Thread: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)
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#1 Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 03:58 AM
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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#2 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 04:25 AM
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.
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#3 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 04:41 AM
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.
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#4 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 04:57 AM
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.
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#5 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 07:35 AM
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.
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#6 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 07:42 AM
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?
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#7 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 08:13 AM
Steve few questions...
Tires what brand are they? Have you thought about putting some other rubber on it?
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#8 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 09:31 AM
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.
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#9 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 09:46 AM
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.
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#10 Re: Steve's CFMoto 650 NK(春风 650 NK)08-28-2012, 09:58 AM
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.
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