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

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