CFMoto 675SR-R (2025) - Technical Review

Whisper it, but the middleweight sports bike is back. After years of decline as increasingly unusable track-focussed supersports machines sent customers running for the hills and the welcoming comfort of adventure bikes, there’s a quiet revolution going on as manufacturers rediscover the appeal of real-world-targeted sports bikes. The Yamaha R7,  Triumph Daytona 660 and the ever-present Honda CBR650R are standard bearers of the category and now China’s CFMoto is stepping into the fray with the 675SR-R.

Pros & Cons

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R Price

CFMoto has yet to announce the pricing of the 675SR-R but the company’s strategy has long been to offer more equipment and a higher specification than rivals for a slightly lower cost – essentially the standard recipe to attract sales to Chinese-made goods.

Unlike some Chinese brands, though, CFMoto has the advantage of a close tie-in with KTM, and the Austrian brand looks after CFMoto distribution and marketing throughout Europe and the UK. Add that to the fact that CFMoto is already a relatively familiar brand, and most customer jitters over buying Chinese are likely to be quelled.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Engine & Performance

CFMoto’s first three-cylinder engine is essentially an extension of the design concept developed for the 450cc parallel twin used in the 450SR, 450NK and the new 450MT – sharing the same 72mm bore and 55.2mm stroke. Adding a third cylinder takes the capacity up from 449.5cc to 674cc and pushes the power to 94hp, or 70kW.

That’s an important number because it matches the legal maximum for bikes that can then be restricted to 35kW (47hp) and used by A2 licence holders, but it’s not up to the ‘over 100hp’ that CFMoto suggested when the three-cylinder engine was unveiled last November at the EICMA show in Milan. We’re still waiting for the final European launch of the 675SR-R – it’s likely to come at this November’s edition of EICMA – and there’s a possibility that a higher-powered version matching the three-figure power promise will be brought to the West, but the 70kW/94hp model is logical given the machinations of the A2 licence regime.

The 94hp figure matches the output of the 675SR-R’s most obvious rival, Triumph’s Daytona 660, another triple that was developed with the A2 licence band firmly in its sights.

CFMoto’s triple hits its peak power at 10,250rpm but doesn’t redline until past 12,300rpm, again suggesting there’s potential for more performance. Its peak torque is 70Nm (51.6lb-ft), and arrives at 8,250rpm. In comparison the Daytona 660, with a 14cc capacity deficit, manages 69Nm (50.9lb-ft) at the same revs, and needs an extra 1000rpm to hit its peak power at 11,250rpm.

The CFMoto’s triple is a fairly conventional, DOHC design with a balance shaft and 120-degree crankshaft layout. Inside there are forged aluminium pistons and four valves per cylinder. It drives through a six-speed transmission with a standard-fit quickshifter, and the power is tamed by multi-stage, adjustable traction control thanks to ride-by-wire throttles.

With an all-in weight of only 54kg for the engine and transmission, CFMoto reckons its triple is about 10% lighter than rival designs.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Despite the appearance of an aluminium beam frame, the 650SR-R’s chassis is actually made of chrome-molybdenum steel alloy, paired to a cast aluminium swingarm.

That swingarm is supported on an adjustable KYB monoshock, while at the front there are USD forks adjustable for compression and rebound as well as preload.

Dry, the 675SR-R comes in at a claimed 175kg – which would also be the minimum weight allowed for a 35kW/47hp A2-legal bike under rules that limit power-to-weight ratios to 0.2kW per kg. Complete with fluids and a full tank of fuel the weight rises to 195kg, undercutting the Triumph Daytona 660 which is 201kg in the same state. The bike’s weight is claimed to be split perfectly 50:50 front to rear.

When it comes to dimensions, the 675SR-R’s 1400mm wheelbase is notable shorter than the likes of the Honda CBR650R (1450mm) or the Daytona 660 (1425.6mm), but not as nervously compact as the Honda CBR600RR or Yamaha R6 (both 1370mm). The forks are set at a steep 23.7 degrees of rake, with 93.2mm of trail, figures that should add up to sharp steering and rapid turn-in but are close to those of the Daytona 660 (23.8 degrees rake, 82.3mm trail). Despite the compact size, CFMoto says the 675SR-R’s seat is 10% longer than rivals, giving more freedom when it comes to rider positioning. A steering damper is expected to be an optional accessory.

As on other CFMoto models the brakes come from Brembo subsidiary J.Juan, with radial four-pot front calipers and a two-piston rear caliper. There’s antilock, of course, and although CFMoto has yet to reveal the full details of the electronics package, since the firm’s 800NK features cornering ABS, the 675SR-R might well get a similar setup for the European market.

Those brakes are cooled by MotoGP-style cowls that cover the lower part of the discs and feed air to the front calipers.

For the Chinese-market version of the bike that’s been unveiled so far, the tyres are purpose-designed by CST and claimed to be 8% lighter, 12% grippier and 10% more durable than previous designs.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Comfort & Economy

With a seat that CFMoto claims to be 10% longer than its competitors, the 675SR-R should suit a wide array of shapes and sizes of rider, but the riding position itself appears to be slightly more aggressive than rivals like the Daytona 660 or Honda CBR650R – with lower bars, angled more steeply downwards, even if it’s not quite to the same extreme as track-oriented 600s like the Yamaha R6. We’ll reserve judgement on comfort until we’ve ridden it, but the seat stands 810mm high as standard, with options for lower and higher versions.

There’s also no official detail when it comes to fuel consumption at the moment but given the similarity in terms of engine configuration and performance to the Daytona 660, it would be surprising if the CFMoto’s economy was substantially different to that bike.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Equipment

High-end equipment at low to mid-range cost is where Chinese bikes often shine and the CFMoto 675SR-R looks set to follow the same path.

The dash is a 5-inch TFT that appears to be the same unit that’s already used on the 800NK (albeit not the vast 8-inch version used on the 800NK Advanced model). It’s a configurable display with multiple modes, and on the 675SR-R includes a lap timer, shift indicator and phone connectivity for multimedia, calls and navigation. There are also tyre pressure sensors and a USB socket.

Rider aids include traction control and ABS as well as the switchable quickshifter.

Externally, kit includes LED lighting with distinctive running lights on the nose above the main headlamps, which are almost hidden in the darkened section underneath them. The front indicators are mounted in the mirrors, and the rear lights and indicators are all in a single piece – shaped like a slightly curved bar – mounted on the numberplate bracket. The advantage of that design is that the licence plate hanger, rear lights, mirrors and front indicators can all be easily removed if you want to take the bike on track, as illustrated in several of CFMoto’s promo images, which show Moto2 rider Izan Guevara and Moto3 championship leader David Alonso – both riding for the Aspar CFMoto squad – on board the new bike.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Rivals

The final price will be a key deciding factor when it comes to judging the 675SR-R against its rivals, but it’s likely to find itself up against the three-cylinder Daytona 660, the four-cylinder Honda CBR650R and the twin-cylinder Suzuki GSX-8R.

Triumph Daytona 660 | Price: £8595

Read more

Power/Torque

94bhp / 50.9lb-ft

Weight

201kg

Honda CBR650R | Price: £8599

Read more

Power/Torque

94bhp / 46.5lb-ft

Weight

208kg

Suzuki GSX-8R | Price: £8899

Read more

Power/Torque

81.8bhp / 57.5lb-ft

Weight

205kg

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Verdict

We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden it.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

2025 CFMoto 675SR-R - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.