The Chinese manufacturer doesn't take the cheap way out with lesser equipment on the 650NK

CF Moto put together its 650NK sport-naked as an alternative to the big-brand bikes. Top shelf suspension and brakes join with judicious bodywork to make for a sporty overall package. Power comes from a KTM-based parallel-twin to put this bike on par with the field.

CF Moto shoehorns in a liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine into the 650NK that uses a KTM-inspired design to serve as the beating heart. Massively oversquare, it runs an 83 mm bore and short, 60 mm stroke, giving it a total displacement of 649 cc.

The eight-valve head comes with DOHC actuation and the induction management falls to the Bosch EFI feature. That does it for the engine-control electronics though. The throttle is completely raw with no subsystems to complicate things more than absolutely necessary.

The 650NK produces 60 horsepower at 8,750 rpm with 41.3 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm. Power flows through a slipper clutch for the anti-hop protection it brings to the table. It then washes through a six-speed transmission and chain-type final drive.

CF Moto 650NK has a top speed of 111 mph (180 km/h). The 0-to-60 time is a reported 2.36 seconds to make this bike plenty fast, quick, and fun to ride.

Like a sister from another mister, the CF Moto 650NK is clearly influenced by the KTM Duke family. The engineered front fender carries minimal surface area to reduce drag and doubles as a spoiler. It directs cooling air toward the water cooler, exhaust headers, and around the fork sliders to aid in both cooling and penetration efficiency.

LED projectors ride in the stylized headlight housing that picks up the angle of the cheek fairings. Again that's much like the Duke family, or even like Yamaha's “Master of Torque” naked-sport line.

LED emitters make up all of the lighting. This includes the taillight and blinkers for good two-way visibility with your surroundings. The seat height for the pilot is relatively low at 30.7 inches off the deck. This makes the bike-friendly to riders with shorter inseams.

All of the instrumentation comes packed into the five-inch, color TFT display. The screen doubles as an interface for the CFMoto Ride App that records ride data and acts as a locator in case your bike is ever stolen.

Out back is the usual mudguard assembly. It mounts the license plate and blinkers below the LED taillight that's recessed in the tip of the tail. A swingarm-mount hugger finishes the spray protection and contributes to the overall efficiency.

Carbon-steel members make up the main frame on the CF Moto 650NK. It uses the engine as a stressed member to complete the standing structure.

A full-yoke swingarm articulates for the rear wheel and relies on a coil-over KYB shock. The comes with adjustable rebound damping and the obligatory spring-preload adjuster for some control over the ride quality.

Up front, find more KYB yummy goodness. It also comes with adjustable rebound damping on board for some flexibility in the setup. Safe to say there's room for improvement in the stems, but anything North of plain vanilla is a bonus, right?

As for the anchors, they also come off the top shelf courtesy of J.Juan. Dual, 300 mm front discs and twin-pot calipers upfront work opposite a 240 disc and single-piston caliper.

Both ends benefit from the dual-channel Continental ABS protection that comes with the stock equipment package. This is as close as we get to higher electronics.

Cast-aluminum rims come in a 17-inch diameter front and back. Pirelli rubber comes in a 120/70 ahead of a 160/60 for some nice, fat contact patches and effective traction.

The 2022 CF Moto 650NK costs $6,499. You can choose between black over black with blue trim, or white over black with yellow trim and rims.

CF Moto represents an alternative to the established marques with comparable equipment if not electronics. I grabbed Yamaha's MT-07 to see how the 650NK sizes up against some real competition.

Right out of the gate the similar looks are almost uncanny. However, where the 650NK carries aesthetic panels at the cheeks, the Yamaha has actual intake ducts to gain the upper hand in the bodywork department.

The Tuning Fork Company also packs in more cubeage with a 689 cc plant. It puts out 75 ponies for a significant power advantage.

Suspension is pretty much a wash, as are the brakes though the MT-07's four-bore binders weigh in Yamaha's favor a skosh here, too. Neither bike carries any electronic goodies such as traction control and the like, which makes them both good bikes for someone looking to work up into a literbike.

So far, Yamaha enjoys most of the advantages, but it's at the checkout that we find the tradeoff. Yamaha fetches $7,899 for its entry to leave an important gap with the 650NK that may just buy it some business.

“CF Moto isn't one of the big-name brands, that's for sure, but they do put out a decent product. It's hard to go wrong with the top-shelf hang-on brands the 650NK carries, to be honest, so CF Moto gets credit for not taking the cheap way out with lesser equipment.”

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “When presented with the CF Moto, the first thing I did was roll my eyes a little. I thought, here comes another Chinese wanna-be into our market trying to compete with the big-name brands.”

“The more I learned about the company and the bike itself, the less inclined I was to roll my eyes. The bike is more sophisticated than I gave it credit for at first glance.”

“CF Moto as a brand is a newcomer to the market – founded in 1989 and in our bike market since 2007 – but they've been making high-quality ATVs. A venture into motorcycles isn't that far afield for them.”

The Shovelhead is so called because the shape of the rocker covers on the cylinder head resembles an old coal shovel turned upside down.

Shovelhead models sell for anything from a couple of thousand dollars up to $10,000+

The Shovelhead engine was replaced by the Evolution engine in 1984.

TJ got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same. Though primarily a Harley rider, he has an appreciation for all sorts of bikes and doesn’t discriminate against any particular brand or region of origin. He currently holds an Associate’s degree in applied mechanical science from his time at the M.M.I.