China’s small-capacity sportbike segment has a new contender in CFMoto’s 450SR. The new supersport boasts the power of a 500cc bike while weighing in closer to the 250cc class. The advantageous power-to-weight ratio isn’t the only thing the 450SR has going for it, though, with CFMoto’s aggressive, race-inspired styling setting it apart from its closest competition.
The Chinese firm introduced the SR-C21 concept back at EICMA 2021. CFMoto continued to build the hype with updates on the 450SR production model in January and March, 2022. After months of anticipation, the brand finally unveils the road-ready 450SR supersport. While the SR-C21 concept bike ditched street-legal components such as mirrors, turn signals, headlamps, and brake lights, the 450SR integrates the road-worthy equipment without ruining the original design.
Gallery: 2022 CFMoto 450SR
CFMoto adds a headlight and high-beam under the stylish running lights and mounts the front blinkers in the long-stalk mirrors. The EICMA concept dropped jaws with its Ohlins suspension, race-spec Brembo calipers, single-sided swingarm, SC-Project race exhaust, and front brake disc covers, but the brand took a much more practical approach to the street-going 450SR.
A two-pronged swingarm replaces the single-sided unit while a budget-friendly front end and shock replace the Ohlins suspenders. The race-derived Brembo may have hit the waste bin, but lower-spec Brembo calipers still bring the 370-pound sportbike to a halt. A standard exhaust steps in for the SC-Project pipe and the rotor covers fall by the wayside.
CFMoto may have ditched the race-inspired components for the street model, but the liquid-cooled, 449cc parallel-twin performs as previously advertised. With a 270-degree crank delivering power pulses similar to a 90-degree V-twin, the sub-500cc twin pumps out 50 horsepower and 29 lb-ft of torque.
The brand also stuck to its guns when it comes to the MotoGP-inspired winglets. Of course, small-capacity sportbikes don’t produce enough power to involuntarily loft the front wheel like a high-strung race bike, but CFMoto claims that the 450SR’s bi-plane wings generate 4.4 pounds of front downforce at 75 mph.
Unfortunately, the 2022 CFMoto 450SR has only been announced for China with an MSRP of CN¥31,980 ($5,025 USD). Hopefully, the souped-up sportbike will eventually make its way west like other CFMoto models such as the 300NK and 650NK.
