CF Moto 500 is a utilitarian line of the Chinese ATV manufacturer. Vehicles of this line, immediately after their appearance on the CIS market, took leading positions in sales among two-seater four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles. Over the years, the Chinese brand has repeatedly released restyled CF 500, which are identical in technical specifications, but have improved options and design.
At the moment, riders are offered the following modifications:
- CF MOTO CF
- CF MOTO CF500 A.
- CF MOTO CF500-A Basic.
Also possible options for the model range include all modifications of the improved CF500-2 series. Their comparison with each other is more than acceptable, because both models were created on the basis of the same vehicle, although the technical parameters of each are more than individual. The updated model has acquired not only modern equipment under the body, but also a completely different appearance.
Specifications
The Chinese ATV CFmoto 500 is a utilitarian two-seater vehicle of medium power. Owners often classify it as an excellent tractor, and it is not surprising, because even at maximum load, with two passengers on board and a trailer, the vehicle behaves very confidently on the highway and in swamps.
Technical characteristics of the CF MOTO 500 ATV:
- Four-stroke engine with a volume of 493 cm3. The engine power allows you to use the ATV both in high-speed races on the highway and in off-road conditions.
- Starter with manual and electric start.
- The dimensions of the CF MOTO 500 ATV are 212x117x123 cm, which is within the standard for two-seater SUVs in the series.
- The disc braking system provides maximum control and stopping speed. The front wheels are equipped with double brake discs.
- The maximum speed that the CF Moto 500 ATV can reach is 90 km/h. Naturally, this parameter is relevant when driving on a straight and flat road.
- Transmission - CVT. For owners of CF 500 of different series, more than 5 possible types of drive are available.
- Fuel tank volume 19 l. With mixed driving at average speed, motor vehicles can easily travel more than 140 kilometers without additional refueling.
- The dry weight of the transport is slightly more than 300 km. With a full tank and battery - 331 kg. With an actual towing capacity of 350 kg, the parameter is very modest, which characterizes the CF500 ATV as an excellent vehicle for farmers, tourists, hunters and fishermen.
Considering the technical characteristics specified by the manufacturer in the passport, a significant turning radius is always striking. Almost all of the manufacturer’s two-seater ATVs have a turning radius of 4 meters, but taking into account the wheelbase of 1.3 m, this parameter is acceptable for most users. According to the owners, it’s easy to get used to such a large turning radius, but the impossibility of high-speed rides on winding roads with sharp turns is confusing.
Cfmoto CF500 ATV test
There are few articles on the Internet about the CFMOTO CF500A ATV. We and Red Sleds magazine offer one of these, to which the CFMOTO CF500A ATV was provided for testing.
They are really brave guys, these distributors, because our little yellow quad with a frivolous price is facing serious tests. So, what do we actually have? There is almost zero operating history. On the forums there are only stories about how the Kaliningrad seller of these ATVs, the Baltmotors company, changed all the principles of registration of ATVs and began offering to register them not with Gostekhnadzor, but with the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate. Nothing useful - a classic squabble...
According to friends, the rumors are that it’s a normal device, a little too heavy for 500cc, it would be necessary to put a size or two larger rubber for the swamps, and the plastic is not very good. Too hard - it pricks and breaks off. There is not too much negativity when Saturday is ahead and a good “coverage” of about two hundred kilometers is expected. Two transport belts (no need for a cover yet) - and a quad on the trailer. If at night our CF 500 ATV found out its schedule for tomorrow, it would have to be caught by the morning on the border with Belarus - it, in my opinion, is friendly with the Chinese state. It would take a long time to explain, but they invited me to ride in the company of Oleg Mareev (Can-Am Outlander 800 - special preparation for trophy raids) and Konstantin Dmitriev (Yamaha Grizzly 700). I didn’t imagine that Oleg, before the super serious event “Vepsian Forest”, decided to ride his device in conditions “close to combat”. Well, Konstantin is different in that he is the best at navigating in the forest both on an ATV and on a snowmobile, and at maximum speed. It’s good that in the company there was one normal ATV rider Ilya Vlasov (BRP dealer), who, for the sake of experiment, decided to ride a Yamaha Grizzly 660. Like, you need to know the competitor’s equipment by sight... In such a company they advanced...
There must have been a stamp of horror on my face, because they assured me that “we’ll spend a little time, there won’t be much mud, we’ll be back early...”, and they pressed the gas. For the next three hours, I tried in vain to stay not just on the “tail,” but at least within the visibility distance of this “tail.” True, it all started with the fact that Outlander completely refused to turn on any other modes except neutral. Oleg removed the trim, and we spent about 20 minutes adjusting the shift lever rod. Probably, my “Chinese” at that time giggled maliciously and sneered about the fact that “all specially prepared quads on 30-grade tires must fray their nerves a little before driving.”
Let's gallop. The wheelbase of the two-seater CFMOTO 500 A is 129 cm, that is, almost the same as that of the Canadian Max. You can feel it. Especially in a rut, when you need to keep it carefully between the wheels. The long wheelbase, coupled with a rigid suspension, allows you to steer along a logging route with virtually no strain. In this category, the “short” and soft Grizzly 660 clearly loses. Due to its small base, it constantly has to be “refueled” onto the correct trajectory, and the soft, long-travel suspension on these wild irregularities loosens the quadric to threatening amplitudes.
On the AVM CFMOTO 500 A it is much more confident to keep a good rhythm. The fact that the engine of the “Chinese” is rather weak on forest straights is a purely theoretical statement. Even my five years of snowmobile enduro experience whispered in places, and sometimes simply squealed - slow down, idiot! It travels with all its 493 cubic centimeters, and this is more than enough for forest paths. Personally, I rode at the floor very little, and driving at such a speed limit is not at all comfortable.
If we put aside the psychological “uncomfort”, there are also constructive nuances. Despite the fact that the suspension was configured as rigidly as possible, and my weight is not the highest in the community of riders (72 kg), it often breaks through at a good speed. Therefore, definitely, if the potential owner of this device is in the mood to drive headlong, it is necessary to install other shock absorbers. Most likely gas. I don’t like this mode of movement, and therefore we are leaving the original shock absorbers for now.
When I “left” over the steering wheel and flew to the other side of the river, because the quad at a speed of 40 km fell into the crevice of the bridge with its entire right side, and remained there, I thought about the presence of right levers in the distributor’s warehouse. I’m just lying in the grass and thinking: I need to find a big hammer, otherwise I’ll be “rowing” with my right side along the side of the road until the morning... And the trick is that not only did the levers remain intact, but even the alignment remained normal. No signs of geometry violation. We pulled out the quad (three of us + winch) and moved on. From the conclusions: the suspension is naturally strong. Especially in terms of iron. I didn’t like the winch, the winch is purely nominal. It is necessary to change to 2500, and if swamps are planned frequently, then it is better to Warn 3000. We will install exactly this for the next material. I'll tell you later. And one more thing - you don’t have to walk through the forest bridges. You can really scare animals with such flights...
I really liked the CFMOTO CF 500 in the swamp. It was wearing original 25 tires with an “aggressive” pattern. And in my little experience, climbing behind an Outlander 800 on 30-wheelers or light Grizzlys was not quite the right decision, but I really wanted to plant it right up to the steering wheel and take a spectacular photo. Here I am up to my helmet in the swamp, and there is simply no “Chinese” under me. Did not work out. Of course, the guys didn’t really want to bother with me and chose not entirely hopeless crossings, but I also remember these places a little - I rode on another quad for a couple of years and regularly “swanned” through these swamps.
I got stuck once during this trip, and even then I was on the rise. You could go out yourself, the guys helped. Probably because I wanted to say later that Kubanov got the hang of the “Chinese” - they pushed him all the way... In fact, at the end of the road, Grizzly660 “died”. It just stalled and wouldn't start. Such an effect that it just overflows, and that’s all... They revived it for about twenty minutes: they drove it at idle, gave it a load, it stalled again and rattled again at idle... I think my “Chinese” again took after his Japanese colleague. It was a tough trip. At the beginning of the journey, when I realized what I had gotten myself into, I very realistically imagined myself telling the director of the distribution company Sergei Koinov - you see, I managed to completely destroy the ATV on a 200-kilometer crossing.
I'm a terminator. An article about exploitation will not work. Sorry. And when we finished this trophy-enduro at dusk and counted the “losses,” I was really pleased with this start. This “Chinese” can not only drive, it can survive even in super tough raids. About losses - plastic is really fragile. Especially the black plastic of the footrests. We will do something for the next issue. And we will change the winch. This is not in the loss category, I just want to have a more lively and powerful evacuation mechanism.
Text: Sergey Kubanov
You can buy the CFMOTO ATV 500 ATV in our store by placing an order online on the website or by visiting us in person.
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.
My impressions of using the CF500-A for 1.5 years
So, I rode the CFMOTO CF500-A ATV more than 3000 km in a year and a half. This, of course, is quite a bit, but I only ride on weekends, and even then, all my routes are short. What can I say about the operation of the technology?
I can only praise the CFMOTO brand; the all-terrain vehicle is actually very reliable! I didn’t have a single more or less significant breakdown. The most, so to speak, serious incident was the replacement of the CV joint, which occurred through my fault. As for the usual course of operation, 3 CV joint boots were replaced (I tore two, one was somehow strangely deformed, and I decided to change it in advance), rear knuckle bushings (replaced with caprolon ones - and now I’ve already skated about 2 on them) thousand km without the slightest sign of wear), and, of course, the crosspieces of the front and rear universal joints. Brake pads are, of course, consumables; I changed 3 sets of front pads and one set of rear ones.
As for the operation of the engine, electrics and transmission, everything is in perfect order. Even the notorious speed sensor is alive :). I always carry out maintenance myself, so I save a lot of money and am confident in the quality of the work. My antifreeze is leaking a little in the area of the pipe leading to the cylinder, but it is not leaking, and the level in the tank is normal (not decreasing). So I'm not going to get into the engine yet. Well, regular oil and filter changes – that’s all the maintenance is. The engine runs smoothly and always starts without problems.
Even though I have 26-inch wheels, I can't say that this makes a significant difference to the performance of the transmission. Before installing these wheels, I reached a maximum of 95 km/h on the highway (according to the speedometer), and on 26 rollers, if the speed dropped, it was by some unnoticeable amount - maybe by 2-3 km/h. Moreover, it is obvious that due to a significant increase in the radius, the actual speed has increased. With a passenger, the ATV travels approximately 80 km/h. The other day I checked the wear of the variator belt - the width is 34.7 mm (the new one is 36.5 mm, and the wear limit is 33.5 mm). That is, you can still drive, but you should already think about buying a new belt.
In difficult conditions (swamp, snow), the wheels always spin (however, I used to mistake the slipping of the variator belt for a lack of engine power). It seems to me that it’s even better to ride in the snow on wider wheels, because the ATV fails less.
In general, maintenance and light repairs of the CFMOTO ATV do not damage the budget. But unfortunately, due to the fall in the ruble exchange rate, by 2015 the AWM Trade company sharply increased prices for spare parts (and for the all-terrain vehicles themselves too). Some things have risen in price by 2.5 times. Instead of slightly reducing its margins (as all car suppliers did), the company decided to pass all the problems onto customers (and even with a large margin). Okay, thanks, at least buying the spare parts yourself is not a problem...
After riding the CF500-A for a year and a half, I kept asking myself the question: do I want to change the five hundred for a more powerful ATV - for example, a CF X8 or even some Japanese one? After all, the X8 once cost around 350 thousand, which by today’s standards is just a penny. And he always answered - no, I don’t want to. I don’t see the point in additional power for myself; I prefer easy trips, because I mostly ride alone, and I don’t have to count on help in an extreme situation. Nevertheless, I, of course, swanned many times, and dug everything - from snow to clay, and sawed logs, so I tasted all the delights of a quad bike. Also, I absolutely love the design of the racks on the CF500-A! They are large and have many jumpers, which is incredibly convenient for transporting any cargo. No one else has these :).
Of course, I understand that the 500 doesn’t look prestigious, but I’m not worried about it. During the existence of my section about ATVs, only one cretin said that I bought Chinese shit and consider myself cool. Well, I don’t know, I never seem to attack horseless people, so I laughed at the comment and deleted it.
All major modifications to the ATV were carried out in the first months of operation. At the moment, a radio control for a winch is collecting dust in a box of goodies, which should be installed, but I still can’t get around to organizing the engine compartment. In addition, there are several spare parts that would be nice to replace, but these also do not work. Therefore, in the near future I am unlikely to please my readers with new materials on repairs or modifications. But as soon as there is something to write about, articles will continue to be published. Nevertheless, I will be glad if someone gives me ideas for articles not related to repairs. Maybe someone is interested in operating an all-terrain vehicle or something else from my experience. Write in the comments!
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Main competitors
The CFmoto 500 doesn’t have many competitors. The main competitors of the model were:
- American Polaris Athlete 500.
- Russian Stealth Leopard 600.
- Domestic device Russian Mechanics RM 500.
Within the CF Moto line, some buyers pay attention to the more powerful model SF moto x8 or cfmoto x6, cf moto x5.
Review of the Cfmoto CFORCE 500 HO 2020 ATV
