[CrAzY dRiVeR]

According to a media report, CFMoto is planning to re-enter the Indian market by mid-2025. The company had entered the market in 2019 with AMW Motorcycles and had a failed run with their 650cc and 300cc models.

Source

A new local partnership is rumoured to be announced soon with the motorcycles being imported and assembled in India. The first launch could be the CFMOTO 450MT that has been receiving rave reviews worldwide, going up squarely against the Royal Enfield Himalayan, KTM 390 Adventure and the Honda NX500.



Other motorcycles that are likely to the launched include the new 675cc triple range, that the Indian media was invited to ride at a global event in Portugal last week. The mainstay of this range would be the recently introduced 675SR-R supersport.

https://youtu.be/opVGIzOPPuk?si=PQ1UTt6ehz6odqIv

[amyntor]

I hope CFMoto establishes a good dealership and service network, especially in tier 1 (hopefully tier 2) cities. I'm guessing there would a high overlap of spare parts for the 450 MT and the KTM bikes sold here in India. Stuff like clutch levers, cables, indicators are already a perfect match with the KTM 390s.

Very interesting times for Indian motorcycle enthusiasts! The middle class ADV segment is gonna be on fire. It's only going to heat up more after BMW and Aprilia launch their GS and Tuareg offerings.

[SmartCat]

As long as Chinese bike makers take the "local partner" route, Indian motorcycle brands can rest easy. That's because a large company like CF Moto will not be able to utilize size and risk-taking ability to its advantage. Their plans will be constrained by significantly lower risk-taking ability of no-name Indian partner.

[FlankerFury]

"The people who buy them seem to like them.
The people who don't buy them seem to hate them."

- A comment I found on the internet

Honestly, they have some impressive products on offer.
Here's their global website,
CFMoto.com/global


This is the naked version of the 675SRR SRS RSS...okay they might need a simpler nomenclature.

I like the way this looks, I didn't like the 800NK at first, this one's a bit similar but a lot more cohesive than that.

Then there's this inline-4 powered, neo retro, cafe racer styled Voom 500.


I think it looks beautiful

Saved my personal favourite for last

450 SRS
A single sided swingarm, brembo brakes and a transparent front brake fluid reservoir.
The above-mentioned components are usually seen on far larger and expensive bikes so I find it impressive that CFMoto offers it on an A2-compliant motorcycle.

That being said, their perception will be the biggest hurdle, being Chinese they'll be dismissed as cheap, inferior and low quality.

Since it'll be assembled here, I'm guessing the price would be between the 390Adv / RE450 and NX500.
Remains to be seen how many people will pick the 450MT over the NX500.

[hikozaru]

Their bikes look overdesigned to me in typical chinese (and also Indian, like Apache 310s) fashion but if they can clean it up for a second iteration, a Voom 500 around 5L ex showroom would be fantastic and so would the new 657 SR-R.

[saikishor]

I am actually looking forward to their re entry. Their previous innings, well, no one was even aware of the brand. I saw the 300NK once in my life, that too an actual customer bike which someone bought. Their new 675 SR-R looks very promising and droolworthy. They should establish a good dealership network and service network. Positive word of mouth is enough for this brand to rise to fame, but that will happen only when they get their pre sales and aftersales right. As for their products, they look very promising, on paper atleast.

[ads295]

I remember making a random comment on their FB page asking them to explicitly mention that they're a Chinese brand, and I was blocked from commenting or viewing their page.

[Neo18]

Had a chance to take a brief ride on the 450MT in the middle east, in one of the Rental outlets. The 450 engine is a peach and has loads of torque in the lower revs. The suspension tune is similar to KTM, in that it rewards fast riding BUT is very stiff at low speeds. I could not play around with the adjustable shocks in that brief time. The bike looks like a Mini T7 from most angles. Could not gauge whether it is top heavy or not in my brief ride.

But if they price it competitively and assure service/spares, there is no reason this bike will not fly off the showrooms in India. I think CFMoto have overcome the "Chinese" stigma and have proved themselves in Europe and America. That should help their perception in India.

[Sebring]

Which country in the middle east? I'm interested in test riding this machine too

Originally Posted by Neo18

Had a chance to take a brief ride on the 450MT in the middle east

[Neo18]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Which country in the middle east? I'm interested in test riding this machine too

Hey, this was in Qatar, near a place called Barwa. I don't remember the name of the rental place. I will try to get the name from my friends.

[Senotrius]

In the US, the 450MT is priced lesser than the latest 390ADV. If they price it the same way here, at par even, it'll sell. The big issue, as always; good after sales service & spares.

[Axe77]

The CFMoto is the one Chinese brand that I find very interesting indeed - in particular I’ve seen absolutely fantastic reviews of their 450 MT and the bike looks gorgeous too from what I recall from EICMA 2024 I think. I’m very glad they’re coming back to India and hopefully their operations will be more confidence inspiring. Pricing to attract buyers to this relatively lesser known (in India) brand as well as their sales and service will be key as other members have also rightly pointed out.

The 675 triple in supersports guise would be another interesting option for Indian buyers. Let’s see how this plays out but happy to note they’re returning.

[b16h22]

CFMoto has the potential to be a strong player in the middleweight segment if they actually take the effort to establish their own dealership network without just having a local tie-up with a sketchy partner.

450MT is world-class product at the lower end of the ADV spectrum. They are having a hard time right now keeping up with the demand.

A few reviews from established media outlets.

https://youtu.be/B_8spt03L-g?si=YJTU7b6qbellrR6q

https://youtu.be/Jdo31FqmcUo?si=qnwjM3AAj4HThM0P

https://youtu.be/k62do8tAAXY?si=PNUOhfM69RFSiArw

EDIT: Recently came across a European guy who put 50000kms on it already and it held up fine.

https://www.facebook.com/jaroslav.sima.908

[amyntor]

Originally Posted by b16h22

CFMoto has the potential to be a strong player in the middleweight segment if they actually take the effort to establish their own dealership network without just having a local tie-up with a sketchy partner.

450MT is world-class product at the lower end of the ADV spectrum. They are having a hard time right now keeping up with the demand.

450MT is nothing less than a revolution in the ADV market. It's flying off the shelves faster than the dealers could stock them in most markets. This and the Himalayan 450 forced a giant like BMW to announce their own 450 offering in less than a year.

Me personally, I am gonna wait until Aprilia launches the mini Tuareg before making my decision. BMW 450 looks nice but I'm a fan of how the bigger Tuareg 660 looks. I'm also afraid that BMW would price it a notch above this segment and that premium carries over to service and overall maintenance. I'm okay with paying a high price once but not everytime I take it to service or drop the bike.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by b16h22

CFMoto has the potential to be a strong player in the middleweight segment if they actually take the effort to establish their own dealership network without just having a local tie-up with a sketchy partner.

CFMoto or any of the Chinese companies would be glad to invest on their own in India, but the Indian government would not allow the same. The only way for Chinese companies to enter India is through a solid local partner. Case in point = MG India (through JSW) v/s BYD.

Originally Posted by b16h22

A few reviews from established media outlets.

The 270 crank sounds good too. One from its naked sibling - the 450 NK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-1ouka10k

And a neck to neck comparison with the Himalayan 450, by Chris Northover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeksqzwPeMg