Last week I told you why you should NOT buy a CF Moto Ibex 800 MT. Today, for the sake of fairness, I am going to tell you why you might be an idiot not to. Because CF Moto did pack a lot of stuff into this motorcycle, so it is seriously tempting.

This isn’t a review. We aren’t judging the motorcycle itself. We’re here to talk about what it brings to the table.

About

Before I go further, hi, I’m Adrian. I’ve worked in the motorcycle industry for over 15 years. I’ve got a concussion so I’ll be wearing the sunglasses again because these lights give me a massive headache if I don’t. Thanks for sticking with me until I’m me again. Let’s get started.

Price

The price is a major selling point, and the CF Moto Ibex 800 MT starts at $10,800 US before taxes. In Canada, it’s $17,150 before tax because the trim we get includes the hard cases no one asked for, but that first-time ADV owners will love.

Here’s a quick look at the competitor prices. Keep in mind I just asked AI to create this, prices vary by state and will change by the time you see this.

Model	Base MSRP (USD)	Key Difference vs. Ibex 800 Explore
2026 CFMOTO IBEX 800 Explore	$10,299	Radar, Quickshifter, Heated Seat/Grips, Luggage.
2026 Honda Transalp (XL750)	$9,999	Lacks standard cruise control, tubeless tires, and radar.
2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700	$10,999	Bare-bones “analog” feel; lacks tech/electronics of the Ibex.
2026 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE	$11,709	Known for reliability but significantly more expensive for fewer features.
2026 KTM 790 Adventure	$12,899	Shared engine DNA; better off-road suspension but higher cost.

Clearly, the CF Moto is priced similarly to the Japanese brands, but the 800 MT includes crash bars, bash plate, heated seat and possibly even luggage.

If you want a finished adventure motorcycle you don’t need to customize, that money you’re saving on not having to pay for all of your mods could fund a week-long motorcycle trip. If you aren’t picky about your bike’s ADV gear, that could be a deal!

Tech

Another thing that CF Moto brings to the table with the 800 is a lot, a lot, of tech. This is very divisive.

Here’s a summary of the different trims you can get, and what’s included.

IBEX 800 Trim Comparison Checklist

Feature	Base (S)	Touring (T)	Explore (E)
Wheels	Cast Aluminum	Tubeless Spoke	Tubeless Spoke
Quickshifter	No	Yes	Yes
Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS)	No	Yes	Yes
Steering Damper	No	Yes	Yes
Heated Seat & Grips	No	Yes	Yes
Skid Plate & Handguards	No	Yes	Yes
Center Stand	No	Yes	Yes
Display Size	7″ TFT	7″ TFT	8″ MMI Touchscreen
Smartphone Tech	Bluetooth	Bluetooth	Apple CarPlay
Rear Radar (RDS/Blind Spot)	No	No	Yes
Ride Modes	2 Modes	2 Modes	6 Modes
Traction Control	No	No	Yes

• Is that a shit ton of tech and features? Yes.
• If you love tech on motorcycles, are you getting a chubby in your pants? Yes.
• If you hate tech on motorcycles, are you shitting in your pants? Yes..

I’m somewhere in the middle. My BMW G650GS has no tech at all: no traction control, no ride modes, no TPMS, no quick shifters, not even ABS. I love that thing so much I bought a second one to keep in Italy.

But the G650GS came with OEM heated grips, so when I see OEM heated seats, I’m curious. TPMS might alert me to a slow leak before it gets dangerous. Traction control could save my ass. And as both an owner of adv bikes and of retro motorcycles, I’m obviously jealous of anything with tubeless spoked wheels.

All the ‘more tech = more good’ people, I hope you’re feeling heard right now.

But old school thinking says adventure bikes should have minimal tech. We go far, we go hard, we go down, and we break shit. More stuff means more potential failures when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, or simply just hundreds of miles from home.

It also means more potential expenses. I can replace an analog speedo for 19 bucks, but the Ibex 800’s TFT screen costs $900 just for parts if it’s get damaged, not including labor.

Still, if you’re of the ‘more is more’ school, there’s no denying this motorcycle brings plenty to the table.

CF Moto is stepping up

CF Moto is stepping up. When I started in the motorcycle business in 2011, CF Moto was a joke for on-road stuff in North America. They spent 10 years improving off-road quads and ATVs. But their on-road side still seemed like an after-thought.

They’re definitely thinking about us now. These guys made a tremendous step up in the last 5 to 10 years and are actively pushing marketing activations worldwide.

There’s the CFMoto MT Challenge bringing riders from across the world to compete, pushing their 800MT’s to the limits and showing off what they can do in capable hands.

They have international demo tours, a trails initiative, and huge multi-day media launches I’ll probably never get invited to after my last video.

They’re even investing heavily in the MotoGP paddock, seeing good results in Moto2 and Moto3, and scoring the Moto 3 triple crown for winning the rider, team, and manufacturer titles, riding on rebadged KTM RC250GPs. All of these commitments show CF Moto is taking motorcycling seriously.

They aren’t just giving riders lip service like Royal-Enfield does when they tell us their motorcycles are great now, while conveniently ignoring all of the rear brake failures Interceptor 650 owners are facing. CF Moto is actually putting their money where their mouth is and showing up to compete, and for that, love or hate the Chinese, you need to give them their props.

What we’re seeing now, is CF Moto finally committing to being taken seriously. From an industry view, the 800 MT or Ibex 800 feels like a loss-leader flex.

To dealers, CF Moto is saying, ‘Look what we can do!’ To customers, they’re saying, ‘We’ll give you crazy value now, and hope you’ll bet on us growing later.’

If that gamble pays off, you’re the smart one who got in early. If it doesn’t, well… don’t say I didn’t warn you in my last video.

So would I buy one now?

Last week I put out a video called “DON’T Buy A CFMOTO 800MT!” This week, I’ve given you three big reasons you should buy one. So, would I buy one now?

Nope. Because like I said last week, it isn’t about the brand or even the country of origin. The Ibex 800 has four use case issues that just don’t fit what most people want from an adventure bike.

But I’ll throw out two caveats:

First, I’m talking about here in North America only. These are the only markets I know well enough both personally and professionally to talk about.

Second, this doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend any CF Moto. The Ibex 800 brings more goodies for your dollar versus its competition, but those four weak use cases matter. The Ibex 450 on the other hand? It only really has the Himalayan 450 as competition. If you wanted a sub-600cc ADV bike, that you aren’t going to take as far as you would an Ibex 800… I’d probably recommend you look into the 450.

If you like honest reviews from someone who actually works in the motorcycle industry, hit subscribe. I’ve got more ‘I probably shouldn’t say this’ videos coming.

If you own a CF Moto 800 MT, tell me if I’m wrong in the comments. I’m reading all of them, and if there’s enough demand, I’ll do a Part 3 follow-up just based on owner experiences.

And I want to leave you with a question that’s burning in my brain right now. CF Moto is throwing all this tech onto a $10,000 motorcycle to disrupt the industry. Is that going to force the Japanese brands to do the exact same thing? Are we going to see ballooning prices and the death of the simple, barebones ADV bikes that gave generations of riders the best moments of their lives?

Anyway, thanks again for watching. I’m Adrian, I’m sorry my concussion has me a little off my game. Thanks for sticking with me until I’m me again. Ride safe, but have fun. Peace!