The 450MT has a 449cc engine to produce 44 horsepower and 32.4 pound-feet
If you’re interested in small adventure bikes, you’d know the past 365 days have been dominated by the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. Several spy shots and leaked data have all made it the most talked about motorcycle in the segment, and the final reveal didn’t disappoint either.
Now, however, there’s a new player that wants to take on the just-revealed RE. The motorcycle in context is the new-for-2024 CFMoto 450MT, unveiled just hours after RE’s presentation at the 2023 EICMA. It packs plenty of quality components, likable features, and a rugged design, all of which make it the Himalayan’s kryptonite. Here are the full details.
The 450MT might be CFMoto’s first sub-500cc adventure bike, but it looks ready for any or no terrain. Up top, you get two vertically stacked projectors, partnered by fork stanchion protectors and a transparent windscreen. The latter is hand-adjustable and features an integrated phone mount on the backside. A sweeping fuel tank and slim plastic fairings–both inspired by rally bikes–round off the front half. The tail end is comparatively minimalistic, meanwhile. You get a scooped single-piece saddle (with a dual-tone cover), a luggage plate, and an LED tail lamp.
Bringing the aesthetic together are the rugged elements and liveries. The former comprises an aluminum bash plate, handguards, and spoke wheels as standard. Whereas, the latter includes two options, namely Zephyr Blue and Tundra Grey. The first one wraps the motorcycle in a punchy blue and white colorway, while the second one is more quaint with its dark grey finish and neon green accents.
Like the design, the feature list ticks all the right boxes. As standard, the 450MT spoils you with:
Ride modes seem like a miss here (the Himalayan has two), but even without that, the 450MT is easily one of the most loaded ADVs in its class. There are also a handful of accessories like:
Delving deeper, the 450MT serves as CFMoto’s third model based on its 449cc, parallel twin powerhouse already present on the 450SS and 450NK. Thanks to internal tweaks, you get 44 horsepower and 32.4 pound-feet, all of which kick in at 8,500 and 6,250 RPM. In comparison, the 450SS sports bike promises 50 horsepower (at 9,500 RPM) and 28.8 pound-feet (at 7,600 RPM). A chain-driven six-speed transmission helps put the power to the road.
With these numbers, the adventure bike is more powerful and torquey than its arch-rivals. For reference, the new Himalayan has 39 horsepower and 29.5 pound-feet, while the KTM 390 Adventure has 43 horsepower and 27.2 pound-feet. That looks like a job well done by the Chinese giant, doesn’t it?
CFMoto has built the 450MT around a double cradle chassis, carved from steel. It joins hands with 41 mm KYB upside-down forks and a KYB monoshock, both with 7.87 inches of travel and adjustability. Like the long-travel suspension, you get 21/17-inch spoke wheels to enable some proper off-roading. It’s also worth noting these wheels wear tubeless tires, unlike the tube-type rubber on the 390 Adventure and the Himalayan. Concurrently, the braking setup comprises a 320 mm disc up top and a 240 mm rotor outback, both bit by J.Juan calipers.
To talk dimensions, the 450MT has an impressive 8.66 inches of ground clearance and an accessible 32.2-inch saddle height. Add to this the claimed 385-pound dry weight, and you’re looking at an accessible companion. The Himalayan, in comparison, weighs 399 pounds (dry).
CFMoto recently launched its 450NK and 800NK in America. So it’s clear the company considers the U.S. an important market. Accordingly, the new adventure bike should make its way here too, sometime next year. Once here, the motorcycle will lock horns against a long list of motorcycles. Some of the 450MT’s key rivals will be:
Most of these are not as off-road-focused as the MT, so it should have clear advantage if CFMoto gets the price right.
What are your thoughts on the Chinese adventure bike? Like it or loathe it? Tell us in the comments.
Source – CFMoto, ADV Pulse
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Punya is an avid motorcyclist who’s always up for a ride to the canyons or the racetrack. He insists his riding skills are better than his writing skills, even though he’s worked with some world-renowned automotive websites.
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