Less than a week ago, we saw CFMoto testing its 250NK in India. And now, images of the company’s middleweight adventure-tourer, the 650MT, on test in India have surfaced online. The 650MT is seen covered in the same camouflage sticker work as on the 250NK, which doesn’t hide much aside for the colour scheme.
The motorcycle spotted in India is the company’s new 650MT that features “improvements over its predecessor, creating a true adventure-tourer.” The ADV motorcycle is based on the platform of the company’s naked bike, the 650NK, and is already on sale in international markets like Australia. However, it uses completely different bodywork, apart from other additional ADV components. The 650MT has a large windscreen and fairing that are typical of an adventure tourer. It also has hand guards and a large single-piece seat. CFMoto has also equipped the bike with crash bars that come as standard.
Optional extras include aluminium panniers and an 820mm 'low seat' to reduce the standard seat height of 840mm. The fuel tank capacity is 18 litres, while the weight is 213kg. The website, however, hasn’t mentioned if this is the dry weight or the kerb weight, but we believe it to be the former. The ground clearance for the 650MT is 170mm.
The steel diamond frame the 650MT uses is suspended off the ground by a USD fork and a monoshock. Braking is taken care of by twin 300mm discs up front and a 240mm disc at the rear. The bike can also be had with only 17-inch alloy wheels at the front and rear. It misses out on spoked wheels as optional extras, which are a favourite among adventure-tourer enthusiasts. Powering this bike is a 649cc parallel-twin, DOHC engine that makes 56.4hp at 9,500rpm and 62Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. This engine comes paired to a 6-speed transmission. CFMoto’s Australian website does claim that the horsepower figure is Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) restricted, and considering that the Indian market has no such power restriction, we could see the horsepower figure go slightly higher.
Now while it still remains unsure who CFMoto is partnering with to bring its motorcycle in India, it is important to note that KTM had entered into a joint venture with the company in October 2017 to expand production. The CFMoto 650MT is priced at $7,990 (Rs 4.06 lakh) in Australia and if the company could price it similarly in India, it would undercut all of its direct rivals, including the newly-launched Chinese Benelli TRK 502 and TRK 502X.