CF MOTO X8: functional Chinese

The CF MOTO X8 model appeared in showrooms back in 2016, and its aggressive modern look did not fit into the overall picture of utilitarian models, which is a unique feature of the manufacturer. At the same time, buyers and simply motorcyclists noticed that manufacturers have made a significant bias towards modernizing their four-wheeled motorcycle.

Almost all mechanical control systems in the CFMOTO X8 are now automatically controlled electronically , and the instrument panel features a modern LCD monitor that reflects all technical processes.

Key changes

On the one hand, the Chinese X8 ATV has become more convenient and modern, but in terms of performance, the consumer has lost the opportunity for quick repairs . The modified case gives the user unhindered access to almost every mechanical component, but what is the point in debugging the mechanics if a failure occurs in the computer part - the question remains open.

Other important parameters of the bike have also changed:

The BOSH injector is now a thing of the past and this is a huge minus for those who love quality and reliability. The manufacturer tried to correct this loss and now the CF MOTO 800 has an updated fuel injection system from the DELPHI professional line. This replacement really reduced fuel consumption, even taking into account the powerful engine, but the vehicle lost a noticeable amount of torque.
The flaws of the fifth generation with cheap plastic are back again. Due to the large number of professional “fillings” produced in the USA, Canada and Korea, the bike has significantly gone beyond the budget model. It is possible to use low-quality plastic on the casing and cheap protection for arms and legs - an attempt by the manufacturer to reduce the cost of transport on the market.
The CF X8's storage compartment for small items is located in the rear. Most likely, such a change was made due to complaints from X6 owners who had obvious problems with the ease of placing their feet on the pegs.

Otherwise, neither owners nor critics have any serious complaints about the model. Critical for many was the loss of power of the unit due to the reduced number of revolutions. Almost all of the manufacturer's two-seater models were used in the Russian Federation by motocross enthusiasts, farmers or residents of remote corners of the country.

Torque reduced by almost 10% completely eliminated the advantage of a more powerful engine. Considering the features of the CF MOTO X8, its size, wheelbase and maneuverability, we can safely say that such an “all-terrain vehicle” will not live up to .

CF moto X8 first impressions

Test drive Stels 500 GT and Cfmoto CF500-X5.

That's it, the season is over. My Stealth 500N ran 2200 km during the rainy summer and short autumn. We can sum up some results of the first full season. So, I'll start with the engine. It still starts perfectly and practically does not consume oil, I changed it twice, the filter only once, I used only mineral oil, I read somewhere that for a variator, or more precisely, a clutch, this is the best option. Closer to autumn, the variator belt squealed several times under load, but I haven’t opened it yet, but, nevertheless, I didn’t expect the belt to last so long. Recently there has been some strange sound in the area of the variator. What is it - uneven wear of the belt, or something with the clutch - a spring autopsy will show. Typically, the noise does not appear immediately, but during certain driving modes, more often at full load. Shifting gears is no problem, all positions are clearly fixed. The carburetor has never been opened or removed, and there have never been any interruptions in the fuel supply. I assume that this was facilitated by the additional fuel filter installed at the very beginning of operation. The spark plug works normally, once, when warming up at idle with the throttle closed, the engine stalled, as I later realized, from splashing on the spark plug, but after several attempts the engine cleared its throat and there were no more problems with starting. The battery is no problem, and in general there are no complaints about the electrical equipment, despite the fact that sometimes we had to cross rivers with depths greater than the diameter of the wheel. By the way, it turned out that the quadric has a dislike for rivers with sufficient depth and current - it simply gets carried away. And in order to get from one bank to another, sometimes it was necessary to jump from the bank so that it would wash up in the planned place. Both the front-wheel drive and the lock switch on and off clearly, although the latter engages with such a click that you shudder. I changed the oil in the front and rear gearbox twice, there are no leaks, the seals hold up well. At the same time, an interesting feature of front-wheel drive appeared - a ringing sound when the front axle was disconnected. The search for the cause led to a splined connection of the front CV joint to the engine. Increased play in this connection was the cause of the ringing. I don’t know how this will end, but so far the backlash hasn’t visually increased, but I’ve gotten used to the ringing. All CV joints and boots on them are in good condition and nothing from the standard spare parts has been needed yet. There is play in the left tie rod - it needs to be changed, but the right tie rod is still good. The wheel bearings are in excellent condition, in any case, there is no play in them, I lubricated them once, the anthers, thanks to the immediately installed protection, are in excellent condition, although the armor suffered from branches, stones, sand, and dirt. The winch works perfectly, I had to lift the quad almost vertically - it holds, the remote control of the latter somehow helped a lot in getting out of such mud that without such convenience I would have had to go far for help. It’s a little cramped for a passenger, and it’s more difficult to maneuver with two people, so in my opinion, the Haysan is more designed for one person, especially on a long route. But the short wheelbase gives the car amazing maneuverability, which is sometimes more important than convenience for the passenger. The transmission brake pads squeak when driving. I removed it, checked it - everything is fine, by the way, I discovered that the brakes have automatic clearance adjustment, but the disc itself is far from ideal, it beats a little, so in all likelihood, I will have to put up with this disease. And so there are no complaints about the brakes, there is no wear on the brake linings, maybe the reason is that the engine braking is in such good condition, thanks to the overrunning clutch, and even off-road the brakes do not work with the same load as when driving on the highway. If off-road Stealth is like a fish in water, then on the highway everything is not so smooth. It easily accelerates to 70 km/h, but the lack of a rear differential and the narrow wheelbase keep you in suspense all the time, especially when overtaking, when the distance to complete it safely must be much greater; flying off the road or turning over is a piece of cake. The shock absorbers work great, I haven't made any adjustments, there are no fluid leaks. The cooling system is in perfect order, antifreeze does not leak, the level has not changed since the date of purchase. The cooling system fan operates at a temperature of 65 degrees (the sensor is glued to the top of the radiator). As I wrote earlier, I installed a digital thermometer myself, and it, together with a voltmeter, allows me to keep these parameters under control.

The radiator, thanks to the protective mesh, practically does not clog, at least in our road, or more correctly, off-road conditions. The air filter is very convenient for cleaning and maintenance, I simply washed it several times using car shampoo, then squeezing it out, drying it and lightly lubricating it with a spindle, as a result the channel beyond the air filter is clean, there are not even traces of dust. Now for fuel consumption. On the highway (dirt road), depending on the load, 10-12 liters per hundred, going off-road - the tank is not enough for the same hundred. In my opinion, the tank is too small, although a 20-liter tank could have been installed under the lining. You have to carry an expedition canister of 15 liters, or even two. There is never too much gasoline on the road; some is unloaded on the way there, if the route is not a circular one, and on the way back, the main thing is not to forget where the gas station is. I maintain the tire pressure within 0.5 kg, only in the swamps I drop it to 0.35. For pumping I use the smallest car compressor, fortunately there is an outlet for connecting it. When it rains, water gets into the compartment under the seat, so it makes sense to keep everything that is afraid of water, if possible, in a sealed container on the right wing (how great it would be if there was a similar one on the left), and objects under the seat , be sure to pack it in a plastic bag. The tool kit, previously located under the seat, has been radically modified and expanded and moved to the rear plastic case, which holds everything you need on the road. I don’t know what to do next; so far the tools have never been taken out on the road. On cargo areas it was necessary to transport all sorts of things, including automatic washing machines and cast-iron heating radiators. Of course, the movement was careful and unhurried, but the load clearly exceeded the declared 80 kg, plus a passenger. It’s good that it’s not often and not very far . On the instrument cluster, only the speedometer and tachometer are always clearly visible; the rest of the indicators are faintly visible in bright light, and there seems to be no need for them. It's a pity that there is no oil pressure sensor. All control cables, lubricated with silicone grease at the very beginning, move easily in the sheaths, and there were no problems with them. I haven’t connected the trailer to the towbar, I just haven’t got one yet, but at the same time, under the seat there is a connector for connecting the brake light, and the dimensions, and the turn signals on the trailer. Of course, the Stels 500H with its relatively weak engine is not for sports competitions, but this should not be required of it. Khaisan is simply a reliable workhorse, at least that’s what I got. Somehow it turned out that while it was not possible to compare Khaysan with other models, the CF800X8, which appeared in our village in the spring, fell into disrepair during the flood and the fight in these different weight categories was not possible, and late in the fall the CF500A was brought in, all that was left was to wait for spring .

The lineup

The X8 ATV from CF MOTO is still in production and the manufacturer offers several variations of classic configurations. Initially, only the basic model was available for purchase, which was tuned with official components, but low demand for such additions and a barrage of criticism towards the manufacturer gave rise to the modernization of conveyor production and increased the model range to three options:

Basic CF X Classic version , with basic equipment and standard features.
X8 EFI. The CF MOTO X8 EFI has the same characteristics as the basic configuration, only the location of the mechanics under the body due to the installation of a package of anti-vibration pads and a hydraulic power steering.
X8 EPS. In terms of its functional load, the EPS system is an improved analogue of EFI. The only difference is that in the CF800 X8 EPS the control is carried out by a computerized system . This indirectly affects the control and stability of vehicles on the highway, fuel consumption, etc.

In addition to the main models, the SF MOTO X8 ATV is available in several colors : black, gray, orange, blue, camouflage. Such a variety of colors in standard configurations is rare for the CF MOTO company, so it can safely be considered one of the advantages of a particular model.

Specifications

Since the CF MOTO X8 ATV is the senior model of the “X” series, its characteristics will be impressive, even for an experienced user:

The 2V91W two-cylinder engine with four valves provides the vehicle with a stable 799 cm3 and a power of 63 hp. Due to some features of the device, the torque is only 6200 rpm.
Dimensions of CF MOTO X8231x118x134 cm. The wheelbase is standard for the model range - 149 cm.
The fuel tank volume has been expanded to 23 liters. With the power of your engine, a full tank is not always enough for a trip of 150 km, although the consumption parameter is individual.
The dry weight of the ATV is slightly more than 400 kg. The maximum transported weight was classically 110 kg (35/75 for the front/rear rack).
The maximum speed can reach 105 km/h, which significantly exceeds many utilitarian analogues. The manufacturer increased the maximum speed, reducing traction qualities, bringing its brainchild closer to sports models.
Independent suspensions with protected and sealed pulleys ensure a smooth ride, even in the most extreme terrain.
Cast spoked wheels and performance off-road tires from ANCLA on all X8 models from CF MOTO.
The pre-installed winch is protected by an impact-resistant aluminum housing and is securely hidden under the front reinforced frame.
Computer control of ignition and starter systems with LCD display on the instrument panel.

In general, the SF MOTO 800 is well equipped , its mechanical parts are easily accessible for urgent repairs, and components made in Japanese, American and Canadian production have proven to be a reliable basis for professional transport, but is the ATV as good as the manufacturer itself claims?

User reviews

Most official dealers in the Russian Federation had this model available for a test drive, so there were plenty of reviews, both laudatory and indignant, on thematic forums. The model was ideal for lovers of reckless driving and fast driving on the highway, but for off-road use it is not as good as users expected.

If we compare the X8 with its closest competitors in terms of power and price, and this is the younger model X6 Basic and the Russian RM 800, then we can draw several important conclusions. Firstly, in the older model they eliminated all the shortcomings for which the X6 ATV was once famous. For the same price you can get a newer and more advanced device. Secondly, in comparison with the Russian PM 800, which is similar in power and similar in price, the Chinese ATV is more advanced . The device has a “smart” filling and is economical.

Reviews from owners about the CF MOTO X8 ATV indicate that the model was originally intended for high-speed racing . It will not make an all-terrain vehicle due to the lack of the usual protection and amplifiers, which were mass-produced in the form of tuning. There is no modernization as such for the X8. The buyer can only choose the color and additional lighting for the car.

#Techie. All the problems and jambs of the used CF Moto X8!

Repair and improvement of ATVs CFmoto 500

The CF MOTO 500 ATV has technical characteristics that are quite comparable to other Chinese utilitarian series vehicles. According to the owners, even some parts from Daewoo cars easily fit under the body of the ATV. A moderate amount of electronics also has a positive effect on repairability.

The CF MOTO 500 ATV can be easily repaired, even in the field. Given the availability of parts and components, the owner can perform simple repairs if necessary. But such an advantage is not available for all models, because the manufacturer made sure that the CF 500 can be upgraded and some local upgrades may make it impossible to quickly repair or use similar parts.

In general, the CF MOTO 500 case dimensions allow you to even play a little with the arrangement of components, which can have a positive effect on the quality of operation. Thematic forums are filled with advice and guides from real owners of CF 500 ATVs, so when purchasing you will not be left alone with problems. Also, the use of forums will be useful for those who want to modernize their transport. Among the most popular types of tuning recommended by owners of the CF 500 ATV:

Lighting. The manufacturer offers a range of main and additional light lamps. You can independently choose lenses and light bulbs with different illumination ranges and different dispersion parameters.
Additional protection. Pre-installed linings and shields can be replaced with lighter ones or, conversely, with heavier and more durable parts. The dimensions of the CF MOTO 500 ATV and excellent traction power parameters allow the installation of additional weighted shields, if necessary.
Cart modernization. Many users recommend immediately replacing standard grilles with plastic trunks. This will make it possible to save cargo when traveling through mud and off-road.
Replacement of body kits and anti-slip coatings. Some of the first models of the CFmoto 500A ATV became the cause of disputes between owners. The reason for the disagreement was the quality of rubber inserts and mud collectors, which, to put it mildly, do not always perform their functions well. When expanding the body and legroom, it is possible to replace the classic rubber parts with better ones.
Reinforced cable. If you often drive into fields, forests or swampy areas, it makes sense to take care of a winch with a strong cable. In general, none of the owners have any complaints when using the cable, but the manufacturer gives the opportunity to change the component to an adaptive one from older models.

The CFmoto 500 ATV in all trim levels is loved by many users, as evidenced by numerous reviews. In fact, you get an excellent device, assembled in a professional factory, for little money. At the same time, the owners never experienced problems with repairs, availability of spare parts or tuning elements. An additional advantage is the availability of exhibition models at dealers and the opportunity to conduct a test drive, which greatly simplifies the task of choosing a motor vehicle for various purposes.