A brief ride on Indian roads shows that there’s plenty to be excited about with this motorcycle ahead of its mid-year launch.
China’s CFMoto has many new bikes that are catching attention worldwide, but none of them have made as big a splash as the 450MT. This is the motorcycle that the company plans to re-enter India with in mid-2025, and we had a chance to get acquainted with it on a ride around the Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad.
One of the many things the 450MT has going right is the way it looks. It has a handsome, large and proportionate design that doesn’t look or feel budget in any way. When it comes to looking like a scaled-down big ADV, the 450MT achieves this better than any of its current rivals. The overall fit, finish and quality of materials feel like they’re from a segment above, and you could remove the badges and easily believe that this was a bike from any top manufacturer.
Weighing 195kg fully fuelled, it is 13 kilos heavier than the new 390 Adventure but a kilo lighter than the Himalayan 450. Lifting it off the stand echoes the weight figure on paper – definitely not as light-feeling as the KTM but also not as top-heavy as the Himalayan, which is interesting because this has a similarly sized 17.5-litre fuel tank.
Seat height is the lowest in the class at 820mm, and it can be further lowered to 800mm by using a different mounting point on the rear shock linkage. Tall riders will probably want to go for the accessory seat, which raises the seating position by 50mm.
There are only two bikes in the country at the moment, and they’re being used for validation purposes by CFMoto’s local partner (who has asked not to be named yet), so we didn’t take the risk of riding the 450 off-road. On-road manners were good, with the bike having a light steering feel and being easy to manage at low speeds. This easy nature translates to the handling as well – it’s quite good, although it very much feels like a tall ADV with a large front wheel.
The bike displays a tendency to lean over a little abruptly, but I chalk that down to the CST tyres, which work decently well, but you could improve the bike with better tyres. I’d also like more bite from the brakes, which, like the tyres, are more than adequate but not great. The suspension feels set a little on the firm side, but it is fully adjustable at the front and rebound/preload adjustable at the rear. Attacking a set of tall rumble strip speed breakers suggested that this suspension doesn’t feel quite as plush as the Himalayan, but it is better at taking big hits than the KTM 390 Adventure.
The engine is one of the highlights. It’s smooth in a way no single can match, and it makes a deep and involving sound that’s similar to the Aprilia RS 457 but also a little different. CFMoto has gone for very short gearing, so the bike feels remarkably tractable at low speeds but a little high-revving above 120kph. A super-light clutch also aids rideability in the city, although those interested in a lot of high-speed touring may want to make some changes to the final drive sprockets. The 6-speed gearbox is smooth, and an upshift-only quickshifter will be sold as an accessory.
Our test bike had quite poor fuelling, but we were warned that this would be the case as the company was working on engine calibration for our local fuel. The second bike behaved far better, and the company assures us that the fuelling will be fully sorted by the time it launches the 450MT. On that topic, the recommended fuel is 95 octane.
In typical CFMoto fashion, the 450MT is loaded with features, including a very nice TFT display, a height-adjustable windscreen, cross-spoked rims that support tubeless tyres, and adjustable suspension. From a touring standpoint, the only thing some people may miss is cruise control.
A limited opportunity to shoot photographs means that this will be a quick review, but you can check out our video review for more details. Ultimately, the 450MT looks good, is enjoyable to ride and has built a good reputation overseas for quality and reliability. It will come into India as a CKD, and we’re told a sub-Rs 4 lakh price is the target, which we hope the company can achieve because anything more will be a bit of a challenge. Moreover, CFMoto and its local distributor have a big task on their hands when it comes to providing high-quality sales and after-sales experience. Hopefully, that will be achieved. Because this bike really has a lot going for it.
Also see: CFMoto 450MT video review
