If CFMoto isn't careful, it'll be on the verge of giving riders exactly what they want. And if we've learned anything from the decisions of OEMs, you're not supposed to do that.
First, there was the release of details about the brand's 675SR, which appears to be more or less what everyone hoped Triumph would produce when it relaunched the Daytona moniker. And then there was the release of mysterious shots surrounding the 500SR Voom, which had an engine size and configuration that no one was expecting to see—a 500cc inline-four.
Is CFMoto about to hit a mark that nobody saw coming and give riders what they want without them ever asking for it? The 500SR Voom has been type-approved, so check out the specs, and I'll let you be the judge.
If a 500cc inline-four-cylinder engine sounds strange to you, that's because it is. I can't think of one, at least not a 4-stroke. It's a DOHC fuel-injected powerplant that has a 63mm bore and 40mm stroke, resulting in an output of 78 horsepower. We don't have the torque figures yet, but since the 500SR Voom has a wet weight of 430 lbs, it should be a pretty swift mover.
It has a 54.9-inch wheelbase, which is in the ballpark of most 600cc supersports. The 130.5 mph top speed is nothing to shake your head at, and since the 500SR Voom will run on 120/70-17 and 160/60-17 rubber, this model should, in theory, feel quite nimble going from side to side.
Bringing everything to a halt are dual CFMoto-branded radial-mounted brakes at the front and a single disc at the rear. Although the brakes are from CFMoto, the suspension is KYB—a brand name we're welcome to see.
It's hard to know where to start when talking about the style because it looks like CFMoto's designers just said yes to everything. I mean, a retro-styled sport bike, with aero, and bar-end mirrors. This thing is all over the place and I love it.
By far and away the coolest feature are the air intakes with ringed LEDs. The original pictures made these ducts look like the bike's main lights, but now we can see that the headlight is a rectangular unit under the air ducts. Say what you will about the pillion seat, but the dual-under-tail Panagalie-style exhausts are right up this writer's street.
So far, we've only seen a silver-and-black bike and a blue version with silver forks. The unfortunate thing is, it's uncertain if the 500SR Voom will be exported. But if the Voom won't be exported, there's still hope that another version, simply called the 500SR, will.
The Competition
In terms of direct competition, there's nowhere else to look other than Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-4RR. Although the 500SR Voom weighs around 12 lbs more than the Ninja ZX-4RR, it packs 4 hp more than the European version and 22 hp more than the US model.
Of course, the 500SR Voom's engine has 25% more capacity than the Ninja's but only produces around 5% more hp, meaning it should be less stressed. And it should have more torque, too.
But the real deciding factor surrounding this bike's success will be its price. There was so much hype around the Ninja ZX-4RR, a bike that produced nostalgia for certain riders and the excitement of something new for others. But its MRSP of around $10,000, for the version you really want, means it's in the firing range of much more capable bikes and makes it a hard-to-justify purchase for some.
So, if the 500SR Voom makes its way to the US with a price tag that's more in line with a bike of this capacity, with these specs, rest assured it'll steal a lot of riders' interest.
