Boasting it will “redefine adventure touring”, CFMoto’s new 450MT in reality promises an easy handling, twin-cylinder, simple and inexpensive (to buy and insure), off-road capable motorcycle. It’s what the ADV world needs.

As CFMOTO Motorcycles unveils its latest model – the 450MT – an all-terrain capable, versatile, motorcycle “for off-road thrills and exploration”, we have some questions: Does the world need a 450cc adventure bike? Answer: Yes. One with basic specifications and dare we say it basic aspirations? Answer: Yes. An adventure bike MUCH cheaper than most others on the market and half the price of a 450 EXC-F? Oh yes.

Why? Because in a motorcycle world (spare parts and bikes) dominated by the ying and the yang of people not wanting to pay the ever-rising prices but equally bemoaning the manufacturing origins of everything, CFMoto’s new 450MT is both a natural conclusion and the antithesis.

If you didn’t know already, CFMoto is in partnership with Pierer Mobility, or part of the KTM Group family as you might say. They work together sharing some manufacturing and parts, distribution, marketing, and commonly you will now see CFMoto machines in the dealer showrooms (or next door) alongside KTM bikes.

If you don’t want to pay the prices or need the impressive specifications and performance of those Austrian origin machines, be that adventure bikes, enduro, motocross or whatever, your options for a new set of wheels are increasingly non-European and non-Japanese.

That of course means Asia and specifically China which, due to its enormous industrial scale and ability to producing goods at lower costs, can put out a bike like the 450MT which ticks most boxes for a fraction of the price.

To be clear, the CFMoto 450MT is not close to the same specification as, say, a KTM 890 Adventure R Rally edition, despite the KYB suspension. But for half the price of a KTM 450 EXC-F it is a simple but credible option if you want to buy a new adventure bike and haven't got or don't feel the need to boast much experience, or money in the bank.

Check the prices of the 450MT in Europe:

Germany: 5.990,- EUR

Austria: 6.799,- EUR

Switzerland: 5.990,- CHF

Great Britain: 5.699,- GBP

Spain: 5.990,- EUR

Finland: 8.690,- EUR

What do we think of it?

Well, ignoring an extraordinary amount of hyperbole in the press material (* see list below), like every new, cheap alternative out there, the 450MT deserves a place in the world. Not everyone wants the risk of buying used bikes (insert: yeah, but you could buy a perfectly good used bike for that money), certainly not everyone can afford many of the new bikes out there, so why not?

The new 450 model from CFMoto is not short of impact for all the above reasons. If all you want is an easy to ride, capable, lowish seat height, basic and uncomplicated dual-purpose ADV bike – then the 450MT has arrived on your radar.

Reports from riders we trust who've tested it say it's soft, simple, comfortable, capable enough and basically ticks all the boxes you'd want from a smaller capacity adventure bike. As media outlets and bike journalists around the globe flood the airwaves with details from the media launch, most are pointing at the 450MT's simplicity as the key. 

It comes with few electronic bells or whistles (plenty of people cry out for that in off-road), just switchable Bosch ABS and traction control, that's all. Want the screen a little higher, a basic manual adjuster on the side is all you got here. Want ABS or traction control on or off? Then click the on and off switch. 

A smart TFT Display unit and LED lights is the tech literally on display, operated by handlebar controls, but China do that stuff pretty well don't they, we expected that at least.

We can't ignore the fact that the other end of the adventure bike scale to the 450MT sit some incredible motorcycles - we tested the Ducati DesertX Rally and loved it. Bikes which, straight out hte showroom, can race an Erzbergrodeo prologue or Moroccan Rally.

For any scale to be a complete one, it should include everything in it, obviously. The CFMoto is simply a new part of that big, adventure bike spectrum. An important one too as we are sure sale figures will show in the coming months. Apologies for the mixed visual data metphors!

450MT specification highlights:

• Steel trellis-style frame
• 450cc parallel-twin engine designed for low-end torque (peak torque @ 6250rpm)
• KYB suspension
• TFT Display unit
• Aluminium sump guard/lower engine protection
• Spoked alloy wheels 21”/18” (tubeless)
• Off-road footpegs
• BOSCH dual-channel switchable ABS and Traction Control System
• Seat height 820mm / adjustable to 800mm / Optional 870mm tall seat in accessories
• CF-SC slipper clutch
• KYB adjustable suspension
• Rally-style adjustable windshield

* Hyperbole list from the press material. Take from this what you will.

Designed to push boundaries, cleverly equipped for off-road escapades, exhilarating on every journey, engineered to be the ultimate companion whatever the terrain, a striking evolution in design, meticulous attention to detail...

Colours: Zephyr Blue and Tundra Grey, first bikes available from May 2024.

More information: www.cfmoto.com