Chinese manufacturer CFMoto has rapidly expanded its 2 wheel offering over the past decade. In addition to the throng of new models, the brand has worked hard to abolish any concerns about the quality of its products. A testament to this fact is CFMoto’s partnership with KTM and the uptake of their motorcycles by China’s police force. Surprisingly, despite all this, CFMoto has remained affordable and its current range features some of the best bang-for-buck motorcycles on the market.
The CFMoto Papio sits at the lower capacity end of the manufacturer’s current offering. Positioned to take on similarly sized motorcycles like Honda’s Grom, the Papio is aimed at urban commuters who don’t take things too seriously. Powered by a 126cc four-stroke single the Papio delivers a modest 9.4hp and 9.2Nm of torque. Those numbers are of course not all that impressive, but what the Papio lacks in performance it makes up for with charisma.
The Papio also isn’t shy of premium components which further bolster this little bike’s appeal. LEDs provide all the lighting, a 6-speed gearbox delivers power to the monoshock rear, the brakes are a capable twin front single rear configuration, and it comes standard with dual-channel ABS and a classically styled analog/digital gauge. The seat height is a very accessible 775mm and it tips the scales at a mere 114kg making it very easy to maneuver around tight city streets. To top it all off Papio comes in 3 different styles. The ST Papio (standard model) which is unmistakably styled after the Grom, and 2 XO variations influenced by trends in the classic scene. There’s the scrambler-esque XO Papio Trail and the cafe/endurance racer-styled XO Papio Racer.
This custom XO Papio Racer resulted from a collaboration between CFMoto and Filipino jewelry brand, 13 Lucky Monkey. This may sound like an odd pairing but 13 Lucky Monkey founders Noli Coronado and Dante Dizon both possess a deep-seated passion for motorcycling. The pair started the company after recognizing an absence of the gritty, moto lifestyle style jewelry they wanted to wear. “It is the opposite of fine jewelry,” Dante explains. “We ride really old bikes and we see beauty in these machines—dirty, greasy, noisy. We want our jewelry to have that same patina that only comes with use and with age.”
When the opportunity arose to customize a 2024 XO Papio Racer with CFMoto Philippines, the pair chose to celebrate another of their passions with the design, 1980s Anime.
“The bike in its stock form was ideal with its twin headlights, twin signals, and that tiny fairing. It felt like an homage to the 80’s superbikes of old,” Dante says. “We’re big fans of the Manga anime Akira. Most of our rings and shirt designs have been inspired by the 1988 movie.”
Those familiar with Akira will instantly recognize the inspiration for this project as the motorcycle ridden by the film’s main protagonist, Shotaro Kaneda. Kaneda’s bright red motorcycle is an icon of Anime cinema. The motorcycle is low and long with a reclined riding position and geometry more akin to large scooters than a sports bike. The manufacturer of the bike is not clear in the film, but it is described as having twin ceramic rotor drives on each wheel, a computer-controlled anti-lock braking system, and 200bhp at 12,000 rpm. The only similarity the Papio has to those fictitious stats is its ABS, but this build was never about trying to match the performance of Kaneda’s ride. Instead, this was a styling exercise that merges elements of the Akira motorcycle with trademark 13 Lucky Monkey touches.
To begin the process Noli and Dante wanted to give the Papio Racer a boxier profile. To achieve this they teamed up with local JDM bodywork experts Sushi Factory who used their sketches as a guide. Utilizing fiberglass composites Sushi Factory remodeled the Papio’s front end, adding extra panels beneath the existing fairing that encloses the fork legs. A new cowl has also been installed at the rear. The bespoke tail converts the bike to a single seater and lifts the tail to sit parallel with the top of the fuel tank; creating a balanced bone line. The seat is also a custom addition designed to emphasize the 80s endurance racer look of the twin headlight XO Papio Racer. Similar to the wheels of Kaneda’s motorcycle the wheels of this Papio have been covered using aluminum covers.
To complete the look the Papio Racer is covered in bold red paint matched to the Anime bike and the bodywork is covered in decals styled directly from Kaneda’s motorcycle. Additional custom tweaks come in the form of a set of Vans grips, blade mirrors, and the relocation of the turn signals to keep it street-legal. Finally, 13 Lucky Monkey has added a selection of custom-made badges and even created a custom ignition key. The brass badges on the tank and bodywork were created in their trademark style and were inspired by visuals from Akira.
Although the result of all this hard work may not be quite as radical as the neo-retro animated machine it was based upon, this is definitely the coolest CFMoto custom we’ve seen so far.
Photos by Ben Chan of Blacksheep Manila
