Looks Like CFMoto Is Unleashing Its Big ADV, Will Possibly Be a KTM Killer

It’s official, CFMoto will produce the 800 MT-X adventure bike. It’s expected to be a more off-road-focused variation of the 800MT (Ibex 800 in the US market). CFMoto has completed the homologation requirements for the new model.

Two years ago, CFMoto captured the attention of the global market with tons of new offerings at EICMA. A good number of them have turned into reality, with the 450MT (Ibex 450) adventure bike and 450 CL-C cruiser now in circulation all over the world.

But one concept attracted those with a flair for high-performance adventure-enduro riding. Dubbed the MT-X, very little was revealed about the bike at the time. Heck, not even its displacement was made known. All we had to go by was an image of a burly-looking machine that looked like it was ready to tackle the Dakar Rally head on.

Since then, quite a lot has been revealed about the MT-X. For instance, we know that it’ll be powered by the same 799cc parallel-twin engine found in the rest of CFMoto’s lineup, and the same controversial engine that KTM uses in its middleweight bikes.

Although the derivative of the LC8C CFMoto uses in its bikes doesn’t seem to be suffering from the same camshaft issues as its European counterparts (but that’s a topic for a different story).

So, what’s in store for us from CFMoto? Well, it seems that the Chinese brand is sure to release a production version of the MT-X very soon, as it has completed the homologation requirements for the new model. CFMoto plans to roll out a total of eight different variations of the MT-X, perhaps in a similar fashion to what it did with the Ibex 450.

And so, we can expect high and low fender variants of the 800 MT-X, as well as touring-oriented versions with varying luggage options, as well as maybe even a more road-focused model with alloy wheels. Although the latter would likely eat into the market the regular 800MT (Ibex 800) occupies.

As is the case with pretty much all of CFMoto’s models, as well as those of other Chinese manufacturers, it’s more than likely that the MT-X will make its debut in its home country of China first where it’ll undergo tons of real-world testing before being shipped to other parts of the globe. Nevertheless, should CFMoto confirm its attendance at EICMA this year, there’s a good chance that we’ll see the production-ready 800 MT-X in the metal.

Now’s clearly the strongest the middleweight adventure bike segment has ever been, particularly when it comes to off-road focused models. And CFMoto is clearly capitalizing on this opportunity. I got to test the Ibex 800 a couple of years ago, and I found it pretty decent, albeit slightly lacking in terms of off-road capability. But when I got to run the Ibex 450 through its paces, it felt completely at home both on fire roads and single-track trails.

As such, I’m expecting that the 800 MT-X will be somewhere in between—perhaps a direct rival to the likes of the Yamaha Tenere 700, KTM 890 Adventure R, and Suzuki V-Strom 800DE.