The Underrated Motorcycle That’s Worth Every Penny

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Saturday, 27 Jun 2026 22:31 0 4 autotech

Chinese products have long been cast in a negative light. For the most part, any item that comes with a tag that says “Made in China” is generally perceived as lower quality than alternatives made elsewhere. This is largely down to the volume of products China churns out, with quality often coming a distant second to quantity. In the past, this certainly applied to the Chinese motorcycle industry. But, just like the automotive sector, Chinese motorcycles have improved immeasurably over the past few years, and some of the bikes are genuinely underrated.

Table of Contents

The Chinese Motorcycle Revolution Is Upon Us

Benelli

10 Cheap Chinese Motorcycles That Deserve Your Attention

This list ranges from a 296cc V-Twin cruiser to a track-ready 95-horsepower sports bike.

The CFMoto 675NK Is The Sub-$8,000 Naked That Deserves More Attention

MSRP: $7,499

You could most likely walk into a CFMoto showroom, swing a cat, and hit seven bikes that offer more value than any of their rivals. There is currently at least one model selling in each of the key motorcycle segments, but the bike that really stands out is the $7,499 675NK. The sport bike version has been on sale for a little while now, and certainly has a lot to offer, but the naked bike has sort of snuck in under the radar. At this price point, it is really taking the fight to the established competitors in this space, with a host of features and a powerful triple.

Features A Home-Built Triple Based On A Proven Platform

Power: 95 Horsepower

For a time, CFMoto manufactured the old Kawasaki 650 engine under license and put it in several different motorcycles. This gave way to the more powerful LC8c parallel-twin, which the brand was given rights to manufacture thanks to a partnership with KTM. But, this triple is not a licensed design, nor a copy. Much like the 450cc twin, which shares a passing resemblance to the Yamaha CP2, this triple was certainly inspired by the old Triumph 675 (and by extension the modern 660 variant), but it is quite different internally, with a different bore and stroke.

An Ideal Street Bike Powertrain

While this engine may have made its global debut in the 675SS sport bike, it certainly makes a degree more sense here in the naked bike version. Theoretically, with a triple, you get the best of both worlds in the sense that it has the top-end performance of an inline-four and the low-end grunt of a twin. In practice, it is just like any of the modern middleweights, with most of its torque arriving at around 3,000 RPM. Out in the real world, where speed limits exist, this is ideal, and you won’t notice the strange flat spot at around 9,000 RPM nearly as much!

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The 675NK Offers Unbeatable Value

Somewhat surprisingly, the 675NK does not get a ride-by-wire throttle. While you lose a few nice-to-have features like cruise control and ride modes, at this price point, it stands to reason that costs need to be cut somewhere, and the features you do get are still downright impressive. Both ABS and traction control (which is adjustable) are present. You also get a quickshifter (up only) and a TFT dash that incorporates a tire pressure monitor.

In some respects, it is an odd blend of features when compared to other brands, but looking at it objectively, the cable-actuated throttle makes for a more connected feeling. That said, very few manufacturers have mastered the art of fueling in the Euro5+ era, and CFMoto is not one of them. The steel tubular chassis is not much to write home about, but it is pretty light, and the overall wet weight of the bike is kept down to just 417 pounds. This makes it a fun city bike that will double up as a canyon carver over the weekend. Arguably, its biggest asset is its fully adjustable KYB suspension, both front and rear, which is a rare treat at this end of the market, and a genuine point of difference.

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From sub-400cc pocket rockets to over-1000cc hyper nakeds, each of these naked bikes promises an ace up its sleeve compared to its rivals

There Is Some Room For Improvement, Though

The strange flat spot near the top of the rev range and the snatchy throttle are not the only concerns. Question marks still linger around long-term reliability. The only other CFMoto-designed engine that has been around for some time is the 450cc parallel-twin, and in other markets, it is starting to show signs of fallibility once out of warranty. The general skepticism around Chinese brands also does nothing for resale value.

Subjectively speaking, we quite like its ultra-modern design, and while it still retains some “Transformer” elements, it works. Unfortunately, build quality is not quite on par with the Japanese rivals it is competing with, nor is the finishing, for that matter. It still feels “cheap,” but that is because it is. To the right buyer willing to accept the bike for what it really is, it presents itself as a genuine middleweight bargain that most certainly stands out from the crowd. It is just something of a commitment to being different, and we highly recommend getting the extended warranty if available.

Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications

Chassis	Steel tubular
Front Suspension	KYB upside-down fork, preload, compression and rebound adjustable (5.1-in travel)
Rear Suspension	KYB central monoshock, preload and rebound adjustable (5.1-in travel)
Weight	417 lbs