A disrupter in the LAMs sector?

CFMoto has traditionally been a price leader in each sector in which it competes, and now its new 450 SR (Sports Racing) twin has arrived it will be vying for sales that normally go the way of Honda and Kawasaki with their CB500 and Z400 twins. Only where they cost around the $10k-$11,500 mark, the CFMoto 450 SR dots down here at $8790 plus on-road costs.

So what is it exactly? The 450 SR is a lightweight LAMS offering that leans on the sporty side of the ledger but should still be a capable commuter. Why it even has winglets that supposedly add downforce at higher speeds. And a full fairing helps, both optimised in wind tunnel testing.

Adding to sportiness is the ability to change from regular up-down shifting to reverse GP shifting just by changing the position of the linkage rod. Clearly its makers want you to take it to the local track. Helping in that regard is a radial-mount four-piston Brembo M40 monobloc caliper locking onto a 320mm disc under ABS control. Wet weight is a claimed 180kg – the chromoly frame weighs 11kg – giving a power to weight figure of 130kW/tonne (the LAMS formula allows up to 150kW/tonne). 

Its 450cc twin-cam liquid cooled 270-degree twin is EU5 compliant and is said to output 35kW at 10,000rpm and 39Nm of torque at 7750rpm. Double balancer shafts keep vibration in check. The makers claim a top speed of 190km/h and a zero to 100 sprint time of under 5sec. We haven’t broken 5sec for either of its two rivals.

Other features include span-adjustable levers, a slipper clutch, a five-inch TFT curved display, paired LED headlights, three different seat options for optimised height, smartphone connection via Bluetooth to the CFMoto Ride App (nav, lap times, over the air updates etc), fuel capacity of 14L, a quick-release air filter, and a two-year warranty. There’s also a USB port for phone charging. The 450SR is available in any colour so long as it is black (of the Zircon or Nebula varieties) mixed with contrasting red/blue and grey hues.