CFMOTO has made no secret of its ambitions in the adventure bike market, and its new 1000 MT-X is its biggest statement yet.
So, to find out whether it really can compete with the established players, ABR founder Alun Davies decided it needed a proper test. And where better to just that than Tibet on a ride to Everest Base Camp over some of the highest roads on Earth?
Alun’s full review appears in the latest issue of Adventure Bike Rider magazine which you can buy HERE.
In the meantime, here are five things that stood out from his time riding the bike in Himalayas in his own words…
1. The adventure bike market has been put on notice
“‘Chinese bikes used to conjure something cobbled together from spare plastic. This is not that. The 1000 MT-X looks designed, as though someone sat down and drew the whole thing as one piece, the way an Italian house would draw a Ducati. It’s got presence. In the looks department, it more than holds its own. I like it.
But here’s the most extraordinary feature, and probably the one piece of information that’ll decide this bike’s fate. In the UK, the CFMoto 1000 MT-X is coming in at just under £9,000. And at that money, for that package, there is quite simply nothing within touching distance. Nothing.”
2. The engine is a belter
“Before leaving China, four of us spent half an hour riding at CFMoto’s factory test ground, at something approaching sea level, and the first thing that struck me was how lively the bike felt. Crack the throttle and it just goes, with an eager, ready-to-race character that immediately encourages you to ride it harder.
Up at 4,000 and 5,000m (in the Himalayas), that fire had been banked right down. You still get decent, usable performance, but nothing like the animal I met at the factory. It’s left me wanting to ride it again back in the UK, where it can show what it’s really capable of.”
3. The chassis won Alun over
“The road to Everest Base Camp, an alpine ribbon of 108 sweepers and hairpins, was made for testing the chassis and suspension. It was the one part of the trip where we managed to lose our guides and let rip, and what a magnificent experience that was.
I’ll doff my helmet to the Chinese engineers here as the roads were beautifully smooth, the bends perfectly concentric, and there wasn’t a pothole or yak in sight. It was like having a racetrack in the most spectacular setting imaginable. The CFMoto handled superbly under some very fast and testing conditions. Nothing but praise there.”
4. There are a few things he’d change
“First, the screen. It’s on the small side and manually adjustable, and no matter where I set it, I’m getting a steady buzz of vibration through my helmet. I’m 6ft 2in, so I sit up in the wind, and wherever that screen goes I catch turbulence on the lid. I’m getting used to it, but I wouldn’t want it for a lifetime.
Then there’s the dashboard. There’s no denying that the TFT is going to divide opinion. There is a huge amount of information crammed onto it. In short, the dash is way too cluttered and it’s also unreadable when the sun shines on it. If I were CFMoto I’d re-do the layout.”
5. This could be a game changer
The engine’s fire is real, the quickshifter’s a joy, the chassis feels sorted, the low weight is an advantage, and it looks the part. This Chinese adventure bike looks the part, comes loaded with electronics and carries a price that demands both attention and a test ride.
If the established market had ignored the first Chinese alarm clock and hit snooze, this bike is the second alarm, and one they can’t afford to ignore. On value alone, the CFMoto 1000 MT-X is going to be a very big deal.”
Read the full review
So, there you have it. Alun’s test of the CFMoto 1000MT-X pushed the bike to its limits in the Himalayas. And remember, you can read his full review, and find out more about his adventures in Tibet and China in the July/August 2026 issue of Adventure Bike Rider magazine.
Get your issue today with FREE UK postage HERE.
