CFMoto Papio XO-1 Takes Aim at Honda Grom

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The 1980s are back (again)! The new CFMoto Papio XO-1 clearly is styled to mimic sportbikes from that era. (CFMoto/)

Ever since CFMoto came to the US market in 2021, its 126cc, single-cylinder Papio mini bike—a direct rival to Honda’s Grom—has been a key part of the lineup. Now a second variation of the model is heading to showrooms with the same diminutive dimensions but a cool retro look that sets it apart from the competition.

The standard CFMoto Papio is aimed at one competitor: The Honda Grom. (CFMoto/)

Leaked via type-approval documents in China, the Papio XO-1, as it appears to be called on fairing decals (internally at the company it’s rather boringly named the CF125-8), has styling that clearly takes inspiration from bikes of the 1980s with a dual-headlight fairing that’s reminiscent of either a classic Dakar rally bike or an old Bol d’Or endurance bike. CFMoto is cashing in on a trend for 1980s-throwback models that are epitomized by machines like Ducati’s DesertX, but wrapping it up into a much smaller, more affordable package.

Endurance racing bikes from the 1980s like this 1983 Suzuki GS 1000 were rad. You can easily see the CFMoto’s inspiration. (Suzuki/)

It’s not simply a case of slapping new plastics onto the  standard Papio, though; CFMoto has put more thought into it than that. The new model might share the same 126cc, air-cooled single, making a claimedt 9.4 hp at 8,500 rpm and 6.1 lb.-ft. at 6,500rpm, and have the same 48.0-inch wheelbase as the standard Papio, but there are plenty of changes beyond the styling. The frame and swingarm are carry-over parts, but the fork is inverted on the XO-1, whereas the normal Papio has a conventional telescopic unit. The sportier theme is carried on with much lower clip-on handlebars than the standard Papio’s wide, tall design, plus the rearset footpegs are mounted on different, cast-aluminum brackets.

The passenger pegs are new as well, and there’s a different chain-guard bolted to the swingarm, which adds a bracket to hold the license plate and rear turn signals, cleaning up the tailsection. All the body panels are new, including the fuel tank that merges into the fairing and seamlessly continues into the sportbike-like seat unit which has a stepped passenger seat.

This patent illustration provides a good look at the rear of the bike. (CFMoto/)

Even the exhaust is different, with a header that curls around the left-hand side of the cylinder rather than dropping straight down and running underneath the engine. It emerges in an under-seat muffler. This redesign allows the use of a small bellypan in the space under the powerplant that’s been vacated by the exhaust. On board, the retro theme continues with a single, circular instrument above the top triple-clamp. It’s likely an LCD, multi-function display, as the Papio XO-1 takes a neo-retro approach to its design, combining modern tech like LED lights with its traditional styling cues.

Two versions of the bike have been type-approved, one with ABS and the other without, but they are otherwise identical. CFMoto has also filed patent applications related to the new machine, giving us views from different angles including the rear, albeit in wireframe-drawing form rather than photographs. These show an unusually deep fuel filler set into the top of the tank, adding to the impression of an old endurance race bike, and reveal dual taillights and the single, under-seat exhaust. Despite all the changes there’s no alteration to the standard Papio’s weight, which is the same claimed 251 pounds.

Given that the mechanically similar standard Papio has an MSRP of $2,999, the XO-1 version could undercut the strong-selling, $3,499 Honda Grom if CFMoto is aggressive with its pricing. There’s also the possibility that CFMoto will eventually introduce an electric version, since it revealed the battery-powered Papio Nova late last year. In case you’re wondering where that “Papio” name comes from, it’s the scientific name for the genus of monkey that baboons fit into, which is apt since it’s essentially a beefed-up take on the original Honda Monkey.

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