The CFMOTO 700CL-X is a naked middleweight with a mix of scrambler, street tracker, and sportbike styling elements, and it?s an absolute hoot to ride. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

Last summer I traveled to Minnesota, home of the CFMOTO U.S. headquarters, to test the company?s new lineup of motorcycles. On a flat, paved, tar-snaked road course at the Minnesota Highway Safety & Research Center, about a dozen journalists and influencers buzzed around on bikes ranging from the 125cc Papio minibike to the 800 ADVentura adventure bike.

Related: 2022 CFMOTO Motorcycle Lineup | First Ride Review

Launches featuring multiple bikes are like eating at a buffet: You get to taste a little bit of everything, but you don?t get the full experience of a dedicated entree. After the day at the track, I logged 350 miles on the 650 ADVentura, an affordable, middleweight adventure-styled touring bike with saddlebags, and I got to know the bike better.
But the CFMOTO I kept thinking about was the 700CL-X, a feisty middleweight naked bike with scrambler styling.

At the end of the trackday, when all the photography was done and we were given free reign, I hopped aboard the 700CL-X and played cat-and-mouse with two of my fellow scribes. John Burns was on the 800 ADVentura, and Ron Lieback was on the 650NK naked bike.

Related: 2023 CFMOTO 800 ADVentura | First Ride Review

Our bikes were like the Three Bears. Papa Bear was the 800 ADVentura, with a 799cc parallel-Twin that cranks...