CFMoto 650 MT ABS initial review

When motorcycle industry stalwart Dale Schmidtchen needed an attractive, utilitarian motorcycle at a good price, his research led him to the CFMoto 650 MT ABS.

Dale, who has previously worked for CFMoto, says he needed a bike capable of many types of riding.

“I had set a budget of under 10k,” he says.

Bargain bike

CFMoto 650 MT
650 MT

Sunstate Motorcycles at Nerang delivered the bike in an attractive “Athens Blue” for the current deal that includes panniers and engine bars for just $7490 ride away.

“I chose to upgrade to the larger aluminium panniers for a small premium extra,” Dale says.

“I have to admit I rode one of the original prototypes at the factory back in 2011, so I was keen to see how much they had progressed since then.

“In a word, refinement.”CFMoto 650 MT

Dale is a big lad. Tall and hefty, yet he says he feels comfortable on the 650 MT.

“It’s tall in the seat (840mm) and wide with the panniers fitted, but this is typical of most adventure tourers,” he says.

“The ride position feels very much like a Ducati Multistrada.

Dale says the styling is “very KTM”.

That’s understandable as CFMoto styling is done by Austrian design house Kisha who also design for KTM.

Ergos and featuresCFMoto 650 MT

“Ergonomically, everything seems spot on,” Dale says.

“The LCD instrumentation is easy to read and I am pleased to say has a curved glass, so doesn’t suffer from bright sun.

“The mirrors are clear and do not fuzz, even at highway speeds.

The 649.3cc LAMS engine has 41.5kW of power and 64Nm of torque.CFMoto 650 MT

“There is more than adequate torque for acceleration, but I have to say that while it is still tight, at least 3000 revs are required for clean acceleration in the higher gears,” Dale says.

“It ticks over at a bit more than 4200rpm at 100km/h and early indications are that there could be close to 400km range from the 18 litre tank.”

New to CFMoto are the Yuan USD forks, featuring rebound damping, as does the rear shock.CFMoto 650 MT

“Ride is very plush, but I have noticed high-speed compression damping is a little harsh,” Dale says.

“Overall, I have to rate the bike as extremely capable and a genuine surprise in terms of value.”

We will get many opportunities to also ride the bike and we will track Dale’s ownership of the bike to see if it stacks up to his demands.

CFMoto 650 MT ABS tech specsCFMoto 650 MT

Price:

$7490 ride away

Engine:

649.3cc liquid-cooled, DOHC, 8-valve, parallel-twin four-stroke with 180-degree crankshaft, chain camshaft drive and single gear-driven counter balancer

Bore & Capacity:

83mm x 60mm

Compression Ratio:

11.3:1

Fuel System:

EFI with 2 x 38mm ITT throttle bodies and single injector per cylinder

Power:

41.5kW @ 9500rpm (LAMS restricted)

Torque:

62Nm @ 7000rpm

Gearbox:

6-speed with gear primary drive

Clutch:

Multiplate wet

CFMoto 650 MT

Chassis:

Tubular steel diamond frame employing engine as fully-stressed member

Front Suspension:

USD fork (max travel 140mm)

Rear Suspension:

Extruded steel swingarm with tubular steel bracing, cantilever monoshock (max. travel 145mm)

Front Brake:

2 x 300mm steel discs with twin-piston calipers with Continental ABS system

Rear Brake:

1 x 240mm single disc with single-piston caliper with Continental ABS system

Front Wheel & Tyres:

120/70ZR17, 3.5 x 17 MT alloy

Rear Wheel & Tyres:

160/60ZR17, 4.5 x 17 MT alloy

CFMoto 650 MT

Length x Width x Height:

2150 x 835 x 1332mm

Wheelbase:

1415mm

Seat:

840mm or optional 820mm

Clearance:

170mm

Turning circle:

5.4m

Fuel tank:

18L

Weight:

213kg

Max Payload:

150kg

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

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