Adventure Motorcycle Magazine Subscribe Now

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 49
  1. #1 New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    OK so I am one of the first to say that CFMoto is NOT a world-class leading motorcycle manufacturer - certainly not in the same class as any of the big 4 Jap moto manufacturers, and I believe I am well qualified to say such as I have already owned 2 CFMoto products; a Jetlux 250cc scooter and a 650TR (1st generation) 650cc tourer.

    It's true that I have posted many times on MCM that I would never buy 1 more Chinese bike, and how wrong was I on both points.

    With the upcoming ride from mainland China to the UK and return (June 2016) I decided to purchase a new bike. IMO the best available bikes in China to tackle a ride like China-UK/EU return would be one of BMW range - F650/700/800 GS. Unfortunately I allowed myself to be backed into a corner and ended up buying a new CFMoto 650TR-G. The 650TR-G is the more luxurious model above the 650TR.

    With the new 650TR-G having arrived and plated this week, it was time to do a shakedown run to find out if the 650TR-G will be my "Achilles Heel" for the China-EU-China ride departing in June 2016.

    So with a bag packed full of essentials I set off on a small 1500km run down the East coast of Shandong.

    Hooking up with fellow MCM member Cryptographicide along the way in Yantai, Shandong.

    Now, lets back pedal a little bit...

    So I questioned what would I be getting for my money with the 650TR-G? Having ridden over 25.000km on the 650TR - would I just get a tarted up TR?

    Allow me to begin this mini-review with the words WOW!
    Yes really, I should be saying a big WOW as, the 650TR-G is not just a tarted up version of the 650TR wearing a different dress. It's my impression that CFMoto have invested a lot of time and money into the development/design of the new 650TR-G

    The 650TR-G was initially designed as a Chinese police motorcycle (650G) which you can read about in one of Bikerdoc's threads on MCM. CFMoto have since released a civilian version of the Police 650G and is now being sold to the public as the 650TR-G as a "Touring Bike" in mainland China.
    So what does one look for from a touring bike?

    In my opinion a good touring bike should include;

    1. Good riding posture
    2. Good seat for long hours in the 'saddle'
    3. Good wind protection
    4. Good fuel range
    5. Good lights
    6. Easy to ride
    7. Good adjustable suspension

    If readers feel I should add more points on what makes a good touring bike then please leave comments and I can provide my views on how the 650TR-G stacks up.

    So how does the 650TR-G measure up on these points?

    Before I talk about the 650TR-G I'd like to make a comparison on the points above with regards to my old 650TR which is marketed as a mid-displacement touring bike.

    650TR

    1. The 650TR riding position was shiet IMO - the riding position had me leaning into the handle bars putting pressure on the palms of my hands. (Now one can buy 'bar rises' on Taobao for the 650TR which hopefully might remedy this situation. What say you BikerDoc, have any news on your bar risers you're fitting to your 650TR?)

    2. After only about 2 hours in the 650TR seat I would get a "Twitching Arse" or numb bum, not good for a touring bike where one might expect to pile on the kilometers and hours at a time in the saddle!

    3. The initial 650TR screen was too small for much of anything IMO. The second generation and later model 650TR had a new taller screen which I felt still didn't stop the wind hitting my face. I felt that my legs generally were well protected from the elements but I found my knees would hit the front fairing not helped by the forward slope of the seat. Also when the 650TR was stationary with the engine idling e.g. at traffic lights, I would get a lot of heat coming from the engine onto my legs.

    4. The 650TR petrol tank is 17.7 L giving a range of just over 325 km with frugal riding - not that I would call a good range

    5. 650TR headlights 35W each just sucked (H8 12V35W × 2) and I ended up fitting HIDs which were a night versus day improvement.

    6. 650TR I found easy to ride so not much to complain about with the 650TR and I generally found it to be a good handling bike.

    7. 650TR suspension was just ok but only adjustable at the rear. No adjustment in the front forks.

    650TR-G

    1. 650TR-G provides an upright neutral seating and relaxed foot peg positions yielding an accommodating ergonomic triangle suitable for commuter use or touring jaunts.

    2. 650TR-G seat is much improved compared with the 650TR but still not 'spot on' IMO.
    No " Twitching Arse" even after 7 hours in the seat though which is a big improvement!

    3. 650TR-G screen is fully electric adjustable and also has a memory function. However even with the screen in the full up position, the wind was still hitting the very top of my helmet. I am 6 feet tall so perhaps for a shorter person the screen might be spot on.

    I fitted a clip-on wind deflector to the top edge of the screen which sorted the wind buffeting problem, however what I like is I have the option to lower the screen to obtain full air movement over my face when needed.

    4. The 650TR-G petrol tank is 22L. Given that I was on a break-in run and therefore not increasing the RPM >4000 - my fuel consumption figures should be thought of as perhaps the optimum in fuel economy. Average fuel consumption ranged from 23.5-24.8km/L. Therefore the 22L tank volume should provide a ~500-550km range depending on WOT or not! YMMV.

    I'm not able to confirm that the petrol tank does indeed hold 22L as I never ran the tank dry.

    5. The 650TR-G unlike the 650TR has LED lights with the twin low bream lights located to the sides of the headlight cluster with the high bream located between the low beam lights. The high beam light is actually, twin spot type lights.

    In operation CFMoto have decided for some reason to not allow the low bream lights to remain illuminated when the high bream are switched on.
    IMO it would be better to allow the low beam lights to remain illuminated when the high beam lights are switched on too.
    Low bream illumination is adequate with fair-good coverage but there's room for improvement. I'll be adding 2 more LED spotlights to improve the forward lighting.

    The 650TR-G high bream lights work well, even better than I expected. IMO forward lighting must work well because on coming 'nongmingren' Chinese drivers here think it's best to drive around all the time at night with the high breams on regardless of who else is around - well when I used my highbeams on the 650TR-G those same nomingren's soon switched to low beam.

    6. I found the 650TR-G to be quite a nimble bike to ride with a slight movement of my body in the seat which allowed the bike to move left or right. Slow speed manoeuvring I found was very good with a low CoG (centre of gravity) which made the bike easy to ride at low speed without the need to put my feet down.
    I also found the 650TR-G to have a good standing-on-the-pegs position with my arms nicely placed with a forward reach to the bars even better then my Honda CRF 250L which I fitted bar-rises to.

    So IMO the 650TR-G is very, very easy to ride

    7. With WP suspension all-round what can I say WOW again just so much better over the old 650TR. The suspension on the 650TR-G is fully adjustable, both front and rear. I do need to spend some more time with these to fully report back on how the adjustment affects the 650TR-G handling.
    WP suspension are White Power from Austria which is now owned by KTM. The 650TR-G WP suspension was imported directly fully assembled/built up from the WP plant in Mattighofen, Austria.

    Engine

    Fuel: #93 RON

    Can the engine be the same as used in the older 650TR and NK series bikes? It is the same engine from what I can see, yes it appears to be the old 650TR/NK engine, but it doesn't feel like it as the 650TR-G feels much smoother

    I guess lot of work has gone into re-mapping the ECU.

    With the old 650TR (1st generation) I found <3500 RPM the engine pulled like my old 1970 Ford Escort, or I should write didn't pull because that's how the old 650TR was to me.
    The 650TR-G is as smother as silk from as low as 2000 RPM in 6th gear the engine pulls well and then starts to fly at 3500 RPM.

    Engine Modes

    The 650TR-G Engine comes equipped with a Engine Mode switch to change from "E" economy to "S" sports mode. Mode selection is done from the left hand side of the handle bar switches with the mode selected being visible on the bottom of the instrument cluster LCD screen.

    I assume the modes must link to two different fuel maps within the ECU. Until I'm able to obtain an English owner's manual, I've no idea what the difference in engine performance is? I've used the switch but haven't as yet found or felt a discernable difference in the engine performance, however I have been using the throttle somehwat cautiously as I've been running the engine in. Also I'm usure what the procedures or requiirements are for using the switch. Can the modes be changed on the fly, or does the 650TR-G need to be in idle or at a stop? Hopefully I'll find the answer to these questions and update this report in diue course.

    A few other items worth noting is the inclusion of front and rear ABS braking system from Continental in Germany. The brakes themselves are J. Juan brand from Spain.


    Promotional video of "KEY" features on the New CFMoto 650 TR-G


    Link......http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTU1MD...pf-to=pcqq.c2c










    Well that's for starters more to come, now for a few pictures...

    Thanks Cryptographicide for the great ride out... and yes, its great on the Expressway




















    Last edited by prince666; 05-22-2017 at 05:20 PM. Reason: ...editing support from BD - thanks mate!
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  2. #2 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002












    Attached Images
    Last edited by prince666; 05-22-2017 at 05:28 PM.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  3. #3 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Zorge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Σερβία
    Posts
    1,745
    Any high speed turbulence or excessive wind noise?
    Ask me nothing - I DO NOT speak english. Really...
    Reply With Quote  
     

  4. #4 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    Quote Originally Posted by Zorge View Post
    Any high speed turbulence or excessive wind noise?
    At what speed are you talking about Zorge
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  5. #5 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    Had some cross winds on the expressway clocking about 120 KMh and found the bike very stable even when you pass a 40 feet lorry and you get that rush of air the bike keeps straight line maybe this is due to the bike comes in at 252Kg.
    with wind noise by adjusting the screen you can reduce or increase the wind noise depending on the position of the screen.
    But you can still hear the engine lol
    Last edited by prince666; 04-28-2016 at 11:35 PM.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  6. #6 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Zorge's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Σερβία
    Posts
    1,745
    Quote Originally Posted by prince666 View Post
    At what speed are you talking about Zorge
    Still legal, highway speeds - 100-120 km/h, but you already answered.

    A propos suspension: is WP stands for "White Power" or some "Wei... Pong..." or something similar?
    Ask me nothing - I DO NOT speak english. Really...
    Reply With Quote  
     

  7. #7 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    Quote Originally Posted by Zorge View Post
    Still legal, highway speeds - 100-120 km/h, but you already answered.

    A propos suspension: is WP stands for "White Power" or some "Wei... Pong..." or something similar?
    WP is indeed White Power from Austria who was bought by KTM and now selling high-performance suspension.
    The WP suspension was imported directly from WP in Mattighofen, Austria.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  8. #8 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    The Director of Marketing for CFMoto has already read the review and has quoted by saying " It is a great article! Fair and interesting "
    The Director has also e-mailed me some specification data on the TR-G in English


    Catch.jpg


    Catch64CD.jpg


    Catch91FE-1.jpg
    Last edited by prince666; 04-28-2016 at 06:19 AM.
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

  9. #9 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Zhejiang PRC, OZ, NZ
    Posts
    2,389
    One of the major items not included with the CFMoto 650 models is the inclusion of a centre stand - not even available as an optional extra. The fact that there's a large catalytic converter underneath the mid-section isn't any sort of impediment to the inclusion of a centre stand as many other manufacturers can and do offer centre stands for motorcycles with a similarly placed catalytic converter. What CFMoto marketing strategy should be IMO is, add and offer more for less to the market segment in comparison to their competitors and doing so while offering and maintaining a high level of quality.
    This would provide some form of market segment differentiation and a perceived value for money over competitors.

    Although at this stage CFMoto has no plans to offer the 650TR-G to international markets, which seems a little odd and somewhat of a missed opportunity as there are not too many offerings of a luxury styled tourer in the mid-displacement class. One of the few I can think of at the minute is the F800GT aside from CFMoto's own 650TR.

    YMMV
    Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist
    - Pablo Picasso
    Reply With Quote  
     

  10. #10 Re: New CFMoto 650 TR-G review 
    KING of MCM LOL prince666's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    china (Longkou), Hainan
    Posts
    2,002
    Quote Originally Posted by bikerdoc View Post
    One of the major items not included with the CFMoto 650 models is the inclusion of a centre stand - not even available as an optional extra. The fact that there's a large catalytic converter underneath the mid-section isn't any sort of impediment to the incluso=ion of a centre stand as many other manufacturers can and do offer centre stands for motorcycles with a similarly placed catalytic converter. What CFMoto marketing strategy should be is, add and offer more for less to the market segment in comparison to their competitors and doing so while offering and maintaining a high level of quality. IMO.

    YMMV
    You are correct BikerDoc it's a very big shame CF dint have the foresight to include a centre stand ? but I am sure with the tie up with KTM which is very apparent with the introduction of WP shocks all-round, I am sure given time we will see more improvement on new models yet to be released by CF IMO
    "Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, even if you win you're still retarded"
    Reply With Quote  
     

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. CFMOTO 650NK review at 10,000 km
    By ZMC888 in forum Street
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 02-12-2017, 01:16 AM
  2. Replies: 19
    Last Post: 07-31-2016, 02:53 PM
  3. CFMOTO 650TR NEW REVIEW
    By prince666 in forum Street
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 05-31-2015, 10:49 AM
  4. My Review of the CFMOTO 650NK
    By Topmanda in forum Street
    Replies: 89
    Last Post: 09-24-2013, 12:59 PM
  5. Rev'it Air jacket review
    By Fred in forum Dealers and Distributors
    Replies: 35
    Last Post: 09-09-2012, 09:07 AM
Bookmarks
Bookmarks
Posting Permissions
  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •