An affordable middleweight adventure bike based on one of the best in the business. Now, who would want that?

Middleweight ADV bikes—ever heard of ’em? Easily one of the hottest niches in the industry as heavyweight giants like BMW’s R 1300 GS continue to soar in price. Well, anyone who was paying attention at EICMA in 2023 would have noticed an opportunity to get involved in the middleweight game under the odds.

CFMOTO first showed the MT-X at EICMA in 2023, and if that thing didn’t at least make you look twice, I fear you’re letting the brand name throw you off—which it shouldn’t. Because it’s based on one of the best outgoing platforms from KTM.

So, where the hell is it?

What We Know

The MT-X was easily one of the most interesting bikes at last year’s EICMA, as it showed CFMOTO is now ready to compete with the market leaders in high-cc classes. Sure, it’s not groundbreaking in terms of features, as it’s based on KTM’s 790 Adventure, and we can see those design influences in the wraparound fuel tank. 

But if I’m in the market for a middleweight ADV bike and could get one with the capabilities of KTM’s 790 Adventure for notably less money, my eyes are on this. However, there’s a problem.

CFMOTO has gone quiet on the MT-X.

This is a bike we’d expect to see launched in the coming months, so where is the information or promotional material? At best, all we have is this video from an Italian publication, InMoto, which presumably took place right after EICMA.

Priorities

CFMOTO has left us to speculate about its intentions toward the MT-X, and this is what I think. The brand has been making a global push to promote the 450 Ibex, which we reviewed last month. That model should hit US shores in late summer and is likely the manufacturer’s top priority. 

We have to speculate that if CFMOTO is still going ahead with the MT-X, which the company’s executives said it was, it’ll move to the top of the brand’s promotional agenda after the 450 Ibex arrives in North American showrooms. So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see the MT-X on US pavement or dirt before the year’s out. Especially since the production process would be based so closely on the outgoing KTM 790 Adventure.

Those of you who are in the market for a middleweight ADV bike, would you wait another six months to see if the MT-X is worth considering?

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