A bigger, little adventure – CFMOTO unveils 550MT and more off-road-focused 550MT-X.
By Donovan Fourie
CFMOTO already has the very popular 450MT that has perhaps redefined small, capable adventure motorcycling for a good price. Now, it will have a slightly bigger version with two variants – the 550MT and 550MT-X. It will not replace the 450 but rather sit between it and the 700MT.
The motor is a new 527cc liquid-cooled parallel twin pushing 53–54 hp and 52 Nm of torque, which is around 10 hp more than the 450.
The MT version is more road-focused with 19/17-inch spoked wheels attached to more road-focused KYB suspension (exact details have not yet been released). The frame appears to be steel-trellis in a similar fashion to the 450MT.
The electronics package is somewhat upgraded from its smaller 450 kin – reports suggest it has an eight-inch TFT display with connectivity, an IMU supporting such things as cornering traction control and ABS, three rider modes, cruise control as standard, a two-way quickshifter, a keyless system and even a rear radar detection system.
The 550MT-X version uses the same motor as the MT but similarities mostly end there.
The weight of the MT-X is 172 kg dry which, amazingly, is three kilos lighter than the 450MT. The wheels are the expected 21/18-inch spoked and the fully adjustable KYB suspension has 230 mm/220 mm travel. Ground clearance is at 250 mm which is close to 30 mm more than the 450MT.
Interestingly, CFMOTO has elected to give the MT-X its own dedicated frame rather than simply bolting different parts onto an MT frame.
Bodywork includes a raised front mudguard and a narrow waist for better movement while standing on the footpegs. It also features handguards and an upswept exhaust.
The TFT dash is different to the MT with a vertical 6.2-inch unit, styled to look more like a rally road book, and features MotoPlay smartphone connectivity. The riding modes also include an Off-Road setting as a fourth option.
