The Kawasaki Ninja 400 has long been the darling of the LAMS sports category thanks to its sharp price, sharp performance and untouchable heritage. But the Ninja 400’s reign at the top of the pile is being contested by Chinese brand CFMOTO with their 450SR which has just arrived in local dealers.
Undercutting the established Kawasaki with a price point of $8,790 before on-road costs, the 450SR is powered by a 449.9cc parallel-twin with a 270-degree crank for that luscious V-twin-style burble and power delivery. Power figures are a claimed 46hp at 10,000rpm with a peak torque of 39.3Nm achieved at 7,750rpm.
In a rare move for such a low-priced LAMS bike, the 450SR comes equipped with some serious braking performance thanks to a 4-pot Brembo M40 monobloc caliper up front which is matched with a single 320mm floating front brake disc. Rear braking duties are taken care of by a single-piston caliper paired with a 220mm disc. ABS is sorted thanks to a BOSCH 9.1 ABS system.
Other electronics include a TFT dash with phone connectivity via the CFMOTO Ride app, usb port.
Whether Kiwi riders will take to the CFMOTO in similar numbers as they have to the popular Kawasaki is yet to be seen, but going by the spec sheet the only thing it appears to lose out to the Kawi is in its weight, which is approximately 10kg heavier.