CFMOTO will replace Yamaha as the exclusive motorcycle supplier to the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship from the beginning of the 2027 season.
Under a new three-year agreement covering the 2027, 2028 and 2029 seasons, every WorldWCR competitor will race an identical CFMOTO 675SR-R. The Chinese manufacturer’s three-cylinder sports bike replaces the Yamaha R7 that has powered the championship since its inaugural season in 2024.
It is an important appointment for CFMOTO and another clear indication of how rapidly Chinese motorcycle manufacturers are moving into international racing.
A more powerful motorcycle for WorldWCR
The CFMOTO 675SR-R is powered by a 675cc three-cylinder engine and produces approximately 90 hp in road-going specification. WorldSBK says the new platform will give competitors around 15 hp more than the current Yamaha-based machinery.
That increase may not sound enormous, but it should be significant in a controlled one-make championship. The additional power, combined with the different characteristics of a three-cylinder engine, will require riders to adapt their throttle control, corner exits and overall racecraft.
WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla said the championship wants to continue raising the standard of competition and give its riders a more powerful motorcycle to master.
The one-make structure will remain unchanged. Every rider will continue to compete on equal machinery, keeping rider ability, team preparation and setup work at the centre of the championship.
This is not simply a case of replacing one badge with another. WorldWCR is moving to a faster platform that should help its leading riders prepare for the performance levels found in other international categories.
Yamaha’s role should not be overlooked
Yamaha and its technical partner JiR played an important part in establishing WorldWCR.
The Yamaha R7 provided an accessible and relatively manageable foundation for the championship’s first three seasons. It allowed competitors with different levels of international experience to race on equal machinery while WorldWCR established its identity and built its audience.
Ana Carrasco won the inaugural championship in 2024, before María Herrera claimed the 2025 title. The 2026 season will be Yamaha’s final year as the exclusive supplier.
Moving away from Yamaha therefore closes the first chapter of WorldWCR rather than signalling that the original format failed. The R7 helped launch the championship; the CFMOTO 675SR-R is intended to help move it to the next level.
CFMOTO’s biggest racing appointment yet
CFMOTO already has an increasingly visible presence in international motorcycle racing, particularly through its Grand Prix programme and partnership with the Aspar Team.
WorldWCR gives the manufacturer something different: responsibility for supplying every motorcycle used in an FIM World Championship.
It is a major vote of confidence in the manufacturer’s engineering, production consistency and ability to provide international technical support.
Samantha Liu, General Manager of the CFMOTO Motorsports Management Center, described the agreement as an important new chapter in the company’s global motorsport programme. She also reaffirmed CFMOTO’s commitment to developing motorcycle racing and supporting the continued growth of women’s competition.
Michelin also arrives in 2027
The motorcycle will not be the only major technical change. Michelin will become WorldWCR’s sole tyre supplier from 2027, meaning riders will have to adapt to a new motorcycle and a new tyre package at the same time.
That could create a particularly interesting opening season for the CFMOTO era. Riders and teams will need to establish new suspension settings, tyre-management strategies and setup baselines without years of existing data to rely on.
The one-make format will still ensure technical equality, but the teams and riders that understand the new package most quickly could gain an early advantage.
More than a marketing exercise
Chinese motorcycle brands are no longer concentrating only on competing through aggressive pricing. CFMOTO, Kove, QJMotor and other manufacturers are using international motorsport to improve their credibility, accelerate development and place their products in front of audiences traditionally dominated by Japanese and European brands.
CFMOTO’s WorldWCR appointment is particularly noteworthy because it places a Chinese motorcycle where a Yamaha previously stood.
That does not mean CFMOTO has suddenly overtaken the established Japanese manufacturers across the broader market. However, it does show that Chinese brands are increasingly being trusted with roles that would once almost automatically have gone to a traditional manufacturer.
For CFMOTO, the championship also creates a direct connection between its racing programme and a production motorcycle customers can recognise. The 675SR-R is not merely a sponsor’s logo on another company’s machine—it is the motorcycle around which the competition will be built.
What it means for South African riders
CFMOTO has developed a growing presence in South Africa, supported by an expanding range of road, adventure and performance motorcycles.
The WorldWCR agreement could further strengthen the brand’s local credibility, especially among riders who may still view Chinese performance motorcycles with some hesitation. Customers will now be able to watch an international field compete on the 675SR-R at WorldSBK events, providing the motorcycle with a level of global exposure that conventional advertising cannot easily reproduce.
The championship should also give CFMOTO valuable technical feedback. Although the race motorcycles will be prepared specifically for WorldWCR, lessons relating to durability, chassis setup, engine behaviour and rider ergonomics can still influence future development.
A significant moment for Chinese motorcycles
CFMOTO replacing Yamaha in WorldWCR is not the biggest manufacturer change in motorcycle racing history, but it is symbolically important.
A Chinese manufacturer has secured responsibility for the machinery used throughout an FIM World Championship, while the championship itself is moving to a more powerful and demanding motorcycle.
The Yamaha R7 helped WorldWCR get started. From 2027, the CFMOTO 675SR-R will be responsible for carrying it forward.
For CFMOTO, this is another step from being seen as an emerging alternative to becoming an established participant on the international racing stage.
