CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage Simplified Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage, the everyday road bike from CFMOTO that’s part of the 700 series.
The CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage is a comfortable standard sport bike that’s great as an everyday rider as well as an occasional fun bike. It looks good, has a healthy amount of pep, and is loaded with comfort options like cruise control — almost unheard of in this class.
The core of the 700CL-X Heritage is a 693 cc parallel twin engine that’s liquid-cooled and has four valves per cylinder. With an 11.6:1 compression ratio, the 700CL-X Sport makes a healthy 55 kW / 73.8 hp at 8500 rpm, and peak torque of 68 Nm / 50 ft-lb at 7500 rpm. Final drive is via a 6-speed transmission and a chain.
The CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage is a sibling to the CFMOTO 700CL-X Sport, which is the same bike but more focused on sport riding, with very high-end brake components and a more aggressive riding position.
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CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage Service Intervals
The CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage has quite short service intervals of 3000 miles / 5000 kilometers or six months between oil changes — quite a bit shorter than most of the competition in this class, other than the Yamaha MT-07 which has 4000 miles / 6000 km service intervals (in the US; longer in the Asia-Pacific or Europe regions).
At every service for your 700CL-X, do a full inspection, checking it all for leaks, failing piping, crinked wiring, and items that need greasing. There are a number of items to do every second service, including changing the spark plugs, plus inspecting some items like the air filter.
The valve service interval for the 700CL-X is a wide 24000 mi / 40000 km, much like Yamaha motorcycles.
As the engine in the 700CL-X motorcycles is liquid-cooled, you have to keep the coolant fresh, as well as keeping the brake fluid fresh — schedule a liquid replacement every two years.
What you need to service a CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage
Below is a list of the items CFMOTO suggests you get to service your 700CL-X Heritage.
These are from the manual as well as the service manual.
| Part | CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage maintenance parts list |
|---|---|
| Engine oil | CFMOTO recommends SAE 10W-40 SJ / JASO MA2 grade engine oil, e.g. Mobil 1 10W-40. |
| Oil filter | The CFMOTO part for the oil filter is 0MQ0-070200. You can get them from Aliexpress for about $10 shipped. |
| Spark plugs | Use type NGK CR8EI. |
| Brake fluid | Use a DOT 4 brake fluid, like Castrol DOT 4. |
| Coolant | The manual specifies “green”-coloured ethylene glycol-based coolant suitable for aluminium engines. Most coolants meet this spec. |
| Brake pads | The Heritage model has single J.Juan 4-piston caliper at the front, different from the Sport’s twin Brembo Stylema calipers. Get the pads from a dealer. |
CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage Maintenance Schedule
Maintaining your CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage is mercifully easy given that you have to do it fairly often. It’s a naked bike and most items are user serviceable. Even the valve job shouldn’t be hard, as there are only two cylinders and one cylinder head.
The maintenance schedule in the manual for the CFMOTO 700CL-X motorcycles is unnecessarily complicated though.
It has lists of items with different time and distance maintenance intervals, and the layout of the table is quite confusing.
In order to simplify it, we’ve broken out maintenance into the following sections:
- The standard service inspection checklist
- The regular maintenance schedule
700CL-X Heritage — Standard Inspection Checklist
Below is the standard inspection checklist for the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage.
| CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage standard inspection checklist |
|---|
| Check lights, horn, and switches |
| Check condition of wires for bending, damage, and routing |
| Tire condition – check |
| Tire pressure – check |
| Front and rear brake system |
| Brake discs (front and rear) – inspect condition, thickness Front limit: 3.5 mm / 0.14 in Rear limit: 4mm / 0.16 in |
| Brake pads – inspect thickness, condition Minimum thickness: 2.5 mm / 0.1in |
| Brake fluid – inspect level (between upper and lower) |
| Brake lever – inspect free play, smooth operation Free play: ~7mm +/-2mm (0.27 in +/0 0.08 in) |
| Brake hoses – inspect for damage and sealing |
| Suspension system – inspect for leaks, smooth operation |
| Coolant – check level, condition |
| Radiator fan – confirm function (with engine on) |
| Coolant hoses – inspect for leaks and condition |
| Diagnostic connector – read with PDS |
| Moving parts – lubricate, inspect for free movement |
| Bolts and nuts – inspect for fastness |
| Cables and wires – inspect for damage, bending, and routing |
| Pipes, ducts, hoses, and sleeves – inspect for cracks, sealing and routing |
700CL-X Heritage — Maintenance Schedule
Below is the full maintenance schedule for the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage.
Notes:
- The break-in schedule below is basically an oil/filter change plus a full inspection.
- At the end of the schedule, keep following it in the pattern shown
| mi x 1000 | 0.6 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | Every |
| Perform full inspection checklist as above | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Replace engine oil SAE 10W-40 Jaso MA2, e.g. Mobil 1 10W-40 Oil drain bolt torque: 25 Nm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6 months |
| Replace oil filter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6 months |
| Battery charge state – check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6 months |
| Fuses / circuit breakers – check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 6 months |
| Throttle valve – check | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Spark plugs – replace NGK CR8EI Clearance: 0.7-0.9mm / 0.027 in-0.035 in Tighten to 15 Nm / 11 ft-lb | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Throttle system – inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Idle speed – check, adjust | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Clutch – inspect, adjust. Free play: 10-20mm / 0.39-0.78 in | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Inspect air filter, replace as necessary | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Wheel bearings – check condition | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Swing arm – inspect condition | ✓ | ✓ | 12000 mi / 20000 km | |||||
| Air filter – replace | 2 years, or more | |||||||
| Brake fluid – replace (Castrol DOT 4) | 2 years | |||||||
| Valve clearances – check / adjust | 24000 mi / 40000 km |
CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage Chain Maintenance
Like any motorcycle that will do double duty between everyday commuting and occasional sport riding, the chain of the 700CL-X Sport will need a little extra TLC.
Here is the chain maintenance schedule for the 700CL-X Heritage.
| Chain maintenance task | Every |
|---|---|
| Check chain condition. Clean and lubricate with a high-quality chain lubricant (e.g. Motul chain lubricant) | – 600 miles / 1000 km or six months – Or after riding in rain / mud, or after washing motorcycle |
| Check chain tension and elongation, and adjust if necessary See notes below on chain tension | 6000 miles / 10000 km |
Checking chain tension/slack and elongation
To check chain tension and elongation, do the following tests, and adjust as necessary. These specs are the same across the 700CL-X class.
| Test | Chain maintenance task | Spec |
|---|---|---|
| Tension | 1. Put rear wheel on stand 2. Find tightest point of chain, and rotate the wheel until this point is between the two sprockets 3. Push chain up with finger, and measure distance from top to bottom with a ruler | – 30-40 mm or – 1.18-1.57 in |
| Elongation | 1. Hang a standard 10 kg / 22 lb object from the chain in the middle point 2. Use a ruler to measure length between 20 links | 320.7 mm / 12.6 in |
Adjust the chain if possible to bring it within spec. If you can’t, replace the chain.
CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage Tire and Wheel Specs
Below are the tire sizes and recommended tire pressures for the 700CL-X Heritage. Note that the Heritage has a larger and slightly unconventional 18-inch front wheel, which may limit your off-the-shelf tire options compared to the Sport, which has a more standard sport front wheel.
| Wheel | Tire size | Tire pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 110/80-R18 | 35 psi / 250 kPa / 2.5 bar |
| Rear | 180/55-R17 | 41 psi / 280 kPa / 2.8 bar |
About the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage
The CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage is a mid-range middleweight sport standard with a few surprisingly high-end tricks up its sleeve.
CFMOTO is a Chinese manufacturer that has been making waves in recent years, branching out from ATVs and small commuter bikes with a few bikes that are actually cool.
The engine in the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage is a a 693 cc parallel twin with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It makes a healthy middleweight amount of power (55 kW / 73 hp at 8500 rpm), without feeling restricted like the 650 motors (often sold in LAMS / A2 variations in the Asia-Pacific or UK/Europe regions). With its middling compression ratio of 11.6:1, the 700 motor is pretty unstressed.
The engine in the 700CL-X is quite similar to that in the Kawasaki Z650, though with more capacity. The Z650 has an 83 x 60 mm bore and stroke with 649 cc capacity, and the 700CL-X engine has a 4mm longer stroke, giving it 693 cc of capacity. The end result of the power and torque specs is quite similar — you wouldn’t pick one over the other because of performance, as that quest would lead you to a bigger, higher-power bike (like the Kawasaki Z900 for example).
The final drive of the 700CL-X Heritage is via a traditional six-speed gearbox and a chain drive, which means you do have to keep the chain lubed and clean.
Along with the Heritage, CFMOTO launched two other 700CL-X motorcycles, and they’re all different. They share an underlying engine and chassis, but have different wheels and brakes, as well as some other components not related to maintenance.
| Model | 700CL-X Sport | 700CL-X [Heritage] | 700CL-X Adventure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style / Riding position | Sport / Café | Standard sport | Standard / Scrambler |
| Controls | Clip-ons | Handlebar | Handlebar |
| Brakes | Twin disc brakes, Brembo Stylema calipers | Single disc brake, J.Juan caliper | Single disc brake, J.Juan caliper |
| Wheels | 5 Twin-spoke, 17-inch front wheel | Multi Spoke, 18-inch front wheel | Wire spokes, 19-inch front wheel, dual sport tires |
| Extras | – | – | Windscreen, saddlebags |
Despite this, the maintenance requirements for the CFMOTO 700 CL-X Heritage are quite stringent.
It’s rare to see recommended oil changes every 5000 km / 3000 miles. Most competitors to the 700CL-X Heritage, like the Suzuki SV650 3rd gen, for example, have much wider maintenance intervals.
Unlike many other Chinese-built motorcycles, the build quality of the 700CL-X Heritage is quite high. Welds look good, the parts are all high quality. Even the switchgear looks very good — and it should, because BMW made it.
There are a few other high-end specs that the 700CL-X distinguishes it by. Firstly, it has a ride-by-wire throttle and a Bosch ECU. This gives it great fuelling despite emissions restrictions, which is a rarity in the modern age.
Ride by wire also means that the 700CL-X gets to benefit from niceties like ride modes and even cruise control. Cruise is unheard of in this class, and quite a nice luxury item!
The 700CL-X heritage has a slipper clutch, which most of the competitors don’t have, and LED lighting everywhere. Plus adjustable suspension and inverted KYB fork. There’s not much more you can want!
One of the main differences between the 700CL-X Heritage and the Sport is in the brakes. The Heritage has a single J.Juan caliper, and the Sport has top-class twin Stylema calipers that many would consider overkill. In reality, reviewers say that the Heritage’s caliper is great — actually, some think it’s better, as it’s easier to use in everyday riding, and still holds its own on track days. So you may want to save your hard earned dollars and stick with the simpler bike.
Reference — Manual screenshots for the 700CL-X Heritage
The above information came from the manual for the CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage and Sport (they share a manual).
You can see screenshots from the manual as references below. The 700CL-X Heritage is just known as the 700CL-X in the US.
You can download manuals for CFMOTO motorcycles from the CFMOTO USA website, here.
