CFMoto 300NK will find it hard to find buyers in India – Analysis

CFMoto 300NK is priced at Rs 2.29 lakh ex-showroom which is in the middle of some tried and tested products in the segment

The Chines firm, CFMoto launched four bikes in India on 19th July, all of them are to be assembled in India from CKD kits which will be imported from China. AMW Group is the one who is given the task of assembling CFMoto bikes in the country at their Hyderabad plant. The most affordable bike is CFMoto 300NK which carries a price tag of Rs 2.29 lakh ex-showroom.

Online booking to start from August and deliveries will commence after that (there is no word on deliveries yet). Here, in this article, we are analyzing why CFMoto 300NK will find it hard to get more buyers to the showrooms.

CFMoto 300NK price

As a new entrant into a completely new market, a company needs to price their products attractively. CFMoto has done the same, the company priced its cheapest motorcycle 300NK at Rs 2.29 lakh ex-showroom. It seems quite fine but when we look at the competition, things literally take U-turn. KTM Duke 390, which is a 44bhp bike, costs about Rs 20,000 more than the 300NK.

Honda, on the other hand, with its CB300R stands at Rs 2.41 lakh and is Rs 12,000 more than new 300NK. Everyone is aware of Honda’s reliability, even if the bike (CB300R) offers nothing much impressive. With nearly the same power and performance, Duke 250 is priced quite low at Rs 1.95 lakh. So, things are confusing for anyone who is looking at this segment of bikes in India.

Also Read: CFMoto 300NK vs KTM Duke 250

Wait, I forgot to mention Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 which is also about Rs 20,000 more than it and offers badass performance and street presence.

Engine and Reliability

Powering 300NK is a 292cc engine which is a single-cylinder engine with 4-valve head. This powerplant makes about 33.5bhp and 20.5Nm (I’m sure this torque number is wrong). If we consider torque to be around 26Nm, it is comparable to Duke 250. So, why would anyone spend Rs 35,000 more for similar performance? The answer is one who wants to own something different from the crowd.

Okay done, you bought the CFMoto 300NK but do you have any idea about the reliability of the bike even though the company is providing a 5-year warranty on all their products. After-sales service is the main concern in the country and this problem escalates with new brands. This problem has infected almost all the bike makers in India. It is yet to be seen how AMW takes after-sales service, if taken granted, things will take a downward path.

Lack of dealership network

At the time of writing this article, there are no operational CFMoto dealers in India. It is expected that the company is working hard to make 8-10 dealers operational as the online bookings start in August. The company’s product line-up is targetted at Metros and Tier-I cities. AMW has to open atleast 30 to 40 dealers across the country including all the major Tier-I cities.

These are the main problem CFMoto and AMW have to face during the first two years. Stiff competition is what will keep 300NK sales low as the price is still high for what the bike offers. Most interest bike the CFMoto has launched is 650NK which carries a terrific price tag of Rs 3.99 lakh ex-showroom. We’ll talk about this motorcycle in another post. Do tell us what else you think will help sell the 300NK or hamper its sales.