In our quest to bring along the next generation, those risk averse millennials, we’ve been coaxing one of our extremely talented, brutally good looking and hipstertastic* bearded designers, Colin, into doing his theory test and jumping on board for the big win that is riding motorcycles.
What I presumed was that he was going to have to start out on a tiny machine, a 50cc scooter or something truly awful like a GN 125. Apparently this isn’t the case anymore. As well as having all sorts of privileges such as living in the age of technology, access to higher education and credit in ways that even their older siblings could only have dreamed of, they also get to learn to ride on some really cool machines.
One of those really cool machines comes from the very new, to these shores, CF Moto brand. The company has been making bikes for several decades and they’ve got a number of new bikes here in Dublin. There are three 650cc offerings as well as some smaller capacity machines. The one our hero has his sights on is the CF Moto 300NK.
The bike is part of a new wave of A2 Licence compatible machines. One of the things that we have to be grateful to our friends in Europe for is a continent wide clarity on what we can and cannot ride on a learner licence. The 300cc CF Moto is big enough to train and pass a test on while it’s small enough to fit into the test category for the A2 class.
The motor produces a more than manageable 27 bhp from its strong yet quite silent single. And while there isn’t the huge numbers available in torque and top speed that we elderlies have grown used to there’s plenty power upon which to learn. This is a bike that lends itself to being used in the city and as such big power isn’t necessary.
The design is cool and it should be since the very same people who design the KTM 300 have drawn it up and even though we’re not supposed to tell you, it’s made in the same factory. All art is theft and all that. Colin, being the incredibly brand aware young man that he is, isn’t going to ride just any old motorcycle. It can’t just perform, be safe and economical. It also has to look cool and this one passes that particular test with ease.
CF Moto are building bikes for a bigger market than just the domestic Chinese one or the more immediate Asian markets. To meet the exacting demands of Colin and his generation, the build quality has to be excellent. Gone are the days when we took our new bikes home and started to modify them. The new rider wants a bike that starts every time and runs as it should. Fixing it on the go just isn’t an option for riders of his era and the people at CF come to the market knowing this. This is a bike that, in every way, is ready for Europe and our next generation of riders.
*We own that word; you’re not allowed to use it.
