2023 CFMoto 800NK First Look

[Hugh Janus]

Powered by the same KTM LC8 that powers the new 790 Duke, the CFMoto 800NK is likely US bound in 2023. (CFMoto/)

China might not be at the top of the US’s list of international buddies at the moment, but if we can put the question of spy balloons aside, then there’s no doubt that CFMoto is rapidly proving that Chinese motorcycles can be built on par with those made in Japan or the West. An infusion of technology from KTM certainly helps but the new 800NK—revealed via the firm’s social media—is a bike that genuinely looks every inch as impressive as its direct rivals.

Those rivals will include the likes of Suzuki’s new GSX-8S and Honda’s CB750 Hornet as well as the established Yamaha MT-07 and the recently reborn KTM 790 Duke, the latter of which shares the same engine as the 800NK and is built alongside it at CFMoto’s Chinese factory.

View of the front of the 800NK. (CFMoto/)

We’ve seen glimpses of the 800NK already. First as the NK-C22 concept bike, revealed last September, and later via design registrations and type-approval documents. There’s never been much doubt that the production version would be launched in the first half of 2023, and here it is.

Make no mistake, the 799cc engine powering the 800NK is almost identical to the engine that CFMoto builds for KTM and its Duke 790. (CFMoto/)

In terms of specifications, only the bare details have been announced so far. It uses the same 799cc KTM LC8c engine as the 790 Duke and 790 Adventure, as well as CFMoto’s own 800MT adventure bike, but is tuned for 99 hp at 9,000 rpm and 59.7 lb.-ft. of torque at 8,000 rpm. That’s a fraction more power and a little less torque than the same engine in the 790 Duke, likely due to the differences in the design of components like the exhaust system. We also know that the 800NK’s wet weight is an impressively low 410 pounds, undercutting the 445-pound Suzuki GSX-8S by a substantial margin and even besting the 419-pound Honda Hornet. The CFMoto also offers more power than the 82 hp Suzuki or the 91 hp Honda.

That KTM-designed engine sits in a steel-tube frame with a 57.7-inch wheelbase, sporting KYB suspension at each end, which is fully adjustable at the front and has preload and rebound adjustment at the rear. J.Juan (now part of Brembo) manufactures the brakes, with twin four-piston radial-mount calipers at the front and a single two-piston unit at the back.

Close-up view of the 800NK’s unique Vee-shaped headlight. (CFMoto/)

We’ve previously had a look at the 800NK’s styling via the NK-C22 concept and the various leaks since, but the official shots show that nothing has been lost in the translation to production. The 800NK’s front end manages to be distinctive without being willfully controversial, its V-shaped headlight is a definite step forward from the rather bland design of the current NK models, and as we’ve already seen in patent images of the upcoming 1250NK super-streetfighter, it’s a look CFMoto will adopt on more models in the future. The V-shape of the headlight is reflected in a winglet-like wind deflector above it and also in the upper surface of the front fender below.

Other details from CFMoto’s latest info drop include the fact that the 800NK has three riding modes (Rain, Street, and Sport) from its ride-by-wire throttle, with a four-way joypad on the left handlebar to control an impressive-looking, iPad-style TFT dash. A second version of the bike will also be offered with a smaller instrument pack, around half the size of this one but will still have a full-color TFT with multiple display modes.

At the moment, CFMoto hasn’t released pricing info or details of when the 800NK will be available, even in China, but it’s likely to reach the market there in the next few months. It may take longer to reach US soil, but since the identically powered Ibex 800 S and Ibex 800 T (sold elsewhere as the 800MT Sport and 800MT Touring) are available in the States, there’s no reason to believe the 800NK won’t come here as well.

Source

[Buckster]

[Pedro]

I like how instead of the KTM being accused of being shit for having a Chinese engine (which it is, shit), the chinese manufacturer claims they’re not shit because they make KTM engines. 
 

[Buckster]

7 hours ago, Pedro said:

I like how instead of the KTM being accused of being shit for having a Chinese engine (which it is, shit), the chinese manufacturer claims they’re not shit because they make KTM engines. 
 

It is a step up from the Chinese designed/reverse engineered engines. Nice looking bike though, some neat aesthetics and I like the look of the chain adjustment on the swing arm.