The CF Moto 450 MT is a HUGE turning point

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🏍 - Llel Pavey & Lucy Dickinson
🎥 - Llel Pavey & Lucy Dickinson
🎬 - Joe Bradshaw

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[renektop]

i have the 450mt for a bit more than 5 months now, and i have clocked in around 8800km, 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 drzs and it makes it have an even more enduro like response and an amazing intake noise)

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 even a big bore kit to make in into a 480cc, the list feels endless)
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 wet things get tricky, one twist of the throtle and you are drifting, so thats something that needs to be changed now that winter is approaching (after the 8000km mark they started slipping on dry roads aswell when you want it to do so, fun but a bit sketchy)
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
it likes to be on loose gravel roads and sandy parts but i feel like the suspension is not the best for bigger rocky roads, maybe thats a skill issue tho since i heard from another youtuber that "the suspension feels good in rough terrain if you are going fast 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

[videosbruno]

The big brands didn't build THAT BIKE because they feared it would cannibalize sales of their more expensive bikes (and it would) but now the situation is worse, somebody else is eating their lunch.

[OFFroadOFFcourse]

450MT owner here... Agreed 100% Great video man!

[hondaexplorer]

I live in south east Queensland, Australia and I see a 450 MT more than I see a T7 these days, it looks like they have out Honda’d Honda, perfectly average, does everything it needs to do, but does not have many down points, which puts it high on the list for a lot of people

[DorkintheRoad]

Glad I'm not the only one who is bullish on this bike. I think the haters are going to be proven wrong when it finally hits the states. It's damn near the perfect bike for the kinds of riding I enjoy best. I hope our Japanese friends follow suit with something similar.

[BigDaveTALKS]

I consider this a "shots fired" video. I hope other manufacturers see this and realize that they better step up their game. If I didn't already have 2 great bikes I would definitely add this one to the stable. Thanks for the reasearch and hard work you put into this video, as well as all the previous videos.

[arthurcayer]

Surely Brake Magazine's viewership is about to explode; the content is too good not to.

[howardmann]

Had mine two months now and I love it just dose everything so well plus £5700 on the road even more smiles not bothered about the badge on the tank for me it’s about getting out there

[GrIrTi]

In an environment where big-name brands are closing showrooms as their bikes have become prohibitively expensive, emerging brands like CF Moto, AJP and Kove sell to a willing seam of adventure enthusiasts who value ability over brand name. The rising price of big-brand adv bikes, the escalating insurance and an ageing demographic of riders mean many of us are looking to downsize from our GSAs to something that delivers the opportunity to travel and have fun but is light on the wallet and our failing hips and knees too.

[ramaporlacarretera]

Great video!! I'm also an owner of a 450MT, currently doing a long travel through South America having clocked 15.000 km on it so far.
Suspensions are great and they have taken everything I have thrown at it: sand in pantanal, mud in the amazon, rocky terrain going up the mountains over 4000 meters above sea level, comfortable riding in asphalt, etc...
Autonomy has also been exceptional (specially for long day rides which I had many on this trip), I can get well over 400km a tank if I don't exceed 110 kmh. Tyres have not been that bad, I changed rear after 10k and still using the front tyre, .. not a single flat so far. The wheels seem exceptional, as I have hit quite hard a lot of potholes and rocks along the way and they don't have a single scratch or bend.
I did change the handguards right after buying it, and putting some barkbusters they have exceptionally taken some beating after dropping the bike several times.
I recon I would like a little more punch, specially when riding with all my equipment loaded, but still.. after riding for 4 months in this journey.. the bike has taken me everyewhere I wanted to be, in a comfortable and reliable manner.
I've had thoughts about changing the bike to some bigger cc (like a T7) but I would lose tubeless wheels, great autonomy, awesome handling and the price where Im from is the double for the T7!!
So I will keep riding the 450 through South to North America hoping it continues behaving like this!!

[MaverickAus]

Great video.
I test rode the Himi 450, then test rode the 450MT. I put a deposit on the CFMOTO and now have had it about 6 weeks. For me it's just about perfect.

[pawelwolski]

Older guy, living in Asia, mostly riding 250cc bikes here. I looked for years for an ADV bike for my European riding. Requirements: simple and reliable, light, 45 ish hp, working suspension (have the Honda bubble gum suspension Rally 300-$$$ fixed), brakes, tubless was nothing out there. I am not as price sensitive as some might be. No one made the bike I wanted/"needed".

My friend and I bought two MT450 s. My only disappointment is the too short gearing of the 6th gear. In Europe, I need to be able to do 120-130 kmh on the main highways. At 130, the MT450 sits at 7000 rpm, with 8500 red line. With my 75kg frame, old man slow riding style, I could use a bit softer front springs. Better tires, and the bike is good to go.

Up to you, but I would suggest dropping the budget bike classification you use. It's inexpensive, it's just a normal bike at a great price. Nice vid.

[cowboyjules]

Amazing video. Production quality is wild

[lycian]

Got my 450MT a few weeks ago. Needed something to bring back the joy after my R1150R went in for another gearbox repair. Riding this bike is a revelation to me, everything better than the BMW except the bonkers top end power. Handles much better and the gearbox and engine are a peach. Quality wise compared to the BMW, it has a couple of cheap plastic places and the stickers could be better but overall better thought out as clearly a lot went into the design and production. Needs another gear for the road work so I'll stick another tooth on the front sprocket instead. Japan must be nervous. The Extras market is enormous.
Been riding since 1975 and remember the Japanese selling cheap reliable bikes that destroyed home markets (CB175 was my treachery). This is a very good bike.
I found this review very cliched. It compares and doesn't judge independently. A good review will assess what is valued.

[VDAVK]

I took mine on a 400KM road trip. Covered it in 5 hours. The dimensions, the weight distribution, THE PULL at 6th Gear was awesome!!!! It was an exhausting ride but fun!!! I was close to getting a Versys-X and then this babe came out. Gave it a couple of months coz i was pretty sure someone is going to put this bike through its paces. The moral of the story does answer your prayers.

[toddwmac]

Well, 3 months after1st watched this vid and mine is in my garage... and I'm impressed. I think your thoughts in the vid are spot on, and when I watched it the 1st time, I was hopeful. I've been thrashing the same KTM 990 and a WR250R though the mountains, deserts and forests of the US west since the early 2000s. I refuse to give up these bikes because they do everything I wanted and more. However, as I've was approaching my 6th decade, I did start hoping that they would pop out a love child. The IBEX certainly seems to fit the bill. From single track to fast gravel and tarmac, the little 450 just keeps giving and never complains...just like it's parents (at least in my head). At the same time, it is forgiving and comfortable. While not "required" I am looking forward to tuning the suspension a bit, but other than that, it hit the marks nicely. Thanks for the quality content

[jeremylebreton]

Amazing production, Great to Llewellyn's work really getting recognized. Great intro, valuable history, and solid bike review.

[mindful_moto]

Fantastic channel brother, it truly inspires me to make even better content, so well produced and you really capture and articulate a feeling in your videos that is so difficult to portray..RESPECT

[thedougies]

With the overload of wannabes with an adv bike & a GoPro on the tube your intelligent & credible reviews are a benchmark Lel! Side note - my old 2015 BMW 650GS Sertao has an abs on/off button on the left handlebar too…makes life easy

[msims]

This was a fantastic video, very insightful and with in-depth information on CFMOTO and where it sits in the market. I’m excited for this bike to come to the states. I’ve already put money down on one at my dealer. I think it will be fun to ride and I won’t be afraid to drop it like I am with my GS that costs 4x more. Thank you for this excellent video.