The adventure bike that challenges the Honda Africa Twin for less money

The Africa Twin is the gold standard for adventure bikes if you’re the kind of person who wants a practical, no-nonsense product that does everything you ask of it, without complaint. Oh, and select the right version, and you’ll get one packed with features too, like the Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES. This one has everything from tubeless wire wheels to electronic suspension.

The question then is: is it possible to get the value of the Africa Twin, but at a lower price? Fortunately, the answer is yes, because the Africa Twin is a product that other manufacturers are looking up to, and they have released their own interpretations of what a product like this Honda should be. Here then is the adventure bike that challenges the Honda Africa Twin for less money.

The CFMoto Ibex 800 E is the adventure bike that challenges the Honda Africa Twin for less money

CFMoto is a Chinese manufacturer and has found its way into consumer consciousness for the first time by offering what we have come to expect from a Chinese manufacturer. That’s extreme value for money with brilliant features. Over the years, however, the company has slowly moved upmarket, forging links with the likes of KTM and racing in Moto3 and Moto2, the feeder series for the pinnacle of two-wheel motorsport.

It has even dipped its toes into two-wheeled off-road racing, teaming up with Red Bull for this year’s Red Bull Romaniacs event and scoring a podium finish. So it’s safe to say that CFMoto knows a thing or two about making a good off-road bike.

CFMoto Capricorn 800 E Price: $10,299

The Ibex 800 E is the pinnacle of the CFMoto adventure bike range, at least until the 1000MT-X (Ibex 1000) comes along. Although the latter is a direct competitor to the Africa Twin, the Ibex 800 is worth considering if you want something like an Africa Twin Adventure Sports but don’t want to spend that much money. This is why the CFMoto Ibex 800 E is the adventure bike that challenges the Honda Africa Twin for less money.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E-motor

The engine of the Ibex 800 is comparable to that of the Africa Twin, but is smaller. Yet it manages to generate a power peak that is only 6 hp less than that of the Honda. It features a by-wire throttle and a six-axis IMU, meaning six riding modes and cornering traction control.

A six-speed manual gearbox with assist and slipper clutch is what you get with the Ibex 800 E, and a two-way quickshifter is standard. The Africa Twin Adventure Sports also offers the option of a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which increases its appeal but also increases the price.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E vs Honda Africa Twin Engine Specifications

CFMoto Ibex 800 E chassis

An aluminum swingarm is similar to the Africa Twin, but the Ibex 800 also uses an aluminum subframe. The Ibex’s trellis frame also differs from the Honda’s semi-double cradle frame. Fully adjustable Kayaba suspension is standard. Elsewhere, the Ibex gets some brownie points back for its steering damper – something not common on an adventure bike.

CFMoto has opted for a more conventional 19/17-inch wheel size and the front brake discs are larger than Honda’s! The calipers, however, are similar: four-piston J.Juan radial fixed calipers at the front and a two-piston floating caliper at the rear.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E Dimensions

The Ibex 800 is slightly narrower and shorter than the Africa Twin and also weighs slightly less. That’s to be expected since it’s in a class below the Honda, but it’s surprising how light the Japanese bike is considering it’s bigger. The Honda also has a much larger fuel tank, meaning you can go further between fill-ups.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E features

CFMoto is known for packing all kinds of features into its products, and the Ibex 800 is a flagship product. So expect everything possible – and it won’t disappoint, because the ‘E’ variant is the top variant. The Ibex has an 8-inch TFT touchscreen versus Honda’s 6.5-inch one, although the former only has Apple CarPlay. The CFMoto also has a radar-based blind spot monitoring system, a tire pressure monitoring system and a steering damper. The Honda has none of these things, but has the electronic suspension.

CFMoto Ibex 800 E Competition

The Ibex 800 E has great competition, but mostly prices itself out of the conversation. We limit ourselves to the prices that are within the reach of the ibex. Those would be the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE ($11,799) and Honda XL750 Transalp ($9,999). Both have 21-inch front rims, so they’re better off-road, and the V-Strom also has tubular tires, so aggressive off-road boots are an option.

However, the real competitor here is the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES. It’s a full-size ADV, comes with electronic suspension as standard, has an optional automatic gearbox and has a reputation for reliability that few others can match. But if you’re on a budget, the CFMoto Ibex 800 E can really challenge it for a lot less money.