CFMoto, KTM’s partner in crime for the Chinese market, unveiled its own adventure motorcycle, the 800MT, which features a 94 HP 799cc parallel-twin engine.
CFMoto and KTM have been in a partnership for a while, where the Chinese manufacturer builds the 790 Adventure and Duke motorcycles for China. The brand also manufactures the LC8c 799cc parallel twin, which then finds its place in global KTM models.
A while ago, there were some speculations that CFMoto would also reveal its own bike, inspired by the 790 Adventure. The rumors quickly became true—CFMoto unveiled the new 800MT adventure motorcycle at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show. Oh, and it features the CFMoto-built LC8c engine.
The 799cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled unit produces 94 HP and 57 lb-ft of torque. The same featured inside the Duke and Adventure, although the Austrian firm recently replaced it with a bigger and more powerful 889cc engine. As with KTM’s 790 bikes, the 800MT also receives fly-by throttle, engine maps, and cruise control.
The 800MT benefits from multiple modern features. These include a 7-inch IPS LCD instrument panel, heated grips and heated seats for long-distance rides, built-in satellite navigation, and an automatic headlight dipping system. The 800MT’s fuel tank is placed at the top, unlike KTM’s low fuel cell design, and the company has decided to use two-up seats like any other adventure bike.
CFMoto will offer two trim levels with the 800MT—the standard trim features cast aluminum rims, while the dirt model uses spoked wheels, semi-knobbed tires, and a skid plate.
Common pieces to both trims are 19-inch front wheels, 17-inch rear wheels, KYB suspension, and J.Juan braking system. Bosch-designed traction control and cornering ABS have also found their way onto the bike.
However, the motorcycle has also gained more than 100 pounds when compared to its KTM sister bikes. It would be interesting to see how that translates into the riding experience.
Production of the 800MT will start in Q2 of 2021, but the price details and market availability are still unknown.
