2025 CFMOTO IBEX 450 MT ENTER THE DRAGON

The CFMOTO Ibex 450 is set up for mixed terrain, with a 21-inch front wheel, long-travel KYB suspension, a single front disc brake, and switchable ABS. It has good ground clearance, a smooth engine, and an upright riding position that helps off-road, while the seat stays comfortable on longer highway rides.

- by Trevor Angel

I used to think my BMW R 80 G/S was a big bike for off-road adventures. Nevertheless, it took me on some gnarly routes around the world, notably into Saudi Arabia, before motorcycle travel was a thing there.

In the years since those Beemer-based adventures, I'd moved on to a Yamaha Super Ténéré—a very heavy bike, at 575 lb. wet. And being heavy was true throughout the entire class. Even the leader of the segment, when I bought the Super Ténéré, the BMW R1200 GS, wasn't far behind at around 540 lb.

Big bikes have many advantages for long-distance riders, especially those who live off them for months or even years, but off-road usability is not their strong point. I love my big bike, but there were plenty of times when all that weight made me nervous. After traveling solo over some 168K miles, loaded to the gills on remote roads in deteriorating conditions... well, sometimes common sense got the better of me, and I had to turn around. Or I'd keep going, with heart-in-mouth and sometimes butt-on-the-ground. A lighter motorcycle would have been less stressful, and I would have visited more remote places.

There were times when I longed for my “lightweight” R 80 G/S. And I've often wondered, with all the advances in materials, design, and technology, why no manufacturer has made a motorcycle that matched the weight and attitude of that old BMW. Or did they choose not to? Even BMW hasn't been able to match the 50 hp/410 lb. combo of the old airhead in their later twin-cylinder bikes (with the exception of the rare HP2 Enduro).