We flew to Shanghai, China, to tell you what goes on inside the walls of CFMOTO. We visited one of the six production facilities, the one in Zhejiang, and in this article we take you on a tour of the production line and the company in general

July 28, 2024

In recent years, Chinese manufacturers have tried to establish their presence on the European market. Some have stood out. One of the leaders (in terms of export figures) is CFMOTO, a company that has been a real competitor of the most famous European and Japanese manufacturers for years. The purchase lever is often a lower purchase price, a uniqueness that has made many motorcyclists greedy.

Founded in 1989, CFMOTO has 6 production sites worldwide, 4 R&D centers (one in Modena) and more than 6,000 employees spread around the world. In 35 years of development, CFMOTO has reached 100 countries with around 4,000 dealers worldwide. In 2023, the Chinese company sold vehicles worth 1.7 billion dollars and its development is continuous and relentless. In recent years, two important joint ventures have been signed: one with KTM and one with Yamaha.

But what are the secrets behind the eastern realities? How are the companies organized there? How do they work on the assembly line? These are questions that are difficult to answer without knowing them ourselves. Well, we flew to China, to Shanghai, to visit one of the 6 CFMOTO production plants, the one in Zhejiang. From the workers’ canteen to the relationship with KTM, to the production line.

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The arrival in China

We flew to China, to Shanghai, with a special mission: to make the Italian public discover how the Chinese work, what their method is, what level they have reached today. An important responsibility, since there has always been a veil of mystery behind the production of Chinese vehicles. A veil of mystery that is also followed by many stereotypes, we will discover later if they are founded or not.

Arriving in China, as real “infiltrators”, the difference with Europe is really big. High buildings, lots of people and absolute order, maybe even too much. In the production site of Zhejiang (about 2.5 hours from Shanghai) we are catapulted into CFMOTO. The tour begins.

The size of the factory in Zhejiang

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Canteen

Our tour starts at the CFMOTO employee canteen.

A large space, not unlike the Italian one, where CFMOTO employees can spend their lunch break. The contribution for lunch – or dinner – in the canteen is the equivalent of 2 US dollars. Usually, people in China eat very early compared to our rhythm: around 11:30/12.

The countryside

CFMOTO’s expansion is relentless. The production site in Zhejiang covers a very large area and consists of various areas and buildings, we will report just a few:

Canteen and offices We counted at least 4 buildings dedicated to the production/assembly of components Building dedicated to KTMRZR (we will come back to that later) Administrative building with museum, gym, sales and marketing office

To reach the company’s administrative building (from the canteen) you have to walk almost 10 minutes, they are located in opposite places. The outside area is populated by trucks coming and going, there is a lot of movement, but everything is fine.

The main building

Even before we enter the “representative” building of CFMOTO, our guide, Julia, points out 3 buildings that are under construction. Those 3 big buildings will house other offices of the Chinese company, the expansion is going very fast.

In the main factory we also visited the CFMOTO museum, a fascinating place where the models that have made the history of the company are exhibited. From the first scooters to the most recent quads, scooters and motorcycles, the museum offers an interesting look at the evolution of CFMOTO’s design and technology. In this building – really big – we find a gym, a supermarket, a multitude of offices and departments. The building must have been at least ten floors high.

A break at Starbucks, corporate, and then we go to the production line. From the “brain” we go to the operational part, the beating “heart” of the company.

The main building

How are CFMOTOs made? The production chain

The highlight of our visit was undoubtedly entering the assembly line.

Here, in a very tidy and well-organized environment, we could see how the motorcycles come to life step by step. From the assembly of the frame and engine to the polishing and lubrication of the various components, each stage of the process is carried out with great precision. Incredible to think that more than 400 motorcycles are produced every day!

The assembly of the motorcycles follows this procedure:

A robot car follows a specific path. Starting with the bare frame, the workers assemble the different components. It starts with the engine, then the chassis, the electronics and the fairings. There are always at least 3 or more people working on a motorcycle at the same time. Within 200 meters, the process goes from the bare frame to the complete motorcycle. Then we move on to the technical checks.

The state of the assembly line is advanced: the equipment used is cutting edge, the pace is still tight. The workers wear earplugs to protect their hearing, because there is a hellish noise on the assembly line. Not everyone wears protective shoes, probably it is not mandatory to use them.

KTMRZR

Our tour ends with a visit to the KTM production site in China, the CFMOTO factory.

Here the Austrian brand does not bear the name KTM because the brand is already registered in China, so it was mandatory to add the letters RZR at the end. We were forbidden to introduce cameras in this specific context: specifically we witnessed the assembly and production of the twin-cylinder 790. There are other very interesting projects being developed around this platform, we will certainly talk about them in the future.

The production line is the same as CFMOTO in all cases. In this environment, production rates seem more restricted, but in all cases, the KTMRZR factory produces hundreds of engines per day.

What does the future hold?

Our visit to the CFMOTO factory was a very educational experience.

The stereotypes about Chinese companies are partly refuted in this case. We found a very professional working environment, with attention to detail and precision at a high level. CFMOTO proves to be a leading company, ready to challenge the giants of the motorcycle sector with valid and good quality products. Now that we are targeting a mass market, with time and by refining the technique and know-how, we will certainly see very important developments. Many compare the Chinese rise to that of Japan a few decades ago, will the same happen?

And you, what do you think? Did CFMOTO exceed your expectations? What will the future hold for this Chinese company and what will be the impact on the European market? We read your reactions!