Watch out Triumph! CFMoto target supersport sector with 675cc triple

China’s most outward-looking bike brand, CFMoto, is looking to revive the moribund mid-sized supersport class with a new 675cc three-cylinder sports bike – the 675SR.

Previewed in front of a live audience at CFMoto Day 2023 at the ZhuZhou International Circuit, a prototype lapped the 2.3-mile track to prove the bike is more than just an idea. 

A shrink-wrapped plastic disguise hid its styling details, but after three years of development the firm’s first three-cylinder machine is clearly very close to being production ready and is by far their sportiest road bike yet.

Official specs of the 675SR are still under wraps but we know the engine is derived from the parallel twin used in the impressive 450SR, currently available in the UK for £5599. Patent applications for the engine’s design show it’s essentially the same as the SR’s 449.5cc twin, but with an additional cylinder to boost capacity to match the bike’s 675SR designation. 

Assuming it shares the same 72mm bore and 55.2mm stroke as the 450, the triple’s precise capacity will be 674.2cc. In the images released by CFMoto, the clutch and generator covers look nearly identical to those of the 450SR, confirming the three-cylinder engine’s relationship to the existing parallel twin.

In terms of performance, the company say that the 675SR is good for more than 73.75lb.ft per litre of torque, which works out as at least 50lb.ft from 675cc. That’s on the money in comparison to Triumph’s old Daytona 675R and MV Agusta’s F3 675 – with the MV clearly having an influence on the design.

Both those rivals are now discontinued and peaked at 126bhp and 128bhp respectively. The CFMoto is likely to have a little less power – nearer the 100bhp mark – thanks to stricter emissions limits and an engine design that’s focused on midrange rather than top-end power, perhaps making it more of a natural rival to the current Aprilia RS660, Honda CBR650R, and Yamaha R7. 

CFMoto’s disguise manages to hide much of the chassis from view, leaving a question over its construction. The company’s usual modus operandi is to use tubular chromoly steel trellis frames, and that’s likely to remain the case with the 675SR.

The early glimpse at CFMoto Day is expected to be followed by a more comprehensive unveiling later this year and production looks primed to commence in 2024.