CFMoto 450CL-C Offers a New Brand of Middleweight Cruising

A new entry to the CFMoto CL range has arrived in the form of the twin-cylinder cruiser, the CFMoto 450CL-C.

The ‘CL’ tag used by CFMoto is more commonly associated with scrambler-style motorcycles here in Europe, with models such as the 300CL-X and 700CL-X. The ‘CL’ denotes the classic styling of the bikes, and the ‘X’ denotes the light-off-road orientation. In the case of the 450CL-C, then, you don’t even need to look at the thing to know that it’s a retro-styled cruiser.

At the heart is a 449cc (you’re welcome) twin-cylinder engine producing 44bhp and 31lb ft. It’s the same engine as used in the CFMoto 450MT, for example. The frame is a steel tubular unit, which isn’t a huge shock: steel frames are used throughout CFMoto’s range, they’re fairly common in affordable neo-retro bikes across the board, and CFMoto of course has a long-standing industrial relationship with KTM, who would like it very much if everyone ignored that their RC16 MotoGP frame is now made from carbon fibre. 

For suspension on the 450CL-C, a single, central rear shock is used at the rear in conjunction with a two-sided swingarm, while a 37mm inverted fork is used at the front. Single brake discs are used at both ends - 320mm at the front, 220mm at the rear - and both have callipers from J.Juan.

In the cockpit, the rider will find a 3.6-inch round TFT display that can tell them whether rider aids like traction control and ABS are turned on. 

The 2024 CFMoto 450CL-C will be available in the UK from May in the Nebula Black and Bordeaux Red colour choices, and for a price of £5,999, which matches exactly the price of the 2024 Kawasaki Eliminator 500.

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