2024 CFMOTO 450MT Review | Motorcycle Test

2024 CFMOTO 450MT Review

Review by Wayne Vickers

CFMoto first introduced its new 450 parallel-twin last year as the 450SR, and it was one of the surprise packages of 2023. It was well-styled, well-specced, well-built, and extremely good value for money. The factory has now followed it up with the 450MT, the smaller sibling to the 800MT we also tested back in 2022 at its Australian launch. And we were there in the Philippines for the international launch to get our first look at this new small-capacity Adventure bike.

I was impressed with the 450 twin, and couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like in an off-road bike. I even went to the extent of trying to source an engine to use in a build. Turns out, CFMoto was waaaay ahead of me. And now we see the results of its work.

Let’s talk first about what it is not, and get that out of the way. It’s not a 450 enduro or rally bike. Nor is it a hardcore off-road animal. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re probably going to baulk at the weight and power figures. It’s 175 kg dry and has 44 hp. With a full 17.5 L tank and adding all the fluids, it’s tipping the scales at around 192 kg.

That puts the 450MT a dozen kilos lighter than the Tenere 700. And there are certainly some comparisons to be drawn there, as it indeed feels like a lighter, less-powerful T7. But those numbers alone don’t tell anything like the whole story. Because to me, at least, it felt notably lighter, more composed, more predictable, and just easier to ride than the middleweight adventure bikes – as it should.

And remember building lightweight almost always equals expensive and/or fragile. This is not expensive. And it doesn’t look to be fragile.

So with the expectation set: that the 450MT is an all-rounder, not an off-road brawler – let’s kick on.

This is certainly a nice-looking bike, well-proportioned and handsome from nearly every angle. Which is uncommon for smaller-capacity Adventure bikes, now I think about it.  It’s available in two colour schemes, Zephyr Blue and Tundra Grey. Can tundra actually be grey? It must be grey somewhere, right? Either way, I do like it. I have a bit of a thing for silver and grey though. Stylin’.

Sitting on the bike, it’s immediately apparent how comfortable it is. That seat is nice and feels surprisingly low. My feet were firmly flat on the deck (I’m 181 cm or just under 6 ft in old money). It’s noticeably wider than any single will be between the thighs, but slim enough, for sure. Again – as expected.

Overall, it looks well-built and finished, just as the SR did. And it’s available with an optional high front guard for an extra $200. Bargain. You’d have to. There are good, quality plastics all ’round – hard to say how they’d wear since we only had a day on them.

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Fire the 450MT up, and that little 270-degree parallel twin belts out a note that’s punching above its weight. It’s seriously good – even with the stock muffler. Definitely gets the anticipation levels up. And you ease out that clutch for the first time and can’t help but notice how smooth it is.

Now, 44 hp is not going to pull stumps off the bottom, but you quickly get used to the curve and there’s a nice zone from around 3000 to 6000, where the bike is in its happy place. It’s not coughing or wheezing below or above that at all, it’s just where it feels best. It’s only running 11.5:1 comp, too, so it’s not under a lot of stress. Which tells me two things. It should be durable – and there’s room to lean the bike out for more hump. I’ve heard whispers of tuned SR engines putting out 55 horsepower…

In the morning, I found mine to be a tiny bit eager on immediate throttle opening, but by the afternoon, I was noticing it much less. So again – I suspect the bike was starting to run itself in as it had less than 500km on it.

Something to be mindful of, though – the first versions of the 800MT were snatchy on throttle opening (noticeably more than the 450), but they were subsequently updated with an ECU download, and that was resolved. So I was looking for issues there. I think it was OK with a few kays on it.

The box in mine was also still fairly stiff first thing in the morning. But by mid-morning, it was loosening up, and before lunch, I was shifting both up and down without the clutch. It’s a delight to peddle those cogs. Especially on the road.

That 17. L tank I mentioned earlier? I’d imagine that should get you comfortably past 300 km. Hard to say from our short test, especially in those conditions and with us journos hamming it up, but if it doesn’t get better than 5 L per 100 km, I’ll eat my hat. So, I’d be thinking 350 km before refuel.

Ergos wise, I’d say it’d be close to bang-on for anyone under about 170-175cm, but for anyone taller, I’d suggest going for the optional high seat if you’re keen on standing up and playing in the dirt. It was certainly manageable, but I would have liked a little more seat to grip a little higher between my knees.

‘Bars too – if you’re serious about off-road, I’d consider a higher bend or risers for a better standing position. Now, to clarify – I didn’t find it cramped as such, but a little more room wouldn’t hurt. If you weren’t doing much off-road work on it – I’d probably leave it as is and just roll those bars forward a little.

Road manners were one of the more surprising aspects. The MT comes with a full 21-inch front and 18-inch rear, which is always going to require more effort on the road to change direction, but you wouldn’t know it. The weight is held quite centrally and the bike changes direction with ease. I was really comfortable letting it run into corners and hold decent corner speed.

I rode it supermotard-style on the road and it was great. I rode traditional style (leaning with the bike) and the bike was great. I even swung the knee out just to see what it was like. And it was…well, you get the picture. It shifts from side to side super-nicely, and that front gave me plenty of confidence. The tyres were surprisingly good, actually. No issues working at those crazy high 30-degree Celsius temps, either.

Brakes? Well, it’s a single 320 mm disc on the front which works well enough. I could have used some more power on the road when I was really hustling along and pushing on a bit, but for everyday stuff, it’s just fine, and realistically, it’s about right for purpose. They offer a nice feel on the gravel and dust. Maybe I’d go a softer pad on the front? I’d need more time than one day of riding to make that call.

Modes-wise, there is a single button on the left switch-block that sets it into off-road mode with a one-second press and hold. That disables traction control and puts ABS into off-road mode – deactivating ABS on the rear entirely. I had it in off-road mode all day.

I did find the rear would tend to lock a little more eagerly in the dirt than I’d wanted earlier in the day, but it was getting better as the day went on. Either I was getting used to it, or the pads were starting to bed in properly. But as opposed to the front, it might be worth considering a harder pad on the rear.

With regard to the suspension, all three Aussie journos opted for a little more pre-load and damping on the rear shock and wound on more damping on the front. I dialled on three more steps all around and it was close enough to leave it at that for the rest of the day – improving things both on and off road. A noticeable change from three steps is a good sign from a range of 20 steps.

There’s 200 mm of travel available, which should give you an indication of where the bike positions itself in the ‘all-road’ versus ‘off-road’ range. The Aprilia Tuareg, which is still my benchmark for off-road Adventure bikes, has 240 mm of travel. The KTM 790 Adventure S (the all-road version, not the R) has the same 200 mm of travel as a reference.

I weigh 87 kg (which I have just learnt is bang-on the Aussie-average for us fellas) and I was pretty happy with the spring rates. I found pushing on and having a dip off-road over ‘normal’ twin-track conditions to be just fine – but remember that when you ride to the bike.

I wasn’t hitting gap-jumps. Nor was I carrying a pillion or 30 kg of luggage. Would I recommend a 450 twin as a pillion bike? Probably not, but it would do it. Just not as easily as a middleweight, obviously. The 450MT has a nice sturdy grab rail and luggage rack, though!

We should talk a little about electronics, there’s a nice 5-inch TFT display that’s clear and easy to read. It comes with the CFMoto OTA (Over The Air) update system. So you can update to the latest ECU map yourself via the CFMoto app.

You can also track the location of your bike and view riding data. I’m told there has been more than one SR450 located via this feature after they had been stolen. What a great thing. It also comes with an 18W USB and Type C charger for your electric doodads.

The other big tick? The air filter is accessible via removing the seat (with a key), and then a couple of bolts has the removable cassette-front under the rear of the tank apparently. So, no need to remove the tank. It’s almost like they’ve thought of the customer…

And then, of course, there’s the price. The introductory cost was nine grand, which is, frankly, amazing value. CFMoto has pre-sold more than 300 at that price. Even after the post-intro special offer, it’ll only rise to nine-and-a-half grand. And while it’s true I won’t hold a nine thousand dollar bike to the same standard as a thirty thousand dollar bike – I saw nothing that was an obvious issue or weakness. The wheels come tubeless, too!

Far out. CFMoto are kicking goals here. And there is more to come. I think we are seeing a repeat of the effect the emergence of the Japanese manufacturers had in the ’80s.

Those 300 or so should start arriving in April and be fully delivered by July. Chalk up 300 happy customers, I’d say.

I like the CFMOTO 450MT because:

• Amazing value for money. And no obvious shortcomings.
• Nicely-balanced handling, great smooth engine and box.
• Capable both on- and off-road (without being a rally bike).
• The simplicity of the ‘off-road’ mode at one button press.

I’d like the CFMOTO 450 MT more if:

• I’d personally opt for the tall seat option and look at a higher bar bend for my height. You’d have to tick the high fender option too.
• For the price I wouldn’t be asking for anything more.
• On the other hand, if it came out in an R version, with a hotter tune, even more suspension travel, a full exhaust system and could find another 5 or 10 kilos in weight-saving… holy moly.

Head to the CFMOTO Australia Motorcycles website for more information (link).

2024 CFMOTO 450MT Specifications

Thoughts from onboard during the launch