CFMotoâs been on a roll lately, with new model launches left and right. Just recently, the brand pulled the covers off the entry-level Ibex 450, making its global appearance in the picturesque beaches of the Philippinesâinitial impressions coming soon.
Jumping off the hype of the Ibex 450, CFMoto is now teasing what could be the flagship model of the MT range: the so-called 1250MT.
Itâs a secret to no one that CFMoto and KTM have been in bed for several years now. The partnership has given birth to quite a few offspring like the 800NK and 800MTâderived from the KTM 790 Duke and Adventure respectively. Furthermore, itâs been rumored on multiple occasions that the CFMoto 450 range is what became of the discontinued KTM 490 series of bikes.
Now, you can probably guess where Iâm heading with the 1250MT. More than likely, itâll be rocking technology from the Austrian brand, perhaps in the form of the V-twin engine found in the previous generation 1290 Super Duke and Super Adventure. For reference, this engine already exists in the CFMoto universe, as it powers the 1250TR-G, a grand-tourer used en masse by the Chinese police force.
Here, the engineâs been downsized slightly to 1,279cc, and pumps out 140 horsepowerâmore than enough to rival the likes of the BMW R 1300 GS and Triumph Tiger 1200. And while the 450MT and 800MT both flex their off-road chops for the world to see, it seems that the 1250MT is a more road-focused machine, as evidenced by its alloy wheels measuring 19 inches up front and 17 inches at the back.
While nothing officialâapart from the rendering of this bikeâhas come from CFMoto, we can use the other bikes in the MT family as a baseline for the tech and features we can expect from the 1250MT. Ride modes and smart connectivity are a given here, and itâs more than likely that the new model will feature heated grips, an adjustable windscreen, and other
touring-friendly accouterments.
Thereâs no doubt that Chinese motorcycle manufacturers like CFMoto have their eyes on the prize when it comes to dominating the global market. In less than a decade, weâve seen Chinese-made bikes go from cheap knock-offs all the way to performance-oriented machines noticed on the global stage. Love them or hate them, one thingâs for sure: Chinese bikes are here, and theyâre here to stay.
The only question remains: will they stand the test of time?
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