CFMoto 700MT (2023) - Technical Review

Price: £6,699 | Power: 66bhp | Weight: 218kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA

CFMoto is a brand that many of us still see as a leftfield option thanks to a relatively low profile over the last few years but now it’s being distributed by KTM’s parent company throughout Europe, the UK and the USA – giving the Chinese company’s seriously affordable machines a higher profile than ever before.

The new 700MT might be a revision of the existing 650MT, but by inheriting the upscaled engine that debuted in the 700CL-X it gets a substantial 18 percent boost in peak power from a mere 7% more capacity. Thow in updated styling and improved tech and it looks like a bargain alternative to the more obvious Japanese rivals.

Review – In Detail

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Price

Where the old 650MT had rather less performance than Japanese rivals the 700MT is right in the mix with them, which makes its £6,699 on-the-road price look like a serious bargain. For comparison, a Suzuki V-Strom 650 will set you back £7,999, a Kawasaki Versys 650 starts at £8,129 and Yamaha’s Tracer 7 comes in at £8,810.

If you’re buying using PCP, the margin might not be as clear-cut – depreciation plays a big role in establishing the ‘GFV’ that defines the final balloon payment, so if finance companies decide the CFMoto won’t hold its value as well as more established models, that will have a knock-on effect on the payments.

The old 650MT remains available alongside the 700MT, at least for the moment, with a reduced price. It you can live with its lower, 56hp power output, it offers a similar package as the new 700 for an even more affordable £5,999.

The new 700MT is due in dealers imminently – mid-July 2023 – and will be offered in two colours, black or white.

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Engine & Performance

CFMoto has a growing range of parallel twin engines, from 450cc to 800cc, but the 700MT’s engine is based on the most familiar of them all – the old 650 twin that’s been at the heart of the brand’s middleweight range for years.

It’s a design that’s famously similar to Kawasaki’s ER6 engine, itself since developed into the power unit for the Versys 650, and in 649cc ‘650’ form it shared the same 83mm bore and 60mm stroke as the Kawasakis that inspired it. For the 700CL-X and the new 700MT, the stroke is increased to 64mm while the bore remains at 80mm, giving a 693cc total capacity and substantially more performance.

Peak power is 49kW (67PS, 66hp), up from 41.5kW (56hp) for the 650MT. There’s a smaller boost in peak torque, from 54.4Nm (40lb-ft) for the 650 to 60Nm (44lb-ft), but the power increase suggests the updated engine also has a much broader spread torque.

The new engine exactly matches the Kawasaki Versys in terms of peak power and comes within a whisker of the 70hp Suzuki V-Strom 650. Yamaha’s Tracer 7, meanwhile, edges them fractionally with 72hp but is still within striking distance.

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

The 700MT’s chassis is largely carried-over from the 650MT, with the same tubular steel frame hidden by plastic panels that give the impression of an alloy chassis. The suspension is made up of 43mm USD forks with fixed compression damping and preload but adjustable rebound damping, plus an offset rear monoshock that’s adjustable for preload and rebound, but not compression.

Weight, at 218kg wet, us the same as the 650MT’s and within a few kilos of its most obvious rivals, the 217kg Versys 650 and the 213kg V-Strom 650. Yamaha’s Tracer 7 is a fair bit lighter at 197kg wet.

The brakes are again familiar, wearing the J.Juan brand – now a Brembo subsidiary – and with two-piston calipers on a pair of 300mm front discs, plus a single-pot sliding caliper and a 240mm rear disc. Where the MT650 had petal discs, the 700MT goes to conventional, round ones. ABS is standard, of course. The wheels are 17-inch alloys, with 120/70 front and 160/60 Pirelli rubber.

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Comfort & Economy

The 820mm seat height (a taller, 840mm seat is an option) is unchanged from the 650MT, as is the rest of the riding position. That’s 15mm lower than a V-Strom 650 and 25mm lower than the Versys 650, potentially useful if you’re shorter-of-leg.

There’s no official economy claim yet, but the 18-litre fuel tank promises more than enough range between fill-ups.

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Equipment

At this end of the market you might expect a bare-bones bike but the 700MT gets the same 5-inch TFT dash that debuted on the 450SR sports bike, with phone connectivity for simple screen projection plus two USB ports – a traditional ‘Type A’ and a more up-to-date ‘Type C’. All the lighting is LED.

There aren’t many toys – don’t expect stability control or a huge array of settings – but there are two riding modes, Sport and Eco, to choose from.

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Rivals

The 700MT is diving into a competitive field for middleweight, road-oriented adventure bikes, but its combination of up-to-date styling, a modern TFT dash with connectivity and a price that undercuts the competition could make it a serious contender. Here’s how the main rivals stack up:

Kawasaki Versys 650 | Price: £8,129

Power/Torque: 66bhp/45lb-ft | Weight: 217kg

Suzuki V-Strom 650 | Price: £7,999

Power/Torque: 70bhp/46lb-ft | Weight: 213kg

Yamaha Tracer 7 | Price: £8,810

Power/Torque: 72bhp/49lb-ft | Weight: 197kg

2023 CFMOTO 700MT Verdict

We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden it

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2023 CFMOTO 700MT Technical Specification

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