CFMOTO 450MT Detailed Overview & First Impressions! | Ibex 450 Vs. Competition
The CFMOTO 450MT / Ibex 450 is one of the most anticipated and hyped motorcycles today, promising to be as close to the mythical lightweight, affordable ADV unicorn as a company can make. I break down what makes this bike such a game-changer and give my detailed initial impressions from the global launch at El Nido.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Main takeaway
0:54 Reviews to watch/read if you want expert insight
1:17 My perspective as a new ADV rider
1:42 Description of El Nido test ride
2:05 How the 450MT/Ibex 450 differs from the competition
3:29 Price discussion
4:08 Complete overview of features (value proposition)
7:47 Engine and power delivery
9:39 How the bike is approachable off road
10:54 Wet weight - is it too heavy?
11:41 Brakes
11:53 Ergonomics
12:01 Seat height
12:39 Comfort?
13:06 Tires
13:47 Road manners
14:42 Fuel consumption
15:13 Carrying luggage/touring accessories
15:49 Air filter access
15:57 Reliability question
17:17 Concluding thoughts
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Check out the full vlog of the launch event and El Nido island ride here! kzhead.info/sun/m7d8YM2KhKRpnH0/bejne.htmlsi=Z4NDzQwHxKsgEGw1
It turns out that entry lever testers - as you describe yourself... - are doing the best reviews !!! I really enjoy the video absorbing all the needed info. Congrats from a Greek viewer!!! :-) P.S. Please do asap the compare review of MT450 and Himalayan 450 ...
Been watching all the reviews of the 450MT (even the Spanish ones, lol) and I gotta say this one has the best production value so far. Am not surprised as I previously watched your docu on the FJ challenge and it was no surprise you guys won the content creation award. You've got talent dude, keep up the good work!
I like this bike I just wish (like cars) some things were just standard, like cruise and heated grips. Neither of those are a deal breaker as this is probably my next bike but with everything being fuel injected and computerized just put cruise on and make it a standard option on adventure/enduro bikes
Thank you!
@@LocknessRidesbut it doesn't have ride by wire, that's why they don't put a cruise control, and I think it's more focused on off road. I think I'll replace my 2021 390 adventure by one of those, let's see what happens until October when arrive the second shipping at the dealership, the first bike were sold out in my country in very short time.
Hey good job, rank your review way better than MAD Tv
@@muzzkeg8172they only did a mobile phone teleconference with shit data, they got in earlier than everyone else but no actual riding footage was records, maybe Clubby forgot to take the camera bag. I thought it was lacking footage.
A detailed video between cfmoto 450 and Himalayan 450 will be legend Derry
'Make great adventure bikes small again'. Love that line, and agree completely! Greetings from Dublin
This video constitutes the most comprehensive review on this bike I have seen so far. You have covered even aspects I was not thinking on yet. Many thanks!
I'm mostly impressed w/ the fresh thinking on all of the items that you normally have to change/add yourself after getting a new bike. CFMOTO has already built them in. This is a wake up call for the industry.
Greetings from Australia! We bought two! This bike is already swaying people's opinions on Chinese motorcycles. We sold our Africa Twins (will really, really miss the DCT :( ) because they were too heavy for our skill level, and we are looking forward to a lighter motorcycle. Our only hope is that CFMoto will at some point in time sell a 450 with DCT or Yamaha auto transmission, but for now, we will be happy with clutchless upshifts :)
This is the only review i felt is unbiased all others seemed like a sponsered videos
Man, again best review so far. Life long, 55 years old rider. The "experts" bring too much "premium, highest performance" baggage to their reviews. Real life riding needs and requirements take a second or third place. Too bad u did take few min to adjust the suspension (both ends are spring preload adjustable as well). This plus the Tubeless wheels are one of the top/main features. Thx for very nice review.
I know, I wish I had adjusted them! But after doing a similar trail on my road bike (Interceptor 650) and struggling to feel safe at speed yesterday, I've realized how well the 450MT suspension performs!
I appreciate your honest comments and your newbie perspective. It will resonate with a lot of newer riders looking to buy their first ADV bike. Well done sir!
Excellent review! Very detailed and well explained. As a new adv rider myself, I appreciate your perspective on this. I wasn't too excited about the weight at first, but considering I don't have a big ADV bike, this seems like an excellent option. A very high value for the price. I can see how people that already own a bigger ADV bike might dismiss the MT, because it's not the unicorn they were hoping for, but for everyone else, this seems to be a solid choice.
What a great honest review!! Keep up the great work.
Love from Australia 🤙🏼 Great video mate
Nice review bro💪🏾. Can’t wait for this bike to arrive in South Africa in the last quarter of the year. It’s perfect for the bad roads and Rocky Mountains here.
nice, good thing you were part of the cf moto launch. it's hard to look for a good review of this bike. panalo sir
Well done mate very honest review keep up the great work cheers from Australia 👍😉
Very nice review, every bit as good as the pro's and better than most.
I have seen a ton of CFmoto 450MT video's for months now and this one is the BEST. Greetings from Belgium.
Straight on review, and I agree...about one thing here, aftermarket support and long term engine reliability. Thanks you for the insights and be waiting for your El Nido Adventure!
The best launch review video!!!
Greetings from Canada. Very informative, to the point review. Finally a seat height comparison with the young woman at lowest setting for my curiosity (I'm 5'-4") , now known. Subscribed, looking forward to your upcoming reviews.
glad to provide that! Good thing we had Kat in our group. She's a strong road rider who found her off-road legs as we went along the ride.
The standard seat height is 820mm, which can be manually adjusted to 800mm. You can also purchase an 860mm raised seat cushion later.
Your 2 videos about this bike are the best ones on KZhead. Congratulations.
Must say, very good video !! I've watched a lot on the 450 and this was the best in all aspects! Great job
Appreciate you saying so!
agree!
Your review totally fits the buyer's perspective for what we want to know about the motorcycle, thank you brother.
New subscriber but genuinely enjoy your perspective on bikes. Keep it up!
At 193kg wet It's far to be a game changer, and without the charisma of Royal Enfield, or Japanese competitors, i doubt it will change anything. very good presentation, congratulations, cheers from another islands country 😁 I'm surprised you didn't mention the Brixton Maverick 500 in competition, another Chinese good bike.
Great review! Thanks for sharing 👍
Great review Aaron
Absolutely incredible quality review, bravo!!
Solid review!
Great review, thoroughly enjoy it.. cheers
Thank you so much!! + Question!: First of all this was indeed -up until now- te best review/overview and report of the 450MT. That's why I wanted to post this feedback in hope it will get a lot of traction for other interested Adventure riders... Question: Do you have any footage how the bike fits taller riders (180-195 cm). Or maybe more footage of the spring in the back so we can see if we are able to create a better seating position. Once again, thank you for your effort and would like to see your vlog.
Let me dig into the materials from CFMOTO about that! You can message me on Instagram @ride_xp or my Facebook Page (Ride XP for both) so I can send them if I find them
What a well written script. Hope to ride one someday soon!
Thanks man!!! Let's get this and 450MT side by side and go back down that trail off-road section at 7Up Hills!
Thank you for speaking about your local NK 450 price relative to the 450 MT. This really helps contextualize. In Canada, the NK 450 is about 30% higher MSRP beyond the PHP to CAD conversion, which helps gauge the price we should see for the Ibex 450 when it lands: $10,386 CAD + destination, prep and surcharge. That puts it about 1K$ CAD more then the '24 KTM 390 Adventure. That's an easy sell.
We also can hope for the Aprilia 457 Tuareg (Piaggio India), Triumph Tiger 400 (Bajaj) as well. Maybe. Likely?
The tiger 400 is in work and the naked 457 already spied as well so you can expect them very soon
Great insight! Thanks for the comprehensive review!
coffee pls
Great review and presentation
Outstanding review. Bravo
Great review!
A good and honest review. I live in the US and would be willing to give the 450MT a shot. I live in Minnesota where the new CFMOTO headquarters is located and the 450MT is not listed in their current catalog. But, with continued conflict between the US and China, which I think is a shame, I hope CFMOTO is given a fair chance to compete. Honda dealers in my region of the US don't have a clue as to if the new Honda NX500 is even coming this year to the US. If the Chinese can build a state-of-art space station, and all those other amazing things, I'm sure they can build a great motorcycle engine.
Absolutely!!
Good review. Thanks!
Good review, and a hug from Spain.
Very impressive review Aaron; open, objective, balanced and you spoke my language (and I don’t just mean English!). Thank you
Mate, this is such a well put together video! So helpful. I would love to ride with you when I come to the Philippines!
Come over!! There's a lot to see.
Good report little brother. You give a reasonable review based on your experience and that is appreciated by 55 year (plus) rider like myself.
I thought it has riding modes. By the way you hit every aspects. You got my subscribe
Nice one and looking forward to test CF MOTO 450MT :)
Bagay sayo!
I don't know how I stumbled upon your page but, I did and I should thank the algorithms for this as it was a great match; very good review, congrats and I hope you'll get to be the next Big Rock Moto!, keep up the good work, cheers!(subscribed, of course)
Great video man! Maybe the best I ever seen. I am watching this bike or himalayan 450.i ll be waiting for your opinion. See you
I liked your review, greetings from Netherlands!
For the Chinese to have an international launch in the Philippines, say it. Peace and prosperity to all nations.✌️ It's great to hear a down to earth review..
A well balanced and good articulation review.
Great job Aaron, thanks.
Always enjoying your reviews. Keep it up. Can you make a review for the 800mt?
I'll ask CFMOTO if they can lend me one!
I agree with xeno. Best vid about the mt450 jet
"make great adventure bikes, small again." I swear this is what I keep wishing for. I currently own a 300 rally. and im having wayyy more fun exploring on it than I did with my BMW F850 GS. yes the gs had all the luxuries and features you would want, but my rally can take me places that GS couldnt. Im an average rider and in no shape or form do I ride like pol tarres. But I want to be able to explore the world (be it on pavement or dirt) even with my current skill level. And I think I speak for the majority of ACTUAL adv riders out there when I say, these big adv bikes are just wayyyy to difficult to take on real trails. I think ill be getting one of these mt450s soon :) Thanks alot for the quality video! I just liked and subbed :)
I’m with you! I just wanna explore, go far on pavement or dirt, and a properly sized bike to help me do both.
@@Ride_XP i guess thats what most (not all) adv riders dont get. It seems people now care too much on all the features, electronics and luxuries of these big and heavy adv bikes. When in fact the 1st bike to be taken offroad were scramblers with nothing but an engine and 2 wheels
Great info, thanks, Hope to hear a review on this bike on highways for touring,
Esta CFMoto 450 es lo que podía haber sido la ansiada y abortada KTM 490 Adventure presuntamente fabricada en India por Bajaj, que asoma la patita en otra ventanilla asiática del también socio colaborador de KTM, CFMoto. Con la marca austriaca, probablemente, hubiese salido con algún caballo más y algún kilo de menos. Hay muchísima expectación en Iberoamérica, Asia y Europa sobre esta CFMoto 450 MT. ¡Enhorabuena a los chinos de CFMoto por su gran trabajo! La CFMoto 450 MT, en mi opinión posee potencia suficiente para casi todo, buen equipamiento de serie, larga autonomía, capacidad de carga viajera, carenados austeros pero suficientes, actualizaciones de software vía app de móvil, ABS y DSC fácilmente desconectables, tubeless, filtro de aire fácilmente accesible, buena ergonomía, manetas regulables, pantalla ajustable, tomas de energía, escape alto, capacidad de carga, subchasis desmontable, estriberas, cambio, y espejos retráctiles, suspensiones largas solventes y adecuadas para uso mixto, electrónica comedida, altura de asiento polivalente desde solo 80 a 87 centímetros, distancia libre al suelo, solo 2 o 3 centímetros menos que las más caras, potentes y pesadas motos referencias del maxitrail y sobre el papel buenos materiales y acabados. La CFMOTO 450 MT es la moto casi perfecta que los japoneses no han querido fabricar desde hace más de 30 años. ¡Y además, en mi opinión, es un bellezón! Incluso los japoneses, tendrían que tomar ejemplo en cuanto a diseño y equipamiento de serie. Habrá que esperar a ver su fiabilidad, intervalos de mantenimiento y precio. Estas nuevas motos chinas, tienen actualmente una relación calidad precio muchísimo mejor que las japonesas. Con la marca austriaca, probablemente, hubiese salido con algún caballo más, algún kilo de menos, pero algo más costosa. Hay muchísima expectación en Iberoamérica, resto de Asia y Europa sobre esta CFMoto 450 MT. Creo que solo la KTM 390 Adventure, la Honda CB500X y la RE Himalayan II, están a la altura, aunque con distintos enfoques. Voge 500 DSX y Benelli TRK creo que son más pesadas y asfálticas. Esta CFMoto 450 MT no es moto endurera sino traileras asfálticas con algunas buenas posibilidades camperas. Con algo de dinero se pueden camperizar más. Como la KTM 390 Adv, pero en mi opinión, siguen siendo motos muy pesadas para los estándares del off road duro. Me encanta esa 450 MT y cuando dentro de un año venda mi 390 Adv, creo que será la primera de la lista con posibilidades de ir a mi casa. Un saludo desde España. ✌
Hola hermano! Gracias por compartir ideas desde tu lado del mundo.
Even mine the ist impression loved it ❤
Great video. Thanks 🏁🏍
Excellent review! I look forward to your comparison of the CFMoto 450 with the RE Himalayan 450! Here in California, vibration and acceleration at 70mph (112kph) would be important for highway travel.
Best review that's I've seen until now! Very nice production! I'm thinking to replace my 390 adventure by a 450 MT, what your thoughts? I'm 1.80 tall, my 390 doesn't feel comfortable for me. Maybe I'll not feel much difference on power, but it'll for sure fell a bigger bike.
Yes it will! Of course get the 870mm seat. And at least your pegs won’t be tilted forward. Bit more low end torque as well and probably more comfortable/adaptable overall.
Nice! This puts the nail in the coffin for me. I sold my cb650r to get into adv/trail riding dahil i watched your fjmoto docu vlog. Going to re bacoor tomorrow to see and sit on the new hima so hopefully cfmoto can finally get units to their dealers as well para maupuan and see the bike in person
Amazing!! Epic adventures await :) Sat on the Hima there too just today!
@@Ride_XP was able to go sit/stand on it kanina around 2pm. Looks good, just need the cfmoto to materialize at the dealers to sit/stand on it as well
Eto na! ganda!
Salamat lods!! Stay tuned for the vlog kung saan ikaw ang co-star 😘
Im torn between this and the new himalayan 450, but hearing 450 mt can only manage 20-24 kml makes the new himalayan more appealing in my opinion if you will do alot of touring, the latter can manage more than 30kml based on many indian reviewers i watch, plus its a very capable ofroader machine as well
And don’t forget the 5k Service intervals.
I doubt the real world difference would anything like that. Parallel twins are known for their great fuel economy. For me, the MT is a much more refined machine, vibration-less parallel twin, adjustable suspension back and front and tubeless rims makes a difference. Just the suspension alone would make me buy the 450MT over the Himalayan.
Mileage could be due to the choppy offroad riding conditions plus lugging the engine at lower rpms. It really won't be performing at its ideal fuel economy range in those situations. Highway cruising would probably be much closer to the 25~26 km/L mark given the figures.
Or even more. Remember those figures for the Himalayan 450 were highway miles, in India, by Indian testors riding an Indian-made bike. I would think there would be some bias creeping in, conscious or unconscious.
@@andrewtreloar7389himmy got showa adjustable suspension as well as tubeless spoked wheels.
Im gonna test drive tommorow
Awesomeness!!!
YES! Finally - its up! Could be our next bike for next FJmoto - lets see how the new Hima 450 does. About the 800mm seat height.. it basically looks like adding a lowering link?
No need. There are 2 positions on the factory link. Simply choose which one.
What he said! After sitting on the Himmie, my offhand guess would be, more experienced off roaders will prefer the Himmie because of its capability and not minding the weight. The CFMOTO feels less intimidating.
Many thanks for showing us the natural landscape in Philippines Aaron. I wonder if there's any off road tour travel packages available for anyone wanting to visit your country?
Specifically off road, not many established ones yet, but stay tuned as they are coming! Here in El Nido in the video you can book them with these guys: instagram.com/lakwatseromotorcycles?igsh=MXNzazN4NHpoNGxxMA==
thanks man
Hello guys IS ishe better than a KTM 390 duke or a motorini xcape 650 ?
So, in short, the choice is between the Honda NX500, RE Himalayan 450, and this CFmoto. The RE is single cylinder, but still premium.
Exactly! The NX also has that switchable ABS now as well. It will surely be the most reliable and best on the road among them.
good job !
Been thinking hard bout the Kove 450 rally as my entry to ADVs & am very happy there's a new choice at an even lower cost. Lov your rendition of what a review is (ie.real world practical stuff instead of techie speak). Any chance you've experience with the Kove & can provide a comparo of strength & weaknesses? Regardless, China has made a big statement with the intro of the Kove & now, the 450mt
Unfortunately Koves are hard to come by here, you have to order them sight unseen from the distributor. Too bad, as I would like to try them too, but as far as I know these are more specialized rally weapons than all-rounder ADVs.
@@Ride_XP Ya I sorta figured that as well. I'm more looking for a good dirtbike with ok road manners rather than the opposite. Not gonna be travelling too much but instead, want to go deep into the woods & tackle gnarly trails for an afternoon of fun. I'd also want the bike to grow with me as my skills improve. Still this 450mt is very intriguing esp the intro Philippines pricing. Its a bargain for sure
What is the weight limit on 450mt?
I was going to go for this bike but leaning towards the Himalayan 450, the 450km tank range is nice and apparently it’s a better off-road bike
That's also what's making we to compare them! I sat on the new Himalayan today. Beautifully built, but feels pretty heavy compared to this. Will have to get them side by side.
That is because himi comes with a center stand and tank guards as standard. You remove both of them and it will feel lighter than the chinese bike. @@Ride_XP
Im pretty sure i will get the 450mt i just cant decide on colour! Is the blue with what looks like pink details actually pink as some people are saying its more of a red in person? What colour did you find people preferred? Again great review 👍
It's definitely more of a pink! I think opinion was divided evenly between the two colors. If I were to get one, it'd be the gray, but mainly as a canvas for more custom decal work to get it looking like a rally bike.
@@Ride_XP ok thanks I will still have to battle my brain as to what colour for now then 😂
Will definitely see a lot of 450 MTs in the next FJ
I'm already told FJ will be a lot harder next time because of this cheater bike hahahaha
A very detailed review. Tks. I personally like the clx series more than MTs but the clx 700 is a bit too much for streets in Vietnam 😅 I'm hoping cfmoto will continue this line up with the clx 450. I'm sure it will become another "blows" to the competition
Good point! There is no scrambler/neo-retro yet in the 450 lineup
My neighbor called the police on me for playing this too loud. They arrested him.
hahahahahahahaha
Any vibrations?
I was amazed that this bike was launched in the Philippines. But. They made sure no Dogs Trykes or Jeepneys pulling out in front of you.
I'm so excited when I first read about this bike. I'm looking everywhere for review about this bike. This is the best review about CFMoto 450 MT so far. I'm so excited because this bike looks great, light, and affordable not like 700+ cc big heavy adv bike. I'm really considering to buy it now while waiting how much it will cost at my country.
I hope they release a similar MT with 250 or 300 cc.
Great
Hey, I went here when I watched the video of you selling the Himalayan. I'm wanting to get into the bike scene, and I want my first bike to be an adventure touring bike with at least 400cc. Considering I am new, I would like to go for an affordable one. It's kinda hard to look for insight in the internet so I'll shoot my shot here and ask, what motorcycle should I get? You got more friends in the bike scene than me, so it would really help a lot. Thanks!
This or the Himalayan 450! If you’re not doing technical off road trails, consider the Honda CB500X or its new version the NX500-extremely reliable bikes that IMHO are best in class for long distances.
Nice
In Costa Rica, the 450MT will sell for 10.000$ (9.990), and the 700MT (tourinh bike) sells for 9.000$, yes, the 450MT is more expensive than not just the other 450s, but anything with the 700cc engine, only the 800cc+ cost more. Those fuckers.... I want to upgrade from my Versys x300, which sells for 8.600 USD
9:22 Noob question--how do you do know if a gear is short or long?
Honestly this still confuses me to this day, because it’s relative and arbitrary hahaha. See my exchange with the Italian fellow asking about it. But as far as I understand shorter gearing gives you more acceleration and torque at the expense of top speed because you’re at a higher RPM at a lower speed. Tall gearing is the opposite and lets your cruise more efficiently and smoothly at a lower RPM but without as much grunt off the line.
If this was made by Yamaha as tenere 450 this is going to be one garage bike for many riders
I want to see a comparison of the new Himalayan 450 also!!!! Can't wait. Got to have one of these new bikes.... Hurry up Royal Enfield and start deliveries.
I got to ride both of them off-road yesterday! Will share my initial impressions soon.
@@Ride_XP AWESOME!!!
Ciao, it is very strange... An Italian teater very expert he is from get dirt youtube channel said that first gear is long and permit (in off road use) to axhieve decent speed and wngine rpm..😮
Ah yes, if I I think about it that is a more technically accurate way to describe it and you can achieve a decent speed/engine rpm with it indeed, but for normal riding on the road the engine brake it quite strong which makes the ride unpleasant to stay in first gear.
@@Ride_XP Many thanks.. another question.. did you feel on / off effects on accelerator when opening gas at low Speed ?
@@gianlucadelloro yes! The throtle gets the RPM up fast so there’s no lag, which can be good or bad. That’s why it “feels” short.
I Will try as soos It Will be available in Italy (May). I have a Honda CRF 300 Rally.. I am super Happy, but now i have girlfriend... For the Moment thanks a lot.
Any news for GT variant?
so far none yet!
@@Ride_XP noted, thank you sir
People complain about the price and weight of this bike, then proceed to compare them with the REAL overpriced, inferior (spec wise), heavier bikes.
Wow this is a really good point, I wish I'd said it myself hahaha
I'm short and middle/low class too, Thanks China for thinking about us!
Very nice review. I consider Chinese manufacturing...CRAP (especially in looking at the oil changes on my Chinese 250 street bike...soon to be replaced with Triumph Scrambler 400). But, CFMoto definitely looks to be an exception. There's a terrific YT video out there that discusses in detail the 11 year partnership between KTM and CFMoto. According to the video; CFMoto has a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, KTM is heavily involved in design, supervision, and QA/QC. CFMoto is now manufacturing all KTM models...looks like KTM is putting their reputation behind CFMoto quality.
I'll have to look up that video! thanks for sharing.
this vs the new himalayan?
I've just sat on the Himalayan 450 today, but I won't be able to decide myself until I've ridden it on and off road! It's close.
I dont have a motorcycle, and i want one of these
wala nang intro intro, dabest review!
I wish it was around 160-162 kg dry