Reviewed: CFMoto 800NK

Back in February, we rode the full CFMoto model range in Spain including the flagship 800 MT Touring, following the announcement that Pierer Mobility – parent company to KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas and partly MV Agusta – would be distributing motorcycles built by CFMoto in Europe, including Great Britain.

Now there’s a new model to get excited about, the 800NK, a naked middleweight twin. The naked middleweight category is a one of the most hotly contested sectors in the UK right now, with the likes of Honda’s new CB750 Hornet, Yamaha’s popular MT-07, and the new Suzuki GSX-8S to name a few that the new CFMoto is up against.

The new NK comes in two guises, the standard Sport model and a slightly higher-spec Advanced version, with the Sport arriving in UK dealers in July and CFMoto planning on delivering the Advanced in Q4 this year, but that’s still not yet confirmed.

Engine

Both 800NK versions use the same punchy 799cc parallel-twin DOHC engine as found in its KTM 790 Duke sibling, which produces a very respectable 95hp and 79Nm of torque at 8,000rpm, which in comparison is more than the class-leading Honda Hornet and Suzuki GSX-8S in terms of performance figures, and it provided plenty of thrills.

Riding some of the best roads in southern France, the CFMoto was at its happiest on flowing roads higher in the rev range where it rewarded you the faster you rode and the closer you got to the 10,500rpm red line, especially in the full fat Sport mode. Every twist of the responsive throttle provided a good dose of torque and an addictive bark from the neatly designed exhaust too, which only encouraged you to ride harder.

During slower speed riding and around town, the Sport mode’s fuelling at around 3,500 revs and below was snatchy and not very predictable. Thankfully, rider modes on the 800NK are switchable on the move via the easy-to-use tactile switchgear, which is a nice touch. Clicking into Street mode, the jerky fuelling is smoother but not completely dialled out, and it’s least noticeable in Rain.

But around town is not this bike’s natural habitat. It’s excitable personality longs to be on fast, flowing roads allowing it to stretch its legs and demonstrate just how fun and flickable it really is.

Chassis and ride quality

The motor isn’t the only component the 800NK shares with the 790 Duke, the main frame is also borrowed from its Swiss counterpart while using a different swingarm and subframe, but you can certainly feel the KTM influence in terms of its nimble nature. And that’s certainly not a bad thing.

Navigating through winding mountain roads, its agility and responsiveness was impressive and made its 186kg (189kg for the Advanced) weight feel nearly non-existent. Handling was sharp and precise, with the planted front end enabling you to put it wherever you wanted with zero fuss. A steering damper would benefit the Sport model, but it was stable enough, and a damper does come on the Advanced should you want that extra measure of stability.

The 800NK’s riding position is a fairly aggressive one which was on the cramped side. The standard seat height on both versions is 795mm, with the distance between the seat and the pegs quite short, which for riders nearing the 6ft mark gets increasingly uncomfortable the longer the ride goes on, especially adding to that the firmness of the seat. There is an optional padded seat which raises the height to 820mm, but we didn’t get the opportunity to test it during the launch.

There’s fully adjustable KYB 43mm upside-down forks and a fully adjustable KYB rear shock to match, and although we didn’t get time to play around with different setups, it felt on the firm side and suited the smooth French Tarmac we were mostly treated to.

Stopping power is provided by Brembo-owned J.Juan components, which were predictable enough and delivered adequate performance, albeit lacking a little of that confidence inspiring initial bite on the front. But they felt about right for the bike and coped with what was thrown at them.

Tech and equipment

As standard, the 800NK comes with a decent amount of goodies. Three rider modes changeable on the move, cruise control, a slipper clutch, ABS and an intuitive 5-inch TFT display. The slightly strange decision from CFMoto was to leave out traction control which would have been nice, especially with that torquey motor.

The Advanced model steps it up a level in terms of tech, with a huge 8-inch touch screen TFT display, keyless ignition, compatible with the CFMoto Ride app and an up/down quickshifter, the latter of which was the biggest plus for me over the Sport, making gear shifting a joy.

I wasn’t sure on the big TFT dash on the Advanced on first viewing, which is the biggest display in the naked middleweight sector. But spending time with it throughout the day, it made sense and wasn’t as cumbersome as I first thought it might be.

It features Apple CarPlay which takes up the bottom half of the portrait screen when connected, with the top half displaying speed, revs, gear indicator and temperature etcetera. All well designed and spaced out for easy use and navigation. The display is mounted on a slightly different handlebar set up over the Sport, which hid the cables neatly and had a classy look about it.

With it being keyless, the CFMoto Ride smartphone app allows you to unlock and lock the bike remotely, as well as sound the alarm to help you identify your machine if you happen to lose it in a car park. The app also tracks your rides including data like trip distance, max speed, acceleration, deceleration and lean. Nice features, but whether many riders in the UK would prefer that over a conventional key and ignitions system, I’m not sure.

The main thing missing for me was a USB charging port, which is an optional extra on both models.

Conclusion

The middleweight naked sector is one of the most competitive and popular out there. It’s filled with bikes from big name brands offering excellent specs and levels of equipment for affordable prices, so it’s a brave move by CFMoto to throw their hat in the ring with the 800NK.

Priced at £6,999 for the standard 800NK Sport model represents good value for money considering its spec. It’s the same price as the new Honda Hornet but cheaper than the Suzuki, Yamaha, and KTM equivalents, and it would perform well against all of those in a back-to-back group test.

The issue CFMoto faces right now is brand awareness and dealer network. At the time of writing, there’s 15 official CFMoto dealers in the UK up against a huge number of Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki dealers in comparison. And that might just sway a potential buyer’s decision in favour of one of the Japanese manufacturers.

But that’s nothing against the new CFMoto 800NK itself. If you have £7k to spend on a new motorcycle and you’re looking for a middleweight, go and test ride one. Its good quality finish, impressive spec and exciting ride won’t disappoint, and with a planned 35 dealers by the end of 2023 and the might of Pierer Mobility behind them, it’s clear to see CFMoto mean business.

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Words: Andrew Luckie

Photos: CFMoto