CFMOTO burst onto the off-road scene in 2017 with side-by-side machines and ATVs for the Aussie market. Despite being established in 1989 and signing an agreement with KTM in 2011 to build Chinese-specific motorcycles, the progressive Chinese brand didn’t really get serious about making off-road products until 2017.

In 2021, CFMOTO released the 800MT, a more off-road focused adventure bike. It got us champing at the bit to know what was next suggesting they wanted a slice of the lucrative off-road market. Then, late last year, CFMOTO surprised all of us with a pair of kids dirtbikes called the CX-2E and CX-5E while also unveiling their rally-inspired, dual-purpose dirtbike, the 450MT. As this was going on, American FMX legend Ronnie Renner released a video on his social media channels of him riding a CFMOTO electric motocross bike but there were no details to accompany it.

In 24 months, CFMOTO went from having not much involvement in the two-wheeled off-road market, to five machines clearly designed to be ridden in the dirt. So while we wait for the electric motocross bike and 450MT to appear in public, we thought we would jump on their littlest machine, the CX-2E, to see how CFMOTO go at making dirtbikes.

YOU’VE GOT THE LOOK!

The CFMOTO CX-2E is designed to compete with the Yamaha TT-R50E and Honda CRF50F. With a seat height of 550mm, 10-inch wheels and a weight of 49kg, the CFMOTO CX-2E is pretty much identical to the TT-R50E and CRF50F in size. On first glance it also looks the part too. The styling and the way the battery, motor and plastics integrate looks streamlined and well-put together. There’s no random gaps in the plastics or stuffed-in wiring looms, everything is shrink wrapped into place and held together firmly.

It comes with knobby tyres and a flat dirtbike seat that’s quite firm. The grips are a little road-oriented but the one-piece front mudguard and number plate are almost identical to the Yamaha PW50 front-end.

WHAT SETS IT APART?

Aside from the obvious electric motor, the CFMOTO CX-2E also runs hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. This is instead of the standard drum brake on bikes this size. Disc brakes are far superior to the old drum brake and when your youngster is riding for the first time at speeds over 40km/h, it’s nice to know they can stop.

The CX-2E also runs a conventional rear shock with swingarm arrangement as opposed to the TT-R50E and CRF50F which have a reinforced swingarm setup that braces back to the subframe area. The benefit of this is a more rugged rear-end that can take more bumps but for Jaxon, we found it a little too stiff for his 20kg.

Aside from those three differences, the CX-2E is much the same as the Honda and Yamaha with a similar handlebar, fork, chain, sprocket, footpegs and ergonomics.

WHAT ABOUT QUALITY?

The CFMOTO CX-2E is priced a little better than the TT-R50E and CRF50F at $2199 as opposed to $2449 and $2598 respectively. While the saving of over $250 is a good thing, some of the finish on some of the parts looks a little agricultural. For example, the rear brake lever looks like it was made in the stone age and could easily be slimmer while the hubs and swingarm look like they were done by the same boiler maker.

None of these things have broken and all have done their job flawlessly but the finish could do with some attention.

The rest of the bike including the frame, plastics, wiring looms (they’re the most important parts), seat, chain, battery, motor and LCD display are all really well built. Jax has been riding the bike for three months now, just like he did his PW50, and nothing has broken and nothing has needed adjusting.

It’s important not to see CFMOTO as another cheap Chinese junker you found on eBay. They’re serious about taking on the off-road world and they’re proving that with quality off-road motorcycles.

HOW DOES IT GO?

This is the big question! For starters, it rides nothing like the CRF50F and TT-R50E. It’s got way more power and torque than both of those and the suspension and seat are both much firmer. The CX-2E has three power settings and all vary in throttle response, torque and top speed.

Our tester for this bike was Jaxon, my four-year-old son, and he has ridden for two years so he’s pretty confident with throttle control, balance and braking. We went straight to level three for power and he was totally fine controlling it. The bike took off a little abruptly but once moving the power was linear with a top speed of around 40km/h which it could hold easily. It had plenty of torque to get up hills and my 120cm boy could use his feet to negotiate some harder climbs.

The weight of the bike is only 49kg but it’s a slightly heavy 49kg. The weight feels quite high so while Jax had no problem picking it up when he crashed, he did get a little off balance and struggle to hold it up when he hit a rock. Unlike a combustion engine where the motor can be down low while the more lightweight components like fuel can be up top, the battery is quite high and it weighs a bit.

The most impressive aspect of the CX-2E was actually the battery life. Jaxon could ride for four hours around our local ride park and only used half the battery. CFMOTO claim the battery can last up to 60km or 60 minutes. Jax was riding on a flat, natural terrain motocross track the entire time so he was on and off the throttle which drastically extended the battery life to well over 60km. We’re finding more and more that manufacturers of electric bikes are erring on the side of caution when it comes to distance and we’re getting far more ride time than they claim.

If you were to take your four-year-old to a ride park and they coasted around, they could ride all day. The battery is massive and impressive but the downside is long charge times. To go from flat to fully-charged takes five hours so you’re not doing that while you’re little one eats lunch. Good thing the battery should go all day!

CFMOTO also claim the battery can be swapped in and out easily but we don’t have a second battery so we haven’t attempted that yet. But sit tight, we will in later tests.

The suspension was quite firm for Jaxon’s 20kg and that could be attributed to the shorter travel than the TT-R50E and CRF50F. With around 20mm less travel up front and 6mm less in the back than the Japs, the CX-2E was a little firm and on one occasion while traversing across a hill, the fork did not absorb a loose rock as well as it could have with a slightly softer fork and Jax low-sided. The suspension suits more motocross style tracks and natural terrain tracks rather than off-road trails.

The brakes are excellent and the seat is wide and comfortable. The handlebar feels sturdy and Jax loves all the buttons. It has a lanyard with magnetic kill switch for safety and the bike is whisper quiet with no loud chain noise or humming from the engine.

DO THEY GET IT?

If the CX-2E is anything to go by, then I would say CFMOTO definitely get the dirtbike scene. Excellent brakes, a strong torquey motor, long-lasting battery, lightweight frame and excellent standing and seated positions are all great traits the CX-2E possesses for off-road use. The areas that may need some attention are weight distribution, I’d like to see it lower as this is more important in a dirtbike than road bike, more compliant suspension (kids learning are better off with softer suspension) with more travel and a less jerky throttle opening.

The CX-2E had a slight road feel to it thanks to the suspension and weight but that’s to be expected with a brand that has never made a dirtbike. For their first attempt I’m very impressed and based on how reliable it has been so far, I’d say they’ve quashed any delusions that this is another cheap Chinese kids’ bike.

WHAT AGE BRACKET?

CFMOTO claim this is a bike built for kids aged four-to-seven. My son Jax is a tall four-year-old and he is just comfortable enough to manhandle it. If you have a little kid, maybe wait until they’re five years old.

WHAT IT’S GOT AT A GLANCE

  • High-strength cradle steel tube frame with a distinctive light blue finish.
  • Alloy rims, full disc brakes, and knobby tyres.
  • Conventional fork up front and single shock out back.
  • 48V-BLDC E-Motor capable of producing 1.5kw/1.2kw max power.
  • Integrated e-motor and proprietary controller.
  • 48V24Ah 1152Wh Lithium-ion Battery that can be swapped.
  • LCD display for easy power selection and battery monitoring.
  • Child-friendly ergonomics, seat height, and handlebar.
  • Whisper-quiet operation with zero noise and zero exhaust emissions.

E-MOTOR & TRANSMISSION

Voltage 48V

Rated Output 0.65kW

Drive Chain

Battery 48V24Ah Lithium-ion, swappable

Drive Modes

Mode 1 (16km/h max speed)

Mode 2 (26km/h max speed)

Mode 3 (36km/h max speed)

Top Speed 36 km/h

Run Time (At Max Speed) 60 minutes

Max Range 60km

CHASSIS

Frame Steel tube, double cradle

Rim Spoked rim

WHEELS & SUSPENSION

Front Wheel 2.50-10 inch

Rear Wheel 2.50-10 inch

Front Suspension 31mm telescopic fork, 72mm travel

Rear Suspension Centre-mounted single shock, adjustable spring preload, 65mm travel

BRAKES

Front Brakes Hydraulic disc, right-hand brake lever

Rear Brakes Hydraulic disc, right-foot brake lever

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase 952mm

Seat Height 550mm

Wet Weight 49kg

OTHER

RRP $2199

Browser www.cfmoto.com.au/model/cx-2e

Warranty 12 Months

WORDS & PHOTOS | MITCH LEES