CFMOTO 450MT vs. Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.

 

CFMOTO 450MT vs. Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 

• The CF Moto 450 MT and Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 are two of the most popular adventure bikes on the market today. Today we're going to compare the bikes in a number of ways. Starting off with the design of both bikes, compare the engines, suspension, and handling, how they are off-road, give my conclusion, and then I'm going to answer your questions on the bike. On paper, you would think the bikes are very similar. I mean, they got similar power output. They weigh, you know, relatively the same. They're about the same price. However, they are very different motorcycles. 

• The Royal Enfield is this cross between a dual sport and an adventure bike. It's very unique. It's got this old school style and looks like an oversized dirt bike in a lot of ways. It's also got a single cylinder 452cc thumper with ride by wire throttle and a six-speed gearbox.  

The CF Moto is a pure adventure bike. It basically looks like a baby Tener, but don't be fooled into thinking. This is a small bike. Every person who sees this bike is shocked by how big it is. On paper, this looks like it should take the cake. It's got the edge in a fair few different categories, but things aren't always best on paper.

ENGINE

•  We'll start off with the motor and this is where things vary the most. For starters, the Royal Enfield is a single cylinder thumper double overhead cam. It's quite torquay off bottom and surprisingly eager. It's not slow like the old 411. It's got a bit of punch off bottom and likes to rev out. 

• The CF Moto has that parallel twin that sounds absolutely fantastic. Has a very linear power band. it's kind of soft off the bottom and just keeps building and building and it really likes to be revved out. Performance-wise, there really isn't much in it. They got similar power and torque figures. However, it's noticeable that the Royal Enfield has a bit more punch off the bottom and it really lugs. 

• The CF Moto, look, ultimately if you're riding hard, I think it is a little bit faster, especially up top when you're keeping the revs up.overall, I really like both the motors. On the highway, the CFMoto can feel a little bit buzzy. Has quite short gearing stock. I've alleviated that by putting on a taller profile rear tire. You can also change the front sprocket. It's kind of a compromise because it's only got 40 additional horsepower and then first gear, maybe just a tiny bit too tall, but it's perfect absolutely everywhere else. 

• The Royal Enfield, I had no issues with the gearing and I found it to be absolutely fantastic. I'm actually quite happy with how both of these bikes perform. Pretty good power and torque for 450s. Where they vary a lot is in the fueling. The Royal Enfield has buttery smooth fueling.could be a little bit soft off bottom. I do find. It's really strange that they've gone for a ride by wire. I think they shouldn't have. I'd much prefer just one map and then be able to turn the ABS on and off with a button, but they went a different route. 

• The CF Moto has bad fueling. It's renowned at this point and it really needs some updates. CF Moto have struggled with fueling in the past. The 800 MT when I first rode it, it had the same thing. Off bottom, it's like there's a hole. Sometimes nothing happens when you twist the throttle and it bogs down. Other times it's snatchy on and off and then in part of the rev range. It hunts and surges as well. When you're riding hard. Absolutely fantastic. Just that those small throttle openings and the on off throttle have a lot of issues. Hopefully they fix it in the future. Look, it's been a fair while yet and they haven't.thankfully there are some tuners out there who are doing a fantastic job and some of them are very reasonably priced and worth looking into. In terms of the gearbox, I have to give the advantage to the Royal Enfield as well. They have their gearboxes absolutely nailed at the moment. They are buttery smooth and I never have any issues on my CF Moto. It was quite good to begin with, but after my first service, uh I'm not sure if it's kind of all they use, but it's quite notchy. When you're wearing boots, it is fine. However, when you're wearing normal shoes, I've tried to adjust it, still a little bit notchy here and there. So, definite advantage uh to the Himalayan 450. The clutch as well, they are very different. The Royal Enfield has quite a heavy clutch with a lot of feel. The CF Moto has a very light clutch with very little feel. Uh, look, I think the clutch on this is a little bit vague. And on my really hard rides, I do have to adjust it uh at the clutch cable. I have to loosen it every now and again cuz. It does get a bit tight. Something to be wary of. My clutch is too tight.

             Suspension

• On paper, you would think the suspension is very similar. They literally have the same suspension travel, same ground clearance, upside down forks, and a monoshock at the rear. However, again, they are vastly different. The Royal Enfield Himalayan has very budget shower suspension that's non-adjustable except for preload at the back.  

             

• The CF Moto has fully adjustable front suspension and pretty well fully adjustable suspension at the back. Both are from KYB. This is much higher quality suspension on the Himalayan. While it is budget, I do actually really like how they have it set up from the factory. It's quite firm. It's not soft and mushy, has good bottoming resistance, and it's not too rough on the road. It's only when you start to push things off road that you notice the limits of its capability. Uh, it gets firm very quickly and rebounds quite a lot and deflects. So, when you're riding in rocky terrain or tricky terrain, it does jolt around a fair bit. Then, when you want to push things really hard, yeah, it just loses control and will bounce around a lot. On one particular occasion I can remember jumping, hitting it, and then it literally sprung me back in the air a tiny bit. So it's something to be wary of. That is just basic, well not basic. It's the lower quality suspension. They've put on uh just to save money. CFMOTO 450MT suspension, while it is, you know, quite old and dated, it's good quality. The internals are good and it has a lot of adjustability. It's quite a strange setup from the factory.the front's a bit too soft and the rear feels quite firm. Now, that's due to a number of reasons. The front is because the forks have just got way too soft springs in them. For most people, if you're about 70 kilos, they'll be fine. Everyone else, they're going to be too soft. And some people then think it feels harsh cuz. It's soft and blown through the stroke. The actual performance though of the forks is very good and the rear shock lacks a bit of compression and it's quite a firm spring. It's great for me at 90 kilos. It's absolutely perfect. up to about 95 kilos, it will be perfect for you. So, if you're lighter, it can feel a bit harsh. I've actually gone and got the suspension redone front and rear and it is pretty bloody good, guys. I am very happy with how it performs.It also compares the suspension to the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 as well.

             Handling

•  Handling wise, I find both to be really nice bikes to ride. They're super sweet and easy. especially the Royal Enfield Himalayan. That thing is a do tle to ride at slow speeds and while commuting. it just feels really light, good center of gravity, a little bit engine inertia with that single cylinder, and they've kind of nailed it. At high speeds, it's still stable. So, you cruise along at high speeds on the highway, rock solid. 

• The CF Moto doesn't quite have that low speed maneuverability, but it gains it with stability at higher speeds and when you're pushing off-road. We'll touch on off-road next, but it feels like a bigger bike. just looking at the bike, it's got more of that Dhaka style. It's high at the front. You're really sitting in. It's, you know, got a powerful riding position. the seat's cute scalloped and both have very low seat heights. the CF motor. Especially, you can actually lower it again with a lowering linkage. It comes stock with one. You just change it into the lower hole. Boom. Got a lower seat height. Then on both you have the option to add a higher seat too. so if you are shorter and you're worried about seat height, both very low bikes, especially the CF Moto.

• The Himalayan though is a bit easier to ride at slow speeds and around town and pushing around your garage and stuff like that. I will say this though, both are still very heavy bikes. tipping the scales at nearly 200 kilos for both. You can strip down a lot of things off the bike. but you've been warned, they aren't these lightweight adventure bikes that we're all yearning for. 

Off-road

• Comparing the two off-road, if you want to ride hard, I definitely have to give the advantage to CF Moto. Mainly because of that suspension. It's significantly better if you ride hard. If you want to ride fast through whoops or erosion mounds, it'll just track true. the suspension handles it very well and how it handles is very neutral and predictable. It's a little bit slower than the CF Moto. It just does everything well and tracks true. If you want to push hard, it's a really good option.

•  The Himalayan is much better at slower speed riding. If you're just cruising around or doing technical rocky stuff, tricky situations, I find the Himalayan to be that bit better. there's a bit less engine inertia. You're easy to dab and just get your balance that bit better. And the motor, it's torquier off bottom. It doesn't like to stall, neither does it actually. However, the fueling as well is just so much better off bottom. So, when you just want to roll it on off the bottom, you get that control there. Look, ultimately, I prefer this bike off-road cuz. It suits me. I like to do silly stuff off-road and ride hard. So, this bike suits me. However, there's definitely a place for the Himalayan, you're doing that slower speed riding or you're cruising or just doing gravel roads and stuff. I think it probably has the advantage.

Build quality

•  Build quality wise, clear advantage to the CF Moto 450. What they are doing at this price range is absolutely outrageous. Not only does it have more accessories, they're better quality. Let's start with the levers. Very nice quality and all adjustable. Love it. Uh the levers for the gear and rear brake lever. Folding tips and they're not made of the cheapest steel possible. I know there's a place for bending steel on a motorcycle. However, the ones on the Himalayan 450 are awful and they bend when you just look at them. They are prone to breaking. I would definitely change them if you're getting a Himalayan 450. Uh we have an adjustable seat height on this. It's got an adjustable screen. It's got good wind protection.

• It's got a GPS bar. Look, the quality on this is just absolutely fantastic. And CFMoto are raising the game for a bike at this price point. One of the things I absolutely love is that it has a switchable ABS that is fantastic. One button, turn it off and on. On the Royal Enfield, the switch gear is quite cheap and sloppy. And I had an issue on mine uh where I couldn't turn the ABS off or change the engine mode unless I cycled the ignition. Happened like 99% of the time and it was very frustrating when you're riding off-road. 

Which Should You Buy?

• I actually prefer the Royal Enfield as a stock package. It is a real surprise to me how much I enjoyed that bike. It's super fun to ride, a torque motor, and really easy to live with. And another great thing is it has all the protection stock. All you need to do is add a good bash plate, uh, some bark buses and better tires, and you're away. It has racks all over it. It's well put together, and it's an absolute blast. If you're modifying your bike, that is a completely different thing. I think the uh, CF Moto has a much higher ceiling. The suspension is better quality, then you can spend a,000 bucks on it, rework it, and it's even better again.there's a ton of accessories out there that are really good quality and cheap. So if you want to do a cheap build, you can do it. Or there are some premium products out there as well. You know, for example, from B&B, uh their bash plate and everything is absolutely fantastic. And the twin cylinder motor, I think it's just that little bit more versatile. when you're doing big KS is that bit smoother as well. So, if you're modifying your bike, I would look at the CF Moto. If you just want a stock package, get on and ride, I'd go the Himalayan 450. Right, question time. The first one is Himalayan or MT as first off-road bike. I'm going to be a pain here and say neither. look, they're both very heavy, hard to handle bikes off-road. If you had to choose just between the two, I would say the Himalayan for a first time off-roer. from Jay Taylor. I'd like to know what uh riding conditions each bike excels in. The CF motor is better in faster off-road riding and for sweeping corners. Um if you just like to hustle through corners, I think it's a lot of fun to ride. Uh the Himalayan is fun to commute on and for cruisy riding. I think it's really good for that. And if you're doing slower technical stuff, it's much more preferable. I think this is definitely a harder adventure option if you're going that way. From Captain Lawrence, for me personally, I want to know how you felt leaning each bike hard over hard in the dirt. So many adventure bikes don't like to be on their sides under power. Ties aside, does the much smaller Chinese bike suffer from that issue? Uh the CF motor is a bit of a beast once you have it set up offroad to be honest. Uh the suspension holds up really well and the chassis you lean it over and feed it on once it's all set up. It is very good. In saying that, I didn't think the Royal Enfield was bad. The tires were a major let down and the suspension, you know, is a bit meh. Once you start to push hard, it isn't too bad. This thing though, yeah, it's a bit of a weapon once you get it set up.

• Next question is from the Bell Store. I want to know the enduro off-road capability uh mainly in single track. Both are surprisingly capable and go pretty well anywhere that any other adventure bike would bear in mind. They are big heavy adventure bikes, nearly 200 kilos. So they are quite limited in their capabilities. If you watch my off-road videos on both bikes it gives you a good idea of what they're capable of. You know, I'm not an absolute gun, but I can hustle these pretty much where you can put them. If you're looking to ride uh single track and stuff, it'll do it to a point, but they're still not that lightweight unicorn adventure bikes that we've been searching for. Next is from Adv Caveman and Runaways. They're both the same question, just asked differently. Which one would you trust solo far from home? And if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, which bike would you get? Uh, back to civilization with I'm gonna say the CF Moto, which is going to be a surprise for a lot of people, mainly because of the electrical issues I had on the Himalayan 450. Now, I haven't been able to really research the reliability of the Himalayan. What I've seen though is that the motor is supposed to be rock solid, but those electronics and ribo wire really gave me uh issues and made me think, you know, there could be an issue. This motor has been around for a few years now. People got big Ks on them and don't have any issues with them. And it's all very basic on the bike. It's easy to service. Uh the air filter is just here, easy to get to. Uh on the Himalayan it is hidden underneath the tank which is good in that theoretically it shouldn't get as dirty and if you're doing water crossings it's a lot higher but it's harder to service. Some people have been reporting some gearbox issues with the CF Moto. Personally, I haven't had any. Um, I don't know whether that's a really small amount of people just cuz. It's been selling so many bikes or it's an ongoing thing.

• So, that's something to look into, but I'll choose this uh from a reliability standpoint at this point in time. From Blackpack AMV, which has better fuel economy? The Royal Enfield definitely has better fuel economy? This is still very economical. I think I'm averaging about 4.5 L per 100. Um, but the real Enfield, that thing sips fuel. It is very good on petrol. Uh from Big E, is it truly worth the upgrade or stick with an old bike if you have, say , a KLR? Now, this is a tricky one because um depends what you want out of your bike for one and is money an issue. If your bike isn't tired, I probably wouldn't. Um these are much better. This and the Royal Enfield. To me, they're like a modern KLR. More performance, six-speed, good fuel injection. They got absolutely everything in stock. They are better bikes and the suspension on this is much better, especially when you have it set up. Um, in saying that, KR, let's just talk. About. Specifically, it has its purpose. It's a big man's bike and its reliability is absolutely legendary. So, I wouldn't upgrade unless your bike's tired. Um, this is more of a side grade, even though it is better. I'd go for something like a Tuare egg or Tenra if you're going to upgrade. From Cap the Tank, technically it looks like the CF motor is better in every way. Would you choose the Enfield just for its classic looks? Yeah, for sure. Actually, I would choose the Himalayan if I wasn't modifying my bike. I think it's a top-notch bike. It's a unique looking bike and you know, it's up to you if you want to choose that one. Hey little fella from Vlad. Mate, you have a lot of questions.

• So I'm just going to skim through them and rapid fire. Fun fact, I'm going to give that to the CF Moto. The engine sounds absolutely fantastic and it's got a bit more grunt and you can push it hard off-road. Wind protection. Uh. Definitely the CF Moto. It's got a taller front. It's got the Dhaka styling where it's more upright. Uh and it's got good protection from the elements as well. Uh braking, I'd say even. Both aren't good to be honest. They need a lot of pull and muscle to get them working. Uh, I do like the levers more on this if that counts for anything. And also the on off ABS on this is much better. It's an absolute godsend. So, that's something to consider. The CF Moto, the on-off ABS, much better system. Uh, I've had a couple people ask about stability. Both are rock solid. Absolutely no issues at all on either bike. Um, you can hide behind the CFMoto more on the highway. I know it's not quite stable, but you can hide behind it. And it's probably that little bit more stable at highway speeds. Center of gravity, I'm going to give that to the Himalayan. I think that's just with its single cylinder, it doesn't feel quite as tall and tippy. This has very good balance, but the Himalayan takes the cake in that regard. All right, everyone. That's it from me. If you have any questions, make sure you put them in the comments and I'll get to them. If you're an owner of either bike, I'd love to hear your opinion on both of them or if you've test ridden both. I know a lot of people who have mentioned that they rode one and they preferred the other and vice versa.