Premium Chinese bike maker produces top-end adventure tourer with 111bhp full-bore parallel twin, dirt-capable chassis and loads of tech – at a great price.
It’s hard to keep up with all the new adventure touring bikes coming from Chinese bike makers these days. But this one definitely stands out from the crowd.
It’s the flagship model from CFMoto – arguably one of the most impressive of the new brands, and one that had a close historic relationship with KTM, producing bikes and engines for the Austrian brand, and working to develop products together.
That’s why the CFMoto 1000MT-X has a lot of KTM DNA in its design. It comes with a 946cc version of the LC8c parallel twin engine seen in the KTM 990 RC and 990 Duke, marking it out from the KTM Adventure twins which only go up to the 889cc 890 Adventure.
The DOHC eight-valve twin makes a healthy 111bhp with 78ft lb of torque, at lower revs than on the 127bhp 990 RC motor (peak power on the MT is at 8,500rpm rather than 9,500rpm).
This high-spec engine is light too – a claimed 56kg – and lives in an equally well-appointed chassis, with more than a hint of serious off-road chops. The front wheel is a de rigeur 21-incher, all the better for climbing up tree trunks and popping over deep ruts, while the tyre sizes are properly dirt-friendly too, with a 90/90 21 front and a 150/70 18 rear.
The supplied UK market tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, so a good compromise of on/off road ability, and the suspension is also very decent kit. KYB supplies the forks and monoshock: 48mm USD fully adjustable parts up front, with full adjustability out back too, and a good nine inches/229mm of wheel travel both ends.
It’s not quite motocross-level kit, but is more than capable of solid off-road performance, in the right hands.
There’s a 20-way adjustable steering damper too, and brakes are by Brembo, as befits a flagship machine, with 320mm dual discs and four-piston radial calipers up front plus a single disc out back.
A steel tube frame holds it all together, though the slightly weird fuel tank arrangement used on this family (and the KTM Adventure bikes) means you don’t see much of it. That large 22.5 litre ‘saddlebag’ type tank – which extends down either side of the engine block – also needs some solid protection, hence the beefy aluminium/plastic engine/tank guard bolted onto the bottom of the bike.
You also get the option of chunky engine/fairing crash bars to add even more protection.
The final part of the 1000MT-X story is the electronics, and here there’s plenty to talk about too. From the rider’s lofty 830/870mm perch, the view is dominated by an enormous full-colour touchscreen LCD dash, which uses proper realistic graphics and conveys mountains of information.
It’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, which is really useful these days. You also get handy stuff like USB A and USB C charging ports, full Bluetooth connectivity, optional T-Box telematics setup that adds Wi-Fi connections, over-the-air software updates, tracking, GPS geofencing, keyless ignition via phone digital key, and much more.
Touring fans will appreciate the cruise control, heated grips and seat and adjustable windscreen too. And there’s no shortage of electronic riding aids: IMU-assisted three-way traction control, five riding modes to tune the bike to conditions, with Standard, Rain, Off-road, and All-terrain joined by Master Mode for personalised settings when paired with the T-Box. It’s an impressive overall spec for sure.
We had a quick spin on the 1000MT-X recently, and found it to be an impressive piece of kit – though not perfect. The initial performance impressions are great: this is a pretty fast bike, with strong acceleration from the beefy engine, and a capable chassis setup for on the road.
You can easily ride to the limits of the Pirelli on/off-road tyres without feeling at all like you’re pushing your luck. There’s good feedback from the asphalt through the long-travel suspension, and you can make the most of the Brembo brakes for sure.
It’s comfy and spacious from the rider’s seat, and that dash is an impressive piece of digital real estate, though it took me a while to get my head around navigating the unfamiliar operating system menus and switchgear.
Off-road, it has the usual downsides of a large, heavy machine primarily aimed at fast, long-distance road work: when it falls over you need to be strong enough to pick it up, and it’ll never be as nimble or as manageable as smaller, more focused off-road machinery. For green lanes, fire roads and moderately bumpy dirt roads, it will be broadly fine though, depending on your skill set.
The main complaint I had was the gearshift, which was pretty grim (though the lever wasn’t properly adjusted for my off-road boots and the chain could have done with a bit of a tighten too).
I think if you owned a 1000MT-X you would put a bit of effort into tweaking the lever, clutch and chain settings – and you’d also adjust to giving it a bit more of a hoof, especially between first and second gear.
But that – and a slightly rough-feeling edge to the engine at higher revs – is pretty much it for complaints. The CFMoto machine definitely has a solid feel in terms of build quality overall, and for the price – around £8,700, it seems like a real bargain.
CFMoto 1000MT-X specs
Price: £8,699
Engine: DOHC 8v parallel twin, l/c, 946.2cc
Bore x stroke: 92.5×70.4mm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Carburation: Bosch MSE 9.0 ride-by-wire fuel injection
Electronic rider aids: IMU-assisted Bosch traction control, cornering ABS, wheelie control, rear lift control. Five rider modes
Max power (claimed)111bhp@8,500rpm
Max torque (claimed) 105Nm/78ft lb@6,250rpm
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox with up/down quickshifter, slipper clutch, chain final drive
Frame: steel tube with bolt-on subframe and cast aluminium swingarm
Front suspension: 48mm KYB USD front fork, fully adjustable preload and damping, 229mm travel
Rear suspension: dual-sided aluminium swingarm, fully adjustable KYB monoshock, 229mm travel
Brakes: dual 320mm discs, radial-mount four-piston Brembo calipers (front), 240mm disc, single-piston Brembo sliding caliper (rear), switchable ABS
Wheels/tyres: wire spoked/ Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, 90/90 21 front, 150/70 18 rear
Rake/trail: na°/namm
Wheelbase: 1,524mm
Seat height: 830/870mm
Kerb weight: 222kg (199kg dry)
Fuel capacity: 22.5 litres