What Type Of Engines Do CFMoto Motorcycles Have, And Are They Reliable?

If you're in the market for a new motorcycle, Chinese brand CFMoto has no doubt popped up on your radar. Odds are you've been, at the very least, intrigued by what you found if you did a little digging into the brand. CFMoto offers a range of bikes that are comparable to major manufacturers like Yamaha, Kawasaki, and fellow Chinese manufacturer CLX, only at a notably lower price than some of those competitors. On top of friendly sticker prices, the manufacturer's current lineup also features a bike for seemingly every need, including those fit for off-road adventures, those focused on cruising the freeway, and road-ready builds like the similarly styled 700CL-X and 700CL-X Sport.

With such a wide range of motorcycles, it should go without saying that CFMoto does not take a one-size-fits-all approach to its engines. In fact, the company has developed multiple different styles of engines over the years (thanks to a partnership with KTM, albeit CFMoto does largely build its own powerplants), and each of those is designed to deliver different levels of horsepower, torque, and displacement. The company even has an electric engine that powers a miniature dirt bike built for adventurous young riders. 

As for CFMoto's adult sized builds, those gas-consumer are powered by either single-cylinder engines or 2-cylinder inline engines; with displacement ranging from 120cc on the low end (the pint-sized Papio), up to 799cc on the high (the speedy 800 NK). If terms of horsepower, those numbers span from 9.4 horsepower all the way to 100 horsepower on the aforementioned models. 

If you're curious how much money one of those CFMoto builds might set you back, as noted, they are priced well against its competitors. The Chinese motorcycle manufacturer featuring only one build in its lineup listed north of $10,000. Of course, just based on price alone, any prospective motorcycle buyer might be wary of purchasing a bike from CFMoto out of fear that said cost may be reflective of the vehicle's quality. Yes, the low price may also lead to questions about not only the bikes' overall performance, but also the reliability of the engines powering them.

To date, CFMoto motorcycles have been fairly well reviewed by notable outlets like Cycle World and Motorcycle News. But when it comes to long term reliability, the jury may still be out on CFMoto motorcycles, as the manufacturer has only been available for purchase in many markets for a few years. However, in its 4-star review of CFMoto's 800 NK, Motorcycle News specifically points out that the bike was reliable during independent road tests. Likewise, the 800 NK earned a 4.3 stars out of 5 stars rating in the Owner's Reliability Rating segment of said review.

Further scouring reviews of CFMoto builds on Motorcycle News, you'll find that many of them have earned similarly solid ratings from owners concerning reliability. However, three of the models listed received reliability ratings under 4-stars for reliability, including the 700 CLX Adventure (3 stars), the 450 SR (3.7 stars), and the 300 SR (3.5 stars). Prospective buyers may want to do some extra research if you're looking into one of those builds.