Ever since I saw CFMoto's jaw-dropping V4 SR-RR at EICMA last year, I knew the company was edging ever closer to serious racing. There were rumors we might see CFMoto in MotoGP and that we'd see the V4 SR-RR in World SuperBike (WSBK) even sooner. I was so caught up in following the company's short circuit progression that I never stopped to think the Chinese brand could also be eying up a road race. It turns out it was, and not just any road race: the biggest of all time.
The Sportbike class is a new addition for the TT this year and gives a home to bikes like the Triumph Daytona 660, Yamaha R7, and CFMoto 675SR-R, to name but a few. For many of the bikes in this category, it'll be their first time around the Mountain Course, barring models that competed in the Super Twins category previously. What makes CFMoto's 675SR-R entry significant is that it'll be the first time that a bike designed in China, branding a Chinese logo, will tackle the 37.73-mile course—the logo aspect of this is important, and I'll tell you why further down.
The three-cylinder sportbike is paired with the Moto Twelve Racing team after the pairing achieved a relatively successful season racing in the Sportbike class in the British Superbike (BSB) championship. But the IOMTT is a totally different animal from short circuit racing, and as such, you need different animals piloting the bike.
