500cc sports model gets type-approval
Back in May last year CFMoto took the wraps off its 500SR Voom – the company’s first four-cylinder sports bike – and the brand’s Australian distributor asked on its Facebook page “Should we bring the 500SR Voom to Australia?”
The answer appears to have been a resounding ‘Yes’ as the 500SR Voom has just appeared among the latest new vehicles to be type-approved for sale in the Australian market.
A rival to the likes of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-4RR, which breathed new life into the small-capacity four-cylinder segment, the CFMoto 500SR Voom is one of several new Chinese-made fours in the 400cc-500cc class, but by far the most interesting one when it comes to styling.
Instead of mimicking larger superbikes, the 500SR Voom takes its inspiration from 1980s and 1990s, with dual air circular intakes on the nose that evoke the headlights of bikes like the original Suzuki GSX-R750, rimmed with LED rings to complete the illusion even though the real headlights are tucked inside the gap between the nose and front wheel.
The Australian approval lists the engine as having 58kW (78hp) at 12,500rpm, and measuring exactly 500cc (although the Chinese specs put it at 499cc with the same power output), and give the bike’s total weight as 185kg. That’s 9kg less than the weight on the official Chinese specifications, likely to be the difference between an empty 15.5 litre fuel tank and a full one rather than any real differences between the bikes.
Other key details include a 1395mm wheelbase and a combination of 120-section front and 160-section rear tyres on 17-inch rims.
Looking at the Chinese version of the bike, which appears to be identical to the model approved for Australia, we can expect a slipper clutch and quickshifter as standard, along with a 41mm inverted fork, adjustable for preload and rebound, with similar adjustments on the rear monoshock. Brakes are four-pot radial calipers on two 300mm front discs and a single-piston rear caliper on a 220mm disc.
In the longer term CFMoto is expected to launch a second version with similar chassis and engine specs but modern styling. This machine was teased back in 2023 alongside the prototype 675SR-R triple, but has been pushed back with the retro-style Voom version taking precedence.
Prices aren’t known yet, but in markets where the Voom is already available it’s around 85 per cent of the price of the 675SR-R. So possibly in the region of $A10,000.
