Last year’s CFMoto booth at EICMA motorcycle expo in Milan was perhaps the hottest one at the show. At the center of all the excitement was a completely new, state-of-the-art liter-class V4 and a 'Master of Speed' superbike concept. Fast forward to this year’s EICMA, and we already have a proper superbike housing that very same engine.
It’s called the V4 SR-RR (good luck pronouncing that in public), and while it’s still a prototype, CFMoto has confirmed that it is heading to production very soon. Thankfully, though, we do have some performance numbers to share.
The engine is a 997cc, 90-degree V4, which produces over 210 horsepower. There are no torque numbers available just yet, but that power alone puts the V4 SR-RR competing against the likes of Yamaha R1M, Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
But all those motorcycles employ inline four-cylinder engines, not a V4, like the CFMoto prototype. So, perhaps a bike like the Ducati Panigale V4 makes for a more direct competitor. But it’s tough to pit the two against each other when we don’t have complete specifications.
What we do know is that the V4 SR-RR weighs under 440 lb (200 kg). That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of over 0.476 hp/lb. That’s in the same superbike category that we’ve been discussing so far. We also have a top speed number of over 300 km/h" per CFMoto. That’s 186 mph – in line with the famed gentlemen’s agreement.
CFMoto claims it will serve as a platform for its upcoming models. But I do see clear World Superbike intentions, too. CFMoto also clearly mentioned its racing program in the press announcement.
It sports large wings up front. These aren’t static. CFMoto claims that they automatically adjust to speed and riding conditions and would likely work in sync with semi-active, electronically adjustable suspension on board.
In terms of other specifics, it’s mostly a case of deciphering whatever you see in the promo pics. It’s hard to comment on the chassis and the frame, but the engine does seem to be structural, similar to the Panigale V4. As Ben Purvis from CycleWorld points out, you can also spot an aluminum swingarm pivot bracket at the back that bolts to the transmission and the rear cylinder head.
CFMoto will also offer a full titanium twin-exit Akrapovič exhaust that supposedly meets Euro5+ homologation, along with clip-on bars, twin LED lights flanking a central air intake, and MotoGP-style cooling ducts surrounding the front Brembo calipers and discs.
With this motorcycle and Norton’s recently revealed Manx R, we now have two absolutely new superbikes entering the fray. More competition in the premium superbike class? Love it!
We should likely see the production version dropping by the end of next year. So we’ll still have to wait and see how the real deal turns out. For now, it’s looking good for CFMoto.
Source: CFMoto
