Hey, thanks for checking out the IBEX 450 with me! If your interested in any of the gear or mods you saw in the video & want to help me make more videos like this, here's a list of affiliate links that help support my content! Affiliate Links to my gear, tools & parts! (Click an affiliate link, make ANY purchase, & support the channel!) XR650/DR650 Stuff Carpuride W702 Pro Version: carpuride.com/products/carpuride-w702-pro-wireless-portable-upgraded-dual-bluetooth-waterproof-ip67-motorcycle-stereo-with-intercom-function-compass-barometer?ref=pcoxoocl XR Tires: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/tusk-waypoint-adventure-tire-p?ref=1042& DR Tires: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/tusk-dsport%C2%AE-adventure-tire-p?ref=1042& XR/DR 14 Tooth Sprocket: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/primary-drive-front-sprocket-upgrade-p?ref=1042& XR/DR Large Tank Bag: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-olympus-tank-bag-p?ref=1042& Chub Bars (XR-Moto Bend, DR-KTM Bend): www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-chub-1-1-8%22-big-bar-p?ref=1042& XR Bar Risers: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-universal-big-bar-clamp-kit-p?ref=1042& DR Bar Risers: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/rox-speed-fx-pro-offset-elite-block-risers-p?ref=1042& GPS Bar & Windshield for 1-1/8" Handlebars (!!!WARNING!!! The BLACK windshield is far too dark to see through, I recommend the TRANSPARENT!): amzn.to/3Tkd1WS GPS Bar & Windshield for 7/8" Handlebars (!!!WARNING!!! The BLACK windshield is far too dark to see through, I recommend the TRANSPARENT!): amzn.to/3z010yT XR/DR Large Tank Bag: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-olympus-tank-bag-p?ref=1042& DR Seat: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/seat-concepts-complete-seat-p?ref=1042& KLR650 Stuff Lexx Pipe (may not comply with local laws & requirements): www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/lexx-mxe-slip-on-silencer-with-mid-pipe-p?ref=1042& Camel ADV 1 Finger Clutch Mod: camel-adv.com/?ref=eOBjZXsn Racks & Bags: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-pannier-racks-with-tusk-pilot-pannier-bags-and-bottle-holders-p?ref=1042& Crash Bars Uppers: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-crash-bars-engine-guards-p?ref=1042& Lowers: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-lower-crash-bars-p?ref=1042& Nilight Lights (not DOT approved): amzn.to/3XDFdmC LED Brackets: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-bar-accessory-clamp-p?ref=1042& KTM High Bend Bars: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-chub-1-1-8%22-big-bar-p?ref=1042& Fat Bar Risers: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-universal-big-bar-clamp-kit-p?ref=1042& Tusk Tank Bag: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-olympus-tank-bag-p?ref=1042& Tail Bag: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/tusk-dry-duffel-bag-p?ref=1042& 2018 Kawasaki KX450F Fender: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/acerbis-front-fender-p?ref=1042&
Love it or hate it Chinese bikes are here and will make a huge impact. I like what CFMOTO and Kove has to offer and I’d love to try one. I’m looking for a lightweight adv bike and for now I’ll make do with my Husqvarna 701.
I've had my order in for some time now. At 70 years old, as I told my salesman, I can't wait 5 or 10 years for the Japanese manufactures to get off their buts and offer all these desirable features, and certainly not at this price. I have two Hondas now, and they are nice, but Honda and others seem to be resting on their laurels instead of innovating like this. They best get with it...
How would you say it stacks up against a dr or xr650l? I assume it's not as good off road with less travel and ground clearance, but is it in the same ball park?
3:30 - YES! A Clock is very useful. I love having the clock in the dash on my DRZ. Prior to my DRZ, I strapped a digital wristwatch to the handlebars. I used it on my first gen KLR too.
people commenting on how they'd rather get a ktm or japanese for quality when ktm and cfmoto are partners, share tech and parts and make their bikes in the same factory with the same standards and materials. This is a modernized midweight adventure aimed at beginners and people limited by the european a1 license, its not a dualsport, its not supposed to replace dedicated offroad bikes like the 300 rally (which is closer to a dualsport than an adventure) and its not supposed to replace the tenere 700 as it has less power while still having the same 200mm of suspension travel and general comfort and most capable engine possible with said limitations while also staying affordable.
i have the 450mt for a bit more than 4 months now, and i have clocked in around 6500km, so for anyone interested, here is my opinion so far. Its very well built, i had a versys 650 before and decided i wanted something more offroad capable while still being able to travel. I had a car crash onto me and the thing took it like a tank, no damage whatsoever other than a slight bent on the steering wheel and some scrathes. Stock it comes with a 14 tooth front sprocket, good for offroad and some mid range speed hooning but i opted for a 15 tooth which allows me to cruise at 110km/h at 6k rpms (it was around 7k rpms stock) A friend gifted me a larger windshield for it and it fully covers me, but stock windshield wind protection is ok I put in a performance air filter from DNA and it made the thing even snappier at low speeds (you can mod the air filter cap to a "stage 2" kinda like the 3 by 3 mod in the drzsand it makes it have an even more enduro like response) Aftermarket options are FILLED, you can easily spend another 5k on top of it in performance and accesories (full titanium exhausts with ecu remaps and even more aggresive cams the list is endless) Personally i am thinking of buying the "tall seat" and putting in in the lower linkage, it will make it 1cm taller but it will make the bent of the knees less "aggresive" since i use it for long travels Its average fuel consuption on mountain twisty roads (mostly in 3rd gear, about 6-7k rpms) while chasing a V-strom 650 and being chased by a cf 700mt was right below 5 litres per 100 The cst tyres are perfectly fine in dry conditions but once it gets tricky, one twist of the throtle and you are drifting, so thats something that needs to be changed now that winter is approaching Its top speed is a bit of a let down for some, but me, being a big boned food enthusiast, while having a top box and a larger windshield on it, was able to clock 163km/h, which i find perfectly reasonable It can pass cars in the highway at speeds of 100-120km/h by opening the throtle but anything higher than 140 and its smaller engine is showing its lack of horsepower (when compared to 650s, which again, is to be expected) It feels light, playful and happy to be close to the redline while still being torqy at low rpms, its exhaust note is intoxicating, the brakes have a nice bite to them, not too strong of a bite but definately strong enough I raced a himalayan 450 from stop light to stop light and it didnt really compare, i kinda walked away once we changed to 2nd gear (the himalayan driver was my dealerships mechanic and even he admited the 450mt is the "more complete" option of the 2) I kinda just wrote whatever came to my mind but i will be more than happy to answer if anyone has any questions
Looking forward to the content on Dad's trip out west! He's so laid back and the typical lovable Midwestern Dad. I should know, my Dad is from South Dakota. 😂
I have one, it's very good, it carries its weight so low that you really don't think or worry about it. Would be better if: 1) you could completely turn off front ABS, particularly for the steep gnarly downhills stuff; 2) it had ride by wire with CC, after all, it's an adventure bike so you do highway it; 3) stock rim/tyre sizes that are common industry sizes that maintain stock seat height, (the rear tyre size is uncommon). Interested to see what you think of it when you ride one because to me it looks and feels and rides like a 450 T7, but at almost half the price - and that's a real thing and IMO why the 450MT is selling like hot cakes.
I had the CFmoto 450mt on the top of my list but the 100lb weight penalty over the Honda CRF300L rally sold me on the Honda. I will mostly ride alone and I like trails more than roads. More power would be nice but I wouldn't be able to use it off road at my skill level yet. Eventually I'll get desperate for more power and that's when I'll swap a cbr500 engine into the 300 rally. 350lbs, 47hp, 75mpg, smooth and quiet as can be. I'll still be jelly off the 270° sound but can't have everything.
@@BeanieBiker_AutisticRider You probably don't mean to say it wrong but the stock suspension is not bouncy. Like a feather pillow, it has very little resistance to compression and is slow to rebound. The kits all increase the spring force and compression damping to add more bounce. Rally Raid themselves call it overly soft. I am 125lbs so the stock suspension is working fine for me right now. I have the rear preload turned in 6mm from backed all the way off. I rarely carry more than 50lbs in a backpack and I don't have any bags yet. The soft suspension made learning to wheelie it kinda weird. I have to really pogo the thing but I can climb up a 1' ledge and ride up 45° stairs. I can comfortably cruise washed out gravel roads with 4" deep ruts at 50mph. After every ride I climb a stack of 6x6 lumber in my backyard. I'm not even a good rider, the bike is just forgiving and I've never bottomed it out. Eventually the suspension will wear out and I'll upgrade. I'll add, for those that care, the Renthal 7/8 bars I have on there really made a big difference for how the bike feels when you have to make fast steering inputs. It's already a flickable bike and the bars just multiplied that effortless feeling.
Excellent review. Concerning tubed vs tubeless, I recently watched a video by an English gentleman biker who once worked at a tire shop and swore that he would never ride a bike on the freeway again with tubed tires, and that is why he didn't buy the Transalp. His fear was blowouts. He kind of convinced me, along with being able to fix a flat quickly in windy cold rain, that tubeless is the way to go.
Yeah, I'm definitely a believer in HD tubes after losing a tube on some rocks. A plug kit does sound much, much nicer than having to mess around removing a wheel and swapping or patching a tube!
I don't trust any motorcycle review from 2 of the 3 you mentioned. All three have very little off-road skills to advise if something is good off road. I trust OnTheBackWheel and BigRockMoto 100%. The MT/Ibex450 is getting great reviews around the world. Lol to comparing this to the KLR...two different planets of capability. IMO the Ibex450 will destroy 300L and KLR sales. Most likely DRZ and DR sales also. I will never sell my DR650 but might add the Ibex450 to my collection. I think it will be a good fit between my DR650 and 800DE. Maybe Suzuki can learn from the Ibex450 and come out with a DR-Light.
Its interesting that a few people think that. If u put the same amount of gas in a KLR that Ibex holds, and throw away the tool kit not provided by Ibex its only 4lbs lighter. Fill up the tank, the KLR is far better on highway with wind protection and range is 80 miles farther. Offroad majority of riders would prefer plush suspension over stiff Ibex, and the KLR has far more low end torque and no twitchy throttle like Ibex. The KLR is far better suited for ADV with easy preload adjustment and big rack. So really the Ibex is only better at high speed offroad riding which people like to think they do, but they dont. DR or anything 100lbs lighter is far better offroad, and the ADV bikes already produced are superior to highway and ADV riding so this Ibex while being a cool bike is only a budget alternative to a 790R
I trust Dork in the Road *because* he's on a pretty modest skill level, especially with bikes like this where most buyers will be brand new to adventure riding or bikes in general. I love watching masters of the craft absolutely rip trails apart on whatever machinery they're given but I also know that my experience on the same bike is going to have almost nothing in common with their experiences, and a lot more with Dork's.
This bike will definitely not destroy crf300l sales. They are completely different bikes. The crf300l weighs 125 pounds less and has a single cylinder. It's a dual sport, and far, far more capable of road. 430 pounds is fine for moderate trails and dirt roads but it would never be able to go on the trails I take my crf300l on. Basically the same stuff I ride on my KTM 350excf, just at a slower pace.
@tieoneon1614 Stiff Ibex suspension is adjustable and can be softened and fully adjusted. KLR, you get garbage. There is a huge difference between pluch suspension and bouncy garbage. If you have KLR, that's great. It's an incredible value. But don't make it something it isn't. Twitchy throttle has been fixed. If the majority of your time is on the highway, you probably should buy a street bike like the Transalp. You are on your own planet if you think the KLR will out perform the Ibex in ANY category.
Short guy, here, and I can't wait till there's a test ride nearby, for sure. I love my KLR650S, but there's a lot I'm liking about what folks are seeing on this thing.
The T7 will certainly feel a bit smoother and much more solid on the road. It actually handles it's weight off road really well too, right up until you stop or snub it off that is haha. That's why my dad dropped it both times in the clips in this video and I think the only reason I ever dropped it too... Other than when it tossed me in the sand haha. Definitely an awesome machine.
Keep in mind that the t7 is nearly 100lbs heavier than the dr650. I own both bikes and daily my t7 to work (30 mi each way) . The yamaha is very smooth on the road and the extra weight ( over the dr) helps alot on the highway. I rode the nebdr on my dr650 last fall, it ate it up. Tusk dsport tires/ cogent dynamics suspension helped alot. I'm changing the pirellis to some more aggressive tires on my t7 and then riding the pennsylvania bdr sometime soon.
I own this bike as well as a MT 09 , CB1300 Duke 390 , can honestly say it’s build quality and performance is right up there. Would recommend this bike . Would not worry about it being Chinese probably every thing you buy is probably made in China or a certain % is.
It's an old habit to think product from China are crap. China now build everything and parts are available around the world. They also are at the top of the sciences (AI, space exploration, etc...). They built hospitals in few day during COVID.... I don't understand why people think Chineses build not reliable things.
The guy I bought my DRZ400 from had a CF Moto 300 NK in his garage. I thought it was a KTM when Ifirst saw it. It seemed better put together than my Kawasaki Versys-x 300. I could have been fooled into thinking it was a KTM or Japanese bike. I really want to check out the Ibex 450. I might consider one. However, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 seems way more interesting to me. It's a thumper and it's cheaper too. From what I'm seeing on UA-cam, it's more offroad capable while still being really good on the highway.
I'm leaning toward the Himalayan over the Ibex as well. Aside from the fact that I'd rather have an Indian bike than a Chinese one (though I'd rather have Japanese or European than either) I just like the RE's styling way more, it looks like a mini R80GS rather than something out of Gundam.
Yeah? That's definitely good to hear! It's hard to tell from videos and photos, but they sure seem to be better than what most people expect. Which is exactly what they need if they want to compete with the others in this class. The Himalayan definitely has my interest too!
@@max_archerif only people knew how much human suffering exists in India, and how little the government cares about it. It's funny how people are influenced by media
I found the best solution to this argument is very simple: buy a street legal enduro for technical/difficult off-road trails, and a adventure bike for road-based and easier off-road adventures. Stop trying to find one bike that does both, unless your name is Cris Birch or jerry Lewis. My favorite combo in this domain is a 2023 KTM 350 EXC-F and a 2017 KTM 1090R.
Yeah, it's pretty difficult to find something that can actually "do it all". That being said, I don't think it's impossible (depending where you ride) and it seems that companies are putting more effort into making something that can cover a wider variety of terrains, which I'm pretty excited to see!
It seems years that kawasaki had a massive gap between 300cc and 650cc. Honda had the 250cc and 500cc. Yamaha had the wr125 and xt660. And suzuki just had the V-strom. A versys x400 would have a least been something. Maybe even a T3 would have got a few sales.
Your fav UA-camrs are the same one's I listen to. I'll add in Ian from Big Rock Moto, though he hasn't tested an Ibex 450 /MT yet. What I really want to hear about is a direct ride comparison between the 450 and a T7, especially off-road handling and manners. I've always found the T7 a bit heavy offroad - is the 450 a significant improvement? It would be great if you could get your hands on a 450 to test and redo the DRZ vs DR video you did with 450 vs T7...
Love the idea of the CF450 but currently own 2012 gs1200 Rallye, 2023 701 (31L tanks) + Rallye kit, 2018 DRZ with 28l tank It’s more a do-all bike rather than a perfect extra bike (if that makes sense 🤷♂️)
Great content bro, just one piece of advice, use metric system when throwing in numbers (you can mention both metric and imperial as well). You are providing data and this is informational content, so I have seen a lot of American UA-camrs doing it nowadays. If you want to appeal to a bigger, international and civilized audience (joke) you have to use metric as well.
Probably to many choices really. 1 cylinder 2 cylinder 3 cylinder 4 cylinder, v twin, parallel twin. V 4 . every capacity from 49-2500cc sports bikes, retro, off road, adventure, cruiser, touring,
I honestly think the KOVE 800 is the unicorn bike that's going to change the industry. One of the lightest mid ADV bikes, an improved version of the KTM 790 engine. It's been on the Chinese market since 2020 so it's been thoroughly tested by owners. There's one guy that has 300K on the odometer. And he doesn't have any complaints.
WOW that's awesome!!! I think the Kove is an awesome machine, but my guess is, it's just a little too aggressive for the vast majority of dual sport and ADV riders. I'd sure like one though!
Yeah, I cannot believe Honda made the 300 Rally but not a 450 version... Same deal with the Versys 300 X, why wouldn't they make a 650 version??? I really hope this thing makes them get their stuff together and put out some worthwhile small ADV bikes!
Im waiting myself. I have 3 dealers with in 45 minutes of my house. They said any day now. Im a DRZ400 guy, which i see a ton of DRZ guys jumping on this one...as it is actually cheaper than a brand new DRZ400....and that my friend.....is awesome. I am planning on buying it with our signing bonus which i expect in the end will be $10,000....I am a Boeing Striker. In 2012, when the new hires voted out our pension, i used that signing bonus to get a sweet deal on the barely broken in 2011 DRZ400 in 2012 from dealer with 1200 miles on it for $4200 out the door. Still cant get one that cheap unless its stock, with high miles and beat up.
Really, that many??? I'd expect the big bore thumper guys, like me, to be interested. But this seems like a pretty different bike compared to a DRZ. That being said, I went from a DRZ to a KLR. So I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised haha.
Two of the reviewers you mentioned really don't have the knowledge to review a motorcycle honestly. The other two, like the ones I said don't have the knowledge, do reviews of reviews. The bike looks okay at the price point, but just remembering that a much more solid manufacturer, KTM, who does not sell cheap, had way too many reliability issues early on, on most of their bikes makes me wonder. I have a CFMOTO dealer less than five miles away. I know the mechanics. Sales are up on the side by sides and quads. It's end of September. Guess what has the repair yard filled and waiting for parts? And not just the four wheel ones. Yeah. They break. But CFMOTO has lots of advertising money. Looks like a flood of it hit the US and everyone is falling over themselves to give definitive reviews of a bike they rode for less than a day. Like the 1000 Mile Reviews of tire that they have rode 450 miles on. Wear it down to the threads and then give me the review. Get someone like Big Rock to beat the heck out of the bike. Ian has reviewed the street CFMOTO's, but most of what I saw in the repair yard were broken by other than smooth pavement. Get FortNine to say it's a game changer.
I'll 100% never trust any bike like I trust my Honda's, Suzuki's, & Yamaha's. That being said, those dealers usually also have lots filled with machines needing repairs too. Sort of just how it goes.
They've been in Aus for some time now, several longer term reviews (10,000km+) are emerging and the users are vastly very happy with them. There have been a few minor niggles (gearing and a lack of a drain in the bolt on lower frame rail) but nothing glaring as yet. The motor has been around for a few years in the SR450 and NK450 and has an overall good reputation.
@@krazed0451 The Aussies seem to ride them harder too, to many clueless noobs on youtube, people need to go ride the things , learn what they're made for, and stop moaning about things that are irrelevant to this style bike... Comparing it to a DR650 is laughable...
I rode the CFMoto 450 recently (thank you Malcolm) in between riding my year-old Honda Transalp. It actually felt OK, but of course revved a lot more than the 750 Honda, being much smaller engine capacity. But - like a CB500X - it felt like it could have been related to the Honda, just with a smaller engine. It is quite heavy for a 450, and revving over 6,000 RPM at 100 kmh (60 mph) is obviously a lot less relaxed than the Honda's 3,800, but the bike appears to be reasonably well made, and certainly offers many features for a very low price. A lot of features my Honda doesn't come with... But these models are having to overcome a resistance to Chinese vehicles in the west. They will need a few year's record of reliability, and dedicated stand-alone dealerships that 'do the right thing', before western buyers will buy them in significant numbers. But they provide a cheaper option for buyers, and choice is usually a good thing. And there was I thinking I'd already bought the 'cheap option'! But I will be sticking with my Honda. After 18,500 kms (about 12k miles) I am really enjoying the Honda. But yes - it will need some suspension upgrading.
The rest of the west is already fine with them. It just seems north Americans are the ones who don't trust them. Which is fair given they are fairly new there. We have had cfmoto for over a decade here in Australia
I mean it weighs the same as the T7 essentially. I'd rather have the extra power and Japanese reliability. That being said I am glad someone is trying to make what the market has been asking for. I'm still waiting for a 450cc single proper dual sport with long maintenance intervals.
It may only be 30lbs lighter, but from everything I've seen and looking over the specs. This should feel much, much easier to control. Weight is important, but my 369 lb DR feels much lighter to pick up, move and ride than my 346 lb XR.
The one thing which @SwankyCatProductions has identified, is you're not lifting the bike up into the air. You're standing the bike up from laying on the ground. And the weight distribution is what makes it better than the T7 in this area. It is a lot easier to stand up than a T7. You need to watch the reviews coming from Australia. I have not seen a bad review. The biggest complaint I've seen so far is that they did not plug the subframe, which runs under the motor, so it can hold water. The fix, plug the holes when you buy it. Another is the bump pads on the front of the seat can fall out, but their is a guy in Australia, that has designed a reverse pad, that stays on the bike and solves the issue. There is also a company in Tamworth, that already has ECU mods to fix the throttle hesitation. I believe the software update, may even address this.
CF Moto has been making engines for KTM for a while. This bike is awesome... especially at this price point. Is that a painting of Camp Crystal Lake to your right? 😮
Yeah I've heard that! I'm interested to see how the new 390 ends up looking in comparison. Could be! I got it from my Grandma's collection along with a few others.
There's a lot going on in the world. China's corporate tax rate is 25%. I'm watching this on a tablet made in China because there is not an alternative, but if there were, I'd buy it. I'll probably just stick with Honda.
@@SwankyCatProductions Well at any point in the last 6 years Kawasaki could have easily updated the versys 300. Maybe they will see what a huge market share they are missing out on
I completely understand being hesitant over something new with an unproven track record, but everyone who keeps dismissing it outright, arguing that it is only a little lighter than the T7, while being significantly less powerful, while accurate, are completely missing the point. It is almost HALF THE PRICE, comes with more features (did someone say tubeless), and based on reviews carries its weight lower. Do we wish it was lighter and more powerful? Of course! But it is a step in the right direction and it is undeniable that it is garnering significant interest, and hopefully this will force the mainstream brands to respond. On a somewhat related note, as someone who does not know engines super well, I am wondering if there has to be an inherent lower weight limit on a twin cylinder motorcycle without it being a completely bare bones/stripped motorcycle and/or it not being absurdly expensive. I.e. How much lighter could a twin cylinder motorcycle of reasonable cost and quality (subjective I know) be? I am genuinely asking.
RIGHT?!?! It's like no one even pays attention! Haha. It's certainly not perfect, but it sure sounds like a much better option than most of the bikes out there in this slot and for someone my size, and off road interests, I'd much rather fight this thing on single track than the much, much taller Tenere. It's amazingly capable, until you stop moving (like my dad did in the tip over footage). That is an interesting question... I'm certainly no expert when it comes to engines either, but I do actually have a Mechanic Design Degree. After 12 years in the engineering department at my old company, my biggest take away is that with the right people, tools and materials, you can do just about anything. However, as you alluded too, that all ads up quick and if it puts the profit margin too close to the red, the engineering team ends up looking for alternative options. That being said, I'm really, really interested to see if the big Japanese manufacturers will come out with something even better!
Bazz 66 has a video from looks like Australia (I first thought Europe), reports of the subframes filling with water and rusting. in the video he pulls his off like someone he knows suggested and the amount of water in the subframe is very very unsettling.
Some pundits claim motorcycle ridership is dwindling, especially for young 1st time riders. What would appeal to young riders?...this new IBEX 450 and the new Himalayan 450 fit that ideal. (Big Rock Moto has a great review of the new Himalayan). Look at the features you get with these 2 bikes AND at a great price. I have a DR650 and love it. Would I consider an IBEX and/or Himalayan 450?...YES I would!!! But I would still keep my "old school" DR650.
Yeah, with the whole van life thing picking up interest I'd sure think some good quality entry level ADV bikes light this would help gain some interest! The T7 is great, but an AWFUL starter bike for someone brand new and as great as I'm sure the CRF Rally are, I doubt their all that appealing to a younger generation who didn't grow up with single cylinders and carburetors!
I thought, since you choose the DR and KLR, you would appreciate Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 thumper more than this one. Even though they are at similar displacement, the single cylinder from Himalayan would give more low-down torque and bit more spice for off-road use.
You're not wrong! I'm planning on doing a similar video on the Himalayan soon. It sounds a little less off road oriented from what I've seen so far, but is an AWESOME looking bike!
What’s the weight capacity of this bike? I’m a beginner and looking at getting into ADV bikes but I am a big guy. Not sure if a 450 would be good for a bigger rider. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you
I don't recall seeing a weight carrying capacity. However, most bikes can be adjusted for heavier riders with the help of a suspension shop. So as long as the aftermarket comes out with replacement parts to increase carrying capacity, it might not be a bad option.
Yamaha, That's rich! They make 4 or 5 versions of the Tenure T7 and sell them all in Europe. While we in the USA could barely get our hands on the original version (the only version we still get) when the bike was introduced. So that drove up prices for everyone. Yamaha killed the WR250 and never gave us a replacement. I do not understand their North American outlook. You could say that Yamaha does not care about the USA market anymore.
@@SwankyCatProductions No doubt about the Tenere . I put my 500 dollar deposit on it in Feb 2020 . Now I don't know what I want to do with it but I do want a lighter bike to get some seat time in and get the rust off my limited riding skills . Plus something that I can load easy into my truck if need be is a must . The Kove got a lot of praise and I believe it is lighter and has a few more ponies so ??? But the company has corporate issues it appears or something so maybe a wait and see approach is best . Maybe the CRF300L Rally with the 550 Performance ECU could fit the bill for the moment , just not a fan of bright colors on my bikes (pedal or motorized) . A head to head with the Kove and Ibex is in order and both are priced really reasonably so what's to lose ? Not saying go buy one of each for you to test for us but maybe you or can maybe do a demo deal with a dealership or something . Alright my man looking forward to your next video with your bitchin thumpers .
Looks interesting. China can make anything as good or as bad as you want them to. It’s not surprising that they make a decent motorcycle. You might be surprised to know that in many other countries there is a huge Chinese car market. I’ve driven one, it’s really wasn’t that bad. That said, it has one cylinders too many for my taste 😂
China is constrained by the same economic realities as any other country. If they endeavored to make a bike as good as the Japanese, it would cost just as much. What they can do is make a facsimile, using cheaper materials and less skilled labor, that appears on the surface to be just as good. But five years down the road, the cracks will begin to show.
Yeah definitely! It's all about quality control and how companies spec things out. They make some real garbage. I rode a super cheap ATV a few years back and couldn't believe anyone would actually ride it more than once. But these seem like they might actually be worth buying!
The IBEX is intended to be a smaller inexpensive entry to mid level ADV. The Kove is more intended to compete with bikes like my 701 Enduro (also NOT a beginner type bike).
@@SwankyCatProductions sure, but is the price really what makes it so groundbreaking? The himalyan 450 is cheaper and the versys300x is about the same. Sorry mate, I was referring to the new kove 800x not the kove 450 rally! The kove800x is a twin cylinder ADV. Its for sale in europe but dont think its reached the states yet.
Anyway, modern adv bikes are still way too heavy. Yesterday I was looking at the specs of the old Yamaha Teneré 600Z year 1985... 165 Kg dry weight! 😮😮😮
Yeah, I think most are set up to be a little more road oriented. Where the older ones were much more simple and designed to get through a bit more off road.
They pretty much made a T7 lookalike, but removed about 40% of the power while only removing 5% of the weight, how is that a gamechanger. A small displacement bike in a heavy frame.
The weight, as I mentioned is not ideal. It's a game changer, because it's the only one like it in the game. Watch a few ride comparisons, it may be heavy but it still works really well.
The CFMoto have the front fairing knee knock problem that keeps me off of modern ADVs. Tenere doesn't have this problem, neither do the KLR/DR/XR/KLX/CRF/whatever. It feels that more and more bikes are just after stats and less about a decent rider triangle and a more open cockpit. Granted, I am a gigantic freak, but it's still something of note.
All this hate in the comments. It's been getting good reviews across multiple countries. A modern, light weight adventure with a $6.5k price. I'm interested.
Yeah, a lot of it's politics. Beyond that though, once it's proven it's real would reliability I think it'll be a pretty hard bike to beat. Which is exactly why I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to see what the Japanese manufacturers come out with to complete!
Hmm, more suspension travel and adjustments, more ground clearance, larger tubeless yet spoked wheels - not sure how you think this isn't a better ADV bike than a CB500X. I own a 2022 CB500X, it's a great bike but it's not a true ADV...
@@ralliant5941 Honda reliability is a real thing! I've had my CB500X for about 2 years now without a single issue and it runs just as well now as the day I bought it. Unfortunately, the Japanese manufacturers have become complacent and Chinese manufacturers are giving them a much needed swift kick on the behind! I'm guessing that, over the next couple of years, one or more of Suzuki, Honda, and Kawasaki will offer a 450cc, lighter weight ADV with a proper 18/21 wheel setup, over 8" of travel front and back, over 8" of ground clearance, etc. They're going to have to, if they don't want to lose this entire small displacement ADV market niche to CF Moto, Royal Enfield, and KTM (if the rumored 390 ADV update is for real).
If u put the same about of gas in a KLR and throw away the tool kit, the Ibex is only 4lbs lighter. KLR rides plusher and has more low end torque offroad. Fill the tank with almost 2.5 gallons more gas and has +80 mile farther range. And better wind protection on highway and bettter suited for loading up ADV riding. Thats the problem with "Unicorn" bikes is u buy/build one, then u start riding offroad OR highway more. The bike cant do both good enough. So it gets sold within 2 years. The 300L Rally, XR/DR are 100lbs lighter and far better offroad. The T7 or AT are better for highway and longer trips. So while the Ibex is cool bike, its not technically better at anything vs a KLR than high speed offroad riding cuz of the stiffer suspension and now its mainly a budget option to the 890/790R or heavier/more powerful CRF300L Rally. Or for that price u can buy a used Tiger 800XC with exact same suspension, weight, but double the hp.
Agreed. But if you're looking for a small, inexpensive option that you can learn on and still grow into, with 21st century features, this will be a hard bike to beat. Which is exactly why I think it's going to push the Japanese manufacturers to make something better.
@@SwankyCatProductions I agree on that end. The EPA getting muzzled two months ago is what made Suzuki jump on updating the DRZ. Not in the market anymore but Im pumped to see what Yamaha and 'Zuki do the WR and DRZ.
It claims more HP than a KLR 650, but is slower, has a 6th gear, but it's top end is lower than a KLR650, has no real aftermarket support, has no reliability data and basically comes across an under-powered KLR650 with front fully and rear partially adjustable suspense (the only improvement over the KLR besides being cheaper). Talk to me in five years when all the early buyers have beta tested the bike for CFMOTO and after-market decides it the thing will catch on. I don't have money to spend on a bike that may end up in the shop most of the time. I'd rather pay the $2K more and buy a DR650. Before you cannot buy them anymore.
" has no reliability data". look at the Australian LONG TERM reviews . Sower is a gearing thing, not a power thing mate, if you're going to try and trash talk something, at least sound like you know what you're talking about...!
@@MickH60 Long Term. The 450MT has been available in Australia and the Philippines since late March 2024. That's not long term. If the manufacturer specs are "trash talking the bike", what's that say about the bike? I think you were just looking for someone to argue with. Take your meds. Eat something.
Weight. Weight is the killer. 450 should not be heavier than 650 and I feel that my DR650 is the max I can handle offroad for a whole day riding. WR450F was way lighter and I regret that I had to sell it. So, 350 lbs wet is the limit for lightweight 450cc adv bike. I am in my late 50s and ride 30 road/70 dirt.
It sounds like it's light on it's feet, but even still I'm sure it would be a lot to ride off road for hours on end. I much prefer my lighter XR and DR to my heavier KLR.
Indeed! That's one spec that could certainly be improved, but weight down low isn't nearly as bad as weight up high. My heavier DR feels much lighter to ride than my much lighter XR!
I don't care how good it is, not interested in feeding the dragon. I go out of my way to purchase thing made in usa. If made in usa is not available I buy things made by our friends (fair trading partners). I still like your channel👍
Stupid reply, How many countries has China started wars with, or financed wars with ? NONE, how many wars has the USA started ort funded ? lots mate, the hypocrisy coming mainly from people in the USA is laughable. If you threw away everything you own that contained something made in China you be living in a cave naked, stop being so naïve.
Just about everything you purchase is made in China! Most of the parts on your current motorcycle are made in China as well! I understand your viewpoint but it falls short when you put it into perspective.
@@SRaymond1984 just waving your hand and saying everything's made in China and there's no choice, is what actually falls short. There is a choice and I consciously make it everyday. where there is no choice the decision has to be made if I'm going to hold my nose and feed the Chinese dragon, live without, or think outside of the box and maybe purchase something used that may fill my need
@@glennbukac7533I’m not saying you are wrong or it isn’t justified. I wish more Americans would share your viewpoint and start making these things here! If a US company made this Ibex it would probably be the bike that brought North America back into the world market for something other than Harley. We as a nation have become solely dependent on foreign manufacturing and foreign companies for our needs. It’s a shame really.
@@SRaymond1984 I constantly have the conversation with my circle of friends if you're honestly green, worried about the environment, worried about workers rights you would back that up with spending habits buy not purchasing Chinese products otherwise it's just a bunch of garbage lip service. Believe It or Not There are even choices at Harbor Freight that are not made in China recently I was looking for some blade type Automotive fuses so I went to my local Ace Hardware and couldn't believe the outrageous prices for a handful of fuses that were made in China I went to Harbor Freight and there was a package of 60 blade type fuses made by our friends in Taiwan for a fraction of the price. I need to buy a couple of 9 volt batteries went to Home Depot and at the battery islands all of them were made in China and very expensive you go to another end cap or Island nearby in a not so convenient area it's almost on purpose that they put the less expensive battery made in Malaysia were you can't see it
No, Yamaha wants you to buy the bike that they make not the bike that you want or need. If Yamaha did, they are perfectly capable of making a bike like this. CFMoto #1
I just can't get on the hype train with this bike. All the weight of the bigger twins without the performance? If they made a 550cc adventurized single 100lbs lighter than this one they'd have everyone's attention and could name their price.
I like the idea..... but the glairing problem I see is the weight ! for some reason the chinese bikes are extremely heavy ! not by a little either ! I bought a CSC 450cc bike I thought it was the best of all the bikes on offer BUT due to it's weight and high center of gravity I got rid of it within the first 2 years.... it was just too darn heavy. it reminded me of a Honda shadow 1100cc....and it's 800lbs weight the bike just felt very heavy ! my Xr650l is not the same at all even with the larger after market gas tank on it. your review on the ABS was very important to me I like the idea of setting the front wheel to be on ABS and not the rear if that bike will do that it will change the bike world !!! I do not see myself getting one in the future but if I won the Lotto I probably would just to see how it works ! thanks for the review Ben ! excellent job i think you covered everything !possible, except valve type... shims or adjustable rockers? and what kind of oil filter does it have ?
Seeing comments here 😅 saying dont buy Chinese, i wonder if they realise most European brands are now built in china and other asian countries 🤔 happy to drop £5k on one of these, you can keep your racism american views on China 🇨🇳 😉
Yeah, I don't really understand why people get so upset about it. There are plenty of good and bad companies all over the world. CF Moto seems to be making some pretty good stuff and I'm excited to test ride one at the very least!
@SwankyCatProductions test road one at the ABR festival, all of Europe is sold out at the moment, hoping to get mine in a month or two. The bike is sweet, engine is smooth and not viby, pulls nice through the gears, it is well balanced and easy to move about. Australia these bikes are having a go without issue, and there is a lad who just used one going from Germany to Asia and back which was 10k in all with the basic service of oil and air filter, didn't miss a beat. I'm specifically buying this bike as an off road TET bike, as it will take my soft luggage and big enough for the long stretches on the motorway down, but nimble enough to be used off road, it is basically a baby T7 but easier to handle.
@@SwankyCatProductionsthink it would have to be a single cylinder to make sense. More of a 450cc dual sport with rally styling. That's my unicorn bike.
@@joshdoddadbod I love my mildly tuned adventurized 450. If you back off the tune for longer service intervals you'll need to increase the displacement to 550cc to keep 40hp at the wheel. A soft tuned 450 with 40hp at the crank will feel like a DRZ and be missing the fun factor experienced riders are looking for.
Cf moto tries dazzling people with it’s electronics. You know the cheap stuff that you immediately see when you look at the motorcycle to draw you in. Internally you’ll probably be lucky to get to 10k miles before failure. Not to mention when you go to sell it your not getting what you would for a Japanese bike, any money you saved not buying a quality brand will be lost in trade/sale.
Yeah, I'm curious how long these will last when ridden hard off road. It sounds like they're decent quality, but it's hard to determine how long that'll last, especially out in the elements.
Pretty different specs than any of the Strom's and sounds like it's a TON better off road than any of them would be. With the exception of the 800DE of course, but that's an entirely different class.
@@SwankyCatProductions it literally has the same suspension travel which isn’t much and is heavier than the small Vstrom. Same weight as a t7 but with no where near the power of either bike or reliability.
I was a little surprised when I heard the weight. Early reports were predicting under 400 lbs. Funny , Ben ,I was thinking almost identical weight to a Gen2 KLR when I heard the true specs.
Requiring an app on my phone is a deal breaker if true. I'm getting tired of everything being leveraged for data collection. We've sold our privacy for convenience.
I don't see this mentioned enough. One of the first criticisms of the 700 class twins. I think it is possible to make a lightweight twin dual sport, which would imply it being a stripper. Like an EXC 500.
Where talking about two different riders. If you want T7 power and are skilled or large enough to rip on a Tenere, then of course there's no way you'd want this. That's not who this bike is for or what it's supposed to compete with.
I really like this video and a lot of the other videos from different UA-camrs you know covering motorcycles and stuff but what I can't stand about this younger generation is the way they are presenting everything they talk like damn robots like I want to be news anchor from the 70s just talk completely normal because you know you don't talk like that when you talk to people I don't even know how to try to explain it but I'm thinking of like 1970s news anchor just talk normal other than that man you doing a great job covering these videos
This bike only looks good on paper. Its got nothing on a t7. Gonna be a dog on the highway and twisties. Weighs almost as much as the t7, with only a single front rotor and 41mm forks. When you pay for clones, you end innovation. Yamaha first to mass produce crossplane twin. Yamaha designs t7 from ground up and created the most popular segment in the industry. Cfmoto copied everything and cheaped out on all of it.
You need to look up information before going on a tangent. 1 CFmoto has been working with KTM and producing there 790 engines since 2017 (there engines are not a "clone of anything") There is a BIG difference between 41mm Right side up forks vs 41mm USD forks. Also if you think Yamaha created the adventure bike/Dakar style bike segment you may not want to tell BMW who was the first to create an adventure bike as we know it. I assume you have I don't know not actually ridden one or seen one in person? There was a time not long ago that this is the same uneducated biased opinion people had on "jap bikes". also it looks like a lot of people are getting around 55hp out of these engines by retuning and changing exhaust which also cuts weight by about 20lbs so a 55hp (not at redline) and 50lbft at just a tick over 400lbs at $6500+600 for full exhaust and retuned ECU sounds pretty good.
@@Jmacfann I did not claim yamaha invented adventure bikes. But there is not one new bike that comes out in the middle weight segment that is not compared to a T7. I have not seen one as I live in N. America. I did not say anything about chinese bikes. I only named cfmoto directly. Adding more horsepowe tor the bike may make it better all around, but its not gonna help that fork and rotor fade. By the way KTM has not been know for their reliability lately.
@@awktik7074 I am in north America as well. I mean you directly said a clone which it isn't. for off road riding having 2 310mm disks is not better. This is the discussion equivalent of someone having 24 inch wheels with mud tires on their truck. Yes obviously it is going to be compared to the T7 as that is price and category the closest bike to this. You are saying it only looks good on paper than saying something isn't good purely based on what it says on the paper. Its hypocritical.
@@Jmacfann ok, get one and learn how bad the resale on cfmoto is. The issues with the forks and the rotor wouldnt be if the weight was much less. Again the issue is that spec'd with the weight of the bike. They made a attractive looking bike, but they cut a lot of corners. You can claim its not a clone, but that position is not the majority.
@@awktik7074 This is a mistake to continue this uneducated conversation but what corners were cut? Seriously though it has a full TFT has a button to turn ABS. off at the rear (which Yamaha got rid of and now you have to go though a stupid menu and it doesn't remember what you had it at when you turn it off) has tubeless spoked wheels which is a double edged sword but also what is on much more expensive bikes, has over the air updates that does not require you to go to a dealer for a fueling update, yeah seems like a lot of corners where cut. what is it a "clone" of. As some one who owns bikes from the 80s and 70s and more recent (so a lot of different fork sizes and types) your fork argument just is so focuses there are so many factors that go into how good or responsive a fork is more than just stanchions size. I don't look at what my bike will resell at that isn't why I buy a bike I buy them to ride them. Since neither of us has ridden one this whole thing is a moot point. Again this was the exact same stuff said about the big 3 Japanese companies back in the 60s...just saying I think people may have been wrong.
Oh dude, very poor choice of trustworthy sources. Solid, Dork and Spike are noobs. They mostly openly say they’re noobs. Their opinions are for noobs, not for people who ride and actually know what they’re looking for. Look at their offroad rides. They have decent following, but definitely not for their riding skills 😂 For their rides, literally any bike would suffice.
Everyone rides at a slightly different level and has different interests and aspirations. That goes for content creators and content consumers. Which is precisely why I collect info from a wide variety of sources.
Why .. they already have brought thousands of Yamaha T7’s .. why would they sell them and buy something they’ve never heard off , And the WR450 is one of the biggest selling bikes in the world , yea mate , it’s never going to happen 🤣
Far too much hype to reality here. Same price at base level Kawi that compares to Ibex. Same weight if gas tank is equal. Ibex has more peak power, KLR has way more low end torque. Ibex is stiff supsension, KLR is plush. So offroad the the KLR is better, and it has better wind protection and preload for highway and ADV. The Ibex would be far better for fast offroad riding but majority of people dont do that, even they spend more $ on expensive bikes that do so.
Why does it do 80MPH down hill with the wind at its back with the same weight, horsepower and an extra gear than the KLR650? And take twice as long to get to that 80MPH than the KLR? Someone needs to put the thing on a dyno and get the truth. Maybe it's like the Trans Alp and you have to remap it because it's present shipping map is to pass emissions?
They said commies in vietcong used ambushing tactics to win battle in vietnam war. Unfortunately Yamaha also the recieving end of the same tactics. They got ambushed by this bike😢
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Love it or hate it Chinese bikes are here and will make a huge impact. I like what CFMOTO and Kove has to offer and I’d love to try one. I’m looking for a lightweight adv bike and for now I’ll make do with my Husqvarna 701.
I've had my order in for some time now. At 70 years old, as I told my salesman, I can't wait 5 or 10 years for the Japanese manufactures to get off their buts and offer all these desirable features, and certainly not at this price. I have two Hondas now, and they are nice, but Honda and others seem to be resting on their laurels instead of innovating like this. They best get with it...
Agreed! I really hope bikes like this push them to develop more options in this category!
Had mine for a couple of months now. And its exceeded all my expectations.
How would you say it stacks up against a dr or xr650l? I assume it's not as good off road with less travel and ground clearance, but is it in the same ball park?
@@johnstone9670 it's definitely heavier. Suspension is better stock. And a lot smoother as it's a twin.
3:30 - YES! A Clock is very useful. I love having the clock in the dash on my DRZ. Prior to my DRZ, I strapped a digital wristwatch to the handlebars. I used it on my first gen KLR too.
Haha nice!!!
people commenting on how they'd rather get a ktm or japanese for quality when ktm and cfmoto are partners, share tech and parts and make their bikes in the same factory with the same standards and materials. This is a modernized midweight adventure aimed at beginners and people limited by the european a1 license, its not a dualsport, its not supposed to replace dedicated offroad bikes like the 300 rally (which is closer to a dualsport than an adventure) and its not supposed to replace the tenere 700 as it has less power while still having the same 200mm of suspension travel and general comfort and most capable engine possible with said limitations while also staying affordable.
i have the 450mt for a bit more than 4 months now, and i have clocked in around 6500km, so for anyone interested, here is my opinion so far.
Its very well built, i had a versys 650 before and decided i wanted something more offroad capable while still being able to travel.
I had a car crash onto me and the thing took it like a tank, no damage whatsoever other than a slight bent on the steering wheel and some scrathes.
Stock it comes with a 14 tooth front sprocket, good for offroad and some mid range speed hooning but i opted for a 15 tooth which allows me to cruise at 110km/h at 6k rpms (it was around 7k rpms stock)
A friend gifted me a larger windshield for it and it fully covers me, but stock windshield wind protection is ok
I put in a performance air filter from DNA and it made the thing even snappier at low speeds (you can mod the air filter cap to a "stage 2" kinda like the 3 by 3 mod in the drzsand it makes it have an even more enduro like response)
Aftermarket options are FILLED, you can easily spend another 5k on top of it in performance and accesories (full titanium exhausts with ecu remaps and even more aggresive cams the list is endless)
Personally i am thinking of buying the "tall seat" and putting in in the lower linkage, it will make it 1cm taller but it will make the bent of the knees less "aggresive" since i use it for long travels
Its average fuel consuption on mountain twisty roads (mostly in 3rd gear, about 6-7k rpms) while chasing a V-strom 650 and being chased by a cf 700mt was right below 5 litres per 100
The cst tyres are perfectly fine in dry conditions but once it gets tricky, one twist of the throtle and you are drifting, so thats something that needs to be changed now that winter is approaching
Its top speed is a bit of a let down for some, but me, being a big boned food enthusiast, while having a top box and a larger windshield on it, was able to clock 163km/h, which i find perfectly reasonable
It can pass cars in the highway at speeds of 100-120km/h by opening the throtle but anything higher than 140 and its smaller engine is showing its lack of horsepower (when compared to 650s, which again, is to be expected)
It feels light, playful and happy to be close to the redline while still being torqy at low rpms, its exhaust note is intoxicating, the brakes have a nice bite to them, not too strong of a bite but definately strong enough
I raced a himalayan 450 from stop light to stop light and it didnt really compare, i kinda walked away once we changed to 2nd gear (the himalayan driver was my dealerships mechanic and even he admited the 450mt is the "more complete" option of the 2)
I kinda just wrote whatever came to my mind but i will be more than happy to answer if anyone has any questions
Yeah that misses the mark. I just need to be able to cruise more like 80-85 mph on the freeway.
Maybe they need to do a 600 ha.
@Porsche996driver ye you need the 800mt
A availability of spare parts and knowledge is a must. Getting the Dr650
Yeah that doesn't sound like this bike. The DR is a great machine though!
Looking forward to the content on Dad's trip out west! He's so laid back and the typical lovable Midwestern Dad. I should know, my Dad is from South Dakota. 😂
I'm glad to hear that! Sounds like it was a fun trip. He's definitely fun to ride along with and is very laid back!
I have one, it's very good, it carries its weight so low that you really don't think or worry about it. Would be better if: 1) you could completely turn off front ABS, particularly for the steep gnarly downhills stuff; 2) it had ride by wire with CC, after all, it's an adventure bike so you do highway it; 3) stock rim/tyre sizes that are common industry sizes that maintain stock seat height, (the rear tyre size is uncommon). Interested to see what you think of it when you ride one because to me it looks and feels and rides like a 450 T7, but at almost half the price - and that's a real thing and IMO why the 450MT is selling like hot cakes.
I had the CFmoto 450mt on the top of my list but the 100lb weight penalty over the Honda CRF300L rally sold me on the Honda. I will mostly ride alone and I like trails more than roads. More power would be nice but I wouldn't be able to use it off road at my skill level yet. Eventually I'll get desperate for more power and that's when I'll swap a cbr500 engine into the 300 rally. 350lbs, 47hp, 75mpg, smooth and quiet as can be. I'll still be jelly off the 270° sound but can't have everything.
Enjoy the bouncy rubbish suspension on the crf 😅 add another £2k on rally raid suspension and fitting
Yeah, as cool as an ADV type bike is. Sometimes a dual sport is just the best answer!
@@BeanieBiker_AutisticRider You probably don't mean to say it wrong but the stock suspension is not bouncy. Like a feather pillow, it has very little resistance to compression and is slow to rebound. The kits all increase the spring force and compression damping to add more bounce. Rally Raid themselves call it overly soft.
I am 125lbs so the stock suspension is working fine for me right now. I have the rear preload turned in 6mm from backed all the way off. I rarely carry more than 50lbs in a backpack and I don't have any bags yet. The soft suspension made learning to wheelie it kinda weird. I have to really pogo the thing but I can climb up a 1' ledge and ride up 45° stairs. I can comfortably cruise washed out gravel roads with 4" deep ruts at 50mph. After every ride I climb a stack of 6x6 lumber in my backyard. I'm not even a good rider, the bike is just forgiving and I've never bottomed it out. Eventually the suspension will wear out and I'll upgrade.
I'll add, for those that care, the Renthal 7/8 bars I have on there really made a big difference for how the bike feels when you have to make fast steering inputs. It's already a flickable bike and the bars just multiplied that effortless feeling.
Excellent review. Concerning tubed vs tubeless, I recently watched a video by an English gentleman biker who once worked at a tire shop and swore that he would never ride a bike on the freeway again with tubed tires, and that is why he didn't buy the Transalp. His fear was blowouts. He kind of convinced me, along with being able to fix a flat quickly in windy cold rain, that tubeless is the way to go.
Yeah, I'm definitely a believer in HD tubes after losing a tube on some rocks. A plug kit does sound much, much nicer than having to mess around removing a wheel and swapping or patching a tube!
The Kove 450 is right there...
I don't trust any motorcycle review from 2 of the 3 you mentioned. All three have very little off-road skills to advise if something is good off road. I trust OnTheBackWheel and BigRockMoto 100%. The MT/Ibex450 is getting great reviews around the world. Lol to comparing this to the KLR...two different planets of capability. IMO the Ibex450 will destroy 300L and KLR sales. Most likely DRZ and DR sales also. I will never sell my DR650 but might add the Ibex450 to my collection. I think it will be a good fit between my DR650 and 800DE. Maybe Suzuki can learn from the Ibex450 and come out with a DR-Light.
@@jonwoodworker Well said!!
Its interesting that a few people think that. If u put the same amount of gas in a KLR that Ibex holds, and throw away the tool kit not provided by Ibex its only 4lbs lighter. Fill up the tank, the KLR is far better on highway with wind protection and range is 80 miles farther. Offroad majority of riders would prefer plush suspension over stiff Ibex, and the KLR has far more low end torque and no twitchy throttle like Ibex. The KLR is far better suited for ADV with easy preload adjustment and big rack. So really the Ibex is only better at high speed offroad riding which people like to think they do, but they dont. DR or anything 100lbs lighter is far better offroad, and the ADV bikes already produced are superior to highway and ADV riding so this Ibex while being a cool bike is only a budget alternative to a 790R
I trust Dork in the Road *because* he's on a pretty modest skill level, especially with bikes like this where most buyers will be brand new to adventure riding or bikes in general. I love watching masters of the craft absolutely rip trails apart on whatever machinery they're given but I also know that my experience on the same bike is going to have almost nothing in common with their experiences, and a lot more with Dork's.
This bike will definitely not destroy crf300l sales. They are completely different bikes. The crf300l weighs 125 pounds less and has a single cylinder. It's a dual sport, and far, far more capable of road. 430 pounds is fine for moderate trails and dirt roads but it would never be able to go on the trails I take my crf300l on. Basically the same stuff I ride on my KTM 350excf, just at a slower pace.
@tieoneon1614 Stiff Ibex suspension is adjustable and can be softened and fully adjusted. KLR, you get garbage. There is a huge difference between pluch suspension and bouncy garbage. If you have KLR, that's great. It's an incredible value. But don't make it something it isn't. Twitchy throttle has been fixed. If the majority of your time is on the highway, you probably should buy a street bike like the Transalp. You are on your own planet if you think the KLR will out perform the Ibex in ANY category.
Short guy, here, and I can't wait till there's a test ride nearby, for sure. I love my KLR650S, but there's a lot I'm liking about what folks are seeing on this thing.
Yeah it certainly seems like it could be a pretty decent option for us shorter folks!
Clearly a lot easier to suggest than to do BUT it’d be awesome to see you do a vs video with the ibex 450 vs the big single thumpers.
I'd definitely like to!!!
Very curious to try this bike, even more curious as to why the Kove 800 is lighter than this 450?
Haha, that is a very good question!
I would love to see a direct heads up with that Moto 450 Mt against the Suzuki dr650 a side-by-side comparison would be very helpful to Future Riders
I have a DR650, and I enjoy it, but the older I get, the thumpier it seems to get. I am thinking the Tenere will be my next bike if it can do a BDR.
The T7 will certainly feel a bit smoother and much more solid on the road. It actually handles it's weight off road really well too, right up until you stop or snub it off that is haha. That's why my dad dropped it both times in the clips in this video and I think the only reason I ever dropped it too... Other than when it tossed me in the sand haha. Definitely an awesome machine.
Keep in mind that the t7 is nearly 100lbs heavier than the dr650. I own both bikes and daily my t7 to work (30 mi each way) . The yamaha is very smooth on the road and the extra weight ( over the dr) helps alot on the highway. I rode the nebdr on my dr650 last fall, it ate it up. Tusk dsport tires/ cogent dynamics suspension helped alot. I'm changing the pirellis to some more aggressive tires on my t7 and then riding the pennsylvania bdr sometime soon.
I own this bike as well as a MT 09 , CB1300 Duke 390 , can honestly say it’s build quality and performance is right up there. Would recommend this bike . Would not worry about it being Chinese probably every thing you buy is probably made in China or a certain % is.
Yeah??? That's good to hear! Haha, yeah. True!
It's an old habit to think product from China are crap. China now build everything and parts are available around the world. They also are at the top of the sciences (AI, space exploration, etc...). They built hospitals in few day during COVID.... I don't understand why people think Chineses build not reliable things.
The guy I bought my DRZ400 from had a CF Moto 300 NK in his garage. I thought it was a KTM when Ifirst saw it. It seemed better put together than my Kawasaki Versys-x 300. I could have been fooled into thinking it was a KTM or Japanese bike. I really want to check out the Ibex 450. I might consider one. However, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 seems way more interesting to me. It's a thumper and it's cheaper too. From what I'm seeing on UA-cam, it's more offroad capable while still being really good on the highway.
I'm leaning toward the Himalayan over the Ibex as well. Aside from the fact that I'd rather have an Indian bike than a Chinese one (though I'd rather have Japanese or European than either) I just like the RE's styling way more, it looks like a mini R80GS rather than something out of Gundam.
KTM have collaborated with CFMoto since 2011 and CFMoto build their smaller bikes and bigger engines.
Yeah? That's definitely good to hear! It's hard to tell from videos and photos, but they sure seem to be better than what most people expect. Which is exactly what they need if they want to compete with the others in this class. The Himalayan definitely has my interest too!
@@max_archerif only people knew how much human suffering exists in India, and how little the government cares about it. It's funny how people are influenced by media
Quite the flood of 450s into the market. All of them punching above their weight. The himalayan has my eye. I appreciate your thoughts bud.
Yeah! The Himalayan definitely has my interest as well!
I found the best solution to this argument is very simple: buy a street legal enduro for technical/difficult off-road trails, and a adventure bike for road-based and easier off-road adventures. Stop trying to find one bike that does both, unless your name is Cris Birch or jerry Lewis. My favorite combo in this domain is a 2023 KTM 350 EXC-F and a 2017 KTM 1090R.
Yeah, it's pretty difficult to find something that can actually "do it all". That being said, I don't think it's impossible (depending where you ride) and it seems that companies are putting more effort into making something that can cover a wider variety of terrains, which I'm pretty excited to see!
Are you referring to Jimmy Lewis?
This is what the Kawasaki versys X should be if they had been updating it over the years at all lol
It seems years that kawasaki had a massive gap between 300cc and 650cc. Honda had the 250cc and 500cc. Yamaha had the wr125 and xt660. And suzuki just had the V-strom. A versys x400 would have a least been something. Maybe even a T3 would have got a few sales.
A versys with the new 451cc engine from Z500 and the same spec as the MT450 is all we want. But no, Kawasaki don't want this.
Your fav UA-camrs are the same one's I listen to. I'll add in Ian from Big Rock Moto, though he hasn't tested an Ibex 450 /MT yet.
What I really want to hear about is a direct ride comparison between the 450 and a T7, especially off-road handling and manners. I've always found the T7 a bit heavy offroad - is the 450 a significant improvement? It would be great if you could get your hands on a 450 to test and redo the DRZ vs DR video you did with 450 vs T7...
That would be AWESOME!!! I'm really hoping I can get one to test on a video sometime soon!
Love the idea of the CF450 but currently own 2012 gs1200 Rallye, 2023 701 (31L tanks) + Rallye kit, 2018 DRZ with 28l tank
It’s more a do-all bike rather than a perfect extra bike (if that makes sense 🤷♂️)
Great content bro, just one piece of advice, use metric system when throwing in numbers (you can mention both metric and imperial as well). You are providing data and this is informational content, so I have seen a lot of American UA-camrs doing it nowadays. If you want to appeal to a bigger, international and civilized audience (joke) you have to use metric as well.
Thank you! I appreciate the joke, and advice 😆! I'll start adding the metric data as well!
That’s the beauty of motorcycles. There’s one type/style for everyone.
Probably to many choices really. 1 cylinder 2 cylinder 3 cylinder 4 cylinder, v twin, parallel twin. V 4 . every capacity from 49-2500cc sports bikes, retro, off road, adventure, cruiser, touring,
I honestly think the KOVE 800 is the unicorn bike that's going to change the industry. One of the lightest mid ADV bikes, an improved version of the KTM 790 engine. It's been on the Chinese market since 2020 so it's been thoroughly tested by owners. There's one guy that has 300K on the odometer. And he doesn't have any complaints.
WOW that's awesome!!! I think the Kove is an awesome machine, but my guess is, it's just a little too aggressive for the vast majority of dual sport and ADV riders. I'd sure like one though!
@@SwankyCatProductions define aggressive? The torque/power behind it?
the KOVE 800X is what yamaha needs to built, it needs to remove 20kgs and its good to go
Yeah that sounds like an awesome bike!
I may get this of the rumored 2025 DRZ.
Yeah, some pretty exciting bikes on the way!!!
I would buy one. The Himalayan 450 is knockout too.
Yeah, that definitely looks like an awesome bike too!
I'm diggin on this one and the 800 x
I've been saying there's a hole in the adv market for years..If that thing is reliable it's going to steal the show.
Yeah, I cannot believe Honda made the 300 Rally but not a 450 version... Same deal with the Versys 300 X, why wouldn't they make a 650 version??? I really hope this thing makes them get their stuff together and put out some worthwhile small ADV bikes!
Im waiting myself. I have 3 dealers with in 45 minutes of my house. They said any day now. Im a DRZ400 guy, which i see a ton of DRZ guys jumping on this one...as it is actually cheaper than a brand new DRZ400....and that my friend.....is awesome. I am planning on buying it with our signing bonus which i expect in the end will be $10,000....I am a Boeing Striker. In 2012, when the new hires voted out our pension, i used that signing bonus to get a sweet deal on the barely broken in 2011 DRZ400 in 2012 from dealer with 1200 miles on it for $4200 out the door. Still cant get one that cheap unless its stock, with high miles and beat up.
Really, that many??? I'd expect the big bore thumper guys, like me, to be interested. But this seems like a pretty different bike compared to a DRZ. That being said, I went from a DRZ to a KLR. So I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised haha.
Two of the reviewers you mentioned really don't have the knowledge to review a motorcycle honestly. The other two, like the ones I said don't have the knowledge, do reviews of reviews.
The bike looks okay at the price point, but just remembering that a much more solid manufacturer, KTM, who does not sell cheap, had way too many reliability issues early on, on most of their bikes makes me wonder. I have a CFMOTO dealer less than five miles away. I know the mechanics. Sales are up on the side by sides and quads. It's end of September. Guess what has the repair yard filled and waiting for parts? And not just the four wheel ones. Yeah.
They break.
But CFMOTO has lots of advertising money. Looks like a flood of it hit the US and everyone is falling over themselves to give definitive reviews of a bike they rode for less than a day.
Like the 1000 Mile Reviews of tire that they have rode 450 miles on. Wear it down to the threads and then give me the review.
Get someone like Big Rock to beat the heck out of the bike. Ian has reviewed the street CFMOTO's, but most of what I saw in the repair yard were broken by other than smooth pavement.
Get FortNine to say it's a game changer.
I'll 100% never trust any bike like I trust my Honda's, Suzuki's, & Yamaha's. That being said, those dealers usually also have lots filled with machines needing repairs too. Sort of just how it goes.
They've been in Aus for some time now, several longer term reviews (10,000km+) are emerging and the users are vastly very happy with them. There have been a few minor niggles (gearing and a lack of a drain in the bolt on lower frame rail) but nothing glaring as yet. The motor has been around for a few years in the SR450 and NK450 and has an overall good reputation.
Can’t blame the manufacturers for broken bikes necessarily. The owners cause most of it. Slow speed crashes and drops are quite common
@@krazed0451 The Aussies seem to ride them harder too, to many clueless noobs on youtube, people need to go ride the things , learn what they're made for, and stop moaning about things that are irrelevant to this style bike... Comparing it to a DR650 is laughable...
I rode the CFMoto 450 recently (thank you Malcolm) in between riding my year-old Honda Transalp. It actually felt OK, but of course revved a lot more than the 750 Honda, being much smaller engine capacity. But - like a CB500X - it felt like it could have been related to the Honda, just with a smaller engine.
It is quite heavy for a 450, and revving over 6,000 RPM at 100 kmh (60 mph) is obviously a lot less relaxed than the Honda's 3,800, but the bike appears to be reasonably well made, and certainly offers many features for a very low price. A lot of features my Honda doesn't come with...
But these models are having to overcome a resistance to Chinese vehicles in the west. They will need a few year's record of reliability, and dedicated stand-alone dealerships that 'do the right thing', before western buyers will buy them in significant numbers.
But they provide a cheaper option for buyers, and choice is usually a good thing. And there was I thinking I'd already bought the 'cheap option'! But I will be sticking with my Honda. After 18,500 kms (about 12k miles) I am really enjoying the Honda. But yes - it will need some suspension upgrading.
The rest of the west is already fine with them. It just seems north Americans are the ones who don't trust them. Which is fair given they are fairly new there. We have had cfmoto for over a decade here in Australia
I mean it weighs the same as the T7 essentially. I'd rather have the extra power and Japanese reliability. That being said I am glad someone is trying to make what the market has been asking for. I'm still waiting for a 450cc single proper dual sport with long maintenance intervals.
but the 450mt is half the price at least where I live
@@krede99 it's also important to consider how well it will retain its value and the longevity of the bike.
It may only be 30lbs lighter, but from everything I've seen and looking over the specs. This should feel much, much easier to control. Weight is important, but my 369 lb DR feels much lighter to pick up, move and ride than my 346 lb XR.
it's 15kg lighter and the T7 carries it's weight very high. the CFmoto feels like a DR650 to throw around with a much better engine.
The one thing which @SwankyCatProductions has identified, is you're not lifting the bike up into the air. You're standing the bike up from laying on the ground. And the weight distribution is what makes it better than the T7 in this area. It is a lot easier to stand up than a T7. You need to watch the reviews coming from Australia. I have not seen a bad review. The biggest complaint I've seen so far is that they did not plug the subframe, which runs under the motor, so it can hold water. The fix, plug the holes when you buy it. Another is the bump pads on the front of the seat can fall out, but their is a guy in Australia, that has designed a reverse pad, that stays on the bike and solves the issue. There is also a company in Tamworth, that already has ECU mods to fix the throttle hesitation. I believe the software update, may even address this.
CF Moto has been making engines for KTM for a while. This bike is awesome... especially at this price point.
Is that a painting of Camp Crystal Lake to your right? 😮
Yeah I've heard that! I'm interested to see how the new 390 ends up looking in comparison.
Could be! I got it from my Grandma's collection along with a few others.
There's a lot going on in the world. China's corporate tax rate is 25%. I'm watching this on a tablet made in China because there is not an alternative, but if there were, I'd buy it. I'll probably just stick with Honda.
Agreed. I'm really, really hoping that Yamaha, Kawasaki or Suzuki makes something like this with more power and a little closer to 400lbs.
@@SwankyCatProductions Well at any point in the last 6 years Kawasaki could have easily updated the versys 300. Maybe they will see what a huge market share they are missing out on
I completely understand being hesitant over something new with an unproven track record, but everyone who keeps dismissing it outright, arguing that it is only a little lighter than the T7, while being significantly less powerful, while accurate, are completely missing the point. It is almost HALF THE PRICE, comes with more features (did someone say tubeless), and based on reviews carries its weight lower. Do we wish it was lighter and more powerful? Of course! But it is a step in the right direction and it is undeniable that it is garnering significant interest, and hopefully this will force the mainstream brands to respond.
On a somewhat related note, as someone who does not know engines super well, I am wondering if there has to be an inherent lower weight limit on a twin cylinder motorcycle without it being a completely bare bones/stripped motorcycle and/or it not being absurdly expensive. I.e. How much lighter could a twin cylinder motorcycle of reasonable cost and quality (subjective I know) be? I am genuinely asking.
RIGHT?!?! It's like no one even pays attention! Haha. It's certainly not perfect, but it sure sounds like a much better option than most of the bikes out there in this slot and for someone my size, and off road interests, I'd much rather fight this thing on single track than the much, much taller Tenere. It's amazingly capable, until you stop moving (like my dad did in the tip over footage).
That is an interesting question... I'm certainly no expert when it comes to engines either, but I do actually have a Mechanic Design Degree. After 12 years in the engineering department at my old company, my biggest take away is that with the right people, tools and materials, you can do just about anything. However, as you alluded too, that all ads up quick and if it puts the profit margin too close to the red, the engineering team ends up looking for alternative options. That being said, I'm really, really interested to see if the big Japanese manufacturers will come out with something even better!
So, only 20 lbs lighter than a T7, about 40% of the horsepower,and the uncertainties of dealer network and quality? No thanks
Correct, but not the point.
Bazz 66 has a video from looks like Australia (I first thought Europe), reports of the subframes filling with water and rusting. in the video he pulls his off like someone he knows suggested and the amount of water in the subframe is very very unsettling.
You guys are 1 year late to this unicorn. The 800MT-X is gonna be another unicorn and it's coming out in Australia next year.
Oh yeah??? Nice!!!
Some pundits claim motorcycle ridership is dwindling, especially for young 1st time riders. What would appeal to young riders?...this new IBEX 450 and the new Himalayan 450 fit that ideal. (Big Rock Moto has a great review of the new Himalayan). Look at the features you get with these 2 bikes AND at a great price. I have a DR650 and love it. Would I consider an IBEX and/or Himalayan 450?...YES I would!!! But I would still keep my "old school" DR650.
Yeah, with the whole van life thing picking up interest I'd sure think some good quality entry level ADV bikes light this would help gain some interest! The T7 is great, but an AWFUL starter bike for someone brand new and as great as I'm sure the CRF Rally are, I doubt their all that appealing to a younger generation who didn't grow up with single cylinders and carburetors!
I thought, since you choose the DR and KLR, you would appreciate Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 thumper more than this one. Even though they are at similar displacement, the single cylinder from Himalayan would give more low-down torque and bit more spice for off-road use.
You're not wrong! I'm planning on doing a similar video on the Himalayan soon. It sounds a little less off road oriented from what I've seen so far, but is an AWESOME looking bike!
New ktm 390 adventure seems to be coming. Maybe it will be a bit lighter. Hopefully japan isnt far behind. As of now ibex 4fity checks my boxes
Yeah! I'm pretty excited to see the 390 and an really hoping the Japanese versions aren't too far off either!
If the had the KTM badge It would cost 12k this is a steal.
Haha true!!!
This competition may finally give Suzuki a kick in the butt to finally upgrade the DR650 instead of being lazy like they currently are being.
Yeah, I really thought they'd do something with the smaller V-Stom platforms. Why not make a more off road friendly version like the new 800 DE???
I'd rather keep my DR650
It's a better bike IMO.
So keep it.. lots of people would rather a modern twin. Isn't it great all the choices we get?
@@mattkeating7446 or just have both
Im loving that a lot of experienced riders are piping up. This bike isnt really better at anything currently offered, the motor is unique though.
Yeah, pretty hard to beat a DR!
I have a cfm pappio ss cause I hated the look of the grom but wanted a baby ripper
Haha, nice!
I missed something here. What is the IBEX model?
CF Moto IBEX 450, would be the full name.
@@SwankyCatProductions but what about the CF Moto 450 MT model then? what is the difference?
What’s the weight capacity of this bike? I’m a beginner and looking at getting into ADV bikes but I am a big guy. Not sure if a 450 would be good for a bigger rider. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you
I don't recall seeing a weight carrying capacity. However, most bikes can be adjusted for heavier riders with the help of a suspension shop. So as long as the aftermarket comes out with replacement parts to increase carrying capacity, it might not be a bad option.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
From the Manual - Maximum loading weight setting in the factory: 782 lb(355 kg)
@KevinDaken. Thank you!
Wondering how Cf moto and ktm are going to compete and work together. Sneak peak of the 2025 ktm 390 adventure looks a lot like this bike
Yeah, I'm pretty excited to see that bike on the road!!!
Yamaha, That's rich! They make 4 or 5 versions of the Tenure T7 and sell them all in Europe. While we in the USA could barely get our hands on the original version (the only version we still get) when the bike was introduced. So that drove up prices for everyone. Yamaha killed the WR250 and never gave us a replacement. I do not understand their North American outlook. You could say that Yamaha does not care about the USA market anymore.
Yeah, it seems like they're slowly losing interest. They actually just announced last season that they're shutting down their snowmobile division.
The MT . Why do you call it Ibex ?
22lbs lighter isn't that much "smaller" . 10 months ago the Kove 450 was all the rage . It would be good to see a comparison between these 2 bikes .
True, it's more about the location of the weight and the fact that it sounds like it's much easier to manage than the Tenere. Hmm, that's a good idea!
@@SwankyCatProductions
No doubt about the Tenere . I put my 500 dollar deposit on it in Feb 2020 . Now I don't know what I want to do with it but I do want a lighter bike to get some seat time in and get the rust off my limited riding skills . Plus something that I can load easy into my truck if need be is a must . The Kove got a lot of praise and I believe it is lighter and has a few more ponies so ??? But the company has corporate issues it appears or something so maybe a wait and see approach is best . Maybe the CRF300L Rally with the 550 Performance ECU could fit the bill for the moment , just not a fan of bright colors on my bikes (pedal or motorized) .
A head to head with the Kove and Ibex is in order and both are priced really reasonably so what's to lose ? Not saying go buy one of each for you to test for us but maybe you or can maybe do a demo deal with a dealership or something . Alright my man looking forward to your next video with your bitchin thumpers .
Looks interesting. China can make anything as good or as bad as you want them to. It’s not surprising that they make a decent motorcycle. You might be surprised to know that in many other countries there is a huge Chinese car market. I’ve driven one, it’s really wasn’t that bad. That said, it has one cylinders too many for my taste 😂
China is constrained by the same economic realities as any other country. If they endeavored to make a bike as good as the Japanese, it would cost just as much. What they can do is make a facsimile, using cheaper materials and less skilled labor, that appears on the surface to be just as good. But five years down the road, the cracks will begin to show.
Yeah definitely! It's all about quality control and how companies spec things out. They make some real garbage. I rode a super cheap ATV a few years back and couldn't believe anyone would actually ride it more than once. But these seem like they might actually be worth buying!
We already have a CF Moto 450 adventure bike in Australia
Are you guys slow in getting it?
In the US, yes slow. I have not seen one in dealers yet. A good CF Moto dealership is close to me and they don't have any.
Yeah, I think we're usually behind. T7 was the same way I believe.
450mt my next moto
Nice!
Dont quite get how the ibex matters with the kove 800x being both lighter and more power at a reasonable price
The IBEX is intended to be a smaller inexpensive entry to mid level ADV. The Kove is more intended to compete with bikes like my 701 Enduro (also NOT a beginner type bike).
@@SwankyCatProductions sure, but is the price really what makes it so groundbreaking? The himalyan 450 is cheaper and the versys300x is about the same. Sorry mate, I was referring to the new kove 800x not the kove 450 rally! The kove800x is a twin cylinder ADV. Its for sale in europe but dont think its reached the states yet.
Anyway, modern adv bikes are still way too heavy.
Yesterday I was looking at the specs of the old Yamaha Teneré 600Z year 1985... 165 Kg dry weight!
😮😮😮
Yeah, I think most are set up to be a little more road oriented. Where the older ones were much more simple and designed to get through a bit more off road.
They pretty much made a T7 lookalike, but removed about 40% of the power while only removing 5% of the weight, how is that a gamechanger. A small displacement bike in a heavy frame.
The weight, as I mentioned is not ideal. It's a game changer, because it's the only one like it in the game. Watch a few ride comparisons, it may be heavy but it still works really well.
The CFMoto have the front fairing knee knock problem that keeps me off of modern ADVs. Tenere doesn't have this problem, neither do the KLR/DR/XR/KLX/CRF/whatever. It feels that more and more bikes are just after stats and less about a decent rider triangle and a more open cockpit. Granted, I am a gigantic freak, but it's still something of note.
Yeah they certainly seem to have different motives when designing bikes these days!
All this hate in the comments.
It's been getting good reviews across multiple countries.
A modern, light weight adventure with a $6.5k price.
I'm interested.
Yeah, a lot of it's politics. Beyond that though, once it's proven it's real would reliability I think it'll be a pretty hard bike to beat. Which is exactly why I'm so excited about it. I can't wait to see what the Japanese manufacturers come out with to complete!
New bikes are being discounted right now.
Yeah, now's the time to buy!
Looks more like the stats of a CB500X than anything else
Hmm, more suspension travel and adjustments, more ground clearance, larger tubeless yet spoked wheels - not sure how you think this isn't a better ADV bike than a CB500X. I own a 2022 CB500X, it's a great bike but it's not a true ADV...
The cbx doesn't even come with hand guards and tech, I was looking at one but since honda have high price for a basic bike what's the point??
@@ralliant5941 Honda reliability is a real thing! I've had my CB500X for about 2 years now without a single issue and it runs just as well now as the day I bought it.
Unfortunately, the Japanese manufacturers have become complacent and Chinese manufacturers are giving them a much needed swift kick on the behind!
I'm guessing that, over the next couple of years, one or more of Suzuki, Honda, and Kawasaki will offer a 450cc, lighter weight ADV with a proper 18/21 wheel setup, over 8" of travel front and back, over 8" of ground clearance, etc.
They're going to have to, if they don't want to lose this entire small displacement ADV market niche to CF Moto, Royal Enfield, and KTM (if the rumored 390 ADV update is for real).
Said that a 450 twin puts out what a 390 single from KTM.
True. My 701 single has almost twice the HP of my 650 singles though. Just kind of how KTM/Husky rolls.
DR650. Still has a carb.
If u put the same about of gas in a KLR and throw away the tool kit, the Ibex is only 4lbs lighter. KLR rides plusher and has more low end torque offroad. Fill the tank with almost 2.5 gallons more gas and has +80 mile farther range. And better wind protection on highway and bettter suited for loading up ADV riding. Thats the problem with "Unicorn" bikes is u buy/build one, then u start riding offroad OR highway more. The bike cant do both good enough. So it gets sold within 2 years. The 300L Rally, XR/DR are 100lbs lighter and far better offroad. The T7 or AT are better for highway and longer trips. So while the Ibex is cool bike, its not technically better at anything vs a KLR than high speed offroad riding cuz of the stiffer suspension and now its mainly a budget option to the 890/790R or heavier/more powerful CRF300L Rally. Or for that price u can buy a used Tiger 800XC with exact same suspension, weight, but double the hp.
Agreed. But if you're looking for a small, inexpensive option that you can learn on and still grow into, with 21st century features, this will be a hard bike to beat. Which is exactly why I think it's going to push the Japanese manufacturers to make something better.
@@SwankyCatProductions I agree on that end. The EPA getting muzzled two months ago is what made Suzuki jump on updating the DRZ. Not in the market anymore but Im pumped to see what Yamaha and 'Zuki do the WR and DRZ.
It claims more HP than a KLR 650, but is slower, has a 6th gear, but it's top end is lower than a KLR650, has no real aftermarket support, has no reliability data and basically comes across an under-powered KLR650 with front fully and rear partially adjustable suspense (the only improvement over the KLR besides being cheaper).
Talk to me in five years when all the early buyers have beta tested the bike for CFMOTO and after-market decides it the thing will catch on.
I don't have money to spend on a bike that may end up in the shop most of the time. I'd rather pay the $2K more and buy a DR650. Before you cannot buy them anymore.
Sounds like a good plan to me!
" has no reliability data". look at the Australian LONG TERM reviews . Sower is a gearing thing, not a power thing mate, if you're going to try and trash talk something, at least sound like you know what you're talking about...!
@@MickH60 Long Term. The 450MT has been available in Australia and the Philippines since late March 2024. That's not long term. If the manufacturer specs are "trash talking the bike", what's that say about the bike? I think you were just looking for someone to argue with. Take your meds. Eat something.
Fantastic vid but do they make any kind of bike in the USA apart from a fat old school Harley uuuuhhhhhhmmmm don’t think so
Weight. Weight is the killer. 450 should not be heavier than 650 and I feel that my DR650 is the max I can handle offroad for a whole day riding. WR450F was way lighter and I regret that I had to sell it. So, 350 lbs wet is the limit for lightweight 450cc adv bike. I am in my late 50s and ride 30 road/70 dirt.
It sounds like it's light on it's feet, but even still I'm sure it would be a lot to ride off road for hours on end. I much prefer my lighter XR and DR to my heavier KLR.
The 2024 Yamaha TW200 has carburetor.
True! I meant "new" as in redesigned though.
At 430 lbs wet is pretty friggin heavy for a 450
Indeed! That's one spec that could certainly be improved, but weight down low isn't nearly as bad as weight up high. My heavier DR feels much lighter to ride than my much lighter XR!
@@SwankyCatProductions430 lbs is 430 lbs high or low its still 430 lbs when you have to pick it up lol
I don't care how good it is, not interested in feeding the dragon. I go out of my way to purchase thing made in usa. If made in usa is not available I buy things made by our friends (fair trading partners). I still like your channel👍
Stupid reply, How many countries has China started wars with, or financed wars with ? NONE, how many wars has the USA started ort funded ? lots mate, the hypocrisy coming mainly from people in the USA is laughable. If you threw away everything you own that contained something made in China you be living in a cave naked, stop being so naïve.
Just about everything you purchase is made in China! Most of the parts on your current motorcycle are made in China as well! I understand your viewpoint but it falls short when you put it into perspective.
@@SRaymond1984 just waving your hand and saying everything's made in China and there's no choice, is what actually falls short. There is a choice and I consciously make it everyday. where there is no choice the decision has to be made if I'm going to hold my nose and feed the Chinese dragon, live without, or think outside of the box and maybe purchase something used that may fill my need
@@glennbukac7533I’m not saying you are wrong or it isn’t justified. I wish more Americans would share your viewpoint and start making these things here! If a US company made this Ibex it would probably be the bike that brought North America back into the world market for something other than Harley. We as a nation have become solely dependent on foreign manufacturing and foreign companies for our needs. It’s a shame really.
@@SRaymond1984 I constantly have the conversation with my circle of friends if you're honestly green, worried about the environment, worried about workers rights you would back that up with spending habits buy not purchasing Chinese products otherwise it's just a bunch of garbage lip service. Believe It or Not There are even choices at Harbor Freight that are not made in China recently I was looking for some blade type Automotive fuses so I went to my local Ace Hardware and couldn't believe the outrageous prices for a handful of fuses that were made in China I went to Harbor Freight and there was a package of 60 blade type fuses made by our friends in Taiwan for a fraction of the price. I need to buy a couple of 9 volt batteries went to Home Depot and at the battery islands all of them were made in China and very expensive you go to another end cap or Island nearby in a not so convenient area it's almost on purpose that they put the less expensive battery made in Malaysia were you can't see it
No, Yamaha wants you to buy the bike that they make not the bike that you want or need. If Yamaha did, they are perfectly capable of making a bike like this. CFMoto #1
I just can't get on the hype train with this bike. All the weight of the bigger twins without the performance? If they made a 550cc adventurized single 100lbs lighter than this one they'd have everyone's attention and could name their price.
Possibly. But that's not the market they're after with this.
430lb too much for a small 400. They gotta make a 500cc 50-60hp at 380lbs, someone has to make one.
Agreed! I'm really hoping Suzuki makes a half size version of the 800DE!
I like the idea..... but the glairing problem I see is the weight ! for some reason the chinese bikes are extremely heavy ! not by a little either ! I bought a CSC 450cc bike I thought it was the best of all the bikes on offer BUT due to it's weight and high center of gravity I got rid of it within the first 2 years.... it was just too darn heavy. it reminded me of a Honda shadow 1100cc....and it's 800lbs weight the bike just felt very heavy ! my Xr650l is not the same at all even with the larger after market gas tank on it. your review on the ABS was very important to me I like the idea of setting the front wheel to be on ABS and not the rear if that bike will do that it will change the bike world !!! I do not see myself getting one in the future but if I won the Lotto I probably would just to see how it works ! thanks for the review Ben ! excellent job i think you covered everything !possible, except valve type... shims or adjustable rockers? and what kind of oil filter does it have ?
Seeing comments here 😅 saying dont buy Chinese, i wonder if they realise most European brands are now built in china and other asian countries 🤔 happy to drop £5k on one of these, you can keep your racism american views on China 🇨🇳 😉
Yeah, I don't really understand why people get so upset about it. There are plenty of good and bad companies all over the world. CF Moto seems to be making some pretty good stuff and I'm excited to test ride one at the very least!
@SwankyCatProductions test road one at the ABR festival, all of Europe is sold out at the moment, hoping to get mine in a month or two. The bike is sweet, engine is smooth and not viby, pulls nice through the gears, it is well balanced and easy to move about. Australia these bikes are having a go without issue, and there is a lad who just used one going from Germany to Asia and back which was 10k in all with the basic service of oil and air filter, didn't miss a beat. I'm specifically buying this bike as an off road TET bike, as it will take my soft luggage and big enough for the long stretches on the motorway down, but nimble enough to be used off road, it is basically a baby T7 but easier to handle.
To me the weight is too much for it to be considered good. It's 100lbs heavier than a drz400.
Yeah it definitely is heavy, but so is my DR and it feels much lighter on its feet than my XR!
Have to turn off as cant do stoppies
Haha true!
Yamaha should have made a bike with thirty less horsepower that weighs just as much? Why?
You mean you'd want it to be lighter and have more power??? Me too! Hopefully we'll see that T5 in the near future!
@@SwankyCatProductionsthink it would have to be a single cylinder to make sense. More of a 450cc dual sport with rally styling. That's my unicorn bike.
@@joshdoddadbod I love my mildly tuned adventurized 450. If you back off the tune for longer service intervals you'll need to increase the displacement to 550cc to keep 40hp at the wheel. A soft tuned 450 with 40hp at the crank will feel like a DRZ and be missing the fun factor experienced riders are looking for.
Cf moto tries dazzling people with it’s electronics. You know the cheap stuff that you immediately see when you look at the motorcycle to draw you in. Internally you’ll probably be lucky to get to 10k miles before failure. Not to mention when you go to sell it your not getting what you would for a Japanese bike, any money you saved not buying a quality brand will be lost in trade/sale.
Already reading about the MT, above 40,000 miles, no problems.
That is scary in itself
Yeah, I'm curious how long these will last when ridden hard off road. It sounds like they're decent quality, but it's hard to determine how long that'll last, especially out in the elements.
Paid reviews...
It’s just a smaller shitty version of a Vstrom
Pretty different specs than any of the Strom's and sounds like it's a TON better off road than any of them would be. With the exception of the 800DE of course, but that's an entirely different class.
@@SwankyCatProductions it literally has the same suspension travel which isn’t much and is heavier than the small Vstrom. Same weight as a t7 but with no where near the power of either bike or reliability.
I was a little surprised when I heard the weight. Early reports were predicting under 400 lbs. Funny , Ben ,I was thinking almost identical weight to a Gen2 KLR when I heard the true specs.
Yeah I guess they confused the dry and wet weight for a while haha. I do wonder how heavy or light it'll feel compared to a gen2...
I've heard it feels light, because of the low center of gravity
Requiring an app on my phone is a deal breaker if true. I'm getting tired of everything being leveraged for data collection. We've sold our privacy for convenience.
Yeah, true!
I don’t think so, bairly less weight than a 700 or KTM just a lot less power
I don't see this mentioned enough.
One of the first criticisms of the 700 class twins.
I think it is possible to make a lightweight twin dual sport, which would imply it being a stripper.
Like an EXC 500.
Where talking about two different riders. If you want T7 power and are skilled or large enough to rip on a Tenere, then of course there's no way you'd want this. That's not who this bike is for or what it's supposed to compete with.
Luke Hilby did a 6K mile review that is reliable, but that is a 1/4 of a season of wear.
I really like this video and a lot of the other videos from different UA-camrs you know covering motorcycles and stuff but what I can't stand about this younger generation is the way they are presenting everything they talk like damn robots like I want to be news anchor from the 70s just talk completely normal because you know you don't talk like that when you talk to people I don't even know how to try to explain it but I'm thinking of like 1970s news anchor just talk normal other than that man you doing a great job covering these videos
Thank you! Haha yeah, it's definitely hard to find a balance between sounding like a news anchor and being too quiet and boring.
This bike only looks good on paper. Its got nothing on a t7. Gonna be a dog on the highway and twisties. Weighs almost as much as the t7, with only a single front rotor and 41mm forks. When you pay for clones, you end innovation. Yamaha first to mass produce crossplane twin. Yamaha designs t7 from ground up and created the most popular segment in the industry. Cfmoto copied everything and cheaped out on all of it.
You need to look up information before going on a tangent. 1 CFmoto has been working with KTM and producing there 790 engines since 2017 (there engines are not a "clone of anything") There is a BIG difference between 41mm Right side up forks vs 41mm USD forks. Also if you think Yamaha created the adventure bike/Dakar style bike segment you may not want to tell BMW who was the first to create an adventure bike as we know it. I assume you have I don't know not actually ridden one or seen one in person? There was a time not long ago that this is the same uneducated biased opinion people had on "jap bikes". also it looks like a lot of people are getting around 55hp out of these engines by retuning and changing exhaust which also cuts weight by about 20lbs so a 55hp (not at redline) and 50lbft at just a tick over 400lbs at $6500+600 for full exhaust and retuned ECU sounds pretty good.
@@Jmacfann I did not claim yamaha invented adventure bikes. But there is not one new bike that comes out in the middle weight segment that is not compared to a T7. I have not seen one as I live in N. America. I did not say anything about chinese bikes. I only named cfmoto directly. Adding more horsepowe tor the bike may make it better all around, but its not gonna help that fork and rotor fade. By the way KTM has not been know for their reliability lately.
@@awktik7074 I am in north America as well. I mean you directly said a clone which it isn't. for off road riding having 2 310mm disks is not better. This is the discussion equivalent of someone having 24 inch wheels with mud tires on their truck. Yes obviously it is going to be compared to the T7 as that is price and category the closest bike to this. You are saying it only looks good on paper than saying something isn't good purely based on what it says on the paper. Its hypocritical.
@@Jmacfann ok, get one and learn how bad the resale on cfmoto is. The issues with the forks and the rotor wouldnt be if the weight was much less. Again the issue is that spec'd with the weight of the bike. They made a attractive looking bike, but they cut a lot of corners. You can claim its not a clone, but that position is not the majority.
@@awktik7074 This is a mistake to continue this uneducated conversation but what corners were cut? Seriously though it has a full TFT has a button to turn ABS. off at the rear (which Yamaha got rid of and now you have to go though a stupid menu and it doesn't remember what you had it at when you turn it off) has tubeless spoked wheels which is a double edged sword but also what is on much more expensive bikes, has over the air updates that does not require you to go to a dealer for a fueling update, yeah seems like a lot of corners where cut. what is it a "clone" of. As some one who owns bikes from the 80s and 70s and more recent (so a lot of different fork sizes and types) your fork argument just is so focuses there are so many factors that go into how good or responsive a fork is more than just stanchions size. I don't look at what my bike will resell at that isn't why I buy a bike I buy them to ride them. Since neither of us has ridden one this whole thing is a moot point. Again this was the exact same stuff said about the big 3 Japanese companies back in the 60s...just saying I think people may have been wrong.
Nah, we want ateast a 800 for adv. 450 is a dirt bike.
Yeah, certainly a different type of adventure on a 450 vs an 800. However I've heard that this feels much more like a T7, than a 450 dual sport.
Oh dude, very poor choice of trustworthy sources. Solid, Dork and Spike are noobs. They mostly openly say they’re noobs. Their opinions are for noobs, not for people who ride and actually know what they’re looking for. Look at their offroad rides. They have decent following, but definitely not for their riding skills 😂 For their rides, literally any bike would suffice.
Go ahead and ride the Oregon BDR on a goldwing then. I’ll watch 😭
Everyone rides at a slightly different level and has different interests and aspirations. That goes for content creators and content consumers. Which is precisely why I collect info from a wide variety of sources.
They should have made a 650 twin, that 450 is a notch up from the bulletproof turd from Kawasaki.
😂
Why .. they already have brought thousands of Yamaha T7’s ..
why would they sell them and buy something they’ve never heard off ,
And the WR450 is one of the biggest selling bikes in the world ,
yea mate , it’s never going to happen 🤣
We'll see! 😉
Cheaper than a KLR, same horsepower or more.
Better suspension...hmmm
Sounds like they just knocked the crap out of Kawasaki.
Now do the ibex 800
Far too much hype to reality here. Same price at base level Kawi that compares to Ibex. Same weight if gas tank is equal. Ibex has more peak power, KLR has way more low end torque. Ibex is stiff supsension, KLR is plush. So offroad the the KLR is better, and it has better wind protection and preload for highway and ADV. The Ibex would be far better for fast offroad riding but majority of people dont do that, even they spend more $ on expensive bikes that do so.
Ha ha yeah it seems like they must have been looking at the KLR and T7 when they were laying this out!
Why does it do 80MPH down hill with the wind at its back with the same weight, horsepower and an extra gear than the KLR650? And take twice as long to get to that 80MPH than the KLR?
Someone needs to put the thing on a dyno and get the truth. Maybe it's like the Trans Alp and you have to remap it because it's present shipping map is to pass emissions?
Bmw Sertao still better.
They said commies in vietcong used ambushing tactics to win battle in vietnam war. Unfortunately Yamaha also the recieving end of the same tactics. They got ambushed by this bike😢
Lets hope they fight back with a lighter, more off road capable version of the Tenere!