CFMOTO Ibex 800 Family: the Adventure Bikes You Didn’t Know You Need

The steadily growing popularity of adventure (ADV) motorcycles is no secret. In fact, nearly half of all motorcycles sold today are ADV bikes. These bikes transcend the idea of a typical motorcycle, giving it a little bit of a dirt bike feel and making it possible to ride where no pavement exists. The only downfall to the ADV bike is the cost, which have typically been pretty high. That, however, is changing with a family of ADV bikes from CFMOTO. The CFMOTO Ibex 800 S and Ibex 800 T pack a lot of features and style into a value-laden package that gives you a lot of ADV bang for your buck.

Powering Up

The CFMOTO Ibex ADV bikes share the same motor. It is an eight-valve, dual-overhead cam, 799cc Inline Twin that produces 94 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 56.8 lb-ft of torque at 7,500 rpm. The motor is fed through a Bosch electronic fuel injection system, which is the same system used in many CFMOTO machines.

The engine is mated to a six-speed, wet, multi-plate transmission with a CF-SC slipper clutch system. Both bikes also have two drive modes - Sport and Rain. Rain mode provides a more gentle throttle response to minimize tire spin in wet conditions, while Sport mode delivers increased throttle response for quick, unrestricted engine power output.

At the Ends

The front suspension is a KYB 160mm upside-down telescopic fork with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping to dial the fork into your weight and riding style. The fork is paired to J.Juan 320mm, dual disc brakes with radial fixed calipers, and a 110 by 80 by R19 front tire mounted on an aluminum rim. The 800 T uses a sweet-looking gold-anodized rim, while the 800 S uses a sporty black rim.

The rear swingarm has a KYB 150mm single shock with adjustable damping. The 150 by 70 by R17 rear tire comes to a stop by way of a J.Juan 260mm single disc brake that has standard ABS and cornering ABS systems for optimal control. Again, the S and T models use different colors for the aluminum rims. Both the front and rear brake systems are designed to bring you to a stop in a hurry, but without you losing control.

Both Ibex bikes are 88 inches long, 34 inches wide and roughly 50 inches tall. This is without the accessory cargo boxes added, which adds some to the overall dimensions. Both have a 32.5-inch seat height.

Controls

(This Ibex 800 T is shown with non-standard tires.)

CFMOTO outfitted both Ibex models with a 7-inch color display that provides all the information you need. This includes speed, tach and ride mode data. You can connect with the bike via CFMOTO’s app and Bluetooth connectivity. The throttle is electronic, drive-by-wire with a cruise control for those long rides.

As you would expect with ADV bike styling, there is a windshield that is adjustable for height. The headlight, tail lights, turn signal indicators and fog lights are all LED for extreme brightness and long bulb life. There are also rearview mirrors and luggage racks mounted to the rear of the bike that can house accessory cargo boxes, allowing you to pack for longer trips.

From the S to the T

Besides color, you may be asking, what is the difference between the CFMOTO Ibex 800 S and the Ibex 800 T? In addition to its Twilight Blue paint job, the Ibex 800 T benefits from tubeless cross-spoke rims (reduced unspring weight and increased impact mitigation), heated grips and driver’s seat, hand guards, steering damper, quick shifter, skidplate, and TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). CFMOTO also adds a quickshifter to the Ibex 800 T, a popular accessory that allows you to make rapid shifts without touching the clutch or letting off the throttle. These options give the Ibex 800 T a small MSRP bump over the Ibex 800 S.

Bottom Line

Adventure bikes are extremely popular these days, and you’ll be seeing more and more of them on the roads, and off of them, too. And like the ADV bike category, CFMOTO is a brand that is on the move. This brand packs a lot of value into its machines and if you’re in the market for a new adventure motorcycle and want to save thousands over most of the ones available today, you owe it to yourself to go to a CFMOTO dealer and check out the Ibex 800 S and Ibex 800 T in person.