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Is This New Motorcycle Now the Best-Looking Cruiser Under $6,000?

The aesthetics of this extremely easy rider are so on point, somehow even the teal-accented variant is growing on me. Teal!

Black leather motorcycle seat with detailed stitching, featuring a larger front seat and a smaller rear seat, set against an orange background.CFMoto
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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All other things being equal, no country has shouted, “hey, we make motorcycles too!” more loudly of late than the Sleeping Giant.

That particular nickname for China no longer really applies in the two-wheeled space; the beast has awakened with the likes of QJMotor, Voge, Kove, Hanway and Benda making noise alongside Chinese-backed heritage brands such as Morbidelli and Moto Morini. 

A black and white motorcycle with a green fuel tank is parked indoors on a concrete floor. The motorcycle has a round headlight turned on, black exhaust, and a black seat with a textured pattern. In the background, there is a metal shelving unit with helmets and other items, a concrete wall, and a metal cabinet with numbered drawers. A tire is leaning against the wall on the left side.
The 450CL-C is much smaller and less powerful than your average American cruiser, but aesthetically speaking the bike is quite on point.
CFMoto

Still, when it comes to flooding the American marketplace, the big winner just might be CFMoto, a 36-year-old Hangzhou, Zhejiang-based brand that started out making, erm, luxury yachts.

Since the establishment of CFMoto USA’s Plymouth, Minnesota HQ in 2007, however, the brand has scaled up rapidly; these days more than 300 dealerships carry at least some of their 14-bike US lineup. 

Imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery. Often it is also a wise business decision. 

And though it leans into modern sport and street bikes, CFMoto’s most compelling offering might be its most classic.

Tapping into our nation’s increased interest in smaller-displacement motorcycles and our endless love affair with cruisers, the 2026 450CL-C is just dripping with irresistible throwback style.

Retro rizz

Imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery. Often it is also a wise business decision. 

Drawing inspiration from Harley and Indian cruisers, the 450CL-C boasts a teardrop tank, low-slung seat (27 inches), chopped fenders, single-side dual-exhaust and classically contoured silhouette.

A person wearing a black helmet, sunglasses, a dark plaid jacket, black pants, and black boots is riding a black motorcycle with the letters "CLC" on the fuel tank and exhaust. The motorcycle is in motion, with the wheels blurred to indicate speed. The background features a horizontal metal shutter.
No matter your predilections, this blacked-out CLC is darkly dazzling, no?
CFMoto

Heck, even the lead image on the product page — a three-quarter helmet and sunnies-wearing woman throttling a blacked-out bike — mirrors that of Indian’s newest Chief.  

(As referenced above, there’s also a teal-accented paint scheme for the 450CL-C that somehow looks much better than you’d expect.)

Close-up of a motorcycle engine showing the metallic engine casing with a circular emblem in the center, black and silver components, bolts, and a label reading "CFMOTO MOTORCYCLE 1989" on the finned cylinder head. The background has a warm orange glow.
At 449cc, the CLC’s engine is small but scrappy, with sufficient juice to power a 399-pound bike.
CFMoto

However, that bike packs a 1,819cc V-twin engine, delivers 108 ft-lbs of torque, weighs 670 pounds and starts at $14,999.

The 450CL-C rolls up with much more modest numbers — which isn’t all bad. 

Street-ready specs

Introduced to the US market with the 2025 model year, the 450CL-C is true to its name in that its engine is a 449cc liquid-cooled parallel twin. 

At $5,799, the 2026 edition costs just $100 more than its predecessor, yet boasts a more comfortable saddle, a heel shifter now included as standard, a larger rear fender and two-tone 16-inch rims with CST cruiser tires.

Close-up of a motorcycle front headlight with the brand name "CFMOTO" visible on the light cover, surrounded by black metal components and handlebars, set against an orange background.
LED lights and bar-end mirrors sure are cool to see on a sub-$,6000 ride.
CFMoto

Like the 2025 model, this 399-pounder still sports a trendy inverted fork, TFT dash, dual-channel ABS, LED lights and one fairly rare trait for an entry-level bike: bar-end mirrors.

Just as its engine (and price) are well under half that of the Chief, so are its power numbers. We’re talking 40 ponies at 8,000 rpm and 30 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. 

A person wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, tan boots, black gloves, and a gray helmet is sitting on a teal and cream-colored motorcycle parked on a street. The motorcycle has black wheels and dual exhaust pipes. There is a tree and a building with black-framed windows in the background, along with a partial view of an orange car.
The CL-C is low and light enough that you can stop and adjust your gloves — or say, pay a toll — without any concern that the thing might tip right under you.
CFMoto

Here’s the thing though. If you are a beginner to intermediate rider and most of your riding involves urban jaunts and occasional two-lane twisties — as opposed to mega-highways — who really cares?

After all, this thing’s gonna be a heck of a lot easier ride, not to mention sneak through gridlock and park. You don’t even need to be a newer rider to appreciate that.

Availability and pricing

The 2026 CFMoto 450CL-C is available now starting at $5,799.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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