This bike lurked in our garage for a bit before we managed to fit it in for a test ride. When we climbed aboard, we were very pleasantly surprised…
For years a 250cc thumper represented the perfect bike for trail and commuting. CFMOTO knows this, so they have come up with their own, really slickly styled derivative of what works.
Dirtbike wheels – a decent 13 litre fuel capacity, plush suspension.
Meet the CFMOTO 250 Dual.
We set out to ride CFMOTO’s new 250 Dual to see if it’ll fill in the gap of an affordable, fun runaround. Off we went from our offices in Bredell, out to the guys at Offroad Cycles in Pretoria to say howzit. Along the way we made a couple of stops to pick up parts, drop a camera off for a service, grab some chow, all while cruising along on the little 250 through Pretoria traffic.
The beauty of a bike like this is the fact that it’s so small you can easily squeeze through the tightest of spaces on your travels. It’s light, maneuverable as you would expect and zips off ahead of traffic leaving you with a smile on your face as grumpy motorists slug away from the traffic lights.
When the traffic got a bit hectic, we aimed at the shortcuts through the bush and so the bike started to make more and more sense. In our opinion, the maximum capacity for junior riders should be increased to 250 – the old 125 law applied mostly to two strokes which were lighter and faster than a 125 four stroke.
The CFMOTO Dual is equipped with LED lighting all around and a very simple little dash resembling that of a modern dirtbike showing you basic info info like speed, what gear you are in and your ODO sans a trip meter. There is also a handy USB charger mounted just beneath the display. A fuel bar indicator lets you know when you should start looking for the next fuel stop.
The cables for the brake lines are routed across the little dash, which you will get used to, but they do kind of obstruct your view of some of the info.
We are a hung jury on the green wheels…
The 250 Dual is powered by CFMOTO’s own 249cc fuel injected liquid cooled 4-stroke, that pushes out a claimed 24 Horsepower and 22.5 Nm of torque.
The engine is actually quite peppy with a smooth clutch and gearbox that easily zips you ahead of traffic.
The CFMOTO Dual has great gearing for both town – and trail use.
The brakes work perfectly on the road and the suspension offers a good ride, with a firm seat that keeps you comfortable on the road.
The rider triangle is sensible and the bike doesn’t feel cramped. It’s a fun to ride get on and go utility machine
It’s a treat in the gravel with firm suspension and pokey power. The handlebars are nice and wide giving you great control over the bike, again well set up for offroad but surprisingly comfortable on road.
Think old-school thumper – that’s where this bike is in it’s happy place. Clamber up that hill, shoot across the river – it’s a lot of fun.
The 250 Dual sport is well sorted for offroad, with a 21 inch front wheel, Yuangxing knobblies, wide footpegs (removable rubbers for extra grip) and a small maneuverable chassis that makes it loads of fun on little twee spoor trails. It’s also a bit more on the tall side with pretty good ground clearance
Climb up rocks and bash through the bushes with no problem, find your favourite shortcut and the commute becomes the most fun part of the day. It’s worth noting that the bike has ABS which is a handy safety feature, but you cannot switch it off, so be mindful of that in the dirt.
We can’t really fault the little Dual Sport, it does what it’s meant to do and it looks pretty damn good while doing it.
The bench style seat is comfortable, not too soft and is perfect for moving around while offroading, and it’s narrow so it doesn’t get in the way while reaching for solid ground.
It’ll take you from A-B, get there on very little fuel because it’s only a 250, you can strap some luggage to the back and take it exploring in the trails on the weekend. We were expecting to be worn out and tired after a long day in traffic, but we’d be more than happy to keep cruising around.
We had no complaints. The CFMOTO Dual delivers a quality feel and it’s good fun to ride. We aren’t going to tell you that it’s a good distance machine – that’s not what it is designed for, but for poking around the suburbs and skieting through the farmlands, it’s a seriously cool little scrambler.
Absolute Top speed with a skinny guy in the saddle sits at 130KPH, she’s a lot happier at 120 and she’ll chug along all day at around the 100KPH mark.
It’s bikes like these that make you think: What more do you really need?
R54 900
2year, 28000 kilometres warranty.
Engine Type: Single-cylinder inline, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, SOHC
Displacement: 249 cc
Bore x Stroke: 72 x 61.2mm
Power: 18 kW/8000 rpm
Torque: 22.5N·m/7000rpm
Compression Ratio: 11.3:1
Clutch Type: Wet, multi-plate, manual clutch
Length x Width x Height: 2120×910×1225 mm
Wheelbase: 1415 mm
Seat Height: 840 mm
Minimum Ground Clearance: 245 mm
Curb Weight: 154 kg
Fuel Capacity: 13 L
Suspension
Front: USD telescopic
Suspension Travel: 160/38 mm
Brakes: Front: 265mm Single Disc.
Rear: 220mm Single Disc.
Rim
Spoke wheel
Tyres: Front: 80/100-21
Rear: 120/80-18 M/C 62P
ABS: Dual-channel
