Kiwi Rider June Vol.1 2023 | Page 22

ROAD NEWS

CFMOTO ’ S NINJA CONTENDER LANDS IN NZ

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 has long been the darling of the LAMS sports category thanks to its sharp price , sharp performance and untouchable heritage . But the Ninja 400 ’ s reign at the top of the pile is being contested by Chinese brand CFMOTO with their 450SR which has just arrived in local dealers . Undercutting the established Kawasaki with a price point of $ 8790 before on-road costs , the 450SR is powered by a 449.9cc paralleltwin with a 270-degree crank for that luscious V-twin-style burble and power delivery . Power figures are a claimed 46hp at 10,000rpm with a peak torque of 39.3Nm achieved at 7750rpm . In a rare move for such a low-priced LAMS bike , the 450SR comes equipped with some serious braking performance thanks to a fourpiston Brembo M40 monobloc caliper up front which is matched with a single 320mm floating front brake disc . Rear braking duties are taken care of by a single-piston caliper paired with a 220mm disc . ABS is sorted thanks to a BOSCH 9.1 ABS system . Other electronics include a TFT dash with phone connectivity via the CFMOTO Ride app , usb port . CFMOTO also this month debuted their soon-to-be-released CL-C cruiser at the Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition . While details are yet to be released , word on the street is the CL-C will be powered by the same 693cc parallel-twin as the brand ’ s current CL badged motorcycles .

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