CFMoto has confirmed that it is working on a future MotoGP project, while stopping short of setting a date for its arrival in the premier class. The clearest move so far is the creation of a racing technology department in Rimini, Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region and a little over an hour from Bologna.

This is not being established as a standalone MotoGP team. Samantha Liu, CFMoto’s general manager of the Motorsports Management Centre, says the Italian operation is being placed alongside the company’s existing R&D and industrial design team in the same area. Its structure is being assembled, employees are being recruited and the operation is preparing to move into a new building.

The department’s remit extends beyond a possible premier-class entry. It is intended to support several racing programmes while building CFMoto’s knowledge of technology and testing. The company already competes in Moto3 and Moto2, so the Rimini facility will add a more focused technical base to an existing racing presence rather than represent a completely new departure.

A patient route to MotoGP

The move into MotoGP is not being presented as an immediate project. Ducati, Aprilia, Honda, Yamaha and KTM have signed a new commercial agreement running through 2031, and Liu says CFMoto intends to follow its own pace and wait rather than force an unready programme into the championship. The early emphasis is therefore on capability, infrastructure and experience.

Should CFMoto eventually enter MotoGP, it could become the first Chinese company to compete in the series. ZXMoto is also regarded as interested in a future premier-class programme and currently competes in the Supersport World Championship. The possibility of a first Chinese manufacturer in MotoGP is consequently linked to two separate projects, both still developing.

The V4 SR-RR leaves WorldSBK on the table

CFMoto is also associated with a possible WorldSBK project, although a race entry has not been confirmed. The V4 SR-RR provides the strongest technical context for that speculation: it is rated at 212 bhp and reached 196.2 mph in June. That run was described as a new top-speed record for a Chinese motorcycle powered by an internal-combustion engine.

For the moment, CFMoto’s stated priority is to develop the V4 SR-RR as a future road motorcycle. Liu says the company is pleased with the V4’s performance and is continuing its testing and development, with the ambition of producing one of the world’s leading V4 bikes. Rimini therefore represents more than a possible route into MotoGP: it is part of CFMoto’s wider effort to develop its own racing knowledge and technical identity.