CFMoto is here to stay, and at less than $20k ride away, the seriously capable 1000MT-X is impossible to ignore
Normally, I like to ride a bike and then justify to myself whether the price is reasonable for the joy it brings me. But this time around, the price is one of the stand-out features that cannot be overlooked.
I remember when the Yamaha MT09 came out, I was flabbergasted that it was the same price as a registered dirt bike. I struggled to get my head around the value for money in that motorcycle. Now, over 10 years later, I am once again flabbergasted that for just $18,990 you can ride out the door on a ready-to-go, do-anything, full-size adventure bike – and it is the same price as a registered dirt bike. Is it too good to be true?
It’s no secret that the MT range is based off KTM Adventure bikes and share a similar LC8c engine. In a strategic commercial alliance, CFMoto are trusted to build bikes for KTM and share mechanical knowledge and technology. If you’ve ever stared all googly eyed at a KTM 790 or 890 Adventure (like I have), the similarities are extensive but with CFMoto’s signature styling and tweaks.
The 1000 MT-X is a bit of an upgrade over the already popular 800MT-X, with many carryover parts. All the important bits have been tweaked. The parallel twin is bumped up to 946cc and now cranks out 83kW and 105Nm – a 13kW and 18Nm increase over the 800MT-X with just a 2kg heavier bike. The brakes are now a Brembo monobloc set-up, and the suspension has been beefed up with KYB forks and rear shock with remote preload adjuster while maintaining 230mm of travel. The electronics have been boosted with extra ride modes, bigger screen, plus heated grips and seat. The same 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel combo is retained, but are now wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber right out of the crate.
MUDDY MACEDON
Our test route would be two days of riding over about 500km in and around Victoria’s Macedon Ranges – taking in dirt, gravel, clay, rocky technical sections, creek crossings and bitumen. Coming from Sydney, I can’t say I was ready for the cold weather; it would not get over 10 degrees over both days, so I listened most intently on how to get the heated seat and grips to turn on. I quickly learnt that stopping the engine, even stalling and restarting, would switch the heaters off. Slightly annoying, but boy did I learn quickly.
After syncing my phone to the bike, plugging it into the USB outlet, ripping the rubber peg inserts off, adjusting the mirrors and engaging off-road mode I was ready to roll. My bike has only 1km on the odometer, so I feel slightly guilty as we roll out of the accommodation directly onto wet and muddy fire trails. But this is what adventure bikes are for, right?
It takes me about 100m to feel at home on the MT-X; it feels like a cross between a Husky Norden 901 Expedition and a KTM 890 Adventure R. This is a good thing. Even fully fuelled, the weight feels low as the tank hangs low over the outside of the engine. I can grip the seat with my knees and the bars feel high enough to make standing manoeuvres natural. I’m in a happy place. At my first corner-man stop I wind most of the free play out of the clutch lever and can now use just two fingers to play at the friction point. The gear shifter for me is a bit far forward, but those with big feet will be happy to know that their MX boots will slide right under that lever. The quick shifter works well and feels best when you shift like you mean it. As the pace increases, I start to wind some throttle into it on corner exits to feel the power and drive from the engine; it pulls well from low and is happiest in the midrange.
As I get a bit more rowdy, I’m met with a sudden drop in power as the traction control pulls the reins on my aspirations. There are three levels of TC to choose from, so I dial it back to level one which shows more rocks flying from the back wheel on the dash graphics, perfect… I drift over to the loose stuff on the edge of the road and wind that throttle open again. Just as it starts to drift nicely, the power stops and the bike snaps straight again. Bummer. The TC is doing its job, but it’s a bit too intrusive for experienced off road riders; it’s not in the same ballpark as a BMW that can hold a drift with the throttle wide open relying solely on the electronics to hold it there. Thankfully I can roll the throttle shut, hold the down button and switch the TC off and carry on.
The 1000MT-X is very tractable and the spread of power from the big twin is wide and predictable. Riding with the TC off and feeling the grip for yourself isn’t scary or unsafe, it’s fun and you can do wheelies. In off-road mode, you can switch the rear ABS off for skids; you need to be stopped, and you need to enter the menu. I find it easiest to do it with the touchscreen rather than fiddling with the buttons.
If you want to turn everything off, ABS front and rear as well as TC, there’s an all-terrain mode that can be accessed by holding down the menu button for a few seconds while stopped. For advanced riders, this will be the go-to mode. I found the throttle a bit too sensitive in that mode and preferred the off-road mode.
TECH FOCUS
After the road ahead, the dash is the most looked at piece of the bike for the rider. It is the command centre for the whole rig. The 1000MT-X has a stack of tech to get amongst like tyre pressure monitoring, built-in navigation, phone and headset connections and heating settings. There are four ride modes, and if you have the CFMoto Ride app you get a fifth called Master Mode. With this, you can select power output and throttle sensitivity as well as TC and ABS set-ups. It even let me monitor on my phone where my bike was and could see when it was being moved when I wasn’t near it.
CFMoto offer over-the-air updates for the bikes and the service is free for two years. Following that period, expect to pay about $50 or so per year to keep it. These auto-updates give me confidence that small niggles, like the heating switching off as soon as the bike stops ,will be fixed. The full colour display is also a touchscreen while the bike is stationary, which makes surfing the menu a little easier than the not-so-natural button set-up. Apple users are blessed with Apple Carplay, while Android users will have to cross their fingers for an update.
SURFACE TENSION
Our route meant conditions varied immensely and the MT-X was certainly up for the challenge. The KYB suspension felt at ease most of the time; I only found its limits when I did some jumps on it. Across multiple surfaces I can feel the feedback through the bike change and, thanks to the Pirelli STR tyres, I can adjust the lines and recover from slides with room to spare. I did wind some pre-load onto the rear, and I liked the extra support for my 100kg heft, but I left the front alone as it was reactive to my changes in body positioning dependant on surface conditions. On steep hill climbs, I can chug the bike down low in the revs and there’s plenty of grip across different surfaces. When the pace is higher and there were corrugations on the trails, I could feel them through the seat, but the bike soaked them up and held its line. The suspension is beaut.
I find the MT-X very comfortable and easy to ride. On the bitumen sections, it was nice to sit back, engage cruise control and relax a bit. The seat is comfortable, warm if you stay seated and the wind protection is reasonable. I rode with the screen in the highest position and still had to duck down a little to get out of the turbulence. I would look to a taller screen and run it in a lower position while off-road if I was going to be covering some big kilometres. My bike averaged 5.5L/100km over the two days, which was far from economical riding, so a range of around 450km can be expected. CFMoto estimate you will get over 500km out of a tank if ridden correctly; I’d be keen to see how it goes on a trip.
Am I convinced? I think I am. It’s not the perfect bike. There are a few electronic niggles that hold it back, but after spending two long days on the MT-X it felt like home.
CFMoto are a force to be reckoned with. They are a reasonably new player in the market, and as time progresses their offerings are improving in leaps and bounds. The CFMoto 1000MT-X should not be overlooked as a serious option for adventurers, especially for the buy-in price.
✅ PROS – Outstanding bang for buck, beaut KYB suspension, strong and tractable engine, impressive overall quality.
❌ CONS – Traction control too intrusive off-road, dash controls aren’t intuitive, heating resets whenever the engine stops.
LOW RIDER
If a big, tall adventure bike scares you, worry less. The 1000MT-X LS is in town. The LS stands for ‘low seat’ but there is more to the story. The suspension is shortened by 40mm to reduce its travel to 200mm. This drops seat height from 870mm to 830mm. On top of that, there’s an optional low seat available that reduces it another 20mm. The low seat option also fits the taller bike if needs be. While I didn’t ride the LS model, there were a couple along on the launch and the consensus was that they felt more planted on the road and offered more confidence off-road but could get stuck on rocks and ruts easier. The LS will not be for everyone but for some it will be everything.
Competition
DUCATI DESERT X – $28,125 ride away
KTM 890 ADVENTURE – $24,295 ride away
HUSQVARNA NORDEN 901 EXPEDITION – $26,995 ride away
BMW F 900 GS ADVENTURE – $23,470 ride away
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type Liquid-cooled parallel twin, DOHC, 8-valve
Bore & stroke 92.5mm x 70.4mm
Capacity 946cc
Compression 13.5:1
Fuelling Bosch EFI, ride-by-wire
Transmission Six-speed
Clutch Wet multi-plate, assist/slipper
Final drive Chain
PERFORMANCE
Power 83kW (111hp) @ 8500rpm (claimed)
Torque 105Nm @ 6250rpm (claimed)
Fuel consumption 5.5L/100km
ELECTRONICS
Bosch six-axis IMU and ABS
Rider aids ABS, traction/wheelie/cruise control, quickshifter, TPMS
Modes Standard, Off-road, Rain, All-terrain, Master
CHASSIS
Frame Chrome-moly steel trellis, engine stressed member
SUSPENSION
Front 48mm KYB fork, fully adjustable, 230mm travel
Rear KYB monoshock, fully adjustable, remote preload, 230mm travel
WHEELS & BRAKES
Wheels Tubeless spoked aluminium; 21in front, 18in rear
Tyres Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR; 90/90 R21, 150/70 R18
Front brake Twin 320mm discs, Brembo four-piston radial calipers
Rear brake 260mm disc, Brembo two-piston caliper
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1525mm
Seat height 870mm; 830mm LS
Ground clearance 240mm
Weight 222kg wet
Fuel capacity 22.5L
SERVICING & WARRANTY
Service 1000km first; 15,000km minor; 30,000km major
Warranty Two years unlimited km; three years if dealer serviced
BUSINESS END
Price $18,990 ride away
Colours Nebula Black, Tactical Green, Aerolite Grey
Contact cfmoto.com.au
