I'm not excited about the CFMOTO Ibex 450

[LTS]

I do understand your point. I was kind of with you when I first saw the weight but then I sat down and gave it a quick thought and realized what this bike really is. It's not a dedicated offroad bike. It's a beginner adventure bike that hopefully does really well offroad.

Just consider what you are getting for the price and realize that nobody offers similar equipment (adjustable KYB suspension, adjustable windscreen, a nice TFT dash, removable subframe and footpegs, tubeless wheels, more fuel capacity than the T7, switchable ABS). It seems that the extra weight might make it more comfortable and practical on the street which it will spend most of it's time on while at the same time not sacrifice on features ADV riders want.

At the same time it seems more offroad capable than the 390 adventure and NX500 which it competes with. I think it fills a gap between the CRF300 and T7 surprisingly well. It remains to be seen how it performs in the real world. Can't wait to hear your thoughts once you have ridden it.

[Perturabo]

I don't understand the weight argument at all. Yeah, it is close to 200kg. But what does it compete with? NX500? 196 kg. Much less off road capability, same displacement, almost 2 times the price. KTM 390 Adventure? That's a crossover at best and it weighs 180kg. What are you talking about? The weight being almost the same as a T7? Yeah, well everything in the sub 500cc class weighs 10 kilos less than the T7, so how is it an Ibex problem? For its price, with everything else (weight included) virtually the same as the competition - this IS a great bike on paper. I think that these "weight is the problem" people just made up a problem to believe in because its a chinese bike or what not. You don't really hear people whining about the Himalayan now do you? Some say it's the perfect ADV bike, same with the KLR.

[dimoskoutoudis]

a thing people tend to forget is that gasoline doesnt wigh the same as water, 1L gas = 0.75kgs, so 17L is something less than 13kgs, plus the lithium battery and an aftermarket exhaust, you can get it to be around 180kg kerb

[GS-uyxo]

I rode one today - felt really light (of course it was almost empty) but it was a very enjoyable experience. Great turning radius for low speed stuff, very comfortable seat and riding position, (* I’m 166cm 5’5” and I could reach but not flatfoot) had a silky smooth clutch/gear box and it definitely had a low center of gravity, never once felt like it wanted to be anywhere but upright. I live in China and the dealer just got this one - they’ll be selling them next week; before then I’ll go back and ride it some more (they have a decent area and a big gravelly lot to explore - even though there’s no crash bar they said it’s ok just don’t go crazy!). 
This definitely felt like a step up from the Honda cb400x (no 500’s here) and the Kove and Voge bikes generally feel too big for me so this is in sweet spot for sure. Pricing will most likely be close to 29, 000 rmb so about 4k USD (again nothing added, not even a center stand). 
All said, t’s worth experiencing for yourself - to me it’s killer !

[slakk]

Just called my dealer, first shipment already sold out, second shipment nearly sold out.. So its already popular I guess

[TheGardenSnake]

See I don't trust any of these weight numbers haha. I have my own scales and I will see for myself. I weigh a few T7's in real world setups, crash cages and exhaust. I saw between 215-222kg. I've seen similar for 790/890 adv. I'm hoping the real word weight of the 450MT is like 190ish kg. And of course how will it translate to actual riding? But yeah if it ends up too heavy then it kinda loses the point. Heck my "TW700" wet is 197kg and feels WAY lighter than a T7 haha. So there are many factors.

[Angry-Lynx]

Numbers numbers, numbers ....
Ktm 640adv wet is 180kg and yet it feels at LEAST like half of my Africa twin. Like toy. The point is numbers don't represent feel of bike in real world. 20% less weight for some reason feels like 60%less

[ferkuzuel]

I ride an f800gs that only weights 456lbs, So if I compare it for example to a cb500x that weights 439 lbs, the 500 is more compact, smaller and is easier to ride off road at least for most average riders, and even though that is not that much lighter than the middle weight bikes, it has more manageable power that can help many riders rebuild confidence so in general, I think the Ibex 450 It's an awesome package for riders that are either down sizing from bigger adv. bikes or for those who want a motorcycle that is a little easier to learn advenures with.

[zmoke]

These small bikes which are sold in all major markets can not be any lighter due to A2 bike licence in europe. Limit is 35Kw and 0, 2kW/kg. 175kg is minimum weight for this power when you look power to weight ratio. Therefore all these small bikes are max 48hp. If manufacturer wants to make lighter, they need to drop power.
So its all about fullfilling EU requirements.
Thank Brussel bureaucrats.

[sosdingle]

I'm really excited to get my hands on one of these. I personally don't think the weight is a problem. Most people will probably use this bike on the road the majority of the time. At least with the 190 kg weight it shouldn't get blown around the road. Anyway I've never felt that a bike of this weight was heavy. I think its a very good compromise and will suit most people, me included. And it looks fantastic. Let's hope the quality is good and also that it's reliable.

[ripmax]

POWER, LIGHT WEIGHT, and CHEAP, nowadays on many motorcycles you can choose only 2 of these features.

[badyride]

Versys 300 173 kg dry...Cf 450 MT almost the same weight but: 10 hp more, 200 mm suspension travel, disconnectable ABS, 21-18 wheels, TFT, adjustable windshield, tubeless, full adjustable KYB suspension front and rear, 23 mm ground clearance, 44 Nm versus 19 for the versys, full LED, traction control, 320 mm disc in front, 4-piston caliper, Bluetooth connectivity... are you seriously comparing it to the Tuareg 660 or T700 because of the weight? A fair comparison would be with the Honda CB 500X and I doubt that Aprilia will last longer than any Chinese motorcycle... I think that the 450 MT is a before and after in this segment, CF has taken the first step or rather a slap in the face to the Japanese sitting on Olympus with their Boring and expensive models for more than 20 years (in this segment at least). Greetings.

[LibertyEver]

Arguably not quite the unicorn ADV bike we've all been wanting, but a lot better than our pleas being ignored by the big moto cartel for at least two decades. They had the technological ability to make a lightweight off road capable ADV bike with enough power for sustained highway cruising, but they intentionally didn't to protect the sales of their mid and full size ADV bikes. They would only allow us to have a lighter bike that was decent off road, or a heavy bike that was good on highways, but with no option that was good on and off road, as an ADV bike should be. Their marketing departments insisted on having an ADV lineup where price correlated to engine displacement and they insisted that small ADV bikes are lower cost beginner bikes designed to get us on the upgrade path to their larger ADV bikes.

The 450 Ibex was a good attempt at selling us the bike we want even though most of us want to pay another $1000 for 25 kg less weight. Maybe Kove will make an ADV version of their 450 Dakar bike. The best outcome would be for the Chinese manufacturers to bust up the big moto cartel with some competition that forces them to make the ADV bike we want - a lightweight off road oriented bike that's powerful enough to cruise on highways.

[modzso]

I think it is very similar to the now Honda NX500. But more ready for adventure (21/18 tubeless vs 19/17 wheels). Similar weight, similar power. A lot of CB500X/NX500 is being sold, and many of them being adventurized, so they want a bite of the small cc adventure bike cake.
Also probably it wont have enough torque down low for the hardcore offroad.

[iangriffiths]

If this 450 comes with crash bar, still bash plate tubeless wheels and is 190kgs I don’t think that’s too bad considering you will probably add some of these items to the T7 that you compared this bike too. In reality the T7 once fitted with the crash protection will weight maybe 210-215 kgs if you don’t spend a fortune on an aftermarket exhaust (as you could do this for the 450too?) so you could end up with a bike weight differential of maybe 20-25kgs

[ianross]

You’re right, Johannes. Weight is key and once a twin engine is used the weight gain is inevitable. If KTM’S 690 can be made smooth and a bike weighing under 150kg why not a 450? The CF Moto 450 is, essentially, a high spec bike for the money but that’s the only new ground to me. Like a lot of Chinese bike manufacturers, they’re listening, learning and acting, all lessons the “west” could and should learn before (if it isn’t already) it’s too late.

[mxbadboy]

Suzuki DR650. 166kg all fluids and full tank of gas. $7000 MSRP. No way the Cfmoto compares to what the Japanese offer. The DR650 is built in Japan.

[pawelwolski]

I agree with you, the bike should be 175 kg full of fuel, it's I think of it as a mid size (engine displacement) ADV bike that is off road capable. This is the CB500X (sorry now NX500) that Honda (and the rest) refuse to build. Fully adj suspension, tubeless spoked wheels, established and what seems like a reliable 450 parallel twin, good amount of supporting tech without going like the fact that its 45 HP, you will be able to actually use the engine without busting limits in 1st gear, I ride 150 and 300 cc bikes here in Indonesia. CFMOTO itself is by now "well established" big company, look at the improvements they have done in their atv and side by side products. Last is the price of the MT450, it's very reasonable. I have their little Papio SS mini bike ($2400 here in Indonesia). The build quality, the features, the materials/paint/electrical components all on par with the big names. Looking at the MT in this light makes it a valid option. Yes I wish it was bit

[ThePikoflex]

I do agree. It`s not the unicorn we are looking for to be honest, but i also think it is the best affordable option on the market right now. I would like to elaborate on that statement though. If you want some decent power, some electronics, more comfort and a "smaller" bike that acutally looks and probobly feels like a proper adventure bike.... that this is your best option at this very moment.

You get "more" of what we want without sacrificing power or money. The 300 Rally is lighter yes, but it also only has a single with 28 hp and terrible suspension. The NX500 still has cast wheels and weighs 20 kg more dry if i am not misstaken and quite a bit more costly. The 390 adventure is lighter, but a clunky design and still a single with all of its power up top.

Taking those facts into consideration, you might find that this bike is on top of its direct competitors right now. But then again, it still dosent really tickle my fancy. I am still holding on to the dream that the 390 R from KTM will be "the one".

[Onceuponatimejotaele]

Spot on! Absolutely right. That's exactly what I thought after having done some research on the 450MT. They didn't quite get it because it's not as light-weighted as it should be.