No bike is perfect, but this bike is really fun to ride and easy to own. I’m an Ibex owner with 10K+ miles. Overall, this is an excellent bike for the price. This year I rode out to Utah from KS, via HWY 40/Route 66 (2600+ miles).
Love my CFMoto 800 MT. I have had 3 BMW R1200GS and I can honestly say that this bike ticks all the boxes, and more, compared to the GS. The only small issue I had was the mirrors self adjusting at speed. I am waiting for replacements under warranty but have fitted Double Take mirrors for now. I feel what you are saying about people bad mouthing the product just because its Chinese and endorsed by KTM.
Hey Mate. You went passed my joint early on in the vid, ive got the same bike in the shed and ride that road often. I got a set of shinko knobbies fitted on mine from new before i picked it up. Made a huge difference. Good point about the size thing and Chinese manufacturing as well.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Ben. I’m over in the UK and have had my MT800 Explore for two months now. In that time I have lost count of the number of people that have commented about it being a Chinese bike! However, I have been riding for over 40 years and the MT800 Explore is one of the better bikes I have owned. People forget they said the same things about the Japanese bikes when they started coming into the UK back in the day. Look where they are now 😉. CFMOTO seems to have got off to a good start so far 👍🏻
@@nobbynesbit7964 hello, and thanks for the comment. I’m so glad you’re enjoying your CFMOTO. I still can’t fault mine - not for lack of trying! It just keeps making me smile!!!
I have a 800mt explore, 10000km. You need to growup, if you like the bike, enjoy it. Other peoples opinions don't matter. The camshaf tissue does concern me a little. But i understand cfmoto modified the head, oil pump and crankshaft. So hopefully its fixed. I love the wifi sotfware updates. The slow speed engine management issue is fixed as of a few days ago. It goes reallly well, eats gravel roads. Iwas going to have a 890 ktm, this was 30% cheaper. It is awesome
I don't think I need to grow up. My point was that perhaps people should not be dicks. Doesn't seem like too much to ask. I do enjoy the bike, as I attest to in all of my videos - very much so. And I'm not at all concerned about the camshaft issue either. It impacts KTM 790 engines prior to 2020.
i have the exact same bike and love it. i agree with the china " size " issue you brought up and it is very true about how some people have no issue buying something like a washing machine from china but not a motorbike....strange phenomenon
Great video ,, I like your common sense approach to this bike , I feel exactly the same about my 800mt it's a fantastic machine with very minor issues (indicator feel & throttle sensitivity) which I'm used to now and don't really think about them.
Gota have haters or Ur not doing it right haha I've got a ktm 2024 500 and 2022 890. Now have an mt450 and love it. more than the others. maybe the best bike I've had .. I love the haters haha.. good reveiw mate smooth ride 👌 I think I'm I love 😂
Thanks for a very interesting and honest video. I don’t own a 800MT but I am looking to get one in the not too distant future. This business about stereotyping the bike and people volunteering their opinions just because they can.... In my experience most of them do it to make themselves feel better and not always to make you feel bad. There are those who will always see that what you have is inferior unless, of course, you own what they have! And yes, some of them just love to tell you about it. But it’s not about them or what they think. I owned a Japanese bike for a while and that attracted similar attention as you describe about the MT. I would normally do one of two things when they go on about negatives and that’s to either turn and walk away or perhaps give them the "two syllable sentence" in extreme cases. The truth is it’s about what you think about your bike not anyone else. Thanks again for the vid and I'd love to hear about the pillion experience.
I think if you enjoy your cf moto that’s all that matters. It seems like a great product as well does the 450 at a great price, in fact I’ve been strongly looking at the 450 for my next bike. I currently have a KLR and see people online bagging on them all time but I don’t mind it’s good enough for my skill level right now.
KLR’s look they could survive a nuclear holocaust- such a great bike! The 450MT is an interesting proposition though. An 800 and 450 wouldn’t be too much to ask, surely!?
Mate, I do not own any KTM/CF MOTO, but I have recently watched and seen the problems with the cam shafts. That apparently is being going on for years. Problem not solved yet. Apparently, Aprilia 660 has problems with the cams as well. Same with most of the KTM 790/890 motors. I saw the pics of the new KAWI KLR 700 for 2025.
@@2631Fred I haven't seen a single issue with the cams on the CFMOTO version of this particular motor - that's not to say they're not out there. MCN did report that the cam issue was resolved in 2020 with KTM which was when the 800MT hit the market. Cross your fingers for me that this remains the case. All this said, I can't remember owning a car or motorbike in my 42 years of existence that didn't have known issues... I'm about to have another fight on my hands getting Nissan to actually follow through on their warranty and I once had a Mitsubishi off the road for almost six months waiting for repairs!
@@benplaysbass2491 I saw a guy in the USA with BMW sport bike issues. Took him 10 months to get BMW to replace the engine. MADNESS!! I grew up when we still had guarantees. a Different story altogether. Good old days.
good to see the sneaky blur when you where obviously sitting on 110 to pass the truck 😉 great VId Ben! thanks, looking to pick one up very soon myself.
Dear Ben, thanks for your observations. I'm sad that that other people's words can annoy/upset/irritate you greatly. I'm always puzzled why a comment from someone not known to us, with unknown experiences and qualification and motives, can impact us so such. If by some miracle, feedback was created by a sheep dog carefully typing, then we would ignore those comments without thought. Isnt that the same for someone who we have no ide of???? That you took about 8 mins to express your irritation shows me the sad sorry impact of social media on our thoughts. The driving light mounts seems abit weak, although their demise was due to an impact and they didn't rattle off or fail of their own accord. The snatchy throttle is known and stock tyres, well buy the bike with desired tires to suit you riding. the stock treads were never going to work well off road. I look forward to seen the 4350MT on the gravel roads etc. For $10k its a very affordably bike. I haven't seen the 800 in Melbourne yet but think it would be a great option to the other sized bikes, especially if cheaper and slightly lighter. Thanks for making the video and best for continued happy riding. Regards Matt
Thanks Matt, you’re right - it gets to me far more than it should and there are much more important things in the world to be concerned with. But the 8 minutes it took me to spit it out is probably more of an indication of how inarticulate I am to be truthful 😂. In the grand scheme of things I don’t lose much sleep over this. I do genuinely wish that everyone would become a little bit more kind and compassionate towards each other - that’s certainly how I’m raising my sons. Many thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a meaningful/positive one at that 😊
I have had one for 40k and the throttle still bugs me, A DNA air filter plus a Smart Moto shunt to bypass the oxy sensors helped but putting a 42t rear sprocket has given the best improvement. It allows the motor to work in it's sweet spot longer in a higher gear . ( they need to have the throttle open to fuel properly ) ....
Where I life the 650NK is the best deal (naked bike guy) but I got two issues. Here KSR imports them and they recently went through a default process so who knows how their future looks like and how I'll get parts. These are rather rare here. So finding one used is a challenge and the same will apply when you want to sell it. Nobody knows it and nobody will look for it. So the only people I can appeal to is who look for a young bike for cheap and not a certain model. I'm looking at a 650NK as I currently have a NC750s for 8 years. The NC is now 10 years old and will still bring in more money used then the CF Moto costs new. So I'm simply sceptical if I won't just burn through a lot of cash. The Honda after 10 years still costs more than 2/3 of the new price. So nothing particularly wrong with the bike itself.
The 650NK is a nice looking bike! It looks like it would be a lot of fun. These are tough decisions to make - I suppose that was one of my motivations for creating these videos. Perhaps people will learn from my experiences, good or bad. Thanks for the comment!
Maybe it's the American in me, but if some jackass came up to me and immediately said my bike was "crap", I would unleash a verbal wrath of insults back at them. Chances are, this being America and whatnot, whoever insults me will be a fat Harley fanboi, which gives me a lot to work with when it comes to verbal insults.
Certainly a worthwhile consideration. I’m mostly a road rider, so this is less of a factor, but if I was leaning more towards off-road you couldn’t go wrong with the 450MT 😊 let me know what you go with! (Just quietly, I would LOVE one of each)
@@benplaysbass2491 I'm not a dirt rifer, but roads in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia are full of pot holes. CFMoto does not pass the emision regulations for Thai roads yet. Probvably will in the last quarter of this year.
@@sportmuaythaiv1045 you dont want an 800 in cambodia, laos . trust me, been all through there myself. especially considering average rider weight there, makes it even more unsuitabl
I think the 450 is the better Deal. Only if you drive Most time on the Highway the 800 is better. But in general cf moto will replace many other Brands. So the next 800 will be something like the 450 now. They incrrase quality fast
How do you find the 5k service interval? I'd think it's a bit more work to book and bring it in every so often. All of the Kawasaki I've owned have 12k service interval. I bring it in every year or 18 months and I do my own oil and filter change at every 6k.
The service interval is 15,000kms for this model, so I don’t know where you got that from. So, not an issue I’m concerned with. FYI, oil changes (which I like to do more regularly than recommended) are an absolute doddle.
Thanks for the clarification. The 5k service interval is for the 450MT. I thought these would be the same. I might get these instead of waiting for the Kove 800X.
I rechecked my info and yes, the US version requires 3k miles service intervals, whereas the rest of the world is 9k miles for the 800MT. That's why in the back of my mind the only thing holding me back from getting a CFMOTO is because all their bikes require 5k km service intervals.
I shouldn’t let it get to me - most rational people know that large portions of what we buy are made up of components from China. That’s just the nature of the global market. Thanks for leaving a comment and checking out the video 😊
Guys….fuel map updates, or bike fresh from factory, or changed air or exhaust and suffer from jerky, snatchy Throttle to perform throttle relearn procedure. Mine had 2 fuel map updates minimised but never resolved snatchy and jerky throttle, hunting engine RPM was solved by simply remapping electronic throttle. Throttle inputs are linear and engine RPM stable. ua-cam.com/video/zSCt9Xx_aEg/v-deo.htmlsi=5IhuQh4BTn_Kz-Jp
Nice review! I'm about to hit 5000 miles on mine and it really is a great bike overall if you have the right expectations for it.
No bike is perfect, but this bike is really fun to ride and easy to own. I’m an Ibex owner with 10K+ miles. Overall, this is an excellent bike for the price. This year I rode out to Utah from KS, via HWY 40/Route 66 (2600+ miles).
That’s awesome. I’m hoping to ship mine to Perth, fly over and ride it back to Melbourne around the south coast of Australia 😉
Love my CFMoto 800 MT. I have had 3 BMW R1200GS and I can honestly say that this bike ticks all the boxes, and more, compared to the GS. The only small issue I had was the mirrors self adjusting at speed. I am waiting for replacements under warranty but have fitted Double Take mirrors for now. I feel what you are saying about people bad mouthing the product just because its Chinese and endorsed by KTM.
Hey Mate.
You went passed my joint early on in the vid, ive got the same bike in the shed and ride that road often.
I got a set of shinko knobbies fitted on mine from new before i picked it up. Made a huge difference.
Good point about the size thing and Chinese manufacturing as well.
@@robkeogh4593 hopefully I’ll see you out and about! I’m looking at new tyres as we speak! Thanks for leaving a comment ;)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Ben. I’m over in the UK and have had my MT800 Explore for two months now. In that time I have lost count of the number of people that have commented about it being a Chinese bike! However, I have been riding for over 40 years and the MT800 Explore is one of the better bikes I have owned. People forget they said the same things about the Japanese bikes when they started coming into the UK back in the day. Look where they are now 😉. CFMOTO seems to have got off to a good start so far 👍🏻
@@nobbynesbit7964 hello, and thanks for the comment. I’m so glad you’re enjoying your CFMOTO. I still can’t fault mine - not for lack of trying! It just keeps making me smile!!!
I have a 800mt explore, 10000km. You need to growup, if you like the bike, enjoy it. Other peoples opinions don't matter. The camshaf tissue does concern me a little. But i understand cfmoto modified the head, oil pump and crankshaft. So hopefully its fixed. I love the wifi sotfware updates. The slow speed engine management issue is fixed as of a few days ago. It goes reallly well, eats gravel roads. Iwas going to have a 890 ktm, this was 30% cheaper. It is awesome
I don't think I need to grow up. My point was that perhaps people should not be dicks. Doesn't seem like too much to ask. I do enjoy the bike, as I attest to in all of my videos - very much so. And I'm not at all concerned about the camshaft issue either. It impacts KTM 790 engines prior to 2020.
i have the exact same bike and love it. i agree with the china " size " issue you brought up and it is very true about how some people have no issue buying something like a washing machine from china but not a motorbike....strange phenomenon
@@paulmcgreal8750 I know right!? The irony is that a lot of online hate towards this bike/brand are typed on Chinese made devices 🤦🏻
Great video ,, I like your common sense approach to this bike , I feel exactly the same about my 800mt it's a fantastic machine with very minor issues (indicator feel & throttle sensitivity) which I'm used to now and don't really think about them.
Thanks mate, your comment means a lot because I value common sense! Appreciate you taking the time to watch the video - ride safe friend
Gota have haters or Ur not doing it right haha I've got a ktm 2024 500 and 2022 890. Now have an mt450 and love it. more than the others. maybe the best bike I've had .. I love the haters haha.. good reveiw mate smooth ride 👌 I think I'm I love 😂
@@mavrick5006 man, I’ve got to get my hands on the 450MT - haven’t heard anything but good things. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a message 😉
Thanks for a very interesting and honest video. I don’t own a 800MT but I am looking to get one in the not too distant future. This business about stereotyping the bike and people volunteering their opinions just because they can.... In my experience most of them do it to make themselves feel better and not always to make you feel bad. There are those who will always see that what you have is inferior unless, of course, you own what they have! And yes, some of them just love to tell you about it. But it’s not about them or what they think. I owned a Japanese bike for a while and that attracted similar attention as you describe about the MT. I would normally do one of two things when they go on about negatives and that’s to either turn and walk away or perhaps give them the "two syllable sentence" in extreme cases. The truth is it’s about what you think about your bike not anyone else. Thanks again for the vid and I'd love to hear about the pillion experience.
I appreciate the insight and the feedback! Many thanks - stay tuned for the pillion video…
I think if you enjoy your cf moto that’s all that matters. It seems like a great product as well does the 450 at a great price, in fact I’ve been strongly looking at the 450 for my next bike. I currently have a KLR and see people online bagging on them all time but I don’t mind it’s good enough for my skill level right now.
KLR’s look they could survive a nuclear holocaust- such a great bike! The 450MT is an interesting proposition though. An 800 and 450 wouldn’t be too much to ask, surely!?
Mate, I do not own any KTM/CF MOTO, but I have recently watched and seen the problems with the cam shafts. That apparently is being going on for years. Problem not solved yet. Apparently, Aprilia 660 has problems with the cams as well. Same with most of the KTM 790/890 motors. I saw the pics of the new KAWI KLR 700 for 2025.
@@2631Fred I haven't seen a single issue with the cams on the CFMOTO version of this particular motor - that's not to say they're not out there. MCN did report that the cam issue was resolved in 2020 with KTM which was when the 800MT hit the market. Cross your fingers for me that this remains the case.
All this said, I can't remember owning a car or motorbike in my 42 years of existence that didn't have known issues... I'm about to have another fight on my hands getting Nissan to actually follow through on their warranty and I once had a Mitsubishi off the road for almost six months waiting for repairs!
@@benplaysbass2491 I saw a guy in the USA with BMW sport bike issues. Took him 10 months to get BMW to replace the engine. MADNESS!! I grew up when we still had guarantees. a Different story altogether. Good old days.
good to see the sneaky blur when you where obviously sitting on 110 to pass the truck 😉 great VId Ben! thanks, looking to pick one up very soon myself.
The power of editing 😅
Good eye !
Dear Ben, thanks for your observations. I'm sad that that other people's words can annoy/upset/irritate you greatly. I'm always puzzled why a comment from someone not known to us, with unknown experiences and qualification and motives, can impact us so such. If by some miracle, feedback was created by a sheep dog carefully typing, then we would ignore those comments without thought. Isnt that the same for someone who we have no ide of???? That you took about 8 mins to express your irritation shows me the sad sorry impact of social media on our thoughts.
The driving light mounts seems abit weak, although their demise was due to an impact and they didn't rattle off or fail of their own accord. The snatchy throttle is known and stock tyres, well buy the bike with desired tires to suit you riding. the stock treads were never going to work well off road.
I look forward to seen the 4350MT on the gravel roads etc. For $10k its a very affordably bike. I haven't seen the 800 in Melbourne yet but think it would be a great option to the other sized bikes, especially if cheaper and slightly lighter.
Thanks for making the video and best for continued happy riding. Regards Matt
Thanks Matt, you’re right - it gets to me far more than it should and there are much more important things in the world to be concerned with. But the 8 minutes it took me to spit it out is probably more of an indication of how inarticulate I am to be truthful 😂. In the grand scheme of things I don’t lose much sleep over this. I do genuinely wish that everyone would become a little bit more kind and compassionate towards each other - that’s certainly how I’m raising my sons.
Many thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a meaningful/positive one at that 😊
Very interested in the 'pilion experience' video! Great idea
I'll get onto that one for you ;)
The pillion video is up!
@@benplaysbass2491 Thank you! Watching already :)
Someone from the UK looked into the stats of the camshaft failures and found it was like .2 percent of the KTM 790 . One 5th of a percent.
Sometimes facts are less engaging/entertaining than a less than accurate narrative... Thanks for the comment - appreciate the insight
I have had one for 40k and the throttle still bugs me, A DNA air filter plus a Smart Moto shunt to bypass the oxy sensors helped but putting a 42t rear sprocket has given the best improvement. It allows the motor to work in it's sweet spot longer in a higher gear . ( they need to have the throttle open to fuel properly ) ....
Wow - 40k! That’s good to hear. Still running ok, other than the annoying fueling?
Throttle relearn procedure sort out snatchy, jerky throttle. Most people think it’s fuel map issue.
Where I life the 650NK is the best deal (naked bike guy) but I got two issues.
Here KSR imports them and they recently went through a default process so who knows how their future looks like and how I'll get parts.
These are rather rare here.
So finding one used is a challenge and the same will apply when you want to sell it. Nobody knows it and nobody will look for it.
So the only people I can appeal to is who look for a young bike for cheap and not a certain model.
I'm looking at a 650NK as I currently have a NC750s for 8 years.
The NC is now 10 years old and will still bring in more money used then the CF Moto costs new.
So I'm simply sceptical if I won't just burn through a lot of cash.
The Honda after 10 years still costs more than 2/3 of the new price.
So nothing particularly wrong with the bike itself.
The 650NK is a nice looking bike! It looks like it would be a lot of fun. These are tough decisions to make - I suppose that was one of my motivations for creating these videos. Perhaps people will learn from my experiences, good or bad. Thanks for the comment!
@@benplaysbass2491 Thank you for that!
Maybe it's the American in me, but if some jackass came up to me and immediately said my bike was "crap", I would unleash a verbal wrath of insults back at them. Chances are, this being America and whatnot, whoever insults me will be a fat Harley fanboi, which gives me a lot to work with when it comes to verbal insults.
😂😂😂
Ask the harley owner what's the difference between a harley and a hoover vacuum. When he asks what, tell him the position of the dirt bag. 🤣🤣
The thing that I'm worried most is the weight of the bike. The 450 MT is probably more practical for me.
Certainly a worthwhile consideration. I’m mostly a road rider, so this is less of a factor, but if I was leaning more towards off-road you couldn’t go wrong with the 450MT 😊 let me know what you go with! (Just quietly, I would LOVE one of each)
@@benplaysbass2491 I'm not a dirt rifer, but roads in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia are full of pot holes. CFMoto does not pass the emision regulations for Thai roads yet. Probvably will in the last quarter of this year.
@@sportmuaythaiv1045 you dont want an 800 in cambodia, laos . trust me, been all through there myself.
especially considering average rider weight there, makes it even more unsuitabl
Cf moto Pass Euro 5?! @@sportmuaythaiv1045
I think the 450 is the better Deal. Only if you drive Most time on the Highway the 800 is better. But in general cf moto will replace many other Brands. So the next 800 will be something like the 450 now. They incrrase quality fast
How do you find the 5k service interval? I'd think it's a bit more work to book and bring it in every so often. All of the Kawasaki I've owned have 12k service interval. I bring it in every year or 18 months and I do my own oil and filter change at every 6k.
The service interval is 15,000kms for this model, so I don’t know where you got that from. So, not an issue I’m concerned with. FYI, oil changes (which I like to do more regularly than recommended) are an absolute doddle.
Thanks for the clarification. The 5k service interval is for the 450MT. I thought these would be the same. I might get these instead of waiting for the Kove 800X.
@@charliequach6399 yes, of course. 5000kms would be frustrating so great point. Probably one of the few downsides to the 450 MT 😉
I rechecked my info and yes, the US version requires 3k miles service intervals, whereas the rest of the world is 9k miles for the 800MT. That's why in the back of my mind the only thing holding me back from getting a CFMOTO is because all their bikes require 5k km service intervals.
Do you remind them its the same factory that makes KTM,s Harley gets parts made in China. Honda, suzuki, many others do to.
I shouldn’t let it get to me - most rational people know that large portions of what we buy are made up of components from China. That’s just the nature of the global market. Thanks for leaving a comment and checking out the video 😊
Guys….fuel map updates, or bike fresh from factory, or changed air or exhaust and suffer from jerky, snatchy Throttle to perform throttle relearn procedure. Mine had 2 fuel map updates minimised but never resolved snatchy and jerky throttle, hunting engine RPM was solved by simply remapping electronic throttle. Throttle inputs are linear and engine RPM stable. ua-cam.com/video/zSCt9Xx_aEg/v-deo.htmlsi=5IhuQh4BTn_Kz-Jp
@@index6738 thanks mate, I have tried this procedure and I didn’t notice a significant difference, but I quite like how it is as it stands 😉
@@benplaysbass2491 sweet. Callibration also reads 2 throttle bodies positions and air intake. Cold engine for this procedure works best.
@@index6738 I’m going to give it another go tomorrow. Thanks heaps 😀
Negative guy !!!
LOL - It's all about the click bait. I love this thing ;)