CFMOTO 675SR-R 02:47 a.m., M25 slip road. Rain hanging in the headlight beam like glitter from a bad party. A red superbike in front taps hazards twice, the universal “mate, maybe slow down.” I nudge the throttle on the CFMOTO 675SR-R, hear the little triple clear its throat, and the front lightens just enough to make me feel braver than I am. Not a life-changing moment. But it set the tone: this thing keeps daring you to add five more mph.

I bought the bike out of curiosity and mild stubbornness, then put ~1,900 miles on it in three weeks, including three track days and a couple of ugly-weather commutes. Here’s what stuck.

CFMOTO 675SR-R First impressions (a.k.a. the part where I judge it by its outfit)

My bike arrived in a deep, camera-unfriendly black that hides scrapes better than any polish I own. Up close you notice the mix: sharp fairing lines, some plastics that feel cost-conscious, and a few neat touches like the super-quick bodywork fasteners. The seat cowl pops off with a smile and a swear; both are required.

A TFT sits proudly in the cockpit—bright, readable, not fancy. It shows the stuff you need (gear, revs, lap timer) and happily ignores the fluff. I’ve seen pricier bikes with moodier screens that fog in the cold; this one just… works.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Engine notes (written in oil fingerprints)

It’s an inline triple with that familiar “do I sound angry or excited?” whine. Call it roughly 100-ish hp at the top. Below 6k it’s friendly; from 8.5k to redline it goes from eager to egging you on. The stock can is a touch shouty when you bounce it off the limiter in a car park—ask me how I know.

Heat management? On a warm track day the temp climbed, then stabilized. I had one session where the fan joined the party a lap later than I wanted. No drama, but I started taking cool-down laps seriously. Vibes are present in the bars around midrange—nothing falls off, nothing goes numb, but your mirrors do a watercolor impression of whatever’s behind you.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Chassis & suspension (the truth shows up at 120 km/h)

Steel trellis frame, adjustable KYB bits. On paper: sorted. On tarmac: decent baseline that rewards a few turns of preload and a proper sag setup. Before I touched anything, fast sweepers felt just a hint rubbery, like the bike and I were agreeing to meet in the middle. After setting it up for my weight, it tightened right up. Still not razor-blade precise like a boutique middleweight, but quick to change lines and forgiving when your brain writes a cheque your body can only just cash.

Crosswinds on the motorway will have you loosening your grip and letting the bike dance rather than fighting it. City potholes? It survived a wheel-eating crater near Greenwich that has claimed better rims than mine.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Brakes, tires, electronics (the single paragraph where I sound sensible)

Stock stoppers: fine for road, marginal for long hot laps. You feel the lever come toward you by session four. A pad swap helped. Stock Maxxis tires warm up fast, then get sulky after a few hard sessions; I moved to a stickier set and found the front end’s missing confidence.

Electronics are there: IMU-based ABS, traction control, riding modes, quickshifter both ways. The upshifter is slick at mid-to-high revs; the downshifter prefers a decisive boot and a committed throttle match. Rain mode is grandma’s hug. Track mode lets you be the adult in the room—use responsibly.

The phone app connects, logs rides, and then I turned it off because I don’t need my bad lines preserved for historical study.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Living with it (real life is not a highlight reel)

Range: roughly 180–200 km unless you treat every exit like a qualifying lap.
Storage: a wallet and a fox could fight for space under the seat; the fox would win.
Cold starts: clean.
Chain clearance: check it more often than you think.
Fit & finish: a handful of fasteners are allergic to winter salt—nothing a dab of grease and adult supervision can’t fix.

Commuting, it’s a willing partner that asks very little. On a B-road it sits up on its toes and begs.

Money and the bit nobody puts in a brochure
Purchase price undercuts the usual suspects by a margin that makes you do the maths twice. First service wasn’t cheap (valves get a look), and I’d budget for better pads and, if you’re track-curious, a set of stickier tires pretty early on. Resale… we’ll see. I didn’t buy it as an investment.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Who should consider it?

Yes, consider it if…

• you like middleweights with personality over pedigree;
• you’re happy to tweak suspension rather than complain about it;
• you enjoy answering “what is that?” at petrol stations.

Probably not for you if…

• you want zero quirks and dealer coffee that tastes like Italy;
• you measure joy in lap records and datalogs;
• you hate the idea of swapping pads or dialing clickers.

The bit I’ll remember
On my last track day, late session, drizzle starting, I turned in a little too hot and felt the front skate for a heartbeat. The 675 didn’t panic. It breathed out, I breathed out, and we both carried on. That’s the bike, really: not perfect, not pretending, just up for it.

CFMOTO 675SR-R Verdict:

The CFMOTO 675SR-R feels like a scrappy privateer that snuck into the big-boy paddock and decided to stay. It asks for patience, rewards attention, and punches above its invoice. If you can live with a few rough edges—and actually, secretly, like them—you’ll have a blast.

(PS: if you buy one, do yourself a favor and set the sag, swap pads, and ride the thing like you mean it. It notices.)