The Motorcycle That Nails The Balance Between Affordability And High-End Feel

The balance between affordability and high-end feel is hard to walk. This is particularly true for European bikemakers, as they usually sit at the premium end of the segment. That leaves us with Asian and American bikemakers, out of which the latter usually sticks to large-capacity bikes that rarely cost less than $10,000.

Coming to the former, Japan and China dominate the value-for-money motorcycle segment, offering plenty of such bikes. Most of these belong to the middleweight segment, promising MSRPs close to $10,000 while offering high-end equipment and features similar to way more expensive offerings. One bike properly reigns supreme here, though. Here’s what it is.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from authoritative sources, such as CFMoto USA.

The CFMoto Ibex 800 Nails The Balance Between Affordability And High-End Feel

Price: $10,299

In a sea of affordable high-end bikes, the CFMoto Ibex 800 E takes the cake with ease. This is a middleweight adventure-touring bike, priced at just $10,299. That makes it cheaper than the smaller Yamaha Tenere 700 and Suzuki V-Strom 800DE. Yes, the Honda XL750 Transalp undercuts it, but the $300 extra you spend here is really justified with an arsenal of extra bits. That includes crash protection and aux lights as standard, along with a rear-facing radar.

The 675NK Offers Solid Value, Too

Other than this, CFMoto’s 675NK is another motorcycle that comes close to nailing the balance between affordability and high-end feel. It’s a new-for-2025 launch, which brings you an inline-triple powerhouse, class-leading standard features, and a futuristic design that’s not fugly. The cherry on the top is its uber-aggressive $7,499 MSRP, which is comfortably cheaper than all of its rivals. Heck, the price is just $600 and $900 more than the Honda CB500F and Aprilia Tuono 457.

And Triumph’s Newest Motorcycle Offers Great Value Under $10,000

Finally, we’d also like to give a shoutout to the new Triumph Trident 800. At $9,995, this is one of the most well-priced premium middleweight naked bikes out there. Not only do you get plenty of performance here (113 horsepower and 62 pound-feet), but you also get bits like cornering ABS and traction control. You can expect the build quality to be better than the Japanese and Chinese bikes in the price bracket, too, as that’s usually the case with Triumphs.

The CFMoto Ibex 800 E Has An Army Of High-End Features

All Accessible By A Tablet-Sized Instrument Cluster

This is where the “high-end” feel comes in. The Ibex 800 E is arguably the most premium motorcycle you can buy under $10,500. That becomes evident as soon as you swing a leg over it. You’re greeted by a huge 8-inch TFT touchscreen instrument cluster, armed with Apple CarPlay via Bluetooth. That means you can not only check your notifications and control devices, but also enjoy full-size map navigation. In addition, CFMoto has thrown in other nitty-gritty bits like a tire pressure monitoring system, heated grips, and cruise control.

Then, you have the rider aids. You can pick between six ride modes (Sport, Rain, OffRoad, OffRoad Plus, AllTerrain, and AllTerrain Plus), all of which instantly recalibrate throttle mapping, ABS, and traction control. Wheelie control is integrated into the traction control, while a two-way quickshifter helps you go through the gears without using your left hand. Finally, a unique safety feature is the rear radar system that enables blind spot detection and rear collision warning. Currently, no other middleweight motorcycle–across any segment–has a radar. That’s a lot of high-end stuff for the moolah.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E Key Features

• Traction control
• Cornering ABS
• Ride modes
• TPMS
• USB ports
• Rear radar
• 8-inch TFT
• Heated grips
• Cruise control
• Two-way quickshifter
• Apple CarPlay
• All LED lights with auxiliary lamps
• Crash protection

A Proven KTM-Sourced Engine Powers The CFMoto Ibex 800 E

Peak Power: 95 Horsepower

As the 800 in its name suggests, the Ibex is a proper middleweight. Thanks to the KTM-CFMoto partnership, you find Team Orange-sourced 799cc, parallel-twin engine with no shortage of power or torque. All that is spread well in the rev range, too, which we can confirm having ridden the KTM 790s. Oh, and it’s in an understressed tune here, so reliability should be better.

We also checked ownership reviews, and there have been no major engine issues on the Ibex 800 thus far. All the power reaches the wheel via a six-speed transmission, and if you ride sanely, you can manage around 45 miles per gallon in mixed conditions. That means a theoretical range of well over 200 miles.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E Engine Specs

Adjustable Suspension Helps The CFMoto Ibex 800 Serve Its Adventure-Touring Purpose

The Ibex 800 E is an adventure-tourer through and through. And as such, you don’t get an off-road-centric underpinnings package. At the front lies a set of KYB upside-down forks with full adjustability and 6.3 inches of travel, whereas the rear has an adjustable monoshock with 5.9 inches of travel.

This joins hands with a set of 19/17-inch spoke wheels, shod with Michelin Anakee dual-purpose tires. These hoops also house two 320 mm front and 260 mm rear disc brakes, clamped by J.Juan calipers. These should be enough to slow down the Ibex, since it tips the scale at 509 pounds wet. Tying all of it together is a steel tubular chassis, derived from KTM’s 790 platform.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E Key Dimensions