Hello All,

I am currently looking for a UTV SxS 2 seater. I was just wondering about peoples issues with the CFMoto Zforce 500. I found one at a dealer for 9.2k, she looked nice but the 800 was 11k. is it worth the upcost? All i am doing is riding about 35 miles per hour on trials (where posted). I have seen many bad reviews about the CFMoto brand that is why i am here to try to get to the bottom of it. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I just need to keep up with my cousins Commander i think it is a 900cc? Oh and how are they in mud?

Thanks!

If you need power than get the 800 up front. Your cousin won't be able to pull away from you that easy. I have the z6 and it's not bad, tops out at 55. The 500 should be a little better but on a straight away the canam will look pretty small pretty quickly. If you only do 35, the 500 will be just fine. I stay out of the mud, it gets too expensive.

Thanks for your reply! I don't do mud much but when i do go in the mud i don't want to get stuck (i will probably need new tires right off the bat. So you are saying go for the 800 and just save on doing upgrades. How do you like your CFMOTO? any issues? I doubt we will get over 40 (where we ride there are a lot of police around controlling the speed limit) This is the first year that CFMOTO is on our area. i would still have to drive 4 hours to go pick one up and get serviced if anything happens. Our only options are the new High Output 500CC and the normal 800CC. We only get to ride 3 trips a year as it is a long drive to go riding. Is there any advice you can give on what to look for when buying?

There's no replacement for displacement. If you want to hang with another SxS with an 800cc, it's always advisable to stay close to that mark when you buy. Now, having said that, be prepared to pay a lot more to feed that thirsty engine. I'm going to guesstimate here, but expect to get 20mpg from the 800, and up to 30mpg from the 500. That's a big difference, and only YOU know where you will be riding. If you routinely put 75+ miles on a machine over a ride, then the 500 may be a better choice unless you want to invest in Rotopax tanks to add to the 800s overall range.

Cosmosdan hit the nail on the head !!! Stay out of the mud, its get very expensive very fast. It trashes bearings, tears CV boots (submerged sticks, bottles, etc) and shortens the service interval greatly. I can guarantee you that after I buy a Zforce 800, the last place I will willingly go is through a deep mud puddle.   

20MPG is great. I am not worried about gas millage much as the trials if we go everywhere it is only 150 miles and counting. Where we ride you can drive on the streets as well to fill up on gas and get food before going out on the trails again and the outlets from the trails all have a gas station right there. I dislike going in the deep mud (i hate to have to clean up the huge mess before it goes on the trailer) but it is necessary where we go sometimes. Last week it was all dry but if it rains we get the whole trails full of water and everything is mud. (we ride in mountains). My state does not let you ride you ATV anywhere so we need to travel very far to even take them out for a quick spin to make sure they work properly. Even on your own land they complain. Thanks for the information guys.

I have the ZForce 800EX, and I do get into some mud. Hasn't got stuck yet. Tires are surprisingly good for a factory tire and has adequate grip in all terrain.
I posted a Z600 I saw on C/L for $3500. Don't know if it's a good machine or not but just wanted to share with the group.
If you're looking on keeping up with the 900 then yes go for the 800CFM.
Even if speed isn't a priority for you it has 63hp so it should be plenty powerful to get you through some pretty tough stuff. And with 11.8" of ground clearance it helps keep you from getting stuck. If you get one just make sure to pick up a UNI or TWIN AIR air filter at the dealership and change it before you take it home. That's about the only thing that I'd say needs done quickly.

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

There's no replacement for displacement. If you want to hang with another SxS with an 800cc, it's always advisable to stay close to that mark when you buy. Now, having said that, be prepared to pay a lot more to feed that thirsty engine. I'm going to guesstimate here, but expect to get 20mpg from the 800, and up to 30mpg from the 500. That's a big difference, and only YOU know where you will be riding. If you routinely put 75+ miles on a machine over a ride, then the 500 may be a better choice unless you want to invest in Rotopax tanks to add to the 800s overall range.

Cosmosdan hit the nail on the head !!! Stay out of the mud, its get very expensive very fast. It trashes bearings, tears CV boots (submerged sticks, bottles, etc) and shortens the service interval greatly. I can guarantee you that after I buy a Zforce 800, the last place I will willingly go is through a deep mud puddle.   

Mine was getting about 27mpg when it was stock, and I ride between 5,400 and 12,000 feet. Now it's at about 24mpg because of the extra weight and the clutch work but...no complaints here, that's still about 180 miles per tank. My Brute's best millage is 13.

Thanks for all the information guys! I decided to get the 800 when i go and get it. Next time i go out ill pick one up. 12k is a lot to spend in one shot. So a air kit is preferred to be changed after i purchase it? Anything else? this dealership is rather small like a whole 4 people in the whole shop. 1 mechanic. If i purchase it i will have a back log of when i can get parts replaced on it i think. They said they sold 70 so far this year and 3 have come back with issues from the factory. I think that is just a sales man trying to throw a pitch as he said that the 900cc RZR (they also sell them 15k to 20k depending on features and add-ons) would get smoked by the 800cc Zforce. I somehow really doubt that.

[o]

Thanks for all the information guys! I decided to get the 800 when i go and get it. Next time i go out ill pick one up. 12k is a lot to spend in one shot.

Are you buying a Trail 800 ?? That price is a bit high OTD (out the door after taxes, tags, setup fee, docs, etc). My local dealer is at 10,3k before all that extra. If you are getting an 800 EX, that is generally around 11,2k on the sales floor, 12k OTD, so I'm assuming you are buying an EX model.

as he said that the 900cc RZR (they also sell them 15k to 20k depending on features and add-ons) would get smoked by the 800cc Zforce. I somehow really doubt that.

Ermmmm, no. Incorrect statement on his part. If he were referring to an older Rzr 800, that statement would be accurate. But a new Rzr 900 offers up 75hp, and that trumps the 62.5 that CF Moto offers. Even so, you CAN add some aftermarket goodies like a Power Commander V with auto tune and a Two Brothers exhaust and make the Z800 hang right with the 900, but you also can void the warranty in a hurry, so I'd wait on that until 1 year has passed. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the CF Moto stock (other than that damned air filter !!), and then see if you want to invest the 1k in go-fast parts.

If the dealer is far away, buy a extra oil filter before you leave. We are looking for a suitable aftermarket one but can't recommend one at this time. When you get it home, grab your grease gun and hit all the fittings. Some can be hard to get to so you might want to swap them out. The are 6mm and easy to get.

[o]

Thanks for all the information guys! I decided to get the 800 when i go and get it. Next time i go out ill pick one up. 12k is a lot to spend in one shot.

Are you buying a Trail 800 ?? That price is a bit high OTD (out the door after taxes, tags, setup fee, docs, etc). My local dealer is at 10,3k before all that extra. If you are getting an 800 EX, that is generally around 11,2k on the sales floor, 12k OTD, so I'm assuming you are buying an EX model.

Yes it is the Trail version. (They don't have the EX in stock. I just checked today and they are indeed the closest dealer I could find.

as he said that the 900cc RZR (they also sell them 15k to 20k depending on features and add-ons) would get smoked by the 800cc Zforce. I somehow really doubt that.

Ermmmm, no. Incorrect statement on his part. If he were referring to an older Rzr 800, that statement would be accurate. But a new Rzr 900 offers up 75hp, and that trumps the 62.5 that CF Moto offers. Even so, you CAN add some aftermarket goodies like a Power Commander V with auto tune and a Two Brothers exhaust and make the Z800 hang right with the 900, but you also can void the warranty in a hurry, so I'd wait on that until 1 year has passed. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the CF Moto stock (other than that damned air filter !!), and then see if you want to invest the 1k in go-fast parts.

I figure he is just a salesman trying to up sell a ton. They sell Polaris, Honda, CFMOTO, and Yamaha at this dealership. So not sure why he would say that and try to push me away from the others. And i am not worried about going fast really just need to keep up with my cousin.

I have heard a few things about the exhaust any of you run into a issue with your exhaust?


As for the oil change I can get oil and a filter here at home online. Would the air filter void the warranty? if i understand correctly i would have to remove the whole air filter setup and put the new one in.

I have heard a few things about the exhaust any of you run into a issue with your exhaust?

I have heard a lot of exhaust too, and some of those sport quads are crazy loud !!! 

I'm not quite sure what you heard on an exhaust issue, but after reading a LOT of owner comments on CF Moto machines, the one universally unliked item is that air filter. Next on the list are loose nuts and bolts, typically on the A-arms and suspension components. Next up will be the shocks with a piggyback reserve that rub against the shock springs. 2015 models had issues with the VSS and a thermal switch on the radiator, as well as some fuse issues. Oh, and they also had issues with the radiator fluid going bad on them, which caused overheating. These are the most encountered problems that I have read about. The ONLY thing that was even an exhaust related issue that I can recall was a spring clip that would vibrate or pop loose and allow the muffler to bang or rub on the underside. 

As for the oil change I can get oil and a filter here at home online. Would the air filter void the warranty? if i understand correctly i would have to remove the whole air filter setup and put the new one in.

Oh hell no !! In fact, for 2016 CF Moto has acknowledged the Twin Air or Uni (someone correct me on which one they recommend) as an approved filter for their motors. All you are doing is removing the cylindrical paper element and replacing it with one of the two above elements. It's literally a 5 minute job. This is by far the first recommended to-do item on a CF Moto. Nothing else NEEDS done, this does.

Thank you so much for that info as well. I will contact the dealer this weekend to get the details on why it costs so much more and to see if they have a black 800 in stock. (it needs to match my car...) lol Hopefully i will be on the other side of this forum very soon! (as a owner of a Zforce)