2016 CFMoto Cforce 800 EPS: The chinese ATV that can really do it all.

2016 CFMoto Cforce 800 EPS: The chinese ATV that can really do it all.

February 5, 2017 2 By Marc A Quessy

By: Marc-André Quessy
Editor in chief
ATV Guys

CFMoto has come a long way since their humble beginning in 1989.  Based in Hangzhou, China where they own a huge 1.6 million sq. ft. factory they are taking the global ATV and SSV market by storm.

With my many years in the powersports business I’ve seen Chinese ATV brands come and go with the same low quality issues that was responsible for their demise in the first place.  With that in mind, my first contact with CFMoto back in 2011 was an eye opener.

Meeting with CFMoto Canada president M. Carl Patoine face to face and discussing reliability issues of the first generation Snyper SSVs with him promising that the issues will be taken care of and that my customers would not be left to fend for themselves has greatly improved my view of CFMoto.  Being the guy behind the counter as service Mgr of a large multi-brand dealership is not fun when you have to deal with angry customers who were left stranded because of a series of failures.  You know what?  M. Patoine’s promises came through. In some specific cases, even when the warranty was expired.  So in my book,  CFMoto Canada became the first Chinese manufacturer I trusted.

Four years later, I’m pleasantly impressed by the progress achieved by CFMoto.  Since 2013, in my honest opinion, they have been making machines that can now compare to the more popular Japanese, Canadian and US manufacturers.

When CFMoto offered us a long term review of the CForce 800 EPS we told then that there would be no holds barred with it.

And here we are now with their flagship big bore ATV, the C-Force 800 EPS. A two up 800cc machine with power steering.  It’s fully equipped and trail ready with bumpers, a winch, mirrors, 14 inch aluminium wheels, horn and flashers.

Start the engine and you can hear the low rumble of the 800cc V-Twin engine.  The C-force is Wet clutch driven to the CVT witch will protect the belt from slipping.  The system is very similar to Yamaha’s drive system and has proven as reliable in the two years this model has been available.  Press the linked brake pedal, shift into high gear and go.

 

Engine:

The Cforce 800 has a striking resemblance to a Rotax 800 that Can-Am uses? Hummm…

First things first, this thing makes power close the the Can-Am Outlander Max 800 and the Polaris Sportsman touring 850 the current kings of the hill of the two seaters.  Impressive.  The CVT is a little sluggish because of the wet clutch but on the trails against the Polaris and Can-Am machines it’s barely noticeable.

The liquid cooled 800cc V-Twin with overhead cams makes a claimed 62.6 hp and 53 ft. pound feet of torque. Equipped with a sequential fuel injection system by DELPHI it works perfectly.  The response to throttle inputs is clean and crisp and it revs up to the 6000 rpm limiter with ease.

The Cforce’s cylinder heads look sooo much like the Rotax shown here…

I love to have power on tap when I go out riding hard with a bunch of friends and in the three months CFMoto has given me with this machine I’ve never been left behind or felt like it was underpowered. I’ve ridden this thing so hard trying to see if it would hold up to abuse that it actually wore me out.  Very impressive.

For some reason this engine just loves super unleaded.  It runs fine on the regular stuff but on super it wakes up a few horses and runs a little smoother.  With an indicated top speed of 117kph on a hard packed closed course it just plain scoots.

Fuel consumption is normal for the engine size except when you really push it hard.  In high rev under high load it will guzzle gas faster than the competition but not at an alarming rate.

Transmission:

The wet clutch system mates to a CVTech CVT system. CVTech makes some of the best CVTs in the world and All CFMoto machines are CVTech equipped.  All good on that.  The sluggishness on hard acceleration from a stop can be dialed out with an optional performance upgrade soon to be released by CFMoto Canada (around $150.00) but it’s liveable for the average rider who unlike me uses the quad to ride touring with a passenger.  Overall it’s a CVTech. It’s quiet enough, and gets the job done.  Solid performance without a glitch throughout the 3 months we had the machine.

The gearbox is a little hard to shift and you have to remember to press the brake pedal to shift out of Park.  With a high and low gear ratio it can take on some serious off roading, steep terrain and hauling.  A little notchy at first but after break in service it was much better.

Drivetrain:

The lack of locked four wheel drive is my gripe with the domestic two up machines. I’m really not a fan of part time four wheel drive The C-Force is the only imported two up machine that is equipped with true lockable four wheel drive.  From the simple flick of a switch it can tackle some serious rock climbing that leave its competitors down the slope.  Been there, done that and the faces of the guys that did not make it up the hill were priceless!  +1 CFMoto!

Last thing about the drivetrain.  It’s silky smooth and silent.  You can barely hear the differentials and driveshafts while cruising down the trails.  Can’t say that of some much pricier machines.

 

Suspension:

Do these shocks look familiar?  Well they should as they look a lot like the excellent Elka racing Stage 3 legacy piggybacks. The YIT coil overs are fully adjustable threaded preload with compression and rebound adjustments. They are the key to the excellent handling of the C-Force 800.  If you like a sporty ride a tad on the firm side you’re in luck!  We’ve pushed this ATV hard for extended periods and we are still amazed by the way the suspension could take all we dished out without a single problem. The shocks keep their compression and rebound setting without fade all day long.

The Cforce will impress any seasoned ATV rider with its exemplary handling.  Rides the curves like its on rails. A feat rarely seen in this segment.  Only the Outlander max XT-P performance package can out handle the Cforce 800. This ATV is made for riding long hauls.  I’m still impressed but the kind of performance and handling it can dish out.

Steering:

This is an area where the C-Force falls short.  With such a great motor and suspension there’s no excuse for a sub-par EPS system.  The power assist is ok but not great. The neutral position between where to EPS system engages is too large.  A good 1,5 inches of movement is required to engage the assistance both ways.  I thought there was a loose component in the steering linkage but everything was ok down there.  Might be able to dial it out with a calibration.  This condition make the steering fell sluggish while it really is not.  You get used to it and then don’t feel until you jump off and ride another machine.

Brakes:

The brakes are on par and bring the nearly 800 pound beast to a stop in a reasonable distance.  They are linked meaning if you use the front lever or the brake pedal braking force will be applied to all wheels for better stability.  With two disk brakes up front and a single central disk mounted on the driveshaft in back, the brakes do their job ok.  Nothing exceptional here except one detail:  They are quiet, no squeals or rattles, just brakes.

Bodywork / Styling:

The Cforce 800 EPS is a good looking machine.  What you see here is really what you get off the showroom floor. A lot of details are included: Mirrors, Handguards, 3000lbs winch, front aluminium bash plate and 14 inch aluminium alloy wheel with a black semi-gloss finish.  Flashers and horn too!

The bodywork is painted with an automotive finish witch makes it look more upscale.  I like the blue (Burnt Orange and Camo available) with the matte black plastic trim.  The racks are sturdy and powercoated for better resistance to wear and scratches.  The facia has a nice aggressive stance with halogen healights that actually do a pretty good job at night.  The rear end looks good too with the chromed bumper.  So it looks the part.

The bodywork help up nicely to all the abuse we put it through and it still looks like new when washed.  The instrument panel is quite pleasing to look at and has all the information you need right there without toggling through endless menus, nice!  This is an area where the typical chinese ATV usually falls short.  All fasteners were still firmly in place when we took our tester back to CFMoto Canada headquarters

Comfort is good and the firm saddle is not tiresome after a long day’s riding.  The seating position is natural and the switches and buttons are easy to find and operate.  Passenger accommodation is good with firm handholds that naturally fall in place for an average sized person.  The floorboard are raised and comfortable for all day riding.

The only thing that ruins the look in my view are those cheesy looking stickers on the air box cover that looks vintage 80’s.

The wheels, they look good don’t they?  Surprise!  They’re included!  14 inch alloy wheels with 26 inch CST Abuzz tires. The CSTs are virtually unknown in Canada and are built on a Bias ply carcass.  What? No radial tires?  I don’t know what CST did to these tire because they feel like a radial.  Sharp response, good grip in most conditions, in short they do the job. Tires and wheel size are detail often overlooked but should not be.  Having a 14 inch wheel with a 26 inch tire is another asset that makes the Cforce handle so good.  The sidewall of the tire is shorter thus will induce less lateral carcass movement for sharper steering and stability and speed.

Conclusion:

Ok I admit it, I thought the Cforce 800 was probably going to fail somewhere along the trails.  I told CFMoto I was not going to play nice with it.  That we would ride the wheels off it like there’s no tomorrow and you know what?  I was dead wrong!  The little smile that company president Carl Patoine was wearing at the time I told him what we would subject his ATV to was not bravado or disbelief, it was confidence.  He made no excuses or try to get us to tone down. Nope! He just told us to have fun!

For an $11 895.00 (MSRP) machine, the Cforce 800 EPS is now a worthy competitor to much pricier offerings on the market and CFMOTO has earned the rights of playing in the big leagues.  Bang for the buck value is sky high, reliability is good, what else is there to say then go out there and try one!

Specifications:

Engine                                   800cc V-Twin, 4 stroke, 8 valves, Fuel injected 

Cooling                                  liquid

Dimensions                          232 x 118 x 140 cm

Ground clearance              27,5 cm

Fuel capacity                        23 litres

Weight                                    440 kg

 

Warranty                         5 year Limited factory warranty

Price:                                MSRP Base $11895.00 Camo $12195.00 (Incl. rebates)

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”1″ gal_title=”2016 Cforce 800″]

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