2023 Makina Moto Show: CFMoto PH launches the 800NK

The CFMoto 800NK was launched in the Philippines for P488,800. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD

Since the preview of the NK-C22 concept at the 2022 EICMA—Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (or International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition, if you don’t speak Italian)—the production model of CFMoto’s concept naked bike has been hotly anticipated globally.

One of the fruits of the partnership between CFMoto and KTM, the upcoming release was expected to have the best of both worlds: CFMoto’s bang-for-the-buck quality and KTM’s rowdy power and capability.

The 800NK has sharp and striking DRLs and taillights. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD

Fast-forward a couple of months and CFMoto Philippines finally launches the 800NK locally at the 2023 Makina Moto Show. The naked streetfighter bike runs the same LC8c engine as the KTM 790 Adventure, but with a peak power output of 93.8hp at 9,000rpm, and maximum torque of 81Nm at 8,000rpm.

That’s more horsepower and torque than the 800MT, the 800NK’s touring cousin launched in 2022 with the same engine.

The 800NK is powered by the KTM LC8c motor. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD

The 800NK is a touch light for its displacement, with a curb weight of 189kg. A good portion of the styling lives up to it being a naked bike, with the tubular chassis peering out under the engine.

However, you do get a little bit of fairing cladding up the underside of the tank and the front fork, understandably for aerodynamic reasons. The pillion pegs sit on a cantilever, jutting out to clear both the trailing arm and the dual-ported exhaust for the parallel-twin engine.

The naked bike motif gets interrupted by aero fairings by the tank and the fork. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD

The rear pillion seat is quite high up, and its foot peg cantilever looks a little silly. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD

The new bike comes with fully adjustable inverted forks up front, and adjustable preload and rebound for the rear suspension. The front wheel gets quad-piston J.Juan brakes (now a subsidiary of Brembo) paired with a 320mm rotor, while the rear gets dual-piston calipers. The whole lot is finished off with Bosch dual-channel ABS.

You get J.Juan quad-piston front calipers and twin-piston rear brakes with Bosch ABS, while the inverted fork and rear monoshock are from KYB. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD

The dash is adorned with a massive 5.8-inch display controllable with a thumbpad on the left switchgear, where the bike’s cruise control can also be accessed. The dash changes depending on the riding mode selected—whether rain, sport, or street.

The large LCD cluster is controlled by a thumbpad on the left grip. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD

The bike comes in at a rather reasonable P488,800, and is available either in Zircon Black or Nebula White.

While the 800NK is not yet available at dealerships, CFMoto’s local distributor Motostrada will start accepting preorders. Frankly, we can’t wait to check it out for ourselves once it hits the market.