CFMoto 550CL-C details leak

New parallel twin cruiser incoming soon

CFMoto hasn’t been in the cruiser game for long – its 450CL-C and 450CL-C Bobber only launched in 2024 – but it’s already on the verge of launching a next-generation model in the form of this: the 550CL-C.

Revealed ahead of its launch by its inclusion in Chinese type-approval documentation, the 550CL-C is, as the name suggests, a larger-capacity development of the 450CL-C, offering more performance but also a new look.

The engine is a 526cc parallel twin that’s clearly a development of the existing 450CL-C’s 449cc unit. Its bore is increased from 72mm to 74mm, revealed by the new engine’s codename: 274MR-A. That’s 2 for two cylinders, 74 for the 74mm bore. From that we can deduce that the stroke must have increased from the 55.2mm of the 450CL-C to 61.2mm for the 550CL-C to achieve that 526cc total capacity. It’s a substantial stroke increase, and of course means that there’s a new crankshaft as well as new pistons. The longer stroke also points to a focus on low-end torque, as befits a cruiser.

Peak power and top speed are the only performance figures included in the type-approval. The power number for the 550CL-C is 39kW, which is a substantial 30% increase on the 450CL-C’s 30kW, exceeding the 17% hike in capacity and pointing to an engine in a higher state of tune. The torque increase is likely to be more aligned with the engine’s extra capacity, so should go from the current model’s 42Nm to somewhere around 50Nm. Top speed, according to the document, is  165km/h, up from 153km/h for the 450 version.

The bike pictured here is fitted with a normal six-speed transmission, but in China CFMoto already offers the 450CL-C with an automated manual box, using either a full-auto mode or a pushbutton manual setting, so that’s also likely to be an option for the 550CL-C.

While the chassis is generally similar to the 450CL-C, the 550CL-C, it features a longer, aluminium swingarm instead of the current bike’s steel version. The wheelbase grows from 1485mm to 1520mm as a result, while the bike’s weight is up from 181kg to 195kg. The longer wheelbase is largely hidden by stubbier rear bodywork that results in the whole bike being just 7mm longer than the 450, at 2212mm instead of 2205mm, while the wheels, tyres and forks are carried over from the current bike.

The styling changes are substantial, including a new headlight, a redesigned fuel tank with knee pads on the sides, a new seat and that redesigned, shorter tail section. Only elements like the front mudguard and the circular TFT instrument panel are carried over from the current 450CL-C to the new machine.

The bike’s appearance in type-approval documents suggest its official launch isn’t far off, and the 550CL-C is likely to become a fulltime part of CFMoto’s range in 2027.

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