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  1. #1 CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km x2

    WP_20130921_004.jpg

    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.
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  2. #2 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    Senior C-Moto Guru barnone's Avatar
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    Thanks for taking the time to post the review.
    Vince
    2021 Ural cT
    2022 Dong Fang DF250RTG
    2021 Ice Bear 150cc scooter
    2020 Ice Bear 150cc Scooter
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  3. #3 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZMC888 View Post
    To sum up: It ain't bad, but save for longer and buy a Honda.

    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
    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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  4. #4 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wald0 View Post
    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
    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 ;)
    My last ever Chinese bike. Life is too short if you can afford a (or are allowed) a reliable bike.
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  5. #5 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZMC888 View Post
    My last ever Chinese bike. Life is too short if you can afford a (or are allowed) a reliable bike.
    +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 .
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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  6. #6 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
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    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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  7. #7 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by modron View Post
    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
    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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  8. #8 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    You pay less in the beginning, but buying one may well be a false economy in the longer term.
    So true and with Thailand imported bike at 30% tax it makes good sense to consider to purchase bikes from Thailand now ?
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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  9. #9 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    I dont consider my Chinese Yamaha as a China bike, sure its made in China but
    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 !
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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  10. #10 Re: CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
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    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 .
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
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