The social media pages of CFMoto Philippines are alight with the announcement of its segment-breaking naked bike, the 800NK. The new model for the country takes the 800 platforms and slaps on a ridiculously compelling price tag of 458,900 PHP, or the equivalent of about $8,200 USD.
CFMoto has been sitting on the NK series for a while now, and prior to its international announcement, the largest bike in the NK line was a 650cc model. Following the global unveiling, the 800NK became the most powerful bike in the NK line and following the country distributor’s announcement, it’s now the most exciting NK to date.
It’s no secret that the motor in the 800 NK comes from the KTM 790 Duke, which also enjoys local production in the Philippines. The two models look like they will compete for dominance in the South East Asian country in the near future. Many comparisons will be drawn, but having experience with both bikes in person, there are similarities and dissimilarities that are worth noting.
First off, the frame is a little different. While it uses the same LC8C engine, the frame that is built around it is a little different. The swingarm is unlike KTM’s open-lattice design, instead, it is an aluminum swingarm that’s much shorter than Team Orange’s rendition. The 800NK sits on a wheelbase that is 1,465 millimeters, in contrast to the KTM 790 Duke’s 1,475-millimeter measurement. This means that the 800NK will be a flickier bike, though the model actually has a less aggressive rake in comparison to its Austrian cousin.
Which one will be better? It remains to be seen. However, in terms of engine specs, the same motor that powers the KTM is actually slightly edited in the CFMoto. The model makes 94 horsepower and 81 Nm of torque which is a slight bump down compared to when the 790 Duke first launched in 2017 with 105 horses. Emissions are the main culprit here, and even KTM felt the Euro 5 hit when it re-released the 790 Duke with about the same power figures as well.
Other hardware on the bike includes a full KYB job on the suspension front with fully-adjustable separate function forks and pre-load at the rear, 17-inch wheels with Maxxis tires, 320mm brake discs in the front, and a 260mm disc at the rear clamped down on by J.Juan calipers and governed by dual-channel ABS as standard.
The NK tips the scales at just 189 kilograms or 416 pounds, and its seat height is unusually friendly at 795 millimeters or 31.2 inches.
The tech package in the NK is also quite interesting. While it doesn’t have a six-axis inertial measurement unit like the KTM, it does have a larger gauge cluster and also keyless ignition. Ride modes are also available—Rain, Street, and Sport.
What is perhaps the craziest thing about the bike is that it was actually launched with a price of P488,900, or about $8,750 USD. Now, the special sales price puts it in an extremely competitive position in the market.
