Almost everywhere you look in racing, CFMoto has either entered or looks poised to. Whether it's buying Moto2 chassis giant Kalex—remember this fact for later—or announcing its debut at the Isle of Man TT, CFMoto's presence is in all but the top rungs of racing. But it's not all about being at the top; owning the entry-level racing scene can be hugely beneficial, and a recent social post indicates that could be exactly what the Chinese manufacturer intends to do with its Mini25 MiniGP-style motorcycle.
Long before young riders enter Moto3, they're racing on GP-style motorcycles, they race Moto4-style bikes or a junior cup, and before that, they race MiniGP bikes. This means MiniGP motorcycles are key development tools for the top young racers in the world, aged around 8-14.
Even MotoGP riders have been known to use these bikes to practice, as the fundamentals stay the same, but the risk while training is greatly reduced. Unsurprisingly, I would love a MiniGP-style motorcycle to take my track skills to the next level, but as the name suggests, these are small grand prix bikes, and as expensive as you'd expect. The top of the food chain in this niche is Ohvale and its GP-2 190cc bike, laden with premium parts that read Brembo, Arrow, and Pirelli.
The Ohvale GP-2 starts at $7,749, but the reality is most folks will spend closer to $10,000 before it's specced to their preferences. That's crazy money. If CFMoto can produce its Mini25 at a significantly lower cost without sacrificing too much performance, I can't see it being anything other than a hit.
Even if it's not the fastest race machine, I could see a lot more folks rationalizing a cheap MiniGP bike for training over an ungodly expensive one. And it might not be that down on performance either—check out the video below.
According to the social post above, the Mini25 uses a version of the CFMoto 250SR engine, but in the video, it's described as a 300cc. This engine will easily pump out around 30 hp, and that's considerably more than the Ohvale GP-2 190, which is thought to produce around 20 hp. It's hard to pick up any other specs from the video, other than the fact that it has an aluminum alloy frame and swingarm, which is stunning.
CFMoto used Kalex to help with the frame design consultation, and in case you didn't know, Kalex frames have won considerably more Moto2 championships than any other manufacturer. This bike has the power and should have a fantastic frame, so if the price is right, I want two.
