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I’m probably the least mechanically inclined motorcyclist I know (my editor, Lance, may argue otherwise). It wasn’t always that way, though.
As a beginner rider, no project seemed too ambitious. I wanted to change my own oil, swap out my exhaust, and mount my own tires. With each project growing more and more complex, I soon discovered that turning a wrench wasn’t my life’s calling. I seldom solved problems. I often caused them. If I wasn’t stripping threads, I was mincing bolt heads. More times than once (ahem, more times than I’d like to admit), I slunk back to the shop with my bike in parts and my tail between my legs.
Repeated failure only nudged me toward taking the easy way out. That’s to say, I left the job to the professionals. If my bike needed servicing, I took it in. If a maintenance light went off, I took it in. If I wanted parts installed, I took it in. What it cost me in labor was far less than what it cost me in sanity. That all got flipped on its head when I picked up the CFMOTO Ibex 450 as a long-term test bike.
To live with a motorcycle is to care for a motorcycle. Not everyone can, or wants to, shell out for dealer-performed maintenance. If this long-term series were to offer value to all interested parties, I’d have to wield the wrench myself. I’d have to change the oil. I’d have to install the accessories. I’d need to push my fears aside. Before I could do any of that, I first needed to source the parts.
Searching high and low
When it comes to long-distance travel, odds are the bike can handle it. After all, it's just an engine and two wheels. It can cover the mileage. Rather, the question is whether you, the rider, can endure that distance in its saddle. Be it a 250 cc dual-sport or a liter-class naked bike, it all boils down to comfort — something the Ibex 450 lacks from the factory. That’s where accessories come in. The trick is finding them first.
Parts for a newly introduced model can be hard to come by. At least that was my experience with the Ibex. It wasn’t for lack of trying. It was for lack of options. Designing, developing, and producing components requires time, a luxury most aftermarket companies aren’t afforded prior to a model launch. Those same restrictions don’t apply to the OEM itself. That’s why my parts queries almost always led back to CFMOTO’s accessories catalog.
The Ibex’s wind protection and seat comfort left much to be desired during its maiden voyage from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. CFMOTO’s tall windscreen ($150) and rally seat ($200) were no-brainers. With more road trips on the horizon — both on- and off-pavement — luggage and crash protection were top priorities, too. Forty-liter soft bags ($550) mounted to aluminum pannier supports ($200) addressed the former. Upper crash guards ($125), lower crash bars ($150), a sturdy skid plate ($300), and case covers ($80) met the latter.
In all, CFMOTO supplied eight accessories for this build. The most significant contribution, by far. I attribute that to parts availability. Even my home team, RevZilla, offers little in the way of Ibex 450 parts (something I’m helping our stockers with as we speak). That explains why I only pulled a Quad Lock mirror mount ($40), damper ($20), and phone case ($40) from our inventory. I also have Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tires and heated grips on my wish list, but those upgrades are scheduled for future entries in this series (more on that later).
When it was all tallied up, the initial mods cost a few bucks over $1,850. But sourcing parts is just half the battle. Installing them is the other half.
Takes instruction well
I’m the kind of guy who makes his bed first thing in the morning. I’m not some kind of Boy Scout or anything; I just like to start the day with an easy win. That was my approach with the Ibex 450. Swapping the seat first was the ticket. One up, one down. The windscreen was the next logical step. Remove four bolts, fasten four bolts, and voilà: job done. Installing the case covers required just as much effort. I was dusting off my hands and admiring my work in no time.
Although CFMOTO included instructions, I had little use for them. I can’t say the same for the engine guards and skid plate. With the lower engine guard sharing mounting points with both the upper engine guard and skid plate, bolt placement and installation order were key — all things covered by the provided instructions. While each step only included a single sentence, which was poorly translated at times, they were clear enough to complete the task in less than an hour. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case.
The pannier supports and soft bags didn’t come with instructions at all. Winging it entered my mind, but with 14 bolts of various lengths securing five different plates, I wasn’t willing to figure it out on the job. Instead, I reached out to my CFMOTO contact for assistance. The bags were the simplest fix. Though bearing CFMOTO logos, the waterproof panniers are re-branded versions of Westwind Moto’s Ranger Wilds Enduro 40. The instructions for which can be found here. It wasn’t as straightforward for the brackets that those bags mount to.
Apparently, CFMOTO didn’t produce instructions for its pannier supports. All the brand rep could provide was a product render (below). It wasn’t ideal, but it was effective, nonetheless. The task was completed within the hour. However, not all Ibex 450 owners can rely on a direct line to CFMOTO employees. While the build quality of each accessory lives up to what we’ve come to expect from CFMOTO, the instructions situation shows that the Chinese marque still has room to improve.
With aftermarket options remaining limited, most U.S. Ibex 450 customers will turn to CFMOTO for accessories. Recently implemented tariffs only stand to further disrupt the parts supply.
Hurry up and wait
On April 2, President Trump announced a range of tariffs on U.S. trade partners, including a 34% tax on imports from China. Beijing retaliated just two days later by establishing a 34% tariff on U.S. goods. On April 7, Trump threatened to raise China’s tariff rate to 104%, which then went into effect on April 9. That same day, China increased its U.S. tariff to 84%. Trump then responded with an additional 21% surge, lifting the rate to 125%.
The retaliatory tactics didn’t stop there, with China’s Ministry of Finance matching the Trump administration’s 125% tariff and the U.S. increasing its tax on Chinese goods to 145%. That’s where we stand now. While this isn’t an article about international relations, understanding the current trade climate is critical for understanding the current Chinese motorcycle market, along with the aftermarket that supports it.
Many CFMOTO and Kove owners order parts and accessories from the China-based online retailer Uncle Wang (insert inappropriate joke here). Some equate it to the Temu of Chinese motorcycle parts, and for good reason. The site carries a variety of products at bargain-basement prices. I should know. Searching for a replacement countershaft sprocket led me to the site in the first place.
If you’ve watched Zack’s Daily Rider episode on the Ibex 450, you’d know that the bike suffers from short gearing. I hoped to address that shortcoming by swapping the stock 14-tooth countershaft sprocket with a 15-tooth sprocket. CFMOTO makes one such replacement, but to my surprise, not even my U.S. brand contact could source the part. Of course, Uncle Wang stocked it for the low price of $12. There was just one major detail stopping me. Uncle Wang suspended all orders to United States due to “the unstable tariff policy.”
The market conditions became even more inhospitable on May 2, when the Trump administration ended the "de minimis" exemption, a loophole that enabled customers to complete purchases under $800 without paying duties. The executive order means individual transactions (not just goods imported via shipping containers) are now subject to tariffs, posing new challenges for online retailers like Uncle Wang.
At the time of writing, the web store still doesn’t accept orders from U.S. customers. According to a representative, the company hopes to resume shipments to the States in the next two weeks, after assessing “how the transport company recovers.” Until then, Chinese motorcycle owners have access to fewer parts. The options were already limited. Tariffs only further limit those options.
I’m not here to debate trade policies or global economics. I’m here to report my experience as the surrogate “owner” of a Chinese motorcycle. It’s safe to say that current tariffs pose challenges to that ownership. Many customers take parts availability and aftermarket support into account when purchasing a bike. The escalating trade war not only threatens that but also the overall viability of Chinese-made motorcycles.
One major value prop separates Chinese bikes from the competition: low pricing. Many models undercut their rivals to attract customers. That may change if current trade relations between the United States and China don’t improve. If neither side relents, is the U.S. market for motorcycles made in China dead in the water? Will Americans still buy an Ibex 450 if its price jumps from $6,499 to nearly $16,000? I highly doubt it.
Current circumstances even put this series in jeopardy. Long-term reviews are meant to serve the reader and potential customers, but if a 145% markup eliminates all interest in Chinese-made motorcycles, these stories offer little value. That leaves me in a holding pattern, like many manufacturers, retailers, and individuals affected by the tariff tit for tat. No, I’m not mechanically inclined, but I still hope to wrench on (and ride) the Ibex 450 in the months to come.
| 2025 CFMOTO Ibex 450 | |
|---|---|
| Price | $8,355 (as tested); $6,499 (MSRP) |
| Engine | 449 cc, liquid-cooled, eight-valve, parallel twin |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | 44 @ 8,500 rpm |
| Claimed torque | 32.5 foot-pounds @ 6,250 rpm |
| Frame | Tubular steel |
| Front suspension | KYB 41 mm inverted fork, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping; 7.9 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | KYB shock, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping; 7.9 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Single J.Juan four-piston caliper, 320 mm disc with ABS |
| Rear brake | J.Juan single-piston caliper, 240 mm disc with switchable ABS |
| Wheelbase | 59.25 inches |
| Seat height | 31.5 to 32.4 inches; 34.25 inches with optional seat |
| Fuel capacity | 4.6 gallons |
| Tires | CST A4 90/90R21 front, 140/70R18 rear |
| Measured weight | 458 pounds (accessorized) |
| Warranty | 24 months |
| More info | cfmoto.com |
