“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is a popular proverb. But in reality, this is only true to a point. When inspiration is swapped for a total lack of creativity, it just becomes blatant copying, sacrificing genuine inspiration for a lack of originality. Many Asian manufacturers have been guilty of this act, including CFMoto. However, in recent times, the company has completely turned things around. Instead of just copying another’s work, it’s actually applying the learnings from a shadowed past to build something truly innovative, and its middleweight adventure bikes show just what’s possible.
Reputation In The Middleweight-ADV Class Gets Built On Pedigree
KTM
Reputation doesn’t merely come from a single strong model year. It’s built on success over time. As a motorcycle manufacturer, a newcomer in the segment starts afresh. For CFMoto, its reputation is currently being built on the products that it’s releasing on the market with jaw-dropping features and prices. This isn’t anything new, as Chinese manufacturers have historically pivoted to this strategy only to see it fall apart when the products don’t live up to set standards.
Rear View CFMoto Ibex 800 E Parked In A ForestCFMoto
But gone are the days of the “Cheap Chinese” reputation that CFMoto has now successfully evolved from. CFMoto’s connection to motorcycling actually runs deeper than the newcomer label suggests. The company holds the majority stake in the joint venture that has built KTM’s own 799cc parallel-twin family. It even commissioned Kiska, the Austrian design house that shaped three decades of KTM’s own lineup, to draw its adventure bike’s bodywork. Thus, in CFMoto’s case, the pedigree, albeit borrowed, is its inspiration wrapped in a new identity.
The CFMoto Ibex 800 E Quietly Outshines The Segment Favorite
Two CFMoto Ibex 800 Es riding down a highwayCFMoto
At $10,299, the Ibex 800 E might be mistaken for an entry-level offering, but actually undercuts most of the middleweight adventure class by a wide margin. A 799cc parallel-twin paired with a six-speed gearbox is at the heart of the 509 lbs package, complete with fully adjustable KYB suspension at both ends, and an electronics suite deep enough to belong on a bike costing several thousand dollars more.
Potent Parallel-Twin Power
Action shot of a CFMoto Ibex 800 E riding off roadCFMoto
The 799cc parallel-twin uses DOHC heads with four valves per cylinder, liquid cooling, and a Bosch EFI system for fuel delivery. Power routes through a six-speed gearbox and a CF-SC slipper clutch to the rear wheel. With a peak output of 94 horsepower coming in at 9,000 rpm, and 56.8 lb-ft being made at 6,500 rpm, the Ibex 800’s engine is fairly high-revving for a machine carrying a skid plate and cross-spoke wheels built for mixed surfaces. It’s also plenty of power for the money.
Close-up detail shot of a CFMoto Ibex 800 E engineCFMoto
This revvy nature rewards riders who like holding a gear rather than ones preferring to use higher gears on off-road terrain, especially relevant to those transitioning from rev-happy street bikes. On the tarmac, it also keeps the engine feeling responsive. The slipper clutch keeps aggressive downshifts tame, backing it in into a corner or down a loose grade, and the 5-gallon tank stretches the highway range those higher revs would otherwise eat into.
Standard Equipment Worth Every Rival’s Envy
CFMoto Ibex 800 E rearward facing radar close-up shotCFMoto
Six ride modes cover everything from Sport to Off-Road Plus, each recalibrating the throttle response and traction control for the surface underneath. A bidirectional quickshifter and cruise control come standard, along with tire pressure monitoring, heated grips, and a heated seat. An 8-inch MMI touchscreen runs Apple CarPlay. The surprise, though, is the radar-based blind spot detection. This scans for vehicles in the mirrors’ blind spot and flashes a warning on the MMI display, escalating to a horn beep if you signal toward a lane where it has already spotted a car.
Suspension And Chassis Hardware Punches Above Its Weight
CFMoto Ibex 800 E touring ready on the roadCFMoto
The fully adjustable KYB suspension gives you proper control over fine-tuning the bike’s handling. The KYB fork uses 6.3 inches of travel, and the rear shock has 5.9 inches of travel. These are fairly moderate travel figures that highlight its adventure-touring intent rather than being an enduro-adjacent off-road steed.
It also helps keep the seat height down to a manageable 32.5 inches, giving shorter riders ground contact potential instead of forcing one to get a lowering kit. Wheels run 19 inches front and 17 rear, with a tubeless cross-spoke setup, wrapped in Michelin Anakee Adventure rubber built for pavements most of the week and dirt roads over the weekend. Already, you can tell that the Ibex 800 E packs some seriously premium gear, but there’s even more.
CFMoto Ibex 800 E dual front brakes close-up shotCFMoto
Dual 320mm discs up front are gripped by J.Juan calipers with Bosch cornering ABS, keeping stopping power consistent even mid-lean. And CFMoto is literally leaving nothing on the options list, as even an aluminum skid plate and integrated crash bars come as standard, protecting the header pipes and radiator shrouds from tip-overs and rock strikes. A standard center-stand makes chain maintenance and tire changes incredibly easy.
The Ibex 800 E Against Its Middleweight Rivals
Yamaha
Picking one “segment favorite” to chase would shortchange the available variety of great options in the middleweight class. Riders drawn to the Yamaha Tenere 700 tend to prioritize its rally-bred simplicity as much as the name’s pedigree. With a narrow tank and flat seat built off decades of Dakar-honed miles, and a 459-pound curb weight over outright engine firepower, the Tenere has a unique appeal and fan-following.
KTM/Marco Campelli
There’s the KTM 890 Adventure R, which carries even more Dakar pedigree from the brand’s winningest streak through nearly two decades from 2000 onwards. Riders picking it up usually want the very opposite of the Tenere. It packs 105 hp, 9.45 inches of suspension travel at both ends, and a very off-road-capable chassis. The 890 Adventure R makes mods seem unnecessary with all the features that it packs, but it comes at a price point that reflects it.
CFMoto Ibex 800 E color optionsCFMoto
Even though the established brands may make one overlook the Ibex 800 E, what it has in its favor against them is an ultra-competitive $10,299 starting price. The Tenere 700 starts $700 higher at $10,999 and still lists a comfort seat and an aluminum skid plate as optional extras. The KTM 890 Adventure R starts at a full $6,000 above the Ibex, before even speccing a quickshifter or cruise control. So the package you get and at the cost you get it at puts the CFMoto in a league of its own.
Source: CFMoto
