CFMOTO the hidden treasure of ATVS

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15 August 2022 鈥� 3 min read

ATV and UTV brand CFMoto chose a chateau in the South of France for the launch of its CFORCE 450 and 520 ATVs, which are now available in the UK. Jemima Lewis-Jones got behind the handle bars and reports on the latest additions to the ATV market.

CFMOTO has been established in the UK for the past 20 years, focusing on ATVs, UTVs and motorcycles.

The Chinese company has developed its previous quad bike range into an affordable and potentially mainstream option for farms and rural estates. The series made its UK debut at the Great Yorkshire Show and the Royal Welsh Show in July 2022.

The latest range of ATVs includes a raft of upgrades which the manufacturer claims will improve performance, comfort and practicality compared to its previous outgoing models.

The CF Moto launch was held on an adventurous assault course for ATVS and UTVs. The course tested the quadbikes abilities from extreme rocky terrain to very steep inclines, slopes and varied handling.

BOTH the 450 and 520 models include a key activated park lock, which aims to reduce quadbike thefts. The system engages a metal bar across the gear stick, locking the quadbike into neutral with a key once stationary.

The two models are fully approved for use on UK roads, with a dealer fit road lighting, indicator and mirror kit.

The turning circle of the range claims to be 25 per cent tighter compared to the previous models, allowing greater access in confined spaces.

Service access has been improved with several covers and panels now removable without any tool. For transport, the front and rear racks have been amplify to allow increased capacities of 30kg and 60kg respectively.

Access on and off the bike has been improved, with a redesigned seat claiming a better riding position. The new exhaust reduces noise and heat too, which should improve fuel consumption and reduce noise disruption when working near to livestock.

Looking more suited to a higher end UTV both models use a large digital dashboard. Visually bright, the vital rider information was clear and included a Bluetooth phone connection as standard, something of potential value to regular road users.

HANDLING of the new range has been upgraded with a new chassis, which responded well in use during our French trial. The manufacturer claims the new chassis is 30 per cent stronger and 10 per cent lighter than the previous generation. Total vehicle weight for the two models are 340kg for the 450, while the larger 520 is 355kg.

Towing capacity has been increased on both models to 612kg, this has been achieved through the redesign of the chassis and a change in the fitment of the tow ball. Originally welded directly to the subframe, the new receiver is bolted to the assembly which has aided the capacity upgrade.

Verdict

It is clear the company has worked hard to build their brand away from the stereotypes of Chinese manufactured products and are presented as possible competitor to the mainstream ATV manufacturers.

UK distributors CFMoto UK are expanding the dealer network and have focused attention on increasing stock levels of whole products and parts. To match this, they currently claim surprisingly short lead times, a possibly valuable feature compared to the extended lead times from some competitors.

The CFORCE 450 is priced at 5,999 and the CFORCE 520 priced at 6,799.

Both models come with a two-year warranty and free ATVTrac tracker.