts:

• You will have some major or minor problem or problems in the first year
• The bike will not be as well assembled as a Japanese branded bike
• The parts will be of poorer quality than a Japanese branded bike
• The bike's value will deprecate quicker than a Japanese branded bike
• The bike will deteriorate faster than a Japanese branded bike

You pay less in the beginning, but buying one may well be a false economy in the longer term.

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You pay less in the beginning, but buying one may well be a false economy in the longer term.

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So true and with Thailand imported bike at 30% tax it makes good sense to consider to purchase bikes from Thailand now ?

Quote:

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I dont consider my Chinese Yamaha as a China bike, sure its made in China but

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When I changed my wheel barring on my Chinese made Yamaha and changed
the back cushion rubber which had play in only after 2000 km and now have fitted
Some Japanese made Honda ones which has no play after 21,000 km and changed the chain with
a DID chain , yes now it's a good bike but that's my point why should we have
to change parts even on a Chinese made Yamaha !

And with the Kawasaki ER6 with ABS should be on sale soon in China for under 70k Rmb and how
much is the new CF 650 NK with ABS cost now !!! 45k !! So for 50% more you get a real bike and more
then 50% better bike .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prince666

And with the Kawasaki ER6 with ABS should be on sale soon in China for under 70k Rmb and how
much is the new CF 650 NK with ABS cost now !!! 45k !! So for 50% more you get a real bike and more
then 50% better bike .

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Both Thailand manufactured Kawasaki ER-RN (naked) and ER-6F (full fairing) have been available in PRC legally since 2013. This was pointed out in my price thread from earlier this year...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bikerdoc

Both Thailand manufactured Kawasaki ER-RN (naked) and ER-6F (full fairing) have been available in PRC legally since 2013. This was pointed out in my price thread from earlier this year...

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Great news and the selling price of tbe ER-6N in china is !

Thai vs. PRC moto prices

Did they do some improvements in 2013 model?
I chcecked the specs on www.bikez.com and it looks like 2012 and 2013 differ quite a bit

2012
http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/cf_moto_650nk_2012.php

2013 and younger
http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/cf_moto_650nk_2013.php

Yes some improvements including ABS on the new models. That's the price of being an early adopter slash beta tester
:eekers:

Well, Its always like this here when you buy buy an early bike/product. Actually not only here, recently heard the same thing about Nikon and their cameras.
As for the ABS model, I wonder who is going to beta test the breaks ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by modron

Well, Its always like this here when you buy buy an early bike/product. Actually not only here, recently heard the same thing about Nikon and their cameras.
As for the ABS model, I wonder who is going to beta test the breaks ;)

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I've ridden the 2015 650NK ABS model - brakes worked very well

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bikerdoc

I've ridden the 2015 650NK ABS model - brakes worked very well

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And CF had the foresight to incorporate the Continental ABS System.

Link. http://www.conti-online.com/www/auto...ysteme_en.html


http://www.conti-online.com/www/auto...brake_systems/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prince666

And with the Kawasaki ER6 with ABS should be on sale soon in China for under 70k Rmb and how
much is the new CF 650 NK with ABS cost now !!! 45k !! So for 50% more you get a real bike and more
then 50% better bike .

---

My God ! I nearly choked on my cornflakes reading this pile of do-do , geeze man what planet do you live on ? , I personally have ridden over 2000km beside a Kawasaki ER6 and there is nothing between his bike and my 650NK , either you guys in China have vastly inferior CFMOTO's than we get here in OZ or you have a real hate on , on them ,,, ? .

On a side note George ( the ER6 owner ) came off his bike last ride we did together and thankfully only a broken wrist and hurt pride , but ABS did not do one bit to make that accident not happen , just plane unlucky as I went around the same corner at the same speed only 30 seconds before him .

Brian.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beanerds

My God ! I nearly choked on my cornflakes reading this pile of do-do , geeze man what planet do you live on ? , I personally have ridden over 2000km beside a Kawasaki ER6 and there is nothing between his bike and my 650NK , either you guys in China have vastly inferior CFMOTO's than we get here in OZ or you have a real hate on , on them ,,, ? .

On a side note George ( the ER6 owner ) came off his bike last ride we did together and thankfully only a broken wrist and hurt pride , but ABS did not do one bit to make that accident not happen , just plane unlucky as I went around the same corner at the same speed only 30 seconds before him .

Brian.

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Hi Brain

Don't have a pet hate for CF I own 2. CF250 Jetlux 18.000 KM and a CF 650TR over 25.000 km both bike has had issues with item that you would not expect to have .

I hope your CF holds up better than mine 2 but with only 2000km on your bike IMO this is still early days .

Sorry to hear about you friend George hope him and the bike is ok, not sure what you are saying about ABS on a bike and I can't see how you can imply that because you got round the corner ok on your NK without ABS and George came off with ABS. "but ABS did not do one bit to make that accident not happen" As you say sounds like pile of Do-Do.

Nuff Said

P.S. Try eating the cornflakes more slowly

:naughty: Good one , I have given up cornies , I am now a Week Bix kid ,
,,, . I
I just clocked 8.5k today , in the pouring rain , on the way home from work this afternoon .
On the Do-do , tell that to old mate George , my darling , and a few others visited him last sunday and he is very humble , bike nearly fixed ,,, cant say that about his pride , oh yes ,,, his wrist will be another couple of months the poor bugger :popcorn:.

Brian.

RE: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km

ZMC888,

Hello and happy new year. Thank you for sharing your 11,000 km review of your 650NK. I have been searching for comparable information all over the Internet and regret not checking MCM first... lots of great information right under my nose...

Anyhow, I would like to learn the mfr year of your CFMoto 650 and if you contribute many of the issues to being an early generation. (I checked your profile and was unable to find a reference.) I am unsure when the NT was initially released in China. Specifically, I am interested in learning more about the 2012 models and am unsure if the quality control issues or inferior component issues you experience exist on this model year as well.

Thanks again for nice review. Btw, please provide a quick one or two line update reflecting your currently mileage (if you still own it) and any serious issues encountered. Have you encountered many higher mileage (50,000-65,000km plus) 650NT/TK/TR's?

Thanks in advance and ride safely!

David

ZMC888: Hello again. Please disregard the request in my previous post. I found another thread "New CFMoto 650NK blog" that reflects a Sept 2013 purchase. Unless the motorcycle sat on the showroom floor for a couple years, I assume you purchased a 2013 or 2012 CFMoto 650. I am considering a 2012 and found your threads and blog very informative. The reported assembly and reliability issues are disappointing. Ride safely. David

Hi Dave
I've been keeping up with your request for information with regards to older 650TR.
I had a 2012/2013 CFMoto TR for over 2 years, completing just over 25.000km with only very small issues. Nothing major. Easily sorted, because parts are cheap. Use Taobao makes everything easy for those of us in China. You can source almost everything you might want or need for the 650TR on Taobao easily, for not much money.
IMO buying a 2nd hand bike with low km (around 10,000km-20,000km for lets say around the 20.000 RMB price range could be a good deal.

If you are looking for a later model CFMoto 650 then I'd go for the TR-G over the TR. The electric screen is excellent, especially after adding an aftermarket screen.
You can find a review here on MCM about the 650TR-G that I posted last year. Remember that the motor and gearbox is the same between the NK, TR and TR-G.
I have over 50,000km in just over 1/2 year with zero issues riding from China through Russia the stans, EU and UK, then riding back again.

The TR-G is great, but it comes at a price - well over 70.000 RMB with a few extras fitted.

So it all comes down to how much you are willing or prepared to outlay.

If you want a Japanese brand with the proven reliability then you're going to have to be prepared to pay for it. Stay away from the illegal bikes... IMO.

Good luck with you hunt for a good deal on a CFMoto.

TR-G review link.....http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...50-TR-G-review

Prince: Hello and thank you for your input. Btw, I appreciate the time and effort you and others have contributed to this forum. As far as I can tell, MyChinaMoto is the best (English) knowledge-base regarding Chinese motorcycles on the Internet. The generous sharing of information, technical data, troubleshooting tips and insight into China is impressive! David

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SoCal Adv Tourer

Prince: Hello and thank you for your input. Btw, I appreciate the time and effort you and others have contributed to this forum. As far as I can tell, MyChinaMoto is the best (English) knowledge-base regarding Chinese motorcycles on the Internet. The generous sharing of information, technical data, troubleshooting tips and insight into China is impressive! David

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Yeah Dave, most long term members on MCM have been here more than a few years and many have owned a range of Chinese made bikes.

I have 4 bikes, 3 CFMoto's and 1 Yamaha (all locally made). While the import models are attractive, parts supply and pricing can be an issue depending on make/model.

Many of us, live, marry, eat, ride every day of the week here in China.

But fair warning, China is not all roses

:lol:

Hi, Dave,
I will give you a little tip?

Taobao is like Ebay and many Chinese buy producys and parts from the site.

Now the Chinese sellers are no fools and work on the pragmatic idea of "supply and demand" which means if the parts of a bike keep breaking, then many sellers sell that item.

I just checked Taobao, and wouldn't you know it, not one seller is listing the foot-pegs for sale - so IMO it can't be a major problem.

Also, I can confirm a pair of new foot-pegs direct from CFMoto cost 66 RMB, that's only $10 USD. for a pair not one.
Unsure how much the foot peg mounting plate costs.

As I said before, not a major issue if you are located in China and want to upgrade parts from CFMoto.

it would seem for a little capital outlay you could buy a 2014+ set of foot pegs and the mounting plates for not a lot of money, and upgrade for your peace of mind.

Dear Dave,

Sorry I missed your post.
Yes my bike is a 2013 model. I think some issues are to do with the year of manufacture.

My opinion would still be to buy a 2nd hand Honda rather than buy a new CFMOTO.

However I've largely switched to cycling as getting older and having kids. So the bike only has 20,000kms on it. Same issues, none new.

If you have ant other specific questions please ask.