If you haven’t heard of CFMOTO before, then you’ve been stuck under a rock my friend. This Chinese manufacture is coming in hot with a number of impressive motorcycles – one of which we have spent a little bit of time on, of late. We welcome the 450MT to the ADV party.

Images Courtesy of Alick Saunders Photography

Let’s start with a little background on the CFMOTO brand itself for those who haven’t googled it yet. CFMOTO are a Chinese company founded in 1989, specialising in motorcycles, ATVs, SxS and high-end yachts, cause you know…why not? Now we all know the rubbish that has come out of China in the dirt bike market over the past 10-15 years, so I understand having reservations has legs. But China ain’t no joke, and as much as I might disagree with a high percentage of their country’s values and ways of doing things, the power behind the government-driven land has seen recently emerging products infinitely better than what you probably remember.

Just take for example, the fact that CFMOTO build a significant amount of KTM’s larger displacement engines for their bikes. This partnership, which started in 2011, also see CFMOTO build and sell KTM motorcycles in the Chinese market – under the name KTMR2R. And if that doesn’t make you think, Yamaha have recently inked a deal with CFMOTO to basically do the same. Now, if both those established brands that we trust, are in turn trusting the quality of their product (and reputation) in the hands of CFMOTO, then sign me up for at least a fair go.

But let’s get back to the plan at hand…testing the 450MT…CFMOTO’s entry level, 450cc, twin-cylinder adventure bike that comes in at under 10k.

Competition?

The MT range also comes in 650 and 800 capacities, with the 450 appearing to be the most versatile when it comes to off-road applications – which is what most interests me. It looks very similar to a Yamaha Tenere 700, which I am not at all mad about. Not that these two bikes necessarily compete with each other, but out of interest, the 450MT is 20kgs lighter than the T7, but 250cc smaller in the engine department. They have a similar size fuel tank with the seat height of the T7 being 880mm compared to the 450MT which is 820mm. Overall dimensions wise, the 450MT is slightly smaller, while the T7 has bigger brakes. But probably the biggest factor on paper, is that you can buy two 450MT’s for the price of one T7. I have not ridden the T7 sadly, so an actual on bike performance comparison of the two - I can’t really comment. However I don’t image the T7 is double the price better.

Now, if we were to compare the 450MT to other bikes price-wise that it would be more in competition with, we are looking at the Honda CRF300 Rally (11K), the KTM 390 Adventure (10k), and at a pinch, the BMW 310 GS (9k), though the BMW is really more road orientated compared to the Honda or KTM. And you could make a pretty good argument that in terms of bang for buck, the CFMOTO easily wins here with its twin-cylinder engine package, and raft of cool components and electronics that comes standard on the bike. There is a real hole in the market for adventure bikes to bridge the gap between 300ccs and 700ccs. The 450MT slots perfectly into that gap.

Again, all this is on paper and riding the bike will be the deciding factor. My only real concern is the weight of 175kgs. That is a decent amount of bike, if like me, you prefer to take your ADV bike actually adventuring – meaning off gravel roads, onto single track and the trickier terrain you don’t see the big ADV bikes on. I personally own a CRF300 Rally and off-road is where it really out-shines most other bikes in my opinion. Mostly because it weighs a lot less, which makes the bike feel a lot nimbler and more aggressive when needed.

First Impressions on Road

But enough with the theories and time for some action. I picked up the 450MT at the end of Fieldays and rode it home down SH1. Initially when I swung my leg over the bike, it felt very low in the seat height, which I guess it is. I didn’t much like the arrangement being 190cm tall and felt like I was sitting two low in the bike with my arms too high. Conversely, standing up felt very natural and comfortable indicating that, for me personally, I would want a taller seat height. As it was, the position was comfortable enough for the commute section of this test. In terms of road riding, I can tell you the ride was very smooth, it was super comfortable on the bum, the note of the engine was beautiful and all the hand controls, switches, dash were perfectly placed – bar one…the high beam button. This is located on the backside of the left controls cluster and actuated with the index finger. Half the time I would go for the clutch lever, knocking the headlight into high beam. Not disastrous in the grand scheme of things but just a little annoying when there is lots of traffic at night.

The other needed improvement I found out at night was that the headlights aren’t that good. I very rarely ride at night-time and when I do, I like to be able to see very well, being already vulnerable enough. These lights are not as good as I would expect, so I wonder if there is an option to upgrade these.

First ‘Adventure’

But I made it home safely and pretty happy with the 450MT’s road riding performance. I then rode the bike to work the next week – a commute that takes me from Rotorua to Tauranga – through the gorge on SH36. Past TECT Park if you know the area. This is where I learnt a little more about the electronics system and the functions on the TFT dash. I downloaded the CFMOTO app and synced up the bike so I could connect my phone. It has a cool display for music which allows you to flick between songs using the buttons on the handlebars, which I like. I run the Cardo system in my helmet and there is a function to pair the cardo to the bike also, which allows for the use of said buttons. This was all very simple to do and I was paired up in no time.

However, using the bike as a third-party intermediary for music slightly distorted the sound quality, and it wasn’t as good as if going straight from the phone to the Cardo. With some luck, this might sharpen up over time with some software updates, as the handle-bar buttons are much more convenient than having to reach up to the Cardo.

The road to work is a mixture of damp and dry tarmac. The standard tyres are CST, which are Ching Shin, and not really a brand I am familiar with. I’m a huge speed limit guy and even when cornering 10-15km over the suggested speed, these tyres provide ample grip and confidence to which I was more than happy with their road performance. During my trip back home, I diverted into TECT Park and went for a loop around the public motorcycle trails. Completely clay based and pretty cool that these are free for anyone to ride. Suitable for the beginner-to-intermediate rider in the dry, but in the wet it can get quite slick. It was slick and I opted to tackle the beginner loop, which is about 500m of switch backs.

With all due respect, these tyres were rubbish for these conditions and turned into slicks pretty quickly. The bike felt very heavy and hard to control, which I am hoping is a result of the tyres basically turning into balls of clay, producing no grip or drive. Not recommended for actual off-road situations. Although on gravel, I felt comfortable enough, to where if gravel was my off-roading limit, I’d happily wear these tyres out before putting on a new set of more aggressive hoops.

Having said that, I ordered some more aggressive hoops in the form of the Metzler MC360 combo to try out on the 450MT. If we’re going to take it off-road in places that I like to go, we were going to need some knobs on our tyres.

Real Adventure

Fitting the hoops was a situation. I had not taken into account a few key aspects that would make this task impossible for me as I always change all my tyres myself. Firstly, I could not lift the bike onto my moto stand. The ground clearance was too low, and I needed to lift the bike too high to get it on there. Secondly, I had no tools to remove the front wheel nut. It was a huge allen key about the size of a 17mm bolt. Thirdly, these were tubeless wheels and stretching out some dirt tyres onto a large tubeless set up was way out of my league. So, my problem was solved by taking it down to my local dealer and they fitted the tyres for me. I could actually get used to that to be fair.

The transformation was like night and day. All of a sudden, a bike that felt cumbersome, sluggish and heavy off-road, turned into a bike I was much more comfortable to throw around and safer to power slide and attack the track with added rider confidence. At least, as much confidence as you are going to get from a bike that weighs 175kgs dry. It really did change my initial opinion on this bike right away and it was time to go bush properly to see how the 450MT handled some real adventure.

I started off by hitting the grass paddock in a somewhat controlled situation, getting used to how the bike felt with the back wheel locked up, and how much I could push the front brakes before the ABS system kicked in. I found I could brake really hard on the front – right to the point where the ABS might kick in – and ride that very fine line, giving me ample braking on the dirt. Once the ABS kicked in then it would take off a bit – which in some situations is not ideal. I suggest all ADV riders practice riding that fine line regularly. It’s a god-send that you can turn the ABS and traction control off on the fly. So no more stopping, finding neutral and making the change. Brilliant!

After about half an hour of doing skids and roosting some dirt, I was pretty happy with how the bike was responding. I would class the weight balance and centre of gravity as centralised - but I wouldn’t say it had a super-low centre of gravity – but it wasn’t top heavy either. The only real weight issues I had was when trying to get the front wheel up and over something. This took some real technique to nail it every time.

Sitting down was still an issue for me with the seat height being too low for getting aggressive and forward on the bike. I would need a taller seat for myself, (which they sell) whereas anyone under 6ft would probably appreciate the lower seat height. Standing up felt very natural and comfortable, allowing the bike to be more man-handled and pushed harder into corners, while still feeling planted and stable. Clipping down the gravel road or through the trees up on the pegs made me feel very cool, and I think this is where this bike felt at its best.

Engine Department

Now in the grand scheme of ADV bikes, 450cc would still be classed as a small Adventure bike. But the way the 450MT delivers the power is anything but small. From the acceleration to the torque, to the linier delivery to the note coming from the exhaust, this 449cc parallel-twin engine is everything I need to tackle the roads and battle the bush. It’s not overpowering. It’s certainly not under powered. I think it’s a perfect answer to ‘how much power do you actually need?’ And inevitably the answer is – not as much as you think. I could not find anything wrong with this power unit, apart from the gearing is not set up for road riding. At 100km in 6th gear you are running 6000rpm, which feels a little high for cruising. Some gearing changes will smooth that out a bit, but if you plan on doing more dirt than road, then I’d keep it as is. This is the exact engine I wish was in my CRF300 Rally.

I’ve heard some comments around the throttle delivery being snatchy and jerky. My suggestion here is work on your throttle control, mate, as I didn’t find this an issue myself. Apparently during the first service there is a software upgrade that fixes this issue if you are experiencing it. But so would some coaching. One top tip is to get rid of the Traction control before going on the dirt. It works so well that you will be sliding backward while you’re throttling on with zero wheelspin. It is a very interesting predicament.

One thing I need to mention is that the gearbox is silky smooth. There is no clunking and no harsh gear noises when up-shifting under load. Just pure riding pleasure.

Suspension

I am extremely happy that CFMOTO opted to go with KYB suspension. I can’t tell you how many bikes out there would be SO much better if they were running a brand like KYB (or Showa for that matter). I get that a premium suspension brand can increase costs, but suspension is an area that manufactures should not skimp on. And that reflects directly on how good the 450MT can handle braking bumps, logs, rocks and your general off-road obstacles that you have to negotiate. I did not mess with the adjustments and even in using the stock settings and the 200mm of travel, the amount of hold up, combined with plushness on the front, was impressive. I mean, it’s obviously no MX bike, but it didn’t blow through the stroke in places where I thought it might. And if you could reach a half decent down ramp of a jump, there was no clunking or bottoming out. Some flat landing resulted in some steel on steel, but I’m not sure you would get a different result from any other bike in that particular situation.

All-in-all the suspension was well up to task for a bike that weighs 175kgs (dry). I don’t think I could expect any better and I would be more than happy to run it, as is, during all my off-road explorations.

I might be starting to lose your attention here as this review is one of the longer ones I’ve done in a while. So I’ll start to close this out with some of the aspects I would like to see on this bike in a perfect world.

In A Perfect World

I mentioned the seat height to my old man, who thinks I’m nuts. And I get it. A low seat height means most riders will be able to touch the ground easy, which is a huge advantage when riding off-road. But with how low the seat is, I feel it puts you in a position that it not very advantageous for off-road riding. Road and gravel is totally passable, but on the dirt, where you have to rely on controlling the bike with your body, the low seat height makes that tough. I would want better ground clearance too, but I understand that there are some restrictions there.

Also, we have no data on how these bikes will compete with the more established brands in the reliability game. Like most new models, people might tend to wait a season to see what problems may or may not arise. This is a valid point for someone spending a lot of money, and I have no answers on this as yet. But from what I have seen and ridden myself, I would expect this bike to stand the test of time - and it comes with a 2-year warranty.

Lastly, I’d like it to be lighter. And at 450ccs, I would have expected it to be a lighter bike than 175kgs dry. At a guess that works out to be around 190ks fully fuelled and ready to ride. Admittedly, it doesn’t feel anywhere near that heavy when riding the bike, but I just personally think it could have been lighter.

The Bike Can Do It

These are really my only stand out gripes about the CFMOTO 450MT. This bike has the possibility of being the ultimate ADV bike. And you can see by the images, that this is a very capable bike in the right hands. And I say that to say, don’t get fooled by the Birch Effect – a term I have just coined today actually. This is for those who watch Chris Birch do impressively, mind-boggling things on big adventure bikes, and think that the bike will do that with them on it – which it won’t. Ride to your abilities, and when your abilities get to the point where you can hop logs and tackle steep hill climbs, the 450MT will be one of the more capable bikes on the market.

Final Thoughts

With an RRP of under 10k – it is a hell of a lot of bike for that money, and much lighter than the T7 and the entire KTM 790 and up range. And I know that many of you will complain that CFMOTO is a Chinese manufacturer, assuming the bike will break down in the fist 1000km and generally be of much lower quality than the Japanese or European brands. But it is important to note that quite a few brands have models that are partly or fully made in China, or India for that matter. To say this bike will be shit simply because it’s Chinese makes you a fool in my opinion. Go spend double the money elsewhere if that concerns you.

If you ask me, this bike is worth a shot. Slap some wrap around hand guards on, a proper bash plate, a set of MC360 Metzeler tyres and with some talent, there is no where you won’t be able to go. I enjoyed this bike a lot, and not just because of its off-road capability – not something I can say about some ADV bikes on the market.

My advice…just go and test one.

www.cfmoto.co.nz/model/450mt-nz

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE CFMOTO 450MT GO SERIOUSLY OFF-ROAD