2023 CFMOTO 800MT Touring Limited Edition Review

The annual bikesales Bike of the Year (BOTY) award is a huge undertaking, with planning starting months ahead for the week-long ride component – not just to lock in the motorcycles which would battle it out for the major gong, but also the two- and four-wheeled support vehicles.

In 2022, those vital roles fell on the shoulders of the Peugeot Expert and the CFMOTO 800MT Touring, one half of CFMOTO’s all-new adventure-touring platform that first went on sale locally in January 2022.

In all honesty – and this is an educated guess as I wasn’t privy to the BOTY short-listing – the CFMOTO 800MT Touring would have at least been considered as one of the potential BOTY contenders thanks to its mouth-watering $14,490 ride away price tag, eager performance, superb handling and a long list of standard features that lift the meaning of accessible long-haul adventuring to new heights.

All moot now, but that didn’t remove the CFMOTO 800MT Touring totally from the BOTY reckoning. Murray, a recently retired paramedic and now a tractor-restoring guru (he could talk Massey Fergusons for hours!), again joined us as medical support on BOTY.

He’s more your sit back and soak-it-all-in comfort man when it comes to bikes, someone who enjoys amenities such as heated seats, a comfy seat, fog lights, luggage-carrying ability, upright ergonomics, weather protection and cruise control more than corning clearance and bulk horsepower. Mention sportsbikes and his eyes start twitching nervously…

Based on those parameters, we put the question to CFMOTO Australia as to whether we could secure an 800MT Touring as 2022 Bike of the Year paramedic bike. Not only was the answer a resounding ‘yes’, but he also jagged the $16,490 ride away ‘N39°’ limited-edition variant, with black aluminium panniers and topbox as standard, as well as Aussie-made Barkbusters and a snappy Sandstone Yellow livery. Those additions aside, it’s identical to the standard 800MT Touring.

That’d keep Muzz on cloud nine, especially the ample luggage capacity to store his Band-Aids, bandages, and myriad other paramedic paraphernalia, but there was another crucial element to it: I could also sneak a ride on the 800MT Touring with the updated fuel map. The update was in response to an erratic throttle response, especially in the lower rev range, on the early Aussie versions of the CFMOTOs with the KTM-based 799cc parallel-twin engine.

Although it had the KTM architecture – one of the benefits of a burgeoning joint venture between the two companies – CFMOTO developed its own fuelling and electronics for the 800MT line-up (there’s also the cast-wheeled 800MT Sport), and there was no sugar-coating it: the company didn’t get it right and set about addressing the shortcoming. Hence, an updated map arrived within months, and all early 800MT adopters received the upgrade for free.

And that showed just how much effort CFMOTO continues put into its new adventure range, as it’s fighting in a middleweight category that is, quite simply, on a massive growth spurt. And in 2023, the likes of Suzuki (V-Strom 800DE) and Honda (XL750 Transalp) are joining in on the action, while CFMOTO quietly slipped into its social pages in late November 2022 that an 800MT ‘Explore Edition’ would soon be joining the family line-up too. How it actually differs from the 800MT Touring – they look practically identical except for the liveries – has yet to be disclosed, but that hasn’t stopped us from speculating…

We won’t touch on the full 800MT Touring background in this forum, as bikesales editor Dylan provided all the vital details in his Aussie launch review, so let’s get straight down to how it performed during the 2022 bikesales Bike of the Year.

Murray was convinced even before the first coffee stop: “I couldn’t have picked a better BOTY machine,” he said. The roads had been ‘transport like’ until that point where cruise control was king, and his exuberance levels nearly exploded after we completed the glorious ribbon of tarmac that is the back road from Eildon to Jamieson in Victoria.

Mind you, the CFMOTO’s handling has impressed from the outset: it settles well into turns, holds a tight line, and is quickly back up to speed with that proven 95hp/77Nm engine and its broad spread of power. The clutch is light, too, and the six-speed gearbox a beauty.

The CFMOTO has KYB suspension, a tubular steel frame and a 19/17-inch wheel combo, producing a well-balanced package that feels lighter than its 225kg (wet) mass would suggest, and with an abundance of grip and poise to go with it. It’s unflappable, even when the pace rises.

I did have to encourage Muzz to set aside his old-school thinking and take advantage of the bi-directional quickshifter, but no such prodding was required for him to crank the handlebar grips and seat heating to maximum when we hit a massive storm soon after! The weather was, err, lively, to say the least. The quickshifter works best when the powertrain is under heavy load, and Muzz said it occasionally hit neutral when he feathered the gear lever with his boot. Otherwise, no complaints.

I eventually put the new map to the test – and it really is chalk and cheese. It’s transformed the bike at lower rpm, with that previous ‘bogged down’ nature replaced by a much smoother and compliant interaction between throttle and rear tyre. That particularly adds to the Touring’s commuting prowess, especially in start-stop traffic.

The 800MTs don’t have traction control and the ABS isn’t switchable, which has been a source of criticism. Murray, for example, only plays in dirt on his tractors, so the ABS switchable void isn’t even on his radar, while for others it’s a deal breaker.

There’s not a massive amount of suspension travel, so off-road is, in all honesty, not going to be its strong suit despite its spoked wheels (with tubeless tyres, too). Dirt roads and light trails, easy-peasy, but anything too much more and it has its limits. Ride cautiously and prudently, though, and you can still go a long way, and there is a bash plate for additional peace of mind.

And as for those missing electronic bits and pieces, maybe the new Explore Edition will fill in the gaps!

Related Reading:
2022 bikesales Bike of the Year
Best new adventure bikes under $20,000
CFMOTO 800MT to tackle Cape York

As mentioned, Murray’s a comfort and functionality type and, as well as all the creature comforts, he said the panniers and topbox were easy to open and close, and with latches that lock firmly into place. Thankfully, he only had to open them for sustenance during BOTY and not medical supplies…

The luggage is also easily removable for overnight stops, while the only real criticism of the package was the difficulty in adjusting the screen – it is a tad awkward and could be a little taller considering the bike’s more touring-orientated mindset.

Remote preload adjustment is also an oversight, but hopefully that feature will be on the cards in subsequent updates.

We couldn’t have asked more from the CFMOTO 800MT Touring during Bike of the Year. It delivered for Murray, impressed the pants off a few BOTY testing regulars who took it for a quick spin, and the fuelling issue has been sorted.

That’s a strong collection of ‘wins’ for a machine which, alongside the new CL-X neo-retro range, has kickstarted CFMOTO’s exciting move into the big-bike orbit. And that’s just the thin end of the wedge, with plenty more to come including the 800cc NK-CF22 and 1000cc-plus offerings.

The CFMOTO 800MT, even with quibbles here and there, solidly meets its adventure touring brief and when it’s said and done, represents a lot of motorcycle for the money.

Exciting times for the marque, indeed.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke DOHC parallel twin
Capacity: 799cc
Bore x stroke: 88mm x 65.7mm
Compression ratio: 12.7:1
Engine management: Bosch electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 95hp (70kW) at 9000rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 77Nm at 7500rpm

ELECTRONICS
Type: Bosch
Rider aids: ABS, quickshifter, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring
Rider modes: Sport and Rain

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Slipper

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel frame
Front suspension: KYB 43mm upside-down fork, fully adjustable, 160mm travel
Rear suspension: KYB monoshock, fully adjustable, 150mm travel
Front brakes: 320mm discs with J.Juan four-piston radial calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 260mm disc with J.Juan twin-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Maxxis tubeless – front 110/80-19, rear 150/70-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 225kg
Seat height: 825mm
Ground clearance: 190mm
Fuel capacity: 19 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $16,490 ride away (800MT Touring: $14,490 ride away)
Test bike supplied by: CFMOTO Australia
Warranty: Three years, unlimited kilometres