Chinese motorcycle maker CFMoto has been teasing its arrival in the Indian market for a while, and has now confirmed it will be introducing bikes in the country from July 2019. CF Moto is entering the premium end of the motorcycle segment with bikes concentrated in the middleweight space. The manufacturer has partnered with Hyderabad-based company AMW and will be locally assembling its bikes. CF Moto's India website lists four motorcycles including the 250NK, 400NK, 650MT and the 650NK, along with a host of ATVs and side-by-sides as part of its portfolio. Speculations suggest that the brand could bring the 300NK instead of the 250NK. It's not clear what is the timeline for the launch of these motorcycles and we expect to get clarity on the manufacturer's operation plans at sometime next month.
Also Read: CFMoto 650MT Spotted With Camouflage In India
The CFMoto 250NK could be the most affordable offering from the company or could be rebadged as the 300NK with a slightly larger capacity engine
CFMoto was founded in 1989 in China and is in a joint venture with KTM AG since 2017, which owns 49 per cent stake in the company. The partnership between CFMoto and KTM has allowed the latter to grow its presence in one of the world's biggest two-wheeler markets. In India, AMW will be helping CFMoto to establish its presence with dealerships in Hyderabad and Bangalore first, followed by outlets in other parts of the country including Pune, Goa, Mumbai, Cochin among others.
The CFMoto 300NK will most likely be the manufacturer's most affordable offering and will be a direct rival to the Honda CB300R, KTM 250 Duke, Bajaj Dominar and the likes. The bike boasts of sharp styling while being loaded on the feature front with features like a TFT LCD screen, alloy wheels, split seats, LED headlamp and more. The bike is likely to be underpinned by a Trellis frame underneath. The CFMoto 300NK has been designed by KTM's subsidiary KISKA - which explains the 'Austrian Design' copy on the motorcycle's posters online. Power is likely to come from a single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor with a displacement of around 300 cc and around 30 bhp on offer. Much like the KTM Duke series, the CFMoto 300NK will also be a lightweight, naked.
Also Read: CFMoto 250NK Spotted Testing In India
The CFMoto 650MT will be a Kawasaki Versys 650 rival in the adventure tourer space
The CFMoto 650MT meanwhile, will be a Kawasaki Versys 650, Benelli TRK 502 rival as an adventure tourer. Like the 300NK, the 650MT will also come loaded with features with an LED headlamp and taillights, LED indicators, adjustable levers, LCD dashboard, tall and adjustable windscreen, 18 litre fuel tank and more. The bike rides on 17-inch alloy wheels, making it more inclined for the road than the trails. Internationally, the bike is sold with plenty of accessories including panniers, top case, among other equipment. Power on the CF Moto 650MT will be available with a 649.3 cc parallel-twin motor that will produce about 69 bhp and 62 Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 6-speed transmission.
Both bikes will be locally assembled at the AMW facility in Bangalore, with prices are expected to be around Rs. 2-2.5 lakh for the 300NK and about Rs. 5.5-6 lakh for the 650MT (all prices, ex-showroom). More details on the motocycles and CFMoto's growth plans for India will be available closer to launch.
