Having ridden all sorts of motorcycles for nearly 30 years, I can narrow it down to the type of motorcycle that I truly love, like, and loathe. On the top of my list is the sportbike. “Why?” I hear you ask. “Sportbikes are uncomfortable especially for touring, impractical, and too fast for everyday riding.” My answer is “All those points are correct.” Does that make me a suckler for torture? Hardly. Do remember that motorcycling is an emotional experience. That’s where passion for motorcycles come from. So please let me elaborate: Sportbikes are purer in their purpose hence have better handling, stronger brakes, and hit hard in the power department. There is no greater thrill than charging into a corner and coming out the other side with the engine roaring or wailing on the uptake. And this exactly what the sportbike is made for, apart from eyeball-flattening top speeds. But to be fair and wholeheartedly frank, sportbikes, especially 1000cc superbikes have gotten a whole lot too fast. I wish I was younger, but am not so my reflexes are kinda fading along with getting arm pump 20 minutes into a track outing. Going down the latter to the 600s is nice, but they are missing the fat low-end and midrange power of the 1000s. So, you have to keep the engine “on the boil” at all times, otherwise you’ll find yourself cursing at the lack of acceleration out of corners. The 600s handle very well of course, being lighter. So where does that leave me? Back to the 1000s then. That was until I rode the Suzuki GSX-R750. If you look at the roads—not the racetrack—the 750cc middleweight has always been the secret sweet spot. It offers the agility of a 600cc with the torque of a litre-bike. Enter the CFMoto 750SR-S, a new contender that doesn’t just justify the 750cc class; it perfects it. First, let’s talk about the powerband. A 1000cc superbike is thrilling, but it’s a tease on public highways; you break the speed limit in first gear. The CFMoto’s 749cc inline-four delivers a claimed 110 horsepower and 80 Nm of torque . That is the “Goldilocks” zone. It is aggressive enough to lift the front wheel out of a corner, but linear and manageable enough that you aren’t fighting the bike in stop-and-go traffic. Where a 200hp rocket feels twitchy, the 750SR-S feels alive and accessible. In the Goldilocks and the Three Bears analogy, the 1000cc superbike is too hot, the 600cc supersport is too cold, the 750 is just right. What makes the CFMoto 750SR-S a standout case study for this category is its focus on real-world usability rather than lap-time heroics. CFMoto openly positions the “SR-S” as a street-oriented machine. Think of a modern iteration to the Honda CBR600F-series’ “do-it-all” legacy rather than a pure track scalpel. As such, the CFMOTO 750SR-S fits into the “everyday sportbike” sub-category along with the Yamaha YZF-R7, Yamaha YZF-R9, Suzuki GSX-8R. You get the aggressive styling and aerodynamic winglets (which generate 30 Nm of downforce to keep you planted on the highway), but you also get ergonomics that won’t break your wrists on a daily commute. Furthermore, the 750SR-S makes “premium” a standard feature, not an expensive option. It comes equipped with Brembo brakes, fully adjustable KYB suspension, cornering ABS, and a single-sided swingarm—components usually reserved for bikes costing significantly more . But the strongest argument for the 750cc class is value, and this is where CFMoto cleans house. While an equivalent, albeit recond Suzuki GSX-R750 starts at nearly RM50,000, the CFMoto was launched at RM41,888. Sure, the Modenas ZX-6R (RM59,900) is more powerful with 124 hp, but it’s an all-out track weapon – evidenced by its lower 69 Nm torque produced at a high 10,800 RPM compared to the 750SR-S’s 80 Nm at just 9,000 RPM. Higher torque that’s spread widely throughout the powerband is more desirable for everyday riding as you don’t have to keep rowing away at the gear lever to get the bike going. On another note, Suzuki doesn’t make the GSX-R750 anymore, although it was the last 750 supersport machine to hold out for a decade after WorldSBK went 1000cc full-monty. Also, Hong Leong Yamaha does not import the R7 and R9 officially, while Zontes Malaysia is seemingly more interested in milking the Zontes 368 scooter series than importing the 703RR sportbike; and the Suzuki GSX-8R (RM53,800) and Honda CBR650R (RM49,999) are priced above the 750SR-S. On the European (and premium) side, you have the Triumph Daytona 660 (RM49,500) (the Aprilia RS660 is considered a pure sportbike and priced from RM79,990 depending on variant), so that leaves the CFMoto 750SR-S having an unbeatable value. The CFMoto 750SR-S proves that you don’t need a race-replica monster to have fun. You need a bike that is fast, comfortable, technologically savvy, and financially sane. That is why the 750cc class makes sense, and why this newcomer finally gives riders a reason to switch teams.
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