Analysis: Will The CFMoto Ibex 450 MT Challenge Royal Enfield Himalayan’s Global Aspirations?

The all-new Royal Enfield Himalayan may have made quite an impression as an all-round great mid-size adventure bike. From our experience with the new Himalayan, it offers superb value for your money, and is a significant improvement over the last-generation Himalayan 411. And the market response (at least in India, for now) to the Himalayan 450, seems to be quite enthusiastic so far. An all-new Sherpa 450 engine built around a new frame, Showa suspension and segment-first features makes the Himalayan an all-round great adventure bike. But will it face competition from China’s CFMoto, in the form of the new Ibex 450 MT?

Also Read: CFMoto Ibex 450 MT Adventure Tourer Announced

The CFMoto Ibex 450 MT is powered by a 449 cc, parallel-twin engine which makes 44 bhp, 44 Nm.

The CFMoto Ibex 450MT seems to be positioned slap bang in the Himalayan’s territory, in terms of performance, capability and even price point. For India, CFMoto seems to have been dormant for some time after the Chinese brand made its debut in July 2019. For Royal Enfield though, the domestic market is the least of its worries, where it’s sitting pretty as the segment leader in modern classic and the mid-size motorcycle segment. In March 2024 alone, Royal Enfield sold over 75,000 motorcycles, with more than 66,000 of those numbers coming from domestic market sales.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan Long Term Review - Introduction

The new Royal Enfield Himalayan will have its task cut out to make a mark in overseas markets.

Also Read: 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan First Ride Review

There’s one more pertinent question - Royal Enfield’s overseas sales. In March 2024, Royal Enfield’s overall exports numbers stood at 9,507 units, which is a 18.65 per cent month-on-month growth over February 2024’s 8,013 units. However, compared to March 2023, exports have dipped 23 per cent from 12,351 units. The story is the same for the financial year, with Royal Enfield despatching 77,937 units in 2023-24, compared to 1,00,055 units during the period of April 2022 to March 2023, a decline of 22 per cent. Over recent months, Royal Enfield launched the latest generation INT 650 and Continental GT 650 in the North American market, along with the new Shotgun 650, while the Bullet 350 has been launched in Japan. 

Royal Enfield's bulk of sales comes from its modern classic 350 cc models.

In all, the 350 cc models still hold considerable importance for Royal Enfield, making up 90 per cent of the brand’s overall sales, but this is more pertinent to domestic sales which continues to remain Royal Enfield’s mainstay as far as sales volumes are concerned. Even in export markets, the 350 cc models will continue to remain important, like the Meteor 350 proved in 2022, when it became the highest-selling motorcycle in the UK. 

Watch the 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan Video Review:

But going forward, Royal Enfield’s overseas sales will not just depend on the 350s but will span across the product line-up, including the all-new Himalayan 450 adventure bike on which Royal Enfield probably has a lot riding on, when it comes to overseas sales.

The new Royal Enfield Himalayan has been launched in Europe and Australia, and is yet to be launched in the US.

For now, the signs seem to be encouraging, with Royal Enfield pushing ahead overseas with its entire product line-up. The updated 650 Twins (INT 650 and the Continental GT 650), as well as the new Shotgun 650 have recently been launched in the North American market, and the new Bullet 350 has also been launched in Japan. But there will be a lot of expectations from the new Himalayan as well, which has recently been launched in Australia. 

The CFMoto Ibex 450 MT offers a similar product positioning as the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

The CFMoto Ibex 450 MT has already been launched in North America at a competitive price point. And according to most reviews, the Ibex 450 MT is right up there with the very best ADVs in its segment right now. Time will tell, how successful CFMoto becomes as a relatively newer brand, while Royal Enfield has history, legacy and a strong global footprint to power its global ambitions.