The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

More automatic motorcycles – now from China

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CFMoto V5Had an interesting comment yesterday on my post about the Honda DN-01 automatic sports cruiser. Tom mentioned a motorcycle built in China, the CFMoto V5. (That’s version 5, not a V5 engine, don’t get excited) I had never heard of it, so I took a look. If you jump over to their (very slow) site, you’ll see a small displacement (244cc) motorcycle with a CVT trannsmission. You’ll also notice, it looks like a motorcycle, not a scooter. Reading the tech specs shows they’re aiming at a non motorcycle crowd, like front and rear brakes operated by hand levers. Why not? No clutch.

Now that you know what the CFMoto V5 is, let me quote Tom’s DN-01 comment here:

I think if it were meant for the American market, it would be a cruiser. I think this is going to be a Japanese market model, in response to the new Japanese “automatic transmission motorcycle” license category. Most of those prospective owners would come from the ranks of scooter riders and the control layout will be natural for them.

Things have changed since the 1977 CB750 Hondamatic: demographics of riders, technology, etc. I really feel that the first major that introduces a modern middleweight cruiser (cruisers are by far the biggest slice of pie in America) with an automatic transmission will have a best seller on their hands. Will it be Honda with a version of this bike, or a Suzuki Volusia with a Burgman-tech tranny, or a Yamaha Star with FJR1300 transmission electronics? Or will they hang back and let the Chinese CFMoto V5 pave the way?

Interesting points. I’m not sure I agree with the need for an automatic motorcycle to be a cruiser, though, and Yamaha’s new FJR1300 AE may prove to be a good test of market potential for large displacement automatics. I do think there is an untapped market for an automatic that looks like a motorcycle, lots of non riders might be less intimidated trying a motorcycle if they didn’t have to learn how to use a clutch and gearshift, just think about how many drivers can’t drive a manual in a car anymore. It’s a skill that’s going away and with high quality automatics, there’s less need for it.

I think a Goldwing would be a natural for an automatic but I think Yamaha might be smart in putting it in a high performance sport touring machine, showing automatics can handle the shifting chores all across the motorcycle spectrum. I think the Honda DN-01 might very well show up here but the Yamaha will for sure so either way, we’ll see automatics begin their entry into the market. Maybe little automatics like the CFMoto will take over the low end if the big guys fall asleep. Keep your eyes on this development, I have a feeling it’s going to happen pretty quickly. Thoughts?

Comments

  1. I agree with both comments. Automatic drive is the key to getting new riders. It also might be the way to get the baby boomers to continue to ride into their 70’s.

    Liquid cooled Harleys in 2001
    Automatic Harleys in 2015 ?

    Isn’t it fun getting the stereotypical HD “hard ass” blood pressure up?

    A small, automatic cruiser that weighs 450 – 550 lbs. instead of 700 lbs. will be good for the new & retired rider. Manual drive & its performance is not going anywhere but automatics could be good for everyone. ….The more two-wheeled traffic on the road the better.

  2. clarification –

    “manual drive is not going anywhere…” I meant that a performance bike will ALWAYS be sold with a manual transmission no matter how well automatic drive is developed (or how well they sell) on motorcycles. Automatics are not going to replace manual trnasmission. Similarly, sports cars will always be sold with a manual transmission.

    So, why not develop the automatic for those that choose to ride due to feeling more in control with an automatic? That is one more bike sold for the OEM’s & one more rider on the road (i.e. higher frequency of 2 wheeled traffic should be safer for everyone)

  3. The DN-01 looks like a “cruiser” style to me and the JP Auto Cycle Lic has several categories [by CC] with the highest ending at 650. Thus, the DN-01 is either not for the JP market or will need to be scalled back to 650… which doesn’t make a lot of sense since they just tweeked this Deauville engine up to 680.

  4. I am 67, and had never riden a motorcycle until 2 years ago. On a lark I bought a 49cc Vespa, fun but slow. Bought larger Vespa, better but still toy.
    Desided to get “real motercycle”, a Suzuki Intruder 800. I learned to enjoy
    “false neutrals”, wondering what gear I was in, and always looking for a higher gear on the open road.
    Next came a Ridley. A nice ride, always drew a crowd, but rear brake was
    still not on left handlebar, and the auto trans tended to “free wheel”.
    I now have a Burgman 650. It’s great, but it looks like a scooter!
    The Yamaha FJR1300ae looks good ( you have to put down a deposit just to order one), but the push button shift will get old after awhile, as I found out on my 650.
    My dream ride is a Goldwing that operates like my Burgman 650. If the Honda DN-01 is what it is reported to be, I will be on the dock when the first shipment lands, check book in hand.

  5. My local scooter dealer just got in 2 CFMOTO’s (one V3 and one V5) yesterday, great looking and full sized. I am 56 year old and my first scooter is my Tank Urban Racer that is 6 months old. It is 150cc and does a real good job of keeping up with 55+ mph traffic. My only problem is the relatively small size of the Tank, which is typical of all scooters. I bought my Tank on eBay, and it got really beatup in shipment, messing up most of the farings. I have about 1000 miles on it already and run it nearly every day. It has been fairly reliable transportation with no problems except for a new oil leak. Since I bought it on eBay, I have no local dealer support, which is it’s biggest drawback.

    I think that the “small” segment of the market may be much larger than anyone realizes and the Chinese are already on the ground. The CFMOTO is a natural upgrade for me and the price is very, very reasonable. The V5 goes for about $3500 while the V3 (a sports racer) is $500 more. Not bad pricing and half the price of a Honda Helix and a lot more bike for the money, as long as you get a good dealer for service support.

  6. Wow, thanks Steve. I’ve never heard of CFMOTO until now, those things are quite unique. The V3 reminds me of an old Katana or BMW R650LS cross bred with a Honda Pacific Coast and a little Kawi Vulcan action thrown in for fun. Even the CFMOTO logo looks like a cross between a Mercedes star and the BMW roundule. Of course I’d like it to look quite a bit less cruiser-ish but I guess that’s what sells.

    I bet they aren’t legal in California though.
    -todd

    http://www.cfmoto.cn

  7. OK, I just checked, CFMOTOs are CARB and DOT compliant and available in California for $3499. It’s amazing that so many Japanese bikes from the major brands aren’t CARB or DOT legal and here you have some brand nobody knows about and they are legal. Go figure.
    -todd

  8. I think there is a niche these auto motorcycles fill. Folks with two good arms and two good legs often forget, if not take for granted, they are physically able to work a traditional manual shift motorcycle. I too was once perfectly able to ride that way, unfortunately, not anymore. You have riders who’ve suffered strokes and accidents; one arm, one leg, no legs, less than 10 fingers, arthritis, fused joints, weak joints and the list goes on.

    A clutchless or automatic tranny is a real asset. Next time you “normal” folks go out for a ride, I challenge to you try to ride with only one arm, or only one leg fully to work the controls. You might not even get the bike off the line. You’ll soon come to the realization that modifications need to be made to the bike in order to accomodate a disabled rider. One less lever to pull or gear to stomp really makes a difference. For those of you thinking “then you shouldn’t be riding” had better face the fact that until disabled folks are all dead, we still do what we can to partake in the activities we enjoy. If that means modifying a bike to go riding and actually drive and not be on the back seat, then that’s what will be done. All the better when motorcycles come from the factory ready to go.

  9. I recently purchased and restored a 1977 HondaMatic CB750A
    I love it… I is a blast to drive but I’m not sure how long I will be able to get parts… I think there is a place for such a bike.
    Why not ? the more the merrier !

  10. Um…ok, I need for more of you current riders to go and buy up a few of these auto bikes so there’ll be plenty of used for this future rider to choose from once you current riders decide to become former little bike riders once the Gilera Ferro is finally released.

    Figuratively speaking….

  11. I, too, am a late comer to the world of two wheels, having bought a used ’04 Aprillia Mojito 50cc a year ago. Wow! I was living in Tucson at the time and helped form a local scooter club. Our first outing was about 25 of us riding to the top of 8,000 ft Mt. Lemon. I was the only 50 in the group. Slow going up, but what a blast coming down!
    I, too, have a medical condition which prevents foot shifts. I have a ’77 750a, but is too heavy for me. I would love to have auto trike or hack.

  12. A lot of guys ride the Burgman 650 and similar scoots but hate that it is a step-through and would love to have a proper motorcycle look (ie, a gas tank where a motorcycle gas tank belongs). My local Aprilia dealer gets a lot of interest in the 500cc highway-capable automatic scoots but loses buyers specifically because of the step-through design.

  13. I happen to own the v5 and its quite a nice riding bike. It has good pickup and handles well. this bike reminds me alot of the Honda Rebel its not a hugh bike but just big enough to be seen in traffic. It’s fairly lightweight it weights in at 366 pounds has 4 1/4 gallon gas tank and gets about 60 mpg. Since I purchased it my wife rode it and now I think we will be purchasing a second one. I would recommend this bike to anyone who is in the market for getting around town bike. It’s actually nice to ride and not shift it gives you more time to pay attention to traffic overall I like this bike alot.

  14. I too am a new owner of a V5, after seeing it for the first time at Myrtle Beach Bike week. Not only the does the automatice make it a breeze to ride, the fact it has increadable balance is also a noted plus. I do question a section in owners manual in checking the bikes oil. It reads confusing and I feel inacurate. The other item is the operating of the MP3 player. I can not get mine MP3 player to work with the bike, but in testing, found both the bike and my MP3 player function. I wonder if it takes an adapter for output, the comany would not idicate it does. It dolls up well with shiled and bags, all in all the bike is an A+.

  15. Can anybody tell me where I can find or locate an owners manual for the V3 CF Moto automatic. I purchased the V3 recently and it came with no manual. I really love the bike but would feel more at ease with the manual, so when parts and service comes around I will know what to do. Thank you.

  16. We are an East Coast dealer for the V3 and V5 and we support this product all the way. if you have questions on these bike or need parts and service we can help you get them and will locate the nearest dealer for you even if we did not sell you the bike. We became dealers for the Automatics after my wife and I purchased 2 V3’s and took them on a trip to New York and Key West and then to Anchorage Alaska and the bikes did great. We were so impressed that we have now gone to a distributorship and dealership for these bikes and we sell them at wholesale to anyone that wants one for a limited time in 2007 as an effort to get the bikes in the public eye.I ride a 2005 HD Road King and I sold it in 2006 and I continue to ride the V3. As I said before, E-mail me from beaufortmotorsports.com and we will assist with your needs on these bikes and will even sell you one bike at wholesale price level. We keep about 40 of each bike at all times.
    Lee
    Beaufort Motorsports
    beaufortmotorsports.com

  17. I own and ride a CF Moto V3. (Same basic bike, different plastic body and seat) I commute daily to and from work over hilly, twisty middle-Tennessee secondary roads. Round trip is 56 miles. $5 worth of premium gas used to last all week, now it takes $7 to $8. I service the bike myself with my limited skills and have no problems or complaints after 3,000 miles. It is a dependable work-horse. As with any tool or motor vehicle, you should first recognise its natural and expected limitatioins and then evaluate it based upon its merits compared to similarly sized counterparts.

    The CF Moto 250 goes just as fast as other 250cc class scooter and/or motorcycle. It requires less maintenance and offers superior performance and reliability in slow and/or heavy traffic situationis. Access to engine, electric and cooling components is easier and less complicated that most scooters and the same goes for any fully enclosed fairing motorcycle and even some 250 dirt bikes.

    I am not saying these things because I am a dealer or representative of a dealer etc., I am an almost retired, private investigator/security specialist who has owned and ridden scooters and motorcycles for 40 years or so…

  18. I think it’s already here. Research the Q-Link — I believe it is the American version of the CF-Moto.

    It definitely caught my eye.

  19. hi. well, i just brought back to my hometown today my 2006 v5 cf moto which has a whopping 176 miles on it. it is silver. it is so pretty. i haven’t even rode it yet. i will do that late tonight when we unload it from the back of my co-worker friend’s pickup truck (he has to work til 11:30pm and we barelyyyyyyyyy got him to work on time .. thus, the bike is sitting at my workplace til he gets off tonight!). i haven’t even rode it yet, but i can already tell i am gonna be in luvvvvvvvv with it! .. started it, listened to it, and that was enough for me, not to mention its gorgeous looks! i will try to stop in here again within the next week and give you all an update on this v5. if my suspicions are right, i have a feeling the review is going to be a verrrrrrrrrrry positive one. oh, and by the way, i paid $2200 cash for it. yes! that makes me very, very happy, too. bye now.

  20. hi all! I too have purchased the v5moto i love it i take it back & forth to work at least 3xS a week soon to be more now that weather is better, about 48 miles round trip, i love the ride and ease of the automatic. i had azuma for quite a few years and decided to trade it in. the only thing driving me nuts is the mp3 player i can’t seem to get it to work. the manual is useless with this matter. i have now resorted to pestering the dealer, any one with info i would really appreciate it. thanks in advance –Doreen

  21. Friends and fellow motor-wheelers: hassle your local Honda dealer for an arrival date for the E4-01 automatic sportsbike Honda has already shown in video clips and in the metal around Asia and Europe.

    Think of 3-cylinder, 903 cc power, full-sized wheels, excellent weather protection, great storage capacity underseat, no-maintenance shaft drive – and 21st century body design – and then ask yourself why Honda isn’t already selling this great machine by the boatload.

    No, better, ask Honda direct.

  22. I truely feel that the Honda’s new DN-01 will explode if it hits the American side of the world. For one, its a great way to learn how to ride. Everyday, new beginners learns how to ride. What better way than an automatic motorcyle. Just my opinion. Thaks

  23. just bought a v3 a month ago (now in Canada marketed under cmimotors.com). I have only the 2nd one in Alberta. It is FAN-TAS-TIC! Have ridden a harley sportster, honda 1200 and 750 (am short), and a host of others. NOTHING beats this bike. Great handling, light, low seat, and will do 110km without much struggle (speedometer goes to 140, haven’t tried yet though). And its sleek and unique design turns heads when you ride by. I don’t sell them, or deal them, I just ride. I would totally recommend one of these bikes for people who would rather concentrate on traffic than on which gear you are or should be in. Most people I ride with don’t even know its a CVT until I tell them. Just me thoughts thx

  24. High all, I have recently bought a second hand V3 with only 1700 km and I have enjoyed riding it to work every day, especially now that the petrol price has gone mad. The only thing I’m worried about is an oil leak coming from the gear cover. It’s not massive but it leaves a couple of drops of oil where I park it every time. I have had a mechanic(ex CF Moto dealer) service it but he hasn’t been able to find the source and repair the leak. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

  25. I just purchased a cfmoto v5, and have never been on a bike before. I now commute to work. It seems to be great but is there a windshied available for this model. I also can not get the mp3 player to work, in some locations it says plug in a memory stick and in others it refers to pluging in a mp3 player. which one is right. thanks

  26. Hi Dan,
    you just have to record your music on a USB stick and plug it in the USB port of the bike, that’s all. Hope it helps,
    cheers

  27. Just a quick question…I have never ridden a motorcycle and was pondering over which scooter to buy but came across the cf v3 and v5….so my question being- Are these bikes classified as scooters or motorcycles? I only ask because i need to know if I need to acquire an M class license.

    thanx in advance

    Ni

  28. I received my cf moto v5 about 3 weeks ago. I had never ridden nor owned a bike before. It is truly a treat to ride. I parked my hummer h3 and use the v5 to get around town due to the cost of fuel.. I too cannot get my mp3 to work. The radio works great accept you are limited on the stations you can pickup in this town. I love my bike and would reccommend it to anyone that lives in a small town. Lee I want to thank you, my bike was in excellent condition when I received it.

  29. Hi all – I recently purchased a used 2006 CF Moto V5 with 2100 miles – I love it but am have some mechanical difficulties. If I ride at any speed over 50 mph the temperature gauge goes all the way to “H” – we’ve checked the coolant and the radiator. Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks!

  30. to ppl having trouble with the mp3 player: i just read a blog from a fellow who said he fixed the problem by putting a more powerful battery in his v3. it is his opinion that the electronic ignition drew enough power from the system that it caused the mp3 player to perform poorly. i don’t know if it is true, i just thought iwould throw it out there.

  31. For those who purchased a CFMoto – where did you purchase? A brick & mortar store or online?

  34. MP3, Carolyn, Dan, etc. It’s built into the bike. You don’t hook a seperate MP3 player up to the bike. You download music onto a flash drive (also known as thumb drive or finger drive or USB stick, etc., etc. ) plug it into the USB cable under the seat of the V-5 or into the port by the cassette deck on the V-3, switch the radio controls from FM to Mp3 & scan through your songs. Also you can by an adapter that plugs into a portable CD players “Line-Out” & then put the other end (looks like a cassette) into the deck & play your CD’s through the radio. I do recommend a good anti-skip CD player though. Adapter at Radio Shack still ? at the 99 cent store here in Queens, NY.