Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1535551
P88 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 CFMOTO IBEX 450 which is among the lightest of the popular midsize adventure bikes on the market. In addition to the noted CF- MOTO crash bars and skid plate, we opted for the taller, flatter rally seat. TIME TO RIDE We got our hands on a CFMOTO IBEX 450 just before Scot Hard- en's second annual Nevada Rally Experience in Caliente. After a few short rides in the Arizona desert, we headed to Nevada for two days and 350 miles explor - ing a wide range of desert roads, two-track dirt roads and moun- tain passes. We followed that up with a few more days of rid- ing mountain roads in northern Arizona, and we are impressed with the performance. This is a case where the spec sheet translates directly to how the bike feels in the real world. Our first ride started on some chunky dirt roads, and the IBEX 450 felt predictable and stable. The motor has enough low-end power to break the rear tire loose for some fun slides and wheelies over small obstacles. The suspension is tuned well for semi-aggressive dirt riding, and our first ride inadvertently ended up in some sandy and rocky desert washes that would chal - lenge any ADV bike. Navigating into and out of the washes with some large rocks was a great test of the low-speed balance, clutch performance and throttle control. The little IBEX proved to be a lot less of a handful than any larger ADV bike would have been. more stretched-out ride. The ready-to-ride bike with a full tank of 4.6 gallons of fuel weighed 440 pounds on our scales with the optional CF- MOTO crash bars, skid plate and soft bags installed. Compared to other standard models, the IBEX weighs about 432 pounds wet without the accessories. That is about 38 pounds less than a Yamaha Tenere 700, (Above) The linkage includes a second shock placement that allows you to lower the seat height from the relatively low 32.3 inches to 31.5 inches. On the flip side, CFMOTO offers a taller, flatter "Rally Seat" that we chose to use. (Left) Most bikes in the sub-600cc ADV category have single- cylinder engines, while the IBEX 450 boasts a buttery smooth parallel-twin powerplant. IBEX 450 comes with dual-sport style mirrors that can be folded in for serious off-road riding. LED lighting is used to enhance visibility at night. A relatively low seat height of 32.3 inches will be very attractive to a lot of riders. You can make it even lower by using the alterna - tive shock mounting point on the linkage. CFMOTO offers a taller rally seat for those who want a