CFMOTO 1000MT-X – A Lot of Adventure Bike for Under $20K

Adventure motorcycles have become the SUVs of the two-wheeled world. Some spend their lives crossing continents and tackling dirt tracks; others mainly cross town to find a decent coffee. Either way, buyers want comfort, range, technology and enough off-road ability to make that gravel road look tempting.

The new CFMOTO 1000MT-X certainly arrives prepared.

Priced from $18,990 ride-away in Australia at the time of writing this article, it uses a 946.2cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin producing 83kW (111hp) and 105Nm, matched to a six-speed gearbox, slipper clutch and bi-directional quickshifter. That puts some serious touring muscle underneath the right wrist without pushing the bike into silly-power territory.

There’s More Going On Underneath

CFMOTO is headquartered in Hangzhou, China, and the 1000MT-X comes from a company whose relationship with Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM runs much deeper than borrowing a few ideas over the back fence.

CFMOTO and KTM established a manufacturing joint venture in China, and the 1000MT-X's 946.2cc engine is based on the latest LC8c architecture. That helps explain why the mechanical specification reads more like something from the premium end of the adventure-bike paddock.

You get fully adjustable 48mm KYB upside-down forks, a fully adjustable KYB rear shock, Brembo brakes, Bosch cornering ABS and a six-axis IMU. There are also five riding modes, adjustable traction control, wheelie control, cruise control and a steering damper.

In other words, nobody has fitted an enormous touchscreen to a budget bike and hoped we wouldn't notice what was underneath.

Built to Actually Go Somewhere

The standard 1000MT-X gets 230mm of suspension travel, 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoked wheels and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres.

Then there's a clever alternative.

The 1000MT-X LS lowers the seat from a fairly lofty 870mm to 830mm, with suspension travel reduced to 190mm. For shorter riders – or anyone who prefers putting a boot firmly on terra firma rather than performing an awkward one-legged ballet at the servo – that's significant.

Both versions weigh 222kg wet and carry 22.5 litres of fuel in twin side-mounted tanks. Positioning the fuel lower helps centralise the mass while also creating more room around the knees when standing on the pegs.

Australian testing has already seen the bike subjected to wet bitumen, dirt roads, slippery tracks and Victorian High Country conditions, with reports particularly praising its chassis balance, broad torque delivery and ability to transition between road touring and dirt.

That's important, because adventure-bike credibility shouldn't be measured by how many aluminium boxes you can bolt to the back.

Touring Toys Included

The 8-inch vertical touchscreen TFT dominates the cockpit, while heated grips, a heated seat, tyre-pressure monitoring, USB-A and USB-C charging and smartphone connectivity are standard.

Cruise control is there too – something you'll appreciate somewhere around kilometre 437 of a long Australian touring day.

And that is where the 1000MT-X starts making considerable sense.

This isn't aimed solely at hardcore enduro riders. It's equally relevant to experienced touring riders, couples wanting to travel two-up, riders graduating from smaller adventure bikes and those who want one motorcycle capable of commuting Monday to Friday before disappearing towards the mountains on Saturday.

What We Like – And What We'd Change

We like the combination of KYB suspension, Brembo braking, Bosch electronics, substantial fuel capacity and genuine off-road wheel sizes for under $20,000 ride-away.

We also like that CFMOTO hasn't ignored shorter riders with the LS version.

For its next evolution, we'd like to see further refinement of the electronics and low-speed throttle response – areas noted in independent testing – plus continued improvement to switchgear simplicity. With this much technology onboard, operating it shouldn't require a minor in computer science.

The bigger question surrounding the CFMOTO 1000MT-X isn't whether it's cheap enough.

It's whether riders shopping established Japanese and European adventure bikes are now prepared to put a Chinese-built CFMOTO on the same shopping list.

On specification, equipment and price, the 1000MT-X has certainly earned the right to be there.

DSP QUICK SPECS

• Engine: 946.2cc liquid-cooled parallel twin
• Power: 83kW (111hp) @ 8,500rpm
• Torque: 105Nm @ 6,250rpm
• Gearbox: 6-speed with bi-directional quickshifter
• Fuel: 22.5 litres
• Wet weight: 222kg
• Seat height: 870mm / 830mm LS
• Wheels: 21-inch front / 18-inch rear
• Suspension: Fully adjustable KYB
• Brakes: Brembo with Bosch cornering ABS
• Australian price: From $18,990 ride-away - as at Sept 26

Find out more - CFMOTO 1000MT-X