A new motorcycle is reportedly on the way from CFMoto, utilising a new electric powertrain combined with a chassis derived from the 450SR.
It’s only been a few weeks since the CFMoto 450SR S was launched as an updated, more focused version of the CFMoto 450SR. Already, it’s apparent that an electric motorcycle built on the 450SR’s chassis is also in the works of the Chinese manufacturer.
The bike was revealed in recent patent filings, as published by Cycle World, and is affirmatively off-piste in its design.
Most of that revolves around the aforementioned use of the 450SR’s chassis as a base, which diverges this model from most electrics, which might share nomenclature or styling cues with the more established combustion models in a manufacturer’s range, but not any technical components.
Taking an existing chassis and swapping a combustion engine for an electric powertrain is not something new altogether, as it’s a philosophy that has been used in the development of many electric cars, such as the BMW i5, which uses the same structure and styling as the combustion-powered 5-Series. But, in the motorcycle world, it’s a minority approach.
Clearly, though, it’s the approach taken by CFMoto with its in-development electric sports bike, which essentially takes the 450SR, bins the 449.5cc parallel-twin, and replaces it with a battery and an electric motor. It means that the steel tubular frame, swingarm, and subframe, for example, are all shared with the 450SR (which itself shares its chassis with the CFMoto 450NK naked).
Even the engine mounts are similar, while the battery case will substitute for the combustion bike’s engine with regards to the structural role the engine plays in the chassis.
The similarity in chassis between the electric bike shown in the drawings and the 450SR means that, as Cycle World points out, the two could be built together on the same production line, helping to reduce costs.
If the electric motor were to have comparable outputs with the 450SR, it could therefore be among the most affordable electric motorcycles on the market if and when it lands, at least outside of the heavily saturated 125cc-equivalent class. However, the size of the battery and motor suggests this will be in that 125cc equivalent category.
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