2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 Review | First Ride

March 26, 2024 editor CFMOTO 11 min read

The 2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 is a great addition to the ADV segment. We gave it a proper thrash at the global launch in Palawan, Philippines, and came away impressed. (Photos courtesy CFMOTO)

Adventure bikes are undeniably hot right now. Out of more than 70 new or significantly updated street-legal motorcycles announced for 2024 in the U.S. market, nearly half are dual-sport or adventure models. There are many ADVs to choose from in the 750cc-and-up displacement class, but there are few below 500cc. One of the most intriguing additions to the adventure category is the 2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450.

The CFMOTO Ibex 450 has rally styling with stacked headlights. The high fender is an accessory. Available colors are Tundra Gray (above) and Zephyr Blue (lead photo).

Known as the 450MT outside the U.S., the Ibex 450 is powered by a liquid-cooled 449cc parallel-Twin with DOHC, a 270-degree crank, and dual counterbalancers, and it’s mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip/assist clutch. Variations of this engine are found in several CFMOTO models, including the 450NK naked bike, the 450SS sportbike, and the forthcoming 450CL-C cruiser.

The Ibex 450’s liquid-cooled 449cc parallel-Twin is shared across four models in CFMOTO’s lineup.

In the Ibex 450, the engine produces a claimed 44 hp at 8,500 rpm and 32.5 lb-ft of torque at 6,250 rpm. When Royal Enfield updated the Himalayan adventure bike for 2024, it was upgraded from an air-cooled 411cc Single to a liquid-cooled 452cc Single that makes a claimed 39.5 hp and 29.5 lb-ft of torque. The Ibex not only makes more power and torque, but its two cylinders and dual counterbalancers also deliver the goods more smoothly.

The $6,499 CFMOTO Ibex 450 is the only adventure bike with tubeless spoked wheels that costs less than $10,000 (the KTM 790 Adventure is $10,990). The Royal Enfield Himalayan will have optional tubeless spoked wheels but pricing has not been released.

CFMOTO set out to produce a light, fully capable adventure bike at a reasonable price, and it has achieved its goal. The Ibex 450 is claimed to weigh 386 lb dry, so probably about 425 lb with its 4.6-gallon tank full. Even though it’s priced at just $6,499, it’s brimming with features not found on adventure bikes that cost thousands of dollars more. Perhaps most appealing is its tubeless spoked wheels, which greatly simplify roadside or trailside flat repairs. And they’re in 21-inch front and 18-inch rear sizes, which perform well off-road and are compatible with a wide range of dual-sport and adventure tires.

The CFMOTO Ibex 450’s 5-inch TFT display is easy to read even in bright sunlight.

The Ibex 450 has a chromoly steel frame, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and adjustable KYB suspension with 8 inches of travel. It also includes a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity ABS that can be disabled at the rear, switchable traction control, an adjustable seat height, a windscreen with on-the-fly height adjustment, handguards, a skid plate, a radiator guard, folding mirrors, a rear rack, LED lighting, and a USB-C charging port.

The town of El Nido is situated on El Nido Bay, which is full of small islands covered in dark gray limestone formations. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

CFMOTO hosted a global launch for the Ibex 450 in Palawan, Philippines, a province that includes several tropical islands between the South China and Sulu seas (think Survivor, Seasons 25-28). Our test ride was around El Nido, which has few paved roads, and those that are paved are made of rough poured concrete and are buzzing with small scooters and motorcycles, many of which are “tricycles” with enclosed sidecars that are the local version of a tuk-tuk. Most roads are poorly maintained dirt and gravel tracks through the island’s hilly jungle terrain that connect small villages and beaches.

One of the tricycles that are ubiquitous on the streets of Palawan. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

We knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore when our first obstacle was a water crossing (bypassing a rotted bridge) where water buffalo kept themselves cool in the shaded water. Even though it was March, Palawan was oppressively hot, with temps and humidity levels in the 90s. The region was in a severe drought, so the unpaved roads were extremely dusty – bikes kicked up clouds of fine, powdery silt that hung in the air like smoke. We spaced out our conga line of bikes as best as we could, but like a team of sled dogs, unless you’re in the lead, the view is always the same.

I’ve had to dodge cows on adventure rides, but never water buffalo!

Since the standard seat height of 32.3 inches is on the low side for an adventure bike and I’ve got a 34-inch inseam, I opted for the accessory high seat ($199.99), which increases seat height to 34.3 inches and provides a much flatter seating platform. Even with the high seat, there was a fair amount of bend in my knees given the height of the footpegs, and the seat was plush and comfortable.

Our CFMOTO Ibex 450 test bikes were equipped with several accessories: the high seat and upper and lower crash guards. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Within the first few miles, I felt comfortable on the Ibex 450. I’ve been testing a 450NK back home, and I’ve developed a fondness for the sound and feel of the 450cc parallel-Twin, which emits a nice rumbling exhaust note. The cable-actuated throttle provides predictable response, though small inputs at low speeds felt a tad jerky. (My test bike had only 65 miles on the odometer, so it was barely broken in.) The gearbox shifted smoothly, aided by the light action of the slip/assist clutch.

The standard seat is deeply dished where the rider sits. In it’s standard configuration, the seat’s height is 32.3 inches. Moving the shock’s top mounting bolt to a lower hole lowers the seat height to 31.5 inches.

Given the roughness of the unpaved roads and tracks, I spent a fair amount of time standing up on the cleated footpegs (I removed the rubber inserts). The Ibex 450 feels slim between the knees, and the tank section is smooth and unobtrusive. The wide handlebar provided good steering control, and even though it is adjustable I would have liked a higher riser to accommodate my tall frame (I’m 6 feet tall with long arms).

Most of our test was on unpaved roads, but we also logged miles on the national highway – a two-lane, curvy road made of rough poured concrete. We’ll have to wait for a stateside test to see how the Ibex 450 performs on the open road.

GEAR UP

Helmet: Fly Racing Trekker Kryptek Conceal

Goggles: Fly Racing Zone

Jacket: Fly Racing Off Grid

Gloves: Fly Racing Street Surveyor

Pants: Fly Racing Terra Trek

Boots: Sidi Adventure 2 Gore-Tex

Jason Louden, Director of Product & Innovation at CFMOTO USA, makes friends with local kids during our lunch stop. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

The brakes are supplied by J.Juan and consist of a single 4-piston front caliper squeezing a 320mm disc and a 1-piston rear caliper squeezing a 240mm disc. Although braking power was sufficient for my needs, especially since we were traveling at a moderate pace given the conditions, there was limited feel at the lever. I liked the convenience of turning off ABS and TC at the rear wheel by pressing a button on the handlebar (a long press turns rear ABS/TC off, and a quick tap turns them back on), but a true off-road ABS mode with less intervention at the front wheel would be a valuable addition.

A button on the left side of the handlebar turns ABS and TC off/on at the rear wheel. In the Ibex 450’s menu, ABS and TC can be controlled independently.

The large-diameter front and rear wheels rolled over obstacles with ease, and the CST adventure tires (which have a tread pattern similar to Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs) provided decent grip and predictable behavior, even in loose sand and deep silt.

The CFMOTO Ibex 450 proved itself to be quite capable off-road, and with a few suspension adjustments it will likely be even better.

To achieve an aggressive price point, compromises must be made, and on motorcycles that typically means lower-spec brakes and suspension. The Ibex 450’s suspension adjustability (the fork is fully adjustable; the shock is adjustable for rebound and preload) is a major plus in this price range. With the standard settings used at the launch, the KYB suspension performed quite well, though it felt a little rough at low speeds and more responsive at higher speeds. I look forward to a longer test where I can dial in the fork and shock damping and preload to my size and riding style.

With temps in the 90s and humidity above 90%, we wished there were more water crossings.

This was no bunny slope test ride. CFMOTO mapped out a challenging route that required skill and focus. There were tricky climbs and descents littered with rocks and ruts, roads and trails with rough embedded stones, unpredictable dogs and goats hiding in the shade by the side of the road, and even a stretch of singletrack through a mango grove with unforgiving low branches.

There aren’t many photos from the off-road park, and this one hardly does justice to the steepness of the trails or the depth of the silt. Trust me, it wasn’t easy. But the Ibex 450 took it all in stride.

At the end of the day, after we’d sweated through our gear and depleted our energy reserves, we did laps around an off-road park with increasingly difficult terrain. The Level 1 loop was easy, much like what we’d ridden earlier in the day. Level 2 was harder with challenging climbs and descents on a heavily silted trail with switchbacks and hidden tree roots. Level 3 was harder still, climbing to the top of a small mountain and then back down the other side.

This drone shot of the Level 3 loop (I’m the 3rd bike) doesn’t give a sense of how steep the trail was or how tricky these switchbacks were. By the time we got to the top, we were all ready to collapse.

I’m happy to report that I made it through all three levels without dropping the bike, but the off-road park tested me as much as it tested the bike. The Ibex 450’s tractable power, moderate weight, long-travel suspension, and large-diameter wheels were helpful throughout the day and especially on those loops around the park. I never felt like something was missing or holding me back (except my 50-year-old body).

At the end of a long, hot, dusty, challenging day, we still managed to smile. We were riding motorcycles, and riding is fun even when it isn’t. The beer at the end of the ride never tasted so good!

Indeed, but we could have done with less dust. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

Another useful feature of the Ibex 450 is its 5-inch TFT display, which uses bold white-on-black graphics, motorcycle illustrations that show what different settings do, and an easy-to-navigate menu system. On either side of the instruments are knobs for adjusting the windscreen height. And above the dash is a horizontal bar where a GPS or smartphone can be mounted.

A Tundra Gray CFMOTO Ibex 450 decked out in accessories.

The CFMOTO Ibex 450 proved itself to be not just a good adventure bike for the price, but a good adventure bike period. It has the features that adventure riders want, and it’s available with useful accessories like the high seat I tested, upper and lower crash guards (which were fitted on our test bikes; $149.99 for the upper guards, $129.99 for the lower guards), a beefier skid plate, a touring windscreen, a centerstand, hard and soft luggage, and more. At $6,499, it’s a great value, and it’s backed by a 2-year warranty.

The Ibex 450 looks sharp at sunset. (Photo by Greg Drevenstedt)

The Ibex 450 will be available at CFMOTO’s 350-plus U.S. motorcycle dealers starting in September, and I bet it will sell like hotcakes.