2026 CFMOTO 750SR-S
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THE WHEEL DEAL
I don't think anyone being honest would deny that CFMOTO has come along in leaps and bounds over the last few years. But as I sit here writing this—post track day—I'm still beaming. Rather than just fang around the streets, I took CFMOTO's winged SR-S to Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) and gave it a proper hiding. In completely standard trim, with nothing more than a tyre pressure adjustment, the SR-S was genuinely impressive in just about every measurable way.
Now, the SR-S is no GSX-R750 rocket ship. Its fuel-injected 749cc inline four produces a relatively modest 110 horsepower (82kW) and 80Nm of torque, propelling it to a top speed of 215km/h down SMSP's 900-metre main straight. The SR-S delivers its performance in a smooth, linear fashion. It pulls cleanly from low rpm, keeps building through the mid-range and continues to rev willingly towards redline without ever delivering a big hit. It's incredibly predictable, making it easy to exploit both on the road and on the racetrack.
The SR-S has a claimed wet weight of 213kg which, for a bike producing 110 horsepower, is on the portly side. By comparison, the 2026 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R that I also took out for a lashing at the track has a claimed wet weight of 209kg while producing around 200 horsepower. Sure, I'm not comparing apples with apples here, but the SR-S certainly feels significantly more than 4kg heavier when you're lifting it off the sidestand or pushing it around the pits.
That heavy driveway feel fades once you're rolling. The steering is neutral rather than lightning quick but once tipped into a corner the SR-S holds a line beautifully, changes direction without drama and hits apexes with accuracy. If there are shortcomings in a motorcycle's chassis, a racetrack is the quickest place to expose them. There was no exposé.
The SR-S is decked out with KYB suspension, with a preload and rebound adjustable 43mm fork paired with a preload and rebound adjustable rear monoshock on the bum. Out of the box, it's impressively competent. On the road, the suspension is bang on the money, but if you're planning on taking your SR-S for a track day, both ends could benefit from being firmed up.
Brembo serves up the braking package and of course it's good. Initial bite is strong, lever feel is excellent and the brakes hauled the bike down from over 200km/h all day. There was some fade from both ends occasionally, but I was asking far more of the SR-S than most owners ever will. Some decent fluid and different pads would sort it, I reckon.
As it does mechanically, visually, the SR-S punches well above its asking price. The overall fit and finish are genuinely impressive, particularly when you remember this is a motorcycle that costs less than $13,000 ride away. No, it's not dripping in forged aluminium or carbon fibre exotica, but it doesn't feel like a budget motorcycle either.
Now, the rear wheel. A few people liked it, but most who wandered over for a closer look at the SR-S—which was many—disliked it immensely. Yes, it does look very much like the cylindrical blade from a piece of kitchen equipment used to slice potatoes and julienne carrots, but the inserts are removable and, once removed, you're left with a conventional-looking spoked wheel. Personally, I'd rip the inserts out immediately and use them as beer coasters... or fan blades.
The clip-on style bars are higher than they look, and you sit in the SR-S rather than on it. Combined, that gives you a riding position that's sporty without being punishing—closer to a Yamaha R7 than a ZX-10R. It's a comfortable place to be.
The 6.2-inch TFT dash is bright, easy to read and logically laid out, with smartphone connectivity through the CFMOTO RIDE app. One feature I never warmed to was the NFC card used to power the bike up. Rather than a conventional key or a proper proximity fob, you have to wave a little plastic card over a sensor on the left-hand side of the bike. It works, but if you accidentally switch the bike off or stall it, you're left rummaging through your pockets for the card before you can get going again. This feels like technology for technology's sake. I disliked it even more than the rear wheel's hubcap.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Other tech features include cornering ABS and cornering traction control, which help prevent you from becoming a tarmac stain, while the cable throttle means there are no ride modes to flick between. Honestly, I never missed them.
What impressed me most wasn't any single feature—it was the complete package. I genuinely expected the SR-S to reveal a few obvious compromises once subjected to a proper track workout. Instead, it continued to surprise me. In fact, I spent the day swapping between the SR-S and Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-10R, and I had just as much fun on the SR-S as I did on the Ninja. For a motorcycle with such an affordable price tag, the 750SR-S is seriously impressive. It's a fantastic road bike—competent and comfortable—but when subjected to a track thrashing it did not disappoint. The old guard manufacturers should be very worried because CFMOTO isn't just coming, it's here.
