The big-bore MT-X gets serious

Almost 12 months ago to the day, I was testing the terrific 800MT-X on local Otway trails at its Aussie launch, before ending up taking it up to Hattah for a skid. This time around I had the chance to put the latest addition to the CFMOTO Adventure family through its paces at the launch of the new 1000MT-X.

CFMOTO’s new adventure offering the 1000MT-X arrives for under $20K ride-away

The launch route took in a wide range of surfaces over two days, in and around Lerderderg National Park and Wombat State Forest. It was a great spread of conditions to really get a feel for the bike. Everything from soft, wet, slippery clay, sandy loam, rocky hills, hard dry clay tracks, creek crossings and dusty gravel tracks through to wet and dry tarmac. You name it, we gave it a crack – other than deep soft sand.

And now I’ve had another day or two to collect my thoughts properly.

1000MT-X specs mark a significant upgrade over the 800 variant

A glance at the spec sheet reveals some genuinely impressive numbers. While it retains much of the 800MT-X’s chassis architecture and rally-ready 21/18-inch wire-spoke wheel setup, the 1000MT-X gains:

• A 946 cc parallel twin producing 111 hp and 105 Nm – up 16 hp and 18 Nm on the 800MT-X.
• Fully adjustable KYB 48 mm forks and a fully adjustable KYB monoshock, retaining 230 mm of travel and 240 mm of ground clearance.
• Brembo radial-mount four-piston monobloc front calipers, replacing the 800MT-X’s J.Juan setup.
• A six-axis IMU, four ride modes plus Master Mode, adjustable TC, a quickshifter, cruise control, tyre-pressure monitoring, and heated grips and seat as standard.
• Just 2 kg more kerb weight, at 222kg.
• The same 22.5L low-slung fuel tank.

A small two kilogram weight increase over the 800, alongside significant performance increases push the 1000MT-X to another level

Launch consumption ranged from 4.6–5.5 L/100 km, depending on how enthusiastically riders twisted the right grip. That suggests a comfortable real-world touring range in excess of 400km, with high-400km figures plausible at an easier pace.

Summing it up would be as simple as saying, ‘More power, better suspension, better brakes and tech’. But as with everything, there are nuances. It is a noticeably better bike than the 800 in several key areas, but there is still room for improvement.

The 1000MT-X also cuts a fine figure, with a strong dirt bike styling theme Not just a bore/stroke job

This is a new engine rather than a bored-and-stroked version of the 800’s unit. Both are KTM-derived LC8c parallel twins, but the 800MT-X uses the 799cc, 790-era platform, while the 1000MT-X moves to CFMOTO’s 946cc, 990-derived engine architecture.

CFMOTO’s latest offering is powered by a 990 KTM-derived engine

And it is a gem. It can sound a little mechanically noisy just off idle, but that is about where the criticism ends. Smooth, torquey and still happy to rev. The 1000MT-X has an excellent tune and strong fuelling.

That torque – 90 per cent of it is available from 5500 to 8000 rpm – but I’d say it feels more than happy from 3000 rpm up. The bike will happily lug even lower, but from that point it makes good, smooth torque and is ready to push up a pinch or out of a creek with ease.

Performance jumps 16 hp and 18 Nm over the 800

Out of the box, I found the fuelling on the 800 gave a very occasional hesitation when feathering the throttle, but I found no such issues on the 1000. The only oddity I noticed was an occasional, very slight sensation of delay as I rolled off the throttle.

It was subtle and difficult to reproduce, and I only noticed it in slippery conditions. Given the bike’s slipper clutch and rider-aid intervention, I would stop short of calling it a fuelling issue – but it is worth revisiting on a longer test.

A blacked-out standard exhaust is incorporated into the narrow tail

The quick-shifter comes standard and works just fine. While I did miss the occasional shift, I’d put that down to me not fine-tuning my gear lever height beyond ‘that’ll do’. I could have brought it up some more for the MX boots I was wearing. Likewise, the brake lever sits quite low as standard for off-road riding. But these are things owners should be adjusting to fit them and their boots perfectly.

KYB suspenders and Brembos are properly good

A few of us thought the suspension on the 800 was ‘KYB-like’ when we rode it last year, but with the real deal installed… it’s a noticeable step up in composure, control and balance, and one that allows the chassis to shine. The main difference is how it holds the bike in the mid-stroke, where the suspension does its best work.

KYB fully-adjustable USD forks and Brembo Monobloc callipers are fitted to the 1000MT-X

There’s excellent small-bump absorption while still having good resistance to big hits. On day one, I left the suspension at the standard settings to establish a baseline. For day two, I ended up with seven clicks of rear preload and two turns of front preload.

Preload is always my first step: it is about establishing front-to-rear balance for my weight, riding position and the way I want the bike to behave as traction comes and goes. That transition from grip to slip and back again.

230 mm of travel at both ends, and 240 mm of ground clearance ensure strong off-road capability

I left compression and rebound alone, which says plenty about how close CFMOTO has got the base settings. On my own local trails, I would probably add a couple of clicks of fork compression for higher-speed water-bar shenanigans.

What impressed me most was how well the bike relayed surface information – even better than my eyes could at times. One track on day two in particular comes to mind. It was a clay-based track that was mostly quite grippy, but damp and slippery in spots that were often hard to see. There was quite a crown in the road too, with plenty of blind corners making for some steady right-hand off-camber restraint as well…

An external preload adjuster on the rear KYB shock – I ended up dialling 7 more clicks of preload for my ~90kg carcass

I’d eased off that 10 per cent and was feeling a little cautious even though the track looked okay, only to come around the next corner and find the tell-tale marks on the road of a bike going down. The bike was telling me what my eyes were struggling to spot.

Those tricky conditions also highlighted just how good the Brembo monobloc calipers are in this setup. Great pad choice, excellent feel. I went for my go-to setup of leaving the front ABS on but turning the rear off, and felt right at home even in quite snotty conditions at times – you can absolutely modulate as needed.

Brembo provide radial four-piston calipers on dual 320 mm front rotors

I only felt the ABS kick in unintentionally a few times, but it’s also a great way to test how much grip you actually have at times. Give that front lever a good ol’ squeeze, and you get an instant report. Give it a try next time – in a straight line!

For off-road use, I prefer the ABS deactivated at the rear, but left on at the front did the job, but you can chose to have ABS fully off in All-Terrain mode

Another reason the feedback came through so well was the terrific Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs fitted. I had assumed the STRs were just there for the press launch, but a quick check while writing this tells me they’re standard fitment in Australia. I’d guess I have nearly 100,000 km aboard STRs now, as they’re my tyre of choice for this type of riding. They wear well too.

Great on the sealed stuff and mind-bogglingly good on gravel, hard-pack sand or clay-based tracks and rocky trails. I’ve even ridden the big V4 Multistrada in sand on them… The weakness is the slicker end of the scale.

Pirelli’s excellent Scorpion Rally STR tyres are also standard fitment

Wet, slippery surfaces like soft clay need to be treated with appropriate caution, but can still be managed, especially if you drop the pressures to low 20s. We had pressures in the low 30s for the launch (arguably too high for some of the conditions), but they still did the job.

Comfort and ergos

Very similar to the 800 here, as you’d expect. Same seat height, same geometry. And like the 800, the 1000 is also available as a low seat (LS) variant which sacrifices 40 mm of suspension travel and drops the seat height from 870 mm for the full travel variant, back to 830 mm. There is also a thinner seat option that is an additional 20 mm lower, which can be applied to either variant. So you can configure in 810, 830, 850 or 870 mm in reality. I rode the LS version (shown in this review in the Aerolite Grey bike) and did wonder what it might be like with say a 19/17 inch cast wheel option for more road-oriented usage. While the extra travel was missed offroad, it wasn’t on the sealed stuff.

On the whole, the seating position and rider comfort are excellent, especially with the heated grips and seat that copped an absolute flogging on the launch – day one started at 1 degree with plenty of frost…

Seat height is 870 mm, and can be lowered to 830 mm, but sacrifices the equivalent suspension travel to reach that level

There is one area I noticed more on the 1000 than the 800 though, and that’s buffeting from the windscreen. Now I’m not normally one to worry too much on that front and, in truth, while riding I didn’t think I was getting beaten up too badly. But I did have to tighten the screws on my helmet visor on day two, which is generally a sign that it’s copping some vibes. And I did notice some soreness in my neck muscles the day after the launch finished.

Buffeting from the windscreen was an issue with one of the accessory windscreen upgrades probably worth looking into

I’m just under 6ft (181cm) and wasn’t alone in this, with taller riders noticing it especially. So I’d definitely look into taller/wider screen options if you were planning on doing big back-to-back days. There are both CFMOTO accessory options – including one that is 50 mm taller than standard – as well as plenty of aftermarket options from folks such as Givi.

Lower fuel cells and optional engine crash bars work well!

We had a few bikes get dropped during the launch, as happens when you’re trying to explore the limits and capture good content. But it did make me realise something about that lower fuel-cell design. I remember when I first saw that design on the KTM 890, I thought it would be a potential point of failure. But it seems to be the opposite.

The low-slung fuel tanks keep weight low and have proven surprisingly resilient when combined with crash bars and bash plate (not shown here)

On simple drops, they offer real protection to the engine itself and are much more durable than you might expect. They’re made using multiple layers of high-density materials, and I saw first-hand that, when combined with optional upper crash bars, they can handle most drops and low-speed low-sides without any issues.

CFMOTO offer genuine accessory crash protection, with the bash plate, handguards and crash ‘bars all recommended by Wayne

I’d be opting for the full bash plate, crash bars and alloy handguard protection options. They’re a no-brainer.

A truckload of tech, but not as easy as it should be

The most obvious tech difference from the 800 is the new 8-inch dash screen and layout. The hardware is solid and has Apple CarPlay integration as standard, which will be a welcome addition for many riders.

The 1000MT-X offers a big new 8-inch TFT, packed with info and features, but it can be overwhelming

It also has integrated mapping via the CFMOTO Ride app. The app also gives you GPS tracking if your bike gets stolen, customisable ride modes that let you fine-tune power and throttle sensitivity, over-the-air software updates, and more.

The main dash has three screens that can be scrolled left and right to access different information. The problem is that each is overly busy, and the menu logic is not as intuitive as it should be. It needs simplification, as well as more useful customisation of the information displayed.

Menu navigation uses an unconventional switch layout. What appears to be a conventional four-way toggle is actually split into up/down controls at the top and bottom, plus Back and Set buttons left and right. The centre button is not Enter, as you might expect, but a voice-command button for riders using a connected headset.

It’s a confusing and unnecessary switchgear setup because it ‘looks’ like it should behave in a familiar way, but doesn’t. You end up cycling through horizontal options on the screen at times, using the up and down buttons, which just feels wrong. Even after two full nine-hour days on the bike, I was still getting caught out.

Another criticism is that the switchgear departs from the more usual layouts, what looks like a four way multi-toggle button… isn’t… Getting in the mode for it

In terms of modes, along with Rain, Standard, and Offroad, you get All-Terrain mode, which delivers full power and has ABS and traction control fully off. Press and hold the mode button for a few seconds, and it will switch straight to that mode for you. I love the ‘single button – press and hold’ process.

Switching off ABS and traction control fully is just the long press of a button, allowing skids for big kids

That quick jump to All-Terrain mode will be perfect for many riders, but I admit I found the throttle in All-Terrain a little too sensitive. Maybe I would get used to it, but I much preferred the softer throttle in Offroad mode.

This is where the customisable ‘Master’ mode available through the app would come into play, except we couldn’t, for the life of us, get it to sync back to the bike at launch. I’m told that a scheduled software update only days after the launch sorted out the syncing problem. Once synced up, you should be able to flick it straight to Master Mode on startup and not have to touch anything else – which would be perfect!

A fully customisable ‘Master’ mode is included, but during testing couldn’t be sampled

All modes are customisable in terms of TC – up to three steps – and ABS (On Road/Offroad/Off), but the bike doesn’t remember your settings when you key off. Nor does it keep your heated grips on when you turn the ignition off or stall the engine. While I understand the battery-saving approach there, a short delay in turning them off would solve the ‘I’ve just stalled my bike’ scenario.

And while I’m on traction control, I found it to be far too severe in its intervention for off-road riding, even at its lowest setting. It won’t feather the power and let you slide the rear and/or gently bring it back in line, but cuts power fairly abruptly instead. So I’d have to dive back in and turn it off again every time I keyed off.

Packing for the big trip

One last thought. The lack of integrated luggage mounts is worth mentioning. Trev considers that a much bigger black mark than I do – as anyone who read his Norton Atlas review will know – but I can see his argument. On a bike this capable, with a 22.5-litre tank and genuine touring range, neatly integrated luggage mounting points would make a lot of sense.

The 1000MT-X will require luggage racks, or a rackless system, shown here with the catalogue-optioned soft bags

We’re probably at the point where we should expect that as standard, with the option to still have racks for soft bags for those who want to go that way (which is arguably the option for serious off-roading). Certainly, having that weight as close as possible to the bike’s centre line is a big plus from a handling perspective. Or if you’re like me… go the rackless option, using something like the Givi Canyon setup I’ve been running. The soft luggage arrangement pictured above is a $1399 option through CFMOTO, with the rack required to fit them an extra cost on top of that.

So how does the 1000MT-X stack up?

Mechanically and dynamically, the 1000MT-X can hold its own among the litre-class adventure bikes – and that is before price enters the conversation. It is a meaningful step up from the 800MT-X in engine performance, suspension, braking and equipment, while carrying only a 2 kg kerb-weight penalty.

The CFMOTO 1000MT-X is a seriously capable adventure bike and should not be underestimated

I don’t see it as leading the class in any individual discipline as such, but as a genuinely off-road-capable all-rounder. As such, it’s going to be difficult to ignore at less than $19,000 ride-away. Add some protection options such as a bash plate ($780), crash bars ($210) and alloy handguards ($369), and you have a seriously capable adventure bike on the road for around $20,000.

The $19,000 ride-away pricing is also impressive on the CFMOTO 1000MT-X

The standard warranty is two years, extending to three if the bike is exclusively serviced by a CFMOTO dealer. For a brand pushing increasingly hard into the mainstream, that warranty offering is starting to look a little stingy.

The dash usability niggles I had would lessen with familiarity, but the big gain to be made would be getting the Master Mode syncing sorted to allow for quick settings adjustment without having to dive into that menu. And I’m told that’s already sorted.

Some small quibbles are likely to be addressed via over-the-air updates by CFMOTO

It is the sort of thing that CFMOTO have a solid history of addressing via over-the-air updates soon. They have one of the best track records in that regard in terms of dropping regular updates and addressing niggles and concerns, especially for new models. And you get to do it remotely, without taking the bike into the dealer…

The CFMOTO 1000MT-X marks the brand moving from competing on value to full capability against the most established players

CFMOTO has come a long way in a short time, and the 1000MT-X feels like the point where its adventure-bike range stops being simply good value and starts demanding to be judged on capability alone.

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CFMOTO 1000MT-X hits

• Major step up in engine performance, suspension, braking and equipment over the 800MT-X.
• KYB/Brembo chassis package is genuinely capable on difficult terrain.
• Only 2 kg heavier than the 800MT-X.
• Exceptional specification and capability for sub-$19,000 money.

CFMOTO 1000MT-X Misses

• Screen buffeting is noticeable for taller riders.
• Dash layout and switchgear need a more intuitive user experience.
• Traction-control intervention is too abrupt for confident off-road riding.
• Master Mode/app synchronisation was unreliable on the launch bikes.
• Lack of integrated luggage mounts.

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The CFMOTO 1000MT-X comes in Nebula Black, Tactical Green, Aerolite Grey (Wayne’s favourite!) CFMOTO 1000 MT-X Specifications

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CFMOTO 1000 MT-X Images