CFMOTO’s 800MT Explore and 800MT-X might share DNA, but out on the road and dirt they reveal two very different personalities.

Words: Pete Vorst / Photography: Motohead Media

If you’ve been trying to decide between the CFMOTO 800MT Explore and the 800MT-X without riding them back-to-back, it’s easy to assume the differences are fairly minor. Same engine platform, same family name, similar pricing. How different can they really be?

Quite different, as it turns out.

While both bikes sit under the same 800MT umbrella, they approach adventure riding from opposite ends of the spectrum. One leans heavily toward adventure touring comfort and road tech, while the other feels purpose-built for riders who want to spend a lot more time standing on the pegs with dirt launched off the rear tyre.

At their core, both bikes are powered by CFMOTO’s KTM-derived 799cc LC8c parallel twin, and the two MT models share a significant amount of hardware. Bosch electronics feature heavily on both bikes, along with a six-speed gearbox, power-assisted slipper clutch and a very good bi-directional quickshifter that works cleanly whether you’re riding hard on bitumen or bouncing through rough terrain.

But despite the shared platform, the engines don’t feel identical.

The CFMOTO 800MT-X produces 95hp (70kW) at 8500rpm and 87Nm at 6750rpm, while the 800MT Explore makes 91hp (67kW) at 9250rpm and 75Nm at 8000rpm. On paper the horsepower difference looks negligible, but the extra torque and lower delivery point on the MT-X change the character of the bike noticeably. It feels punchier, stronger off the bottom and more eager driving out of corners or climbing loose terrain. The Explore counters with a smoother, more relaxed highway feel that suits long-distance touring better.

CFMOTO has also gone out of its way to separate the two bikes electronically.

The 800MT Explore is clearly the technology-heavy touring flagship of the pair, loaded with rider aids and road-focused convenience systems. It features six ride modes including Sport, Rain, Off-Road, Off-Road+, All-Terrain and All-Terrain+, allowing extensive adjustment of throttle response, traction control and ABS intervention depending on the terrain.

The more aggressive dirt-oriented settings even allow traction control reduction or deactivation, while All-Terrain+ can disable both front and rear ABS entirely.

The MT-X keeps things deliberately simpler. It runs just three ride modes — Standard, Rain and Off-Road — and the overall feel is less about menu-diving and more about riding. Rear ABS and traction control can be disengaged, although front ABS remains active, which is a slightly odd limitation considering the Explore allows full ABS deactivation front and rear.

Both bikes use Bosch cornering ABS and traction control supported by a six-axis IMU, but again the focus differs. The Explore prioritises touring safety and refinement, while the MT-X feels tuned to stay out of the way once conditions get rough.

The biggest tech difference is the Explore’s radar system. It gains rear blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist and rear-collision warning displayed directly through the dash. The MT-X skips radar completely, which arguably makes sense on a bike designed to spend more time in remote areas where simplicity can be an advantage.

Dash layouts further reinforce the split in personality. The Explore runs a large 8-inch horizontal touchscreen complete with Apple CarPlay, navigation and voice control functionality, while the MT-X gets a slimmer vertically mounted 7-inch TFT that feels far more rally-inspired in its design and layout. Both systems use CFMOTO’s T-Box connectivity platform with over-the-air updates and smartphone integration.

The biggest dynamic difference between the two bikes, though, comes from the suspension.

The Explore uses fully adjustable 43mm KYB inverted forks with 160mm of travel, paired with a rear KYB monoshock offering 150mm. The setup is plush, compliant and tuned primarily for comfort, stability and covering distance.

The MT-X goes in a very different direction.

Up front it gains larger 48mm YU’AN USD forks with a solid 230mm of travel, while the rear receives a fully adjustable YU’AN piggyback shock also delivering 230mm. That extra travel immediately transforms the bike’s capability once the black stuff disappears.

Ground clearance on the MT-X jumps to 240mm and seat height climbs to 870mm, compared with the Explore’s 190mm clearance and more manageable 825mm seat height.

On sealed roads, the Explore feels softer, smoother and more relaxed overall. It’s the easier bike to settle into for long highway days and offers noticeably better wind protection and touring comfort. It’s no GS in the comfort stakes but I tell you what, it’s not far off. The Explore also claws plenty back on the road overall. It’s more comfortable, more relaxed and simply feels more touring-oriented. You can happily sit on motorway speeds all day without feeling like the bike is itching for trouble.

The MT-X, however, feels tighter and more controlled once speeds rise. Ride it aggressively on a winding road and the firmer suspension actually gives it an advantage, particularly when the pace increases or the surface deteriorates. There were quite a few occasions when I was dragging the pegs on the MT on my way back from the Compass Reunion weekend in Hill End late last year. The MT-X has more attitude about it overall. It constantly feels like it wants to be ridden harder, pushed further and pointed at something rough.

Off-road is where the gap between the two becomes substantial.

The MT-X is properly capable. In both concept and execution it lands remarkably close to KTM’s 790 Adventure R formula. It doesn’t have the outright refinement or bottoming resistance of KTM’s WP suspension package, but straight out of the crate it’s still an impressively serious dirt platform.

The Explore simply can’t maintain the same pace once terrain gets rough. Push hard through erosion mounds, rocky sections or repeated hits and the softer suspension reaches its limits quickly.

What stood out most was rider effort. The MT-X requires far less input to maintain speed off-road. The chassis feels balanced, planted and easier to manage, while the Explore demands more concentration and correction as conditions worsen.

Fuel tank design plays a major role in that behaviour too.

The MT-X uses KTM-style low-slung tanks that help centralise mass and reduce the top-heavy sensation common to large-capacity adventure bikes. Combined with its 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel setup, the MT-X feels much more natural in the loose stuff.

The Explore sticks with a more road-oriented 19-inch front and 17-inch rear arrangement, which works brilliantly on bitumen but doesn’t offer the same confidence once surfaces deteriorate.

Braking performance is strong on both bikes and, mechanically at least, there’s very little separating them. Both the 800MT Explore and MT-X run the same high-spec J.Juan braking package, with dual 320mm floating front discs paired to four-piston radial-mount calipers, backed up by a 260mm rear disc and twin-piston rear caliper.

Out on the road the braking performance is genuinely impressive on both machines, with plenty of power and good feel through the lever. The Explore’s softer suspension setup does cause a little more fork dive under hard braking, particularly when you start pushing on through tighter sealed-road sections, while the firmer MT-X stays flatter and more composed. The actual braking power itself, though, is excellent across both bikes.

As an overall adventure package, the MT-X impressed me a lot because the off-road performance gap is far larger than the gap between the two rigs on sealed roads. The stronger torque delivery, firmer suspension and better chassis balance made it feel more alive everywhere.

In fact, so impressed was I that the moment I got home I emailed CFMOTO Australia asking about pricing on an MT-X for myself. I haven’t signed the paperwork yet, but I’d be genuinely surprised if one doesn’t eventually end up parked in my shed. If you’re wondering, it’s $16,990 ride-away for the CFMOTO 800MT Explore, whilst the CFMOTO 800MT-X is officially priced $1K lower at $15,990.

That said, choosing between these bikes really comes down to honesty about how you actually ride.

If your adventures mostly involve highway kilometres, touring duties and the occasional dirt road, the 800MT Explore is arguably the smarter buy. It’s slightly cheaper, comes standard with crash bars and pannier racks, offers more rider tech and delivers a more comfortable long-distance experience.

But if your idea of adventure riding involves sand, rocks, corrugations and genuinely rough terrain, the MT-X is the one you want.

CFMOTO is very clear in positioning the Explore as the road-biased machine and the MT-X as the dirt-focused option. Plenty of manufacturers make similar claims, only for the “off-road” version to end up feeling like little more than a styling package with taller suspension.

That isn’t what’s happened here.

These are genuinely different motorcycles aimed at different riders, and after spending proper time on both, the choice becomes surprisingly straightforward.

How far off the road do you really want to go?

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