Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/972780
KTM + CFMOTO: WEST MEETS EAST P114 Feature invented the hub-centre Tesi design as well as its best-selling model ever, the Suzuki GSX-R1000-powered SB6 model, of which 1744 examples were built between 1994 and 1999. Against that, though, Marconi was also responsible for the disastrous 500cc two-stroke Vdue twin, which ultimately proved to be Bimota's nemesis. After leaving Bimota in 1999, Marconi first worked for Aprilia in designing the RST1000 V-twin sports tourer, and then joined Benelli in 2002, initially as Chief Engineer, then later as CEO after the QJ takeover in 2006. He thus has extensive experience of working for a Chinese manufacturer, until he left Benelli in 2010, frustrated by the lack of new product in the wake of the 2008 GFC. After spells working for GasGas and (briefly) for Bimota's new management, in 2017 he founded his own design house in Cesena, not far from Rimini, and it's there that he cre- ated the CFMoto V.02 Concept bike last summer, together with a team of INTERVIEW: CFMoto Founder Lai Guogui M r. Lai, why did you create the CFMoto V.02 Concept machine? We wanted to demonstrate that CFMoto has the capability to satisfy our customers' need for bigger displacement models, as part of our intention to provide greater choices for customers in future. It's intended as a great showcase of CF- Moto's access to advanced technology in design and styling. It's a good demon- stration of CFMoto's brand positioning in looking ahead to larger displacement products. Can you give me some technical details about it? Sorry, we cannot reveal any details of this Concept bike, since it's more a proof of CFMoto's determina- tion to become a real global powersports brand. We are de- termined to develop advanced and reliable bikes, and we have the capability to do so. That's the message we want to convey. How many vehicles did CFMoto manufac- ture last year? In 2017, we sold 35,000 motorcycles compared to 25,000 in 2016, and about 1,500 scooters. We also sold 14,000 units of ATV and side-by-side four- wheelers, plus about 1,200 KTM CKD units made in India by Bajaj, and shipped to us for assembly. How much of your CFMoto model production do you sell abroad? Last year 60% of our total sales revenue came from export, so 40% came from domestic sales. We like to work with overseas companies! AC: How many workers are now employed at the CFMoto factory? We have a total staff of 1500, so just a slight increase on when you visited us three years ago. What plans are there for new CFMoto models using your own engines? In terms of overall engine platforms, for motorcycles we have a set of engine platforms ranging from 150cc, 250cc, 400cc to 650cc, and then soon we will bring the 1000cc twin-cylinder engine. And based on these engine platforms, we will have new vehicles in the NK street category, the TK touring category, and then the MT series of multifunctional bikes. How many of those engines will be developed by CFMoto, and how many of them will come from KTM, now that KTM is allowing you to use their engines? I want to underline that all our engines are independently developed and manufactured by CFMaoto, including the forthcoming 1000cc V-twin motor. This engine is a 75-degree V-twin, and for this we have a certain technical transfer from KTM, although it won't be a copy of any KTM engine. We will take lessons from their designs via technology transfer, but we will do the detail design work ourselves at CFMoto. CFMoto President Mr. Lai Guogui