Are CFMoto Motorcycles Reliable? Here’s What Riders Say
If you’ve never heard of CFMoto, you aren’t alone. They’re a relatively new manufacturer of motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides — at least by American standards. CFMoto was founded in 1989, but has only been selling motorcycles in the U.S. since the early 2000s. They’re expanding in recent years and bringing all sorts of new products to the market these days, with a full lineup of bikes for 2026. Currently, CFMoto offers over a dozen different motorcycles of varying sizes and capabilities, from tiny, sub-$2k electric off-roaders like the CFX-2E, all the way up to 800cc adventure touring bikes like the Ibex 800 E.
With its relatively recent arrival on the scene, however, there’s speculation about the reliability of its bikes. Riders are hesitant to trust a new brand with limited history, especially a motorcycle brand that is so cheap compared to its rivals. Luckily, CFMoto owners are happy to take to the forums and tell everyone about their experience. It seems as if it’s a mixed bag depending on who you talk to. Lots of owners report many miles of trouble free riding. But there are just as many riders complaining about things like build quality and availability of parts.
Common problems
Even with the most reliable motorcycle brands, there are still often common problems. With CFMoto, there are a few right out of the gate. First up is the brand’s small footprint. Riders warn that if you don’t have a CFMoto dealership near you, it’s best to avoid the brand. Replacement parts for various wear items could potentially be difficult to find at this point. Want to fix something or do a bit of routine maintenance? You’ll likely have to wait a bit for the part to arrive rather than taking a quick trip down to your local motorcycle parts store. Other riders warn about issues such as small oil leaks, as well as problems with some of CFMoto’s electronics. For instance, small items like the horn have died early in the bike’s life — but not much in the way of catastrophic failures.
Many owners of CFMoto’s middleweight sports bike, the 450SS, have lots of good things to say about it. Dozens of owners report thousands of trouble-free miles on the 450SS, highlighting the fact that they’ve ridden the bike hard without any issues. These anecdotes aren’t exactly industry-wide data, but it’s a positive impression to have so many owners reporting positive experiences.
Methodology
There’s no single source of information regarding the reliability of CFMoto motorcycles so we cast a wide net. We searched forums, reddit posts, even dug into facebook groups looking for owners opinions and experiences. CFMoto makes a number of different motorcycles, so there are different experiences for each kind of rider, and nothing in our research was universal.
We wouldn’t go as far as ranking them amongst the most reliable motorcycles ever, but CFMoto bikes seem to be treating their owners well. Even though many riders still recommend sticking to known, reliable motorcycle brands like Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Honda, it seems like buying and riding a CFMoto could be mostly trouble free.
