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Wolverine VS CF Moto Z800 EX

22K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  Bobbed06 
#1 ·
Wolverine R Spec VS CF Moto Z800EX......Any Input??
 
#2 ·
Yamaha long term reputation for quality and extensive dealer network vs Chinese copy-cat import with spotty dealer support? Honestly I have not been around CF Moto products. I did look at an Odes before buying my Wolverine. The long list of included "accessories" at a discounted price was tempting. I found fit/finish lacking. Everything just appeared to more cheaply made. I've seen where people were very happy with their chinese imports and I've read horror stories about defects and warranty support. Just make sure you proceed with caution and your eyes wide open.
 
#3 · (Edited)
CF Moto is a big seller in Canada. They are supposedly good quality but resale would be the pits here in the US.
I had a couple of Kymco's and they are good quality stuff, even rebranded under the Kawasaki and Arctic Cat names but nobody wants to buy one because of the stigma of the name.

Yamaha's warranty support is not exactly stellar since you can't get parts from them for new rigs. Our last two Yamaha dealers in West KY dropped them recently because of this. We don't even have a Yamaha SXS dealer in this end of the state any more, nearest is in Tennessee.
 
#4 ·
I've never ridden one, but I haven't heard a lot of bad stuff said about CFMoto. Everything I've heard pretty much comes to the same conclusion: a decent machine for someone on a budget. They aren't on par necessarily with the bigger more established brands, but they aren't complete junk either.
 
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#5 ·
We have a CF Moto dealer up here, you see them as raffle prizes and free with a new truck purchase, but I've never seen one far from a road in the back country.
 
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#6 ·
Maybe you're just not able to get as far back in as they are....wink wink.
 
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#7 ·
Well nobody in my area has much to say about the CF Moto either. I am worried that I am gonna be disappointed in the acceleration/top speed of the Wolverine R Spec, but I also know it will have excellent fit and finish, along with full skids,bighorns,beadlocks,Warn winch (thrown in on the deal) and a larger bed than the Cf Moto or Razr. The lack of tilt wheel and adjustable seats kinda sux, but the console, well designed airbox/filter setup, and no heat in cab is a massive plus for me. I also like the wolvy a arm design, and my cousin says his sips the fuel which is a huge benefit to me as well. I was quoted a great price on a 2016 Wolverine R Spec SE, winch and mount, with a new 6x10 trailer. Actually the price out the door was about the same as what the local dealer wanted for the standard EPS NON SE edition, WITHOUT the trailer so.........Its makin the deal very hard to resist.
 
#10 ·
biggest issue is resale, when you buy it its yours, the Honda, Yamaha, polaris names allways hold there value and they are dependable long lasting machines, if you have no concern on that part, its probably a pretty good machine, what ruined me on the off brand machines was we bought my nephew a Chinese 4 wheeler, people said they was good, it is 6 months old and about done, so if its a off brand I'm not intrested
 
#11 ·
Not sure you're really comparing apples to apples with this. What worries me most with this off brand stuff is getting replacement parts down the road. Are you even going to be able to get parts 5 years down the road? From who? Its a lot easier now with the internet than before.
 
#17 ·
Just looked at the new Teryx LE, I am not liking that one. It looks too much like a mule, and my last experience with a Kawi V Twin was that they are extremely powerful, but drink the fuel, prone to getting hot. The Fox podiums on the Teryx only offer 8 inches of travel. 2 inches less than the Wolverine.
 
#19 ·
my local dealer where i bought my wolverine has started carrying them. they carry polaris, yamaha, kawi also. i stayed with a company that is well known.
 
#21 ·
My buddy was looking for a sxs and stopped by a dealer to look at these. First one he wanted to try out wouldn't start. Then dealer wouldn't let him leave without trying one out. He was riding the second one it made a loud noise then kept making some noise in the drivetrain. Needless to say he didn't get one.
 
#22 ·
China's economy is hurting, The workers are starting to get a taste of the good life. They may not be able to keep dumping cheap S$#@ over here anymore.
 
#25 ·
Yep, I been paying close attention to problems the owners post up. So far I have noted, the a arm bolts need loctite and retorqued when new. The coolant needs upgraded and watch for water pump leaks
, fan switch bypass, loctite the power steering mounting points and retorque to spec, upgrade the exhaust springs to Moose brand, and install a UNI filter the day you buy it. Still not alot to complain about, considering they run 68-70 MPH outta the box, and the bodywork fit and finish is not lacking in any way.
 
#27 · (Edited)
I looked at the Cf moto a while ago as the dealer I normally buy from was one of the first in the south to get the CF moto line. From what I understand they are decent rides, The 600 is slightly under powered. The 800 Fixed the power issue and continued to provide a ton of add on such as wheels, winch, piggy back shocks as standard and does it all around the 10 grand U.S. The problem at the time was parts availability. In Canada it was much less of an issue, however in the U.S. People were waiting weeks to months for fairly simple fixes depending on the part. Sure enough every time I'd go by and drool over the power sports equipment I'd see a few cf moto just sitting there atv and SXS. In all fairness this was well over a year ago and probably closer to 2 years ago that I really researched the brand.

Ultimately the thing that lead me away from them was
1. Parts availibiltiy I know Yamaha quality, but I'd read enough and the price was good enough on the CF moto to take the chance on them. Just couldn't reliably get parts if something broke.
2. modability, there is practically no parts available to mod the cf moto, or at least there wasn't at the time, no lifts, doors, axle, nothing.. except you could likely order a set of stage 3 elka shocks... (elka is awesome by the way)

Those 2 things alone were enough to push me away. Maybe things have changed since then, but after owning the r-spec I don't think its earthly possible to be better, even if its about 3 grand cheaper.
 
#28 ·
I test rode both of these SXS buggies today. Although I am totally drawn to the Cf Moto Z800EX because of all the bells and whistles it comes with, along with that great running 800 twin engine and its a hot lookin machine. I have this feeling that I am just never gonna trust the CF Moto like I would the Yamaha. I thought I had my mind made up this afternoon and was gonna make the purchase tomorrow,but I am second guessing myself. The price difference for what I was quoted on the Z800 EX EPS and the Wolverine R Spec SE was $2300. The price isnt the deciding factor at all.

The R Spec suspension is dialed in, and Yamaha got the geometry spot on in that department. The R Spec rides like a sport ATV with $3k in aftermarket arms and shocks. The smallish 708cc engine although a torquey engine, left a tad to be desired. The fact that I have seen 3500 miles reported on the Wolverine to date makes me feel better about taking a hit on the horsepower and speed factor. I also felt less confined in the wolverine,more like i was on an atv with a open view, tall roof, and plenty of legroom. Unlike when driving the CF Moto I felt like I was in a smaller cockpit, kinda race car ish feeling. The wolverine is super easy to get in and out due to the minimal height of the sides of the floors. I liked that alot.

This decision has turned out to be much harder to make than I ever imagined.
 
#30 ·
That is the highest mileage report I have heard of to date! Congrats, and yes that helps. The fact that I have only seen one high mileage CF Moto to date makes me leery of that model. I am handy with the wrenches and have already seen higher compression pistons and upgraded cams being tested for the Wolverine. Those coupled with a little porting, fuel tuning, and clutching can always bump up performance if the need arises. The wolverine r spec that has caught my eye is the SE model, with the beadlocks,skids,fender flares. upgraded steering wheel and silver body.
 
#31 ·
There is no one perfect anything and we all have different priorities and opinions. Some decisions are easier than others....
 
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#32 ·
What he said. ^^^

From my experience they are all about equal when you consider the price you have to pay. Yes, I would buy a Polaris Ranger over a Honda 1000.
The Wolverine is a good deal now because you can buy an R-spec EPS for $10,500 with a winch. The low price kinda makes up for the low power and stripped down basic vehicle.
The C-F Moto is probably as good a deal as most of the other makes overall. Except when you try to sell it.
Yamaha's parts availability leaves a lot to be desired too.
Honda has screwed the pooch as far as I am concerned. I have been reading about their sxs problems for years while the koolaid drinkers touted their perfectness. LOL. No way I would buy one with a DCT and nothing else in the Honda line interests me in the least.
They all have things wrong with them either in the lack of features or ride or handling or reliability or a combination of things etc.
 
#34 ·
Funny you mention the Wolverine doors, as they are one of the features I find totally appealing. The low cut doors of the wolvie provide an easy entry/exit for me. They also add to the totally unobstructed view and spacious feeling that the wolvie already provides with generous legroom. Another fella just confirmed that the wolvie in stock form will in fact clear my 69 1/4 trailer door opening so that is adding even more reason to choose a wolvie.
 
#35 ·
I have a Powersports repair shop by me and the owner is a great guy. They don't sell any machines there, just repair and sell aftermarket parts. I always like to ask his opinion because he's not pushing a brand. When I was in the market for a sxs I asked what he thought and in his words not mine..."if it wasn't for Polaris I wouldn't be in business, stay away from cf motto their junk and Yamaha's are bullet proof machines. "

He's been in business for 20 years and he changes about 20 Polaris belts a year. He has only changed 3 Yamaha belts since he's been open. I too was impressed by the cf moto, but again because he not pushing a manufacturer I do trust what he sees come through his door. Another reason I went Yamaha is because his good friend bought a Wolvie and they have been riding it pretty hard and have loved it. My 2 cents....
 
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