The punchy liquid-cooled, four-stroke, parallel twin, DOHC, 270° crank CFMOTO 450NK nakedbike has proved to be a good all-rounder over the three months Nick put it to the test...

Nick rode the CFMOTO 450NK for three months this year, the new LAMS-approved naked. The bike is great value for under $8,000. The little liquid-cooled, four-stroke, parallel twin, DOHC, 270° crank naked proved to be a blast. Here’s his final wrap. An 800NK is next!

2024 CFMOTO 450NK.

The little 450NK has been really handy to live with, it’s been reliable and economical, good for commuting and still lots of fun on the Old Road on the weekends. Aside from it being a bit small for me physically, which most small capacity bikes are anyway, I’ve got along fine with the CFMOTO 450NK and would happily have on in the shed if I lived in a more urban location, such as the CBD.

Read Nick’s full review on the CFMOTO 450NK here…

It makes it’s modest 39kW right up high in the rev range, meaning it is a peaky little thing that gives a small taste of the fun of a two-stroke, something I love having spent a lot of my youth on a YZ85 big wheel, which I absolutely loved, so I have enjoyed working the gearbox of the 270-degree parallel twin. to keep it on song up near the 9500rpm peak. It can be really rewarding getting it right and I’ve been surprised at just how well I can punt this thing along. Certainly gives bigger bikes a run at times.

The TFT dash is cool, and the CFMOTO RIDE app has been truly handy for checking stats and just being a tech nerd, I love that sort of thing. Ride times, distances, maximum speed and instances of rapid acceleration, deceleration and lean angles. The CST ADRENO hoops have been fine in the dry, but I’ve ridden with extra caution in the wet and would replace them with a known brand myself.

The non-adjustable forks are OK, a good enough compromise to live with and I’m 110kg, but if I upgraded the tyres and the brake pad material, therefore increasing front grip and brake power, I’d definitely be looking to firm up the forks internally. Out the back, the shock is fairly stiffly sprung for a small bike, it must be quite firm for lighter riders. I’d work with that. Gearing? I’d leave that too.

I was supposed to fit a Stage Two DNA airfilter but unfortunately it was not available in time, and the same goes for the Ventura luggage Jeff had lined up with Kenma, both would have been great but the bike went back before we could try them. I would have loved to fit those plus a slip-on. Ahh well.

Overall, the 450NK was a blast. A few tweaks could make this thing even better, but as a base, it has really good bones, it great value at $7,790 Ride Away, has a fun and capable chassis, an engaging engine, neat styling and would be a great first bike. Check out the official CFMOTO info here…

2024 CFMOTO 450NK Specifications 

cfmoto.com.au

Price: $7,790 rideaway
Warranty: Three years/unlimited kilometre
Colours: Nebula Black or Nebula White
Claimed power: 37kW@9500rpm
Claimed torque: 39Nm@7600rpm
Wet  weight: 179kg
Fuel capacity: 14L
Fuel Consumption Claimed: N/A
Fuel Consumption (measured): N/A

Engine: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, parallel twin, DOHC, 270° crankshaft, 449.9cc, 72 x 55.2mm bore x stroke, 11.5:1 compression, Bosch EFI. Gearbox: 6-speed with CF-SC Slipper Clutch

Chassis: Chromium-molybdenum alloy steel frame
Rake: N/A degrees Trail: N/A
Suspension: 37mm USD fork, 130mm travel (f), Multi-link central single rear shock, adjustable spring preload, 130mm travel (r)
Brakes: J Juan four-piston radially mounted caliper, single 320mm floating disc, ABS (F) Single-piston caliper, 220mm disc (R)
Wheels & Tyres: 110/70 R17, CST ADRENO HS, 150/60 R17, CST AS5

Dimensions: 
Wheelbase: 1370mm
Seat Height: 795mm
Ground Clearance: N/A
Overall Length: 2000mm
Overall Width: 810mm
Overall Height: 1130mm

Instruments & Electronics: 5in TFT colour display, CFMOTO T-Box, CFMOTO RIDE App, BOSCH 9.1 ABS, LED lighting. 

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