CFMOTO 675SR-R 2025 Launch Review

CFMOTO isn’t content with finding its niche. The rapidly growing Chinese brand wants to dominate every nook and cranny of the motorcycle industry. It already offers single-cylinder, parallel-twin, and V-twin engines across multiple genres, and it also has an inline four-cylinder platform waiting in the wings.  

But its latest conquest is the middleweight sportsbike segment, and its weapon of choice is the all-new three-cylinder 675SR-R. 

Boasting an all-new in-house designed triple and an exceptionally affordable price tag, the 675SR-R is a strong play from CFMOTO given its growing fanbase and increasing presence in the MotoGP paddock. 

It undercuts most of its competition in the burgeoning user-friendly sportsbike segment, but don’t be fooled – this bike is a serious contender. The days of looking at Chinese motorcycles as inferior are gone, and the 675SR-R is concrete proof. 

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The rapid rise of CFMOTO can be attributed to the fact that it is producing quality products at affordable prices, but even the most hardened penny pinchers will be pleasantly surprised by the 675SR-R’s price tag. 

Checking in at just $11,790 ride away, the 675SR-R is refreshingly affordable and beats its key competitors by quite a margin. 

By competitors, we’re talking about the recent wave of user-friendly and affordable sportsbikes that are designed for everyday use rather than hardcore racing. These include the Triumph Daytona 660 ($14,790), Yamaha YZF-R7HO ($15,649), Suzuki GSX-8R ($14,990), and, to a lesser extent, the LAMS-approved Honda CBR650R ($13,921) and Kawasaki Ninja 650 ($13,377). 

This contrasts with traditional supersport machines that are built for racing and closely resemble their track-only counterparts. Current supersport models like the Ducati Panigale V2, Honda CBR600RR, and Kawasaki ZX-6R, come with higher performance, but also higher price tags.

The 675SR-R, in some ways, splits the difference between “user-friendly sportsbike” and “supersport”, but I’d say it’s closer to the likes of the Daytona 660 and R7. 

The centrepiece of the 675SR-R is of course the liquid-cooled inline three-cylinder DOHC engine that is capable of 70kW (94hp) at 11,000rpm and 70Nm at 8250rpm. While those figures don’t necessarily place it in traditional supersport territory, the 675SR-R is still well ahead of its key competition mentioned above. 

Notably, the 675SR-R is not LAMS approved. 

The engine is backed by Bosch electronic fuel injection, as well as a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and unilateral quickshifter (up only). 

It’s important to note that this engine is developed in-house by CFMOTO. It is not built by KTM. And it’s not a Triumph Daytona 675 either, although the two bikes naturally share some similarities. The 675 engine is also used in the 675NK, while we wouldn’t put it past CFMOTO to build a 675MT in the future either. 

For a bike under $12k, the 675SR-R is very well-equipped. You can count on fully-adjustable KYB suspension, J.Juan (4-piston, 300mm dual disc front and single piston, 240mm single disc rear) braking components, and 17-inch alloy wheels clad in surprisingly good CST rubber. 

The chassis is a steel chromoly tubular job, while seat height sits at 810mm. The fuel tank holds 15L, and the claimed wet weight is 188kg. 

Bodywork and graphics are quite obviously race-inspired, with wings, aero scoops, and even brake cooling ducts that wouldn’t look out of place on a MotoGP bike. However, as far as I could tell, they are just aesthetic and offer no significant performance benefits. 

For a bike priced under $12k, the 657SR-R ticks a lot of boxes.

The bike comes standard with a 5-inch TFT display with full smartphone connectivity. It integrates with the CFMOTO RIDE app for real-time vehicle settings, as well as MotoPlay, which allows for smartphone projection giving you access to on-screen map navigation. 

Also standard is CFMOTO’s T-Box system which has 4G connectivity for over-the-air updates and vehicle tracking data. 

Safety features include ABS and adjustable traction control. ABS cannot be switched off via the settings, but CFMOTO did have a workaround so that we could switch it off for our track sessions.  

There is also a quickshifter (up only, sadly) and multiple ride modes. There is also the option to reverse the shift pattern for track use. 

Let’s get one thing straight – the 675SR-R is not a hardcore supersport machine in the traditional sense, and neither was it designed as such. So, if you’re coming into this expecting blistering horsepower and razor-sharp handling, then you’d better reset your expectations or look elsewhere. 

In reality, the 675SR-R is a sub-$12k sportsbike that would be excellent on the road and more than capable for a weekend track session. And, with a few mods, it might even make a decent race bike for clubman level riders. 

With all of that in mind, the CFMOTO 675SR-R is bloody brilliant. 

Our test of the 675SR-R took place at the famous Portimão circuit in Portugal, and while we didn’t get to test it on the road, the track sessions revealed both the flaws and strengths of this new bike. We hope to test it on Australian roads soon.

Firstly, the bike looks and feels as good as anything in this segment. It’s hard not to think of the made-in-China stereotypes, but there are none to be found here. The build quality is fantastic for the price, and the aero scoops, wings, and ducts give it a racy look. 

Out on the track, the most obvious strength of the bike is handling. It tips in and out easily and predictably, making for precise and confident cornering. CFMOTO had made some adjustments to the suspension for the purpose of track use, but the KYB setup was impressive for a bike at this price. Expert level racers might have other opinions, but for a weekend warrior like myself, the handling dynamics were perfect. 

Ergonomics were good too, with the ride position striking a good balance between sportiness and comfort. It’s certainly dynamic, but not too aggressive. I did find my legs were getting sore after a few sessions, but that is probably due to my bigger-than-average size and my lack of fitness. 

One issue was the lack of ground clearance, which I figure was a result of the “hero blobs” on the end of the ‘pegs. It didn’t take much lean angle at all to get the footpegs scraping, and it happened often enough that it started to bug me.

The triple engine is a beauty. It feels better than the price tag would suggest, and I imagine it would be outstanding on public roads. It's crisp and smooth, just like you’d expect from a triple, and it gets moving quickly. 

On a big-boys track like Portimão, it does lack a little grunt, especially at the top end, and the rev limiter is a bit harsh, but it's still a heap of fun and it has a nice exhaust note out of the stock system. CFMOTO claims a top-speed of 220km/h, but some riders did manage to beat that. I could only manage 200km/h. 

The gearbox and quickshifter are also very smooth, however when pinned on the straight, there was a strange sensation where the bike would sort of “ghost shift” without actually changing gears. A few other riders confirmed this, and a CFMOTO representative took the feedback on board. I’m just speculating, but it's likely a simple electronic fix and it should be gone by the time the bikes reach our shores. 

On that note, one impressive thing about CFMOTO as a company is that it is extremely open to feedback, positive or negative. Perhaps that is why it is making such huge leaps in quality and performance with every release.

Elsewhere on the 675SR-R, the CST tyres were surprisingly grippy, while the brakes were also satisfactory. The non-lean-sensitive ABS is a bit intrusive on the track, but it should be fine on the road. 

While the true test of the 675SR-R will be on public roads, I can’t yet find a reason not to buy this bike. It has some quirks, but none are dealbreakers, and the positives certainly exceed the negatives. 

The big positive, of course, is the price tag. There are few sportsbikes on the market that offer this much value-for-money, and that's something CFMOTO is getting very good at. 

Whether you’re looking for a daily driver, a weekend mountain slayer, or a user-friendly track weapon, the 675SR-R is an extremely attractive proposition.