Design registrations show higher-spec version of 500cc four
CFMOTO’s 500SR Voom is undeniably one of the Chinese brand’s most interesting models and Australia is among the few countries outside its homeland where the bike is available – but new design registrations in China hint that a sportier version of the model is currently under development.
The detailed images clearly show that the basis is unchanged, with the existing 58kW (78hp) four-cylinder, 499cc engine and steel trellis chassis, and no visible updates to the suspension or the bulk of the bodywork.
What’s new, though, is a set of aerodynamic add-ons aimed at letting it slice through the air more efficiently.
At the front, the brakes – conventionally exposed on the standard version of the 500SR – are wrapped in all-enclosing cowls, with a front intake to scoop cooling air to the discs and calipers. It’s a MotoGP-style revision, aimed at reducing the turbulence from the front wheel before it hits the rest of the bodywork.
The other big revision is up the back, where the rear wheel is encased in disc-like covers that completely hide the spokes. Again, similar designs have been used on track in the past, notably in Moto3. CFMoto is also planning to adopt disc-like covers on the rear wheel of the upcoming 750SR-R sportsbike, so it looks like it’s a trend that the company is fully on-board with. The benefit on the road will be minor, but the reduction in turbulence caused by the spokes of the rear wheel should fractionally reduce drag, improving top speed and efficiency.
