Is This The KTM RC 790 The World Awaited For So Long?

The mid-displacement supersport segment is undergoing a major shift, with the rise of a new breed of ‘mild-mannered’ machines like the Aprilia RS 660 and the Yamaha YZF-R7. Now, it seems CFMoto too will soon join the bandwagon, with its first mid-displacement sport bike, christened SR-C21 Concept.

The CFMoto Concept is the brainchild of the Chinese bikemaker’s R&D Europe Modena 40 center, and it is easily one of the best-looking motorcycles from the company. Given that it’s a concept, CFMoto has used its creative freedom to the full, and yet it looks close to a production model. For starters, the LED DRL is identical to the India-bound CFMoto 300SR, but flaunts elements like winglets and a single-sided swingarm. CFMoto hasn’t strayed away from the design language of the 300SR, and looks like an evolved form of the 300cc supersport.

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There’s no word on the engine used, but given that the concept sports dual SC Project exhausts, we reckon this bike will likely use KTM’s 799cc parallel-twin engine as the base. CFMoto has already used this engine in the 700CL-X Heritage, but with just 74.7PS and 68Nm on offer, the supersport may use a different engine altogether, or a retuned version of this mill.

The CFMoto SR-C21 Concept flaunts top-notch hardware, hinting that it could indeed pack serious performance. Suspension components include a fully adjustable Ohlins fork and a link-type monoshock. For braking, CFMoto has used dual discs up front with Brembo calipers, and though the concept flaunts MotoGP-style disc brake and caliper cooling covers. While it does shout ‘Performance’, the production bike is unlikely to get this.

CFMoto’s newest concept is unlike anything the company has attempted so far. Given that the bikemaker shares its design studio (Kiska Design) with KTM, is this going to be the supersports everyone expected from the Austrian bikemaker? Well, it may turn out pretty close to that, but even if it doesn’t, this is a big step for CFMoto, and a possible threat to the Aprilia RS 660 and Yamaha R7.