CFMoto’s been on a roll lately, with new model launches left and right. Just recently, the brand pulled the covers off the entry-level Ibex 450, making its global appearance in the picturesque beaches of the Philippines—initial impressions coming soon.
Jumping off the hype of the Ibex 450, CFMoto is now teasing what could be the flagship model of the MT range: the so-called 1250MT.
It’s a secret to no one that CFMoto and KTM have been in bed for several years now. The partnership has given birth to quite a few offspring like the 800NK and 800MT—derived from the KTM 790 Duke and Adventure respectively. Furthermore, it’s been rumored on multiple occasions that the CFMoto 450 range is what became of the discontinued KTM 490 series of bikes.
Now, you can probably guess where I’m heading with the 1250MT. More than likely, it’ll be rocking technology from the Austrian brand, perhaps in the form of the V-twin engine found in the previous generation 1290 Super Duke and Super Adventure. For reference, this engine already exists in the CFMoto universe, as it powers the 1250TR-G, a grand-tourer used en masse by the Chinese police force.
Here, the engine’s been downsized slightly to 1,279cc, and pumps out 140 horsepower—more than enough to rival the likes of the BMW R 1300 GS and Triumph Tiger 1200. And while the 450MT and 800MT both flex their off-road chops for the world to see, it seems that the 1250MT is a more road-focused machine, as evidenced by its alloy wheels measuring 19 inches up front and 17 inches at the back.
While nothing official—apart from the rendering of this bike—has come from CFMoto, we can use the other bikes in the MT family as a baseline for the tech and features we can expect from the 1250MT. Ride modes and smart connectivity are a given here, and it’s more than likely that the new model will feature heated grips, an adjustable windscreen, and other
touring-friendly accouterments.
There’s no doubt that Chinese motorcycle manufacturers like CFMoto have their eyes on the prize when it comes to dominating the global market. In less than a decade, we’ve seen Chinese-made bikes go from cheap knock-offs all the way to performance-oriented machines noticed on the global stage. Love them or hate them, one thing’s for sure: Chinese bikes are here, and they’re here to stay.
The only question remains: will they stand the test of time?
