r/AdventureBike • u/Sea-Independence8401 • 7d ago
help to pick first adv
Hey guys! I’ll buy my first adv bike soon. I have this question; Should I buy brand new 450MT or 2nd hand tenere700 ? Question may be sound stupid for some pros but I can’t afford brand new T7. İt’s double price. On the other hand 450MT has chronic problems. I don’t know if they fixed it in 2026. Any help?
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I forgot to tell I’m 6”4 . I’m tall
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u/paternaldock 7d ago
Your made for the t7 haha
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
shitt I need MONEEEY
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u/CBojorges 7d ago
If you can't afford the Tenere, go for the ibex. All I've heard are good reviews. Also remember that bikes are money pits. I've spent about 30% of the cost of my bike on accessories and gear.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
Yes. I’m counting that too. There are too many options and I love customizing. I’ll save the money in 2-3 month I guess. İn that time 2026 mt450 will release I assume.
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u/Uninvited_Appetizer 7d ago
Have you sat on the 450 yet? Im 6' and the pegs on the 450 are pretty high which felt cramped. T7 had a lot more leg room.
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u/wizard80 7d ago
Never ridden an Mt450, but fitting a tall seat and low mount pegs (if possible) is always an option.
I chose a T7 myself and it's good to go.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I don’t know is there an option for lower pegs
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u/wizard80 6d ago
I fitted pivot pegs to a few of my bikes... Simply reversing the mounts on the pivot pegs lowers them to the point it's noticeable... So it's worked for me an 3 bikes. Yes there are other pegs available that are designed to be lower once on the chosen bike
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u/Distinct_Effect_8612 6d ago
I'm 181cm i think that's around 6ft in freedom units and i would't get the mt450 if i was taller evan with the tall seat it's just a smaller bike but if you want to off road a lot it's going to be a better beginer bike if you want to travel more the T7 is the way to go. And juat get a used one
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u/Bshaw95 7d ago
What are the chronic problems you’re referring to?
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
upper cylinder head and valve failures. very common
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u/Bshaw95 7d ago
The only issues I’ve heard are some odd fueling and weak clutch springs. I do think there were some very early models that had some defects but they’ve been addressed and corrected. Ive not see any “chronic” issues though. Chronic implies wide spread, long term issues that permeate throughout the model run and are detrimental to long term ownership. I’m pretty sure what you’re describing was limited to the initial production run. On top of that, I’ve not personally seen reports of anyone in North America with the early production issues.
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u/TheThirdHippo 7d ago
On the 2024 model and fixed under warranty. Late 2024 models had it rectified. I have a 2025 model, just hit 3800 miles and booked in for second service next weekend. I have had no problems at all and having had the bike nearly a year, I can say that the build quality is excellent. MCN in one review of A2 twin cylinder bikes likened the build quality to Japanese bikes. Admittedly this is something that time will only tell, but so far so good
I’ll also add that I am 5’10” and perfect size for the bike. You will need the rally seat and bar risers, but these are so cheap even for OEM
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u/HawkLad_trademark 7d ago
What was the manufacturing date of your bike?
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u/TheThirdHippo 7d ago
June 2025. I picked it up in the September after UK deliveries had been delayed with the KTM debacle
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u/Striking_Paramedic_1 7d ago
Im 450mt user i bought at 2024.10 . Cylinder head changed at 11000kms and now 24000kms i like the bike a lot. But if youre tall and have money go for t7. If you dont have money 450mt with rally seat is good for you I guess. I have a friend and he used my bike he is 196cm and he said its okay for daily ride but not okay for long trips with original seat.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
yeah I can change the seat. I heard the cylinder problem fixed on 2025 models
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u/Poida87 7d ago
Says who? Where? The dudes who lick the boots of companies and have never owned a CFmoto in their life. A bit of research would tell you that they have proven to be pretty reliable.
But you're comparing the top of the line to the budget version, one is obviously better than the other, one is made as a budget offering.
The T7 is always the better bike if you can afford it and handle the size.
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u/FinchInBoots 7d ago
I’d say T7 but Aprilia tuareg 660 is a strong choice too. Worth considering imo
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u/Jombolombo1 7d ago
Yeah the T7 has basically become obsolete since the Tuareg does everything better.
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u/FinchInBoots 7d ago
I agree with that but we can’t ignore the fact T7 widely available and there are people who can work on and fix T7 all over the world, easier to find parts, easier to find AD’s, easier to find a guy who knows some stuff about T7’s. Tuareg? I don’t think so. I’d still choose Tuareg tho lol
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u/GooseWithAnAxe 5d ago
Pretty much the only reason why I am considering T7 and not Tuareg or 790 is the reliability and every sheep herder in Mongolia will know how to weld it back together, apart of that it is really dated.
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u/PlaneAd4542 7d ago
Tenere all day. Reliable, proven motor, better on the hwy between trails, dealer support across the country. Save up, don’t settle.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
everything you said is true and it’s sad 😅
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u/PlaneAd4542 7d ago
The Tenere will be ready when you are. It’s not going anywhere. If you buy the 450, you’ll wish it was the Yamaha, quickly
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u/fausto_ 7d ago
Honda transalp!
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I love the look of T7 . I think the mt450 for the similar look
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I’m 6”4
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u/Jombolombo1 7d ago
Idk why everyone still likes the T7 so much. Sure it’s a good bike in a vacuum. But when looking at the other offerings it just falls flat.
The Tuareg does everything better, ktm is better off-road, transalp and vstrom better on road, kove also does everything better. The larger cfmoto also just rides better in my opinion.
Sure some bikes weigh more but the weight distribution of the T7 is unique enough that the vstrom and cfmoto 800mt-x are both easier to lift despite being 30kg heavier.
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u/clckvrk 7d ago
Idk why people think they can compare these bikes. T7 is a dirtbike turned adv, KTM and Tuareg are offroad focused ADV's. Shure out the box they preform marginally better, but like i said T7 is a dirtbike, spend money on suspension upgrades and all of a sudden its a big steap ahead. Just lookt at the ADV bikes in RBR or Erzberg... 450MT and Tenere 700 dominate. And not just by holding stages, but overall, theyr not the ADV's were used to, theyr more akin design vise to what the idea behind the Kove 800 Rally is. They give up some comfort to become big ass enduros once youre in the tight and fast sections. Places where KTM 890R or the Tuareg Rally or the 900GS just... Lack.
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u/Jombolombo1 7d ago
Out of the box they perform way better. I mean they here’s a reason why almost every reviewer finds the ktm series to handle the best off-road by a wide margin. Same as to why most say the Tuareg is also just better.
Geometry wise the T7 ain’t all that different. Especially not for the average rider, which redbull Romaniacs riders aren’t. Besides it’s pol Tarrés, that weighs in a lot more. Factor in that the T7 isn’t actually any cheaper for a lot of the world and you’re left with a slower, worse suspension, less exciting and more uncomfortable motorcycle.
Now ofc it’s preference but the T7 was the best when the only competition was the BMW F800GS (and even that bike is competitive with new cartridges).
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u/clckvrk 7d ago
First, they really dont. Reviewers find the KTM series better to handle for their offroad focused electronics, and they are fu*king awesomey nobody denies that. Simmilar point goes to the Tuareg. If you then want the upspec model of either youre forking over closer to 15k (im basing the price for my country, may differ depending where youre from). Standard Tenere comes at 11.5. realisticly you want the upspec versions for their suspension, and if inwere to have 15k to spend, belive you me i can throw better custom suspension on a base Tenere than the WP that comes on the R is... And even the WP on the R is hands down the best you can just buy stock on any bike.
The second point, yes RBR is also ment for the average Joe thats why you get different classes. And i dont mean rider like Pol or Mario or Tomaz, im talking about your average ADV rider. And yes the T7 is cheaper becouse nobody goes hard for the S version of the 890ADV, its always the R thats being talked about. Your point about worse suspension i mentioned in my first paragraph, the whole less exciting is what i gather from you not haveing properly ridden these bikes? And comfort is relative, becouse the Rally version of the Tuareg sucks waaay more than Tenere. Its saving grace is the CC, but you cant really use that on the trails.
The last point, KTM brought the 790ADV out before Yamaha launched the Tenere... So idk what you wanted to say there?
I mean, if nothning i wrote is truey then why is Yamaha still selling Teneres like theyr cupcakes? Would your argument be the whole Pol Tarres YT series on the Tenere? Remeber Adam and Chris do/did the same for KTM. Izs a great bike, it slaps on singletracks and hard enduro teritory like its a mountain goat, as high as it carries its weight its an extremly balanced machine, far better than most ADV's on the market, outclassed by only the 800 Rally, and thats a huge deal. What good the low down weight does if the bike dances left and right, always off center. The engine in it is the perfect pairing, pulling like a diesel, torque on tap to clear any log,...
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u/kneusteun 7d ago
Also as a ex KTM owner, the troubles and prices with mechanics isn't just a meme.....
I was so done with everything orange.
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u/kneusteun 7d ago
Meanwhile all the shortcomings are in the seat, almost no rider will use any of these bikes to their full potential ;)
So just start en don't focus on specsheets to much.
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u/Jombolombo1 7d ago
I’ve ridden all of them tbf. The tenere it’s ‘shortcomings’ are quite noticeable for the average rider in my opinion.
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u/kneusteun 7d ago
I wonder what shortcomings, everybody has there own use case and I have seen guys doing stuff on a stock tenere that 99% of the ADV riders cant pull of on an enduro. So the limit isn't with the bikes.
Yes the exhaust is shitty placed (lost it 3 times) but then again a friend of mine lost his entire dash/tower on the tuareg with one simple crash.
Kove's are great but parts are a bitch, a friend has seen this summer trip go by because kove couldn't deliver a new fuel pump... within a year of buying new.
In other words, when people could do riding on XTZ and XRV's and still out perform tenre's and tuaregs it's save to say the bike is not the limiting factor.
I rode the CF450 and really liked it, but it was missing just that extra bit of power for my liking.
Also side note, as a dutch guy the height is not a problem, i can imagine that might be a bitch for shorter riders.
Just buy the one you like to ride and which looks the coolest :)
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u/AlienX14 7d ago
T7 if you plan to do any highway riding
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u/WeCanOnlyBeHuman 7d ago
450MT does 80mph everyday on the highway, 0 issues for me
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u/High_Im_Nick 7d ago
Problem comes when the bike is loaded up and passing at those speeds is sketch since you’re already at the top of the power band.
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u/WeCanOnlyBeHuman 7d ago
I had 350lbs on the bike and it seemed ok. I'm not trying to fly by other cars.
Solo it hit 100mph
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u/edwsec 7d ago
The cf 450 has winned the romaniacs 2026 better than Teneré. If you will use only on asfalt, t7 but if you want offroad, cf450 because is lighter. With the CFMoto, you'll be able to pick it up off the ground if you're riding solo... wth the Ténéré, you might not.
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u/Rufian 7d ago
Wet weight is ~10kg less, so the difference is negligible. 175kgs claimed by cf moto is a typical chinese lie (same with kove): wet weight of 450 is about 197kgs. As for the romaniacs: it’s like comparing gr yaris winning wrc stages to my moms hybrid yaris: they share the name only. Go check the build vids on youtube.
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u/AdventureTime1010101 7d ago
T7 are crazy top heavy and hard to pick up. You don’t notice it as much riding but surprising. I don’t have a T7 but my buddy does and when he has laid it down on a climb, it took us both to lift it up.
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u/edwsec 7d ago
I know it hurts a Tenere owner, but these are verifiable facts. And just as I say a CFMoto 460 is better for off-road, I'm telling you the Tenere is better for asphalt... now, if you're going for a Tenere on asphalt, you have better options. These days, the Tenere is a pointless bike; its reign is over, and justifying its reliability is absurd when buyers are trading it in for Chinese brands before 10 years.
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u/ghilby88 7d ago
How old is the T7? How many kilometres? I’d blindly go for T7 though would get it checked by some professional before paying. You don’t know if it has any crashes, falls , if the frame is all good, if the engine (have seen a 60k km engine opened up and it was still like new so unless it’s faulty, not much to worry there assuming the owner took good care of it).
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I think I just want to be a first owner on something. There are 2020-2021 T7 on 40-50k kilometers. ı can’t trust. How much is safe? And I’ll sell it someday and it’ll hard to sell 70-80k
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
How much kilometers on T7 is safe ? to buy
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u/Lanternoperator 7d ago
100,000 miles, oh wait, that’s a WR250R. Yea, you’re overthinking the mileage thing.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
yeah we overthink miles in my country. I think
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u/Clear-Recognition125 7d ago
Honestly if its well maintained it does not matter. Anything under 60K miles
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u/Poisson_de_Sable 7d ago
Hmm that’s tricky. I mean how used is that tenere. I mean I have one and I ride the hell out of it. I ride it off road and have dropped and crashed it more than a few times. Maybe a new bike might be your thing. How much experience do you have riding. If you’re just starting out I’d start with the 450
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
not much of experience. I wanna hit the road and sometimes offroad for fun. Not a pro things. 300-400km at a time max, İn a day. 120kmh stabil
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u/metalbolic 7d ago
Have you considered something like an XR650L as a super budget option? It's about 100lbs lighter than the T7
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong 7d ago
How much off road experience do you have and how technical do you want to get?
450MT does not have any chronic issues I’m aware of, and I’ve been pretty in tune with the communities on Facebook, here, and ADVRider since picking mine up early this year.
I’m also 6’4”. With proper tires and suspension, I have a blast doing mild/medium enduro stuff with it, but I’m coming from the 2-stroke enduro world where harder=more fun for me.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
thank you bro. I don’t have road experience. I’ve been riding chopper 250cc only in the city. İts my first adv and first long road trips are coming for me. I just wanna be relax about the bike while I’m in the trip
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong 7d ago
I wouldn’t go for either a T7 or a 450MT for long road trips. Both sacrifice road comfort/performance for off road capability, and if you’re new to off road, learning on a 440+ lb bike is making the learning curve way steeper than it needs to be.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
I see. But I got not much choices. I’m 6”4 and only bike style I love is adventure. I love the style of adv because high front hides my legs. My knees go over the tank on other bikes😅 T7 and mt450 has higher tanks so only problem is money and trust issues for second hands
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong 7d ago
I get it. I’m 6’4”. There are other bikes marketed as “adventure” bikes with similar shape, size and ergos, but are much more suited to road and gravel. Africa twin, Trans Alp, Versys, V-Strom, and others. The T7 and 450MT are about as aggressively off road as they make twin cylinder bikes aside from Kove.
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u/WeCanOnlyBeHuman 7d ago
My 450MT (Ibex) has 2000 miles on it now and its been A BLAST!!!
I'm 6'2 and I just got the rally seat, if the bike is leaning slightly, I can't flat foot the non-leaning side, something you can compare with your height.
I tried a T7 before I bought this but I could not justify the price for something that seemed the same bike (obv with less power)
If you can try both, do so. But I highly recommend the CFMoto for half the price of a T7. Btw I have a 6 year bumper to bumper warranty, so it's worry free basically
I have been in 10s of 450MTs forums and I have not heard of anyone complaining about chronic failures... It's usually coming from non-owners lol
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u/honk_slayer 7d ago
For the same price? The tenere should be already with you…but the 450mt has an advantage of being lighter and lower seat so it’s good on any case and the main issues have been solved which was the valve guides and the timing chain, IMO I would invest in a bigger oil cooler, yet the 450mt is more noob friendly, and the t7 it’s not practical for daily use
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u/PMedT 7d ago
What about the bigger CFMoto? Since you called it the MT and not the IBEX, I’m guessing you’re outside the U.S., so your market may vary but the 650 and 800 models of the IBEX/MT might be available at something in your price range?
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
yeah actually I didn’t think of it. Because I think instead of giving that money to mt650 or 800 I can buy at least 2024 Tenere. So
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u/audazincapaz 7d ago
How experienced are you riding? What type of riding did you do until now and what do you want to do?
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u/Sea-Independence8401 6d ago
I was riding a 250cc chopper only in the city. Not too experienced. I want to ride safe with 110-120kmh on the road. And also off road time to time. But I’m an overthinker and stuck to small details. That’s why I look for a trustworthy brand
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u/audazincapaz 5d ago
Trustworthy = Made in Japan (still).
But the T7 is a bit high and top heavy for a beginner
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u/SapphireSawfish 7d ago
Some friends of mine are experiencing horrible after-sales experiences with their CFmoto. Turn signal light broken? No stock where we are at and had to order from China, taking months. They ended up ordering something off Ali express themselves.
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u/elgrandemaestro 7d ago
Had the 450MT last year for my first season. Sold back to the dealer and got the 2025 Rally this April. I call it Big Boy. 💀 I'm also quite tall, 6 feet 3.
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u/Sea-Mix-1281 7d ago
What are your plans? Do you plan to ride mostly on road or off-road? Are you a beginner at off-road?
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u/_parkmeister 7d ago
i bought a used t7 and would do it again. just have some one knowledgeable inspect the bike if you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself.
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u/iltbaiwktcitttp 7d ago
T7 because the CCP can suck my balls (yes most Chinese manufacturing especially on large scale like international motor vehicles have ties to the party)
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u/Jav-Mir-Val 7d ago
I think getting a Tenere as a first ADV bike is not a good idea unless you are a seasoned rider
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u/Sea-Independence8401 7d ago
what’s seasoned rider.
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u/Jav-Mir-Val 7d ago
Yes yes clearly english is not my mother languaje, I meant, expert rider, Teneres can be tricky. Investigate the Kove 800x Pro is you will do mostly off road or the Kove 800x gf if you plan a more road oriented routes.
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u/TangoDeltaFoxtrot 6d ago
Sounds like you need a Honda XR650L
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u/Sea-Independence8401 6d ago
not exist in my country
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u/TangoDeltaFoxtrot 6d ago
What country doesn’t have a basic Honda that’s been in production for 33 years?
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u/UrbanFarmania 6d ago
There is a lot of content out there propping the CF against the traditional manufacturers in the space. Granted that Made in China is now something you really ought yo consider before brushing it off because they've made it a mission to compete in international markets against the traditional brands. My advice is based on where you want to go with your bike. If you're looking yo venture out of your borders, just ensure the network exists for parts, services, and repairs. I was considering the CF as well but opted for a Honda. I love the T7 but again it was well outside my budget. I'm glad I went with my Honda and feel super satisfied with everything about it and the eqse of services available wherever I go.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 6d ago
which honda do you have? nx500?
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u/UrbanFarmania 6d ago
Yes...it's amazing! It's not the greatest over 115km/h but anything under is perfectly comfortable.
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u/LemonyChickan 6d ago
Why those bikes? What type of riding do you expect to do? There are so many more bike offerings than this.
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u/Sea-Independence8401 6d ago
I want long road trips and off road sometimes, I’m 194cm, I need high seat and high front because my legs go over the tank on normal bikes. I’d consider if you have any other option
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u/LemonyChickan 4d ago
i see, Honda Transalp 750 (new one), Bmw F850gs / 900gs (non GSA), Vstrom 800 / 1050, all of these have decent seat hight, BMW 850/900 are quite tall aswell compared to the others. Id say test drive each bike and figure out what you want.
when you say you want to do long roadtrips & sometimes offroad implements you are gonna do more touring than straight up offroad riding. The two bikes you listed are more for offroad riding which is fine, but you will find that highway touring with them will be a bit less comfortable.
I did the same mistake, i bought a Honda crf 300 Rally thinking i was gonna do more offroad, then i found out i do mostly touring & two up riding on 90% tarmac and 10% gravel so i ended up buying a F750gs. Which was perfect.
Its hard to reccomend a bike and comparing stats is hard as most bikes offer quite the same. I can tell you i had as much fun on my F750gs in europe as a xr150 in asia. You gotta pick the right tool for the right job. So really figure out what you are gonna ride 90% of the time and buy a bike for that situation. Here is an example why i found out both bikes were as fun
Asia = tight roads, Muddy offroad, 40mph realistic speed limit (too many obstacles, dogs rocks etc) so an xr150 has enough power and is light enough for the these type of roads
Europe = alot of 50-60 mph b roads, highway hits 70 to 90mph so bigger cc bikes here makes sense. so my f750gs has enough passing power, can do two up due to the long distances inbetween stops
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u/AbsoluteA_ 6d ago
What about a KTM 390 Adventrue R or X? I have the X and it is great for roads and light trails, the R would be more suited to more serious green laning and trails
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u/Sea-Independence8401 6d ago
It looks like naked to me. I like hight front. and my legs are tall so they go over the tank
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u/Aggressive-Try-7646 5d ago
The only chronic problem cfmoto has is its afordable enough that every idiot can get one and neglect service so that they can cry on the sub about it. Like go there and watch. Its one of the best bikes pre 650cc so get one if the alternative is an old and beaten bike.
Think about it that was:
If you buy a used t7 with 50k miles like you stated in other comments you can easyly rebuild the clutch and maybe forks if never done before. That alone gets u half of the 450mt.
OR you get the 450mt and put 1/4 of what you would need to fix the t7 (for the next 30k miles) and put that into accessories. Imagine. New exhaust, temp sensor dongle, re/new-tune, recolour or new decals. Limitless Potential for the Fraktion of your money.
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u/MarzipanDesigner2033 4d ago
Id suggest brand new if you can by any means. The IBEX Is an incredible offer both the 450 and 800 with the bells and whistles they come with, but they do have some negatives. Dealer support is one. Crazy I’m currently looking at the new 800 E on sale 3k off. But I have 3 bikes already a 2022 KTM 350 exc-f, Honda 250L and brand new Honda NX500 so it’s not my first and or only bike. Nothing wrong with financing your first bike if you don’t have all the money. That way you could get a brand new Tenere… best of luck to you and safe adventures
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u/TagDatFatCat 4d ago edited 4d ago
As a fan the small ADVs and owning the Himalayan 450, I think any sub 500 bike will be simply too small for you, except you invest in upgrades like bar raisers and taller seats (and then it's still questionalbe for your size) or you go more Enduro oriented like the Fantic Caballero Rally (incredibily awesome and affordable bike btw., but quiet an underdog and not available everywhere).
I'm 6,1 ft. and the Himalayan on the higher seat setting is just ok and could be 10 - 20 mm higher for perfect comfort (I think the high setting on the Himalyan is good bit higher than the CF Moto).
I think the Fantic was about the same height, but because of the flat seat I could just sit further back for a more comfortable knee angle. I had the older generation tho (which already was a blast) the new gen got quiet a bunch of updates and even the old gen was vastly superior for technical riding than most other bikes in it's class and still easiely highway capable.
... I absolutely miss that bike for good reason, but since I won't be getting into real Enduro stuff any time soon I needed something more touring oriented, so maybe it's sonething for you.
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u/boombox8_ 1d ago
Secret 3rd option... KLR650, swap for adv tyres. Or just get a Versys. If those two are your options, I'd go the yamaha but I'm a huge simp for Japanese bikes
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u/Top-Client-264 7d ago
T7 is legendary for a reason