through tight tracks and river crossings, yet planted enough at speed to inspire confidence. Even after long hours in the saddle, it remained composed and surprisingly comfortable- the tall, genuine CFMOTO parts catalogue seat helped at my height too( I’ m 6’ 2” or 1.88cm). With a few well-chosen upgrades, I think the 450MT shows that performance and affordability can go hand-in-hand. It’ s a legitimate adventure machine with real capability, made even better with a few smart mods to tailor it to our Kiwi conditions. Whether you’ re a beginner looking to explore further or an experienced ADV rider chasing light weight and reliability, the 450MT— especially in this setup— might just be the best-value mid-sized adventure bike in Aotearoa( in my opinion).
SECOND OPINION
Craig’ s 450MT has been tailored for his specific needs and use. The standard unit is a great machine. Its overall large size and heavy-ish weight are perhaps the only issues for a 450cc bike. Otherwise, it is a beauty, comfortable, very smooth and generally very capable. Now, Craig is a decent-sized human. I’ m guessing almost 190cm tall and maybe 100kg … so as you can imagine he has done a little fettling to personalise his CFMOTO. The exact details escape me, but the motor has been re-mapped for more grunt, the exhaust has been opened right up, the springs at both ends firmed up, a taller seat and higher bar mounts are the big changes. The first thing I noticed riding off is that it’ s loud. Too loud for a long day in the saddle for
36 KIWI RIDER