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2023 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
The Tech-Loaded Middleweight Naked
The 800NK is CFMOTO's middleweight naked, and its equipment list is what sets it apart. A 799 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin makes 99 hp and 60 lb-ft and runs through a six-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch and a quickshifter that works both up and down. The chassis is a steel trellis frame with an upside-down fork, a steering damper and a 12.6 in (320 mm) front brake. Then there's the tech: TFT display, smartphone connectivity, navigation, tire pressure monitoring, cruise control, ride modes and ABS, all standard. That's a lot of kit for a middleweight. Loaded!
On paper, this bike is built for someone who splits the week between town and a good back road. A 57.7 in (1,465 mm) wheelbase and 410 lb (186 kg) wet weight point to a compact, agile package, and the seat sits at 31.3 in (795 mm). The suspension has manual adjusters at both ends, so you can set it up for your weight and your roads. For the highway stretch in between, you get cruise control and a 4.0 gal (15 L) tank with a 47 mpg fuel economy figure. It's a bike that wants to do everything, not one that's tuned for a single job. Commute Monday, carve Sunday.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 99 hp (74 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 60 lb-ft (81 Nm) |
| Displacement | 799 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 320 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 57.7 in (1465 mm) |
| Seat height | 31.3 in (795 mm) |
| Wet weight | 410 lb (186 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.0 gal (15 L) |
| Fuel economy | 47 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
I've spent years listening to NK 800 owners: in the paddock, on club nights, over coffee at fuel stops, and in the emails and messages riders send me directly. Their story is remarkably consistent. Owners love what they get for the money and how the bike behaves when pushed. The complaints gather around low-speed manners and the first hour in the saddle.
The praise I hear most often is about value. Owners keep saying how much bike they got for what they paid, and how little of it feels like a compromise once they're moving. Handling comes right behind. Riders describe the chassis as sharp and willing, with an almost supermoto eagerness to change direction, and twisty roads are where they say it makes the most sense. The twin gets the same affection. Owners say it pulls hard from low revs, keeps going to the top, and is a lot of fun to wring out. Several mention clean welds and well-laid paint as a surprise at this price. The display has its fans too, mostly for the way its layout shifts with each ride mode.
The most common gripe is the suspension, and it comes mainly from lighter riders. They describe a harsh ride over bumps and a setup that favors hard cornering over everyday roads. Throttle response is another recurring complaint. At small openings the fueling can be abrupt, and owners say that makes slow maneuvers and city riding less pleasant. The brakes draw similar comments: decent stopping power, but a soft initial bite and vague feedback, so hard stops take a firm squeeze. A few owners also find the gearbox stiff and clunky between the lower gears.
Comfort is the other thread. Owners say the thin seat starts to hurt after about an hour, and the high pegs paired with the low seat fold their legs more than they'd like. Some also wish the cruise control could be set higher, because the speed cap limits it on faster highways.
Where this CFMOTO 800NK pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the 800NK is actually built for.
You're the best fit here: modern styling and a TFT with navigation and phone connectivity suit a city commute that ends on a weekend ridge road.
Made for San Francisco Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard · Big Sur Coast Highway
A solid match for your weekends: the short wheelbase, 410 lb wet weight and two-way quickshifter point to a bike built for linked bends, and cruise control covers the freeway run out of LA.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail Scenic Byway · Big Sur Coast Highway
A solid match for skill-focused days on tight roads: manually adjustable suspension lets you tune the setup to your riding, and the slipper clutch eases hard downshifts into slow bends.
Made for Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
