Things seem to have gone rather quiet with CFMoto, haven’t they?
Or, at least, they have in His Majesty’s United Kingdom. It wasn’t that long ago that there was a feeling CFMoto was The One as far as Chinese motorcycles are concerned. That is, it was seen as the brand that was going to step out ahead of all the others as the story of Chinese bikes moved into its next chapter.
About two or three years ago, we moved from the “This is all crap” phase of the Chinese motorcycles story to the current era of “Actually, some of this stuff is pretty good” (Teaser: I’m currently riding the Voge DS800X Rally and it definitely falls into that category. Review coming soon). But we’ve not yet had a manufacturer that has really produced a superior product – something that is objectively better than what’s being offered by ‘traditional’ Japanese, European, and American manufacturers.
As I say, for a while there, it felt like CFMoto was going to be that manufacturer. But then KTM blew up and CFMoto joined the likes of MV Agusta, Husqvarna, and Gas-Gas in being dragged down by the sinking Austrian ship.
In April last year, KTM abruptly announced that it would no longer handle distribution of CFMoto motorcycles in Europe. That left the Chinese brand scrambling to set up a bunch of more local arrangements. Some of those seemed to have turned out well (apparently CFMoto outsells Ducati and Suzuki in France), others less so.
In the UK, for example, CFMoto’s motorcycles fell under the purview of Quadzilla, a company that sells kids’ ATVs and buggies. It had also served as the distributor of CFMoto’s ATVs for “nearly two decades,” according to a media release that was issued in June of last year.
Respectfully, Quadzilla hasn’t seemed to push CFMoto motorcycles very hard. Rather than creating a separate website for motorcycles, for example, it has chosen to simply loop two-wheelers in with ATVs and utility vehicles. The line-ups for which are notably more robust than what’s on offer in terms of motorcycles.
According to CFMoto’s global website, there are some 26 motorcycles in its line-up, including the ‘looks like a BMW R 1300 RT but is driven by a V-twin’ 1250TR-G – a bike I’d definitely like to test ride. But in the UK, we get just six of those bikes. Six. Less than a quarter of the line-up.
Even the United States – which, you may have heard, has a few trade issues with China – gets access to more CFMoto models. There, the line-up consists of 12 models, plus two kid-focused electric dirt bikes.
For the past several months, it’s felt as CFMoto’s motorcycle side in the UK has been run by people who don’t have a great deal of interest in motorcycles. Or, at least, people without a great deal of knowledge about how to promote motorcycles.
That situation may be about to change, though. Last week, CFMoto UK quietly announced that it had appointed a new dealer manager to help the brand improve and grow its standing.
A post on CFMoto UK’s official Facebook page names that person as Andrew Painter, and says: “Andrew joins us to lead the expansion of our UK motorcycle dealer network, bringing proven experience and a clear focus on strong partnerships, dealer support and long-term growth.”
Where that “proven experience” comes from, I‘m not entirely sure. The Facebook post doesn’t offer any details on Painter’s background. Searching the internets, however, I think this is the same Andrew Painter whose LinkedIn currently shows him as being the retail sales manager for Piaggio.
If anyone knows for sure, please get in touch. But certainly there’s relevant experience there. And, yes, I do feel like an idiot for having no knowledge of someone who is clearly a UK moto industry veteran. I doubt Andrew’s reading this, but, sorry.
Meanwhile, CFMoto’s global side is continuing to up its game. It unveiled a whole bunch of very interesting upcoming models at EICMA 2025, and just a fortnight ago announced the new 800MT-ES: an updated take on the touring version of the 800MT. This one’s equipped with an electronically adjustable KYB suspension.
Whether it will actually come to this soggy archipelago remains to be seen, however. At present, only the dirt-focused 800MT-X is available in the UK market.
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