First Look: Kove 450 Rally 4K
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2023
- First Look: Kove 450 Rally 4K
This is the first of probably many videos about the Kove 450 Rally.
It's a bike I saw at EICMA 2022 and I was so impressed with what I'd seen, that I ordered one as soon as I could. This meant that not only did I get the first one in the UK, I think it might even be the first full production customer bike outside of China (there's many pre-production bikes out there doing the rounds though)
This video is a bit of an explanation of what it is, and then a walk round the bike, showing you some of the details and also what's under the seat!
There will be some more coming in the next few days including a look at the dash settings and how to switch it from Chinese to English. Also a road and a trail test ride, and hopefully putting some of the adventure gear on it, including a rear rack, some protection, maybe a light bar and a phone mount. All will be up on the channel when they are ready.
Thanks for watching!
#kove #kove450 #kove450rally #peakmotorcycles #rallybike #adventurebike #dualsport #rally #trailbike #unicorn - Авто та транспорт
That was the high light of my day Andre. The bike excites me big time. What leaps out at me is how well thought out and initive the thinking is with the Kovek. I saw a documentary on the guy behind the Kove and he's extremely passionate and authentic. I reckon the bike has a very bright future. When you pulled the wire to remove the seat, "no bolt", wicked. Then how high and well laid out .. I'll shut up because I could go on and on. One more thing (can't help myself lol) The body work, that's how you do it. I won't be letting you out of my sight A. 😍
Thanks, and yes... all of that. This bike is what I was hoping the Ducati Desert X was going to be. When I saw that at EICMA in 2019, it was based on the Scrambler 800, so like a Desert Sled in an "adventure" format. I thought then that could be a 175kg adventure bike with 70hp that would be a nice change to the general trend. I'd even put a deposit down on one before the launch. Except it then turned out to be a 230kg Multistrada 950 in a body kit... and by the time you'd added a bash guard, luggage rack, additional fuel tank it was up to 1200GS weight, and not far off the price, so I cancelled my order. This was the next thing that interested me and so far, so good. Let's see how reliable it is...
It's going to be a massive seller I think. Great looking bike mate
I think so, though I'm not sure if they will be able to keep up with demand. The next 12 bikes into the UK are already sold and there's a queue forming everywhere else. Perhaps they have underestimated how big this gap is in the market.... I'm hoping other manufacturers take note and realise that 'Middleweight' bikes don't need to be 230kg+
It looks really well put together and really well thought out.
I'm impressed.
It reminds me of the XR600R. Designed by riders for riders. Things like that tool free access to the air filter. The generous use of dzus fasteners, the easy to clean rear guard.
Most bikes seem to be designed to be easy to assemble in a factory and no thought at all given to anything else.
My V-Strom requires about 20 minutes to reach the air filter, several tools and unpeeling some double sided sticky tape that you can't even see! Fine for banging it together in a factory, but stupid for anything else.
The guy that set up Kove is an ex MX rider and seems to know his stuff. All their bikes at EICMA were interesting (to me at least!) from the small displacement 4-cyl sportsbike, to this and their 175kg 800cc adventure bike. Let’s hope it’s reliable!
It's time for the other bike manufacturers to get worried. For the average normal person adventure bikes are just too heavy. The advertising shows Dakar riders throwing them around like lightweight enduro bikes but that's not the average Joe. It also makes you wonder how KTM rally bikes can cost £50,000. I think we've all been brainwashed into thinking that's the norm so we accept it. Good luck to Kove, I hope they do well.
Yup. All of that. The new VStrom 800 is 230kg, and really doesn’t need to be. I hope Kove opens up some sense in the market. I also hope they do well so I haven’t wasted my money 🤣
I hope they succeed all over the world, people are craving for a bike like this, Now Japanese and other companies will move their ass off and make us a real middle weight adventure bike to compete, Hala Kove 🔥🔥
I hope so. We shall see. It would be nice to have some competition in this class. I wonder if the new Royal Enfield watercooled Himalayan 450 will be the next contender?
@@PeakMotorcycles I hope so, I have a special admiration for RE, if you don't know, it will be a rally version of the new Himalayan 450, we will see it in the next 3-4 years, like the kove 500 rally and 500x (wich is more road oriented) the new himalayan is like a Mini GS whit 21 inch wheels. But I'm glad that some companies are moving towards this segments, for me the best still the CCM gp 450, (40 Hp 135 kg 21 inch wheels) saad that the project was leftover, imagine if they keep improving it from 2016.
@@MyKhalilovic I know what it’ll be from their roadmap of bike platforms. I think it will be here before the next 3-4 years. RE have a plan to launch 4 new bikes each year and they seem to be quite good at meeting that. We might even see the new Himmy at EICMA in November.
@@PeakMotorcycles the future is bright for riders, the only thing that worries me is there Climate laws and pushing the electric engines into the bike markets.
Happy for you and the kove, it's a beautiful bike, hope you are enjoying it fully, and don't forget to share whit us the journey of being one of the first to get his hands on one. Still waiting in France for them to arrive
You got it! Finally, it's arrived. So far it looks very nice. I look forward to seeing more. 😀
Yup, finally, and yes, I’ll be out on it today and will try to get that edited and published this weekend.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this! Really looking forward to your next videos on the Kove 450!! Best regards from Brasilia, Brazil.
Thanks. I think I have one more this week, and will try to get 2-3 done at the weekend.
That was one of one of the best presentations I’ve seen for a bike. Well done!
Thanks and you’re welcome.
This bike is the closest model to the Unicorn bike. Decent power, good ground clearance, good range, good price, good looks. The main downside (not for me but for many) is the fact that is Chinese. However, within the following months/years those fears will fade away if the bike shows reliability. The importance of this model is also, if it goes well, to discover how the other manufacturers will react. I will certainly be following your channel and your videos. Good on you mate, enjoy, looks epic!
It is. Though I do wonder if it'll be like Japanese bikes? In the 1950's and 60's, memories of WW2 kept many from buying anything Japanese. The early bikes were also rubbish and rusted away. Except then Japan worked out how to make high quality, good looking, fast motorcycles cheaply and in the 70's that pretty much obliterated the UK bike industry in just a few years. I don't think it'll be quite the same as now, but seeing how the quality and design is improving for the price in bikes from India and China, perhaps this will be a shift in the industry. Many people complaining about China, do so on Apple devices (or other electronics) made there, so there is a certain irony to it.
@@PeakMotorcycles spot on
As far as I know, Hunter is from Bali, Indonesia
I’m really impressed with your new bike! Will be watching closely as it would be a great stablemate to my Harley 👍🇬🇧
Thanks. I just need to find the time to crack on with it….
You're first again, André! Enjoy your new steed, looks an amazing bit of kit. Lots of new content to come, I hope.
I saw it at EICMA and it was good enough to place an order as soon as I could. I think others heard about it from the success in the Dakar, so I just got lucky. So far so good, there's always a risk in being first, and while it's not a huge amount of money, it's more than I could afford to lose!
I’m loving this bike, Andre!
Everything about it indicates that it will prevail off-road.
The thoughtful design, and attention to detail is refreshing.
That 450 engine hit’s the sweet spot between light weight and middle weight.
Will look around to see if there’s a distributor here in the States.
Happy Trails
Hi, there is. It’s Gary Goodwin at GPXMoto. Though I’m not sure how long his waiting list is….
Great vid Andre ! good content, informative, and well presented, enjoy the bike, it seems to be a winner !.
Thanks. Only time will tell, but we shall see.
It's a simply beautiful machine. If the mechanics are of quality, success is guaranteed!
I think the reliability and uptake and support of dealers will help too. So far no major issues that I’m aware of.
Seems a very well thought out bike. Thanks for the clear& helpful video! 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Good video and well done for getting the first UK bike.
I only heard of Kove with their Dakar entry and the more I see of it the more I want one! Looks like a great blend of power, weight, design and price.
I’m sure it has flaws, but at £8500 it’s a lot more competitive than the Fantic or KTM offerings. There’s also not a lot else (anything?) at this price that comes close. I look forward to spending more time on it!
Best of luck with your new bike
Thanks. I had a few nervous moments when it was delayed by a couple of months. So far so good, but it's only day 2!
I want one, it's all ways and means at this point. Tyler on the Everide channel piqued my interest and it's great to see that Kove is hitting their expected release date.
I'm happy to see that the production model looks to be exactly what the prototypes were, it's a really well though out bike from this side of the screen. Can't wait till GPX starts getting them in the US. Looking forward to more content on the bike!
Thanks! I think Gary’s been sorting them out so I’m sure the US bikes will land as soon as they can! Good luck 😁
I’m sure they will land in the US next. Good luck with getting one!
I do appreciate a thorough breakdown. Nice vid.
Glad it was helpful!
Congratulations dude! Love the bike. Hope you have loads of cool adventures with your new freedom machine. If I hadn't got myself the crf450l (US ecu) a few weeks back, this would be my next bike. But I've already got four 😬😬. Cracking bike 🤘🤘🤘
Thanks Christian, the 450L is a top bike and Honda’s reputation is worth a lot. I’m hoping the Kove lives up to expectations
Great vid bud. I’m looking forward to more content you do on the bike
Thanks Mark
I followed your lead and put a deposit down on the Kove 450 Rally. Thanks so much for this video. Very exciting to see it in such detail. I went with low seat model. I'm selling my Honda CRF450L in anticipation of the Kove arrival because I found it a bit tall and wanted a 450 that had ABS. If the dependability is there, this should be my unicorn. Would greatly appreciate hearing the bike once you have chance. Hoping it isn't much louder than my Honda.
I’ll see if I can do the FIM sound test like I did with the CRF aftermarket exhausts. From the short test ride I did (25 miles) it’s quiet up to 5k rpm, then it isn’t at all… almost too noisy for 70-80mph cruising, but perhaps going from a 49T to 45T at the back would solve that?
Look forward to seeing how you get on with the bike. Great presentation of an interesting machine
Thanks! It certainly seems to be a popular video.
Looks great Andre, looking forward to future videos on this bike, was good to meet you at the ABR festival, best regards mate.👍
Thanks Steve, I’ll do what I can and yes, likewise. I hope you had a good weekend 😁
I’m lucky enough to live only a few miles from Mach. Life is sweet…
So many trails and the scenery here is amazing.
Lucky you! I have to make do with the Peak District. It’s not the same but I’ll be ok 🤣
Cool Bike Look forward to follow up videos . Hopefully they will be imported here into Australia
Thanks and I hope so. It seems like the ideal place for it. Though at the moment, supply seems to be the problem. There’s 12 more coming to the UK but they are all sold already, and quite a demand in the US too. Perhaps they didn’t think they’d be this popular?
That's a great review, I come from a similar background and struggled with the T7 on the technical stuff (I know, practice makes perfect). I saw your bike at James's and was trying to think of a way to snaffle it away! I have an old, cheap, steering damper that is actually pretty good, so I will put it on my kove in 2 months' time. Thanks for taking the time to do the reviews, and I look forward to more.When mine hits the UK I have one week to get it ready for the ferry I've booked to go and do the Portuguese ACT - hopefully a good allround test for the bike - particularly the long road slog back up.
Thanks, and the ACT Portugal looks great. I did wonder about doing a trip that was ferry down to Santander or Bilbao, ACT Portugal North to South, a few days across southern Spain and then ACT Pyrenees South to North back to the ferry. It'd still be a slog down to the ferry, and is probably a two week trip... I just need to find a two week gap. 2025 is looking promising 🤣
@PeakMotorcycles yup it's always hard getting the time out! Did the ACT pyrenees last year on the T7. It was absolutely brilliant - fantastic routes, views, and great for wild camping. Got the Plymouth- santander ferry out and rode back through France on the return. That's when the T7 came into its own ( in my hands anyway ). I am truly hopeful the kove will be the unicorn that we all hope for! Keep up the reviews
Great video! I've got a rally on order due in September out of Utah. Just drooling at this production model you're showing us! Thank you
Awesome. September is just around the corner! I think I’ll be in Utah in January for a week to play in the snow 😁
@@PeakMotorcycles looking forward to your next report on the new bike! Utah is a good place to be in January! I am in Colorado which is also a great place!
@@silverhill377 I’m flying to Denver, seeing friends in Ft. Collins, then a week in Park City, a week in Aspen, other friends in Co Springs and I’ll be heading home. Not the worst way to spend a January!
@@PeakMotorcyclesPark city is a great place. I taught skiing there in 2022 but my regular mountain is Vail Colorado. You must be a skier or snowboarder. Thanks for the video series on the rally!
An absolute beauty of a bike.
Thanks!
They've done a great job 👍
Lots of nice touches
They have, and still made it to a budget, but haven’t dulled it down in the process.
Whilst I don’t know if I would want one as a travel bike due to worries about its parts availability, I do hope it’ll spur the bigger manufacturers to bring proper rally bikes to market.
Same 🤣 But I guess someone has to be first. If no one bought one, then there would never be parts availability. If some do, and it turns out to be a well designed, reliable, reasonably priced bike, they will grow, and dealers and parts will follow. Until that, I'll just stay anxious!
@@PeakMotorcycles oh yeah no doubt, early adopters drive the change many of us want to see, particularly folk like yourself who publicise their experience.
Wish you many reliable miles on it.
going to be interesting seeing how the bike works out, certainly looks the part and some really nice fittings etc, particularly like the dzus fasteners on the bodywork, really nice touch for a road legal bike
I hope so. It's early days, but so far, so good.
Well that looks very nice and well presented, I won't miss you on that in the Peaks......
I think I’ll take it to the MFN bike night in Stanton on the 12th, then to the Lightweight Adventurers festival the weekend after where I’m doing a thing. I’d forgotten how much fun it is getting a new bike, and just how painful the video and editing is 🤣. I’m sure I’ll get used to it again.
Nice! Looking forward to the follow ups!
I have one more to edit for Wednesday on the dash and then have the weekend free, hopefully for a road and trail test ride and also fitting some new bits to it. Later in the summer I’ll see how far it’ll go fully fuelled.
@@PeakMotorcycles This is great! :)
I really like it ... 👌 great video too 👍
Thanks
Gorgeous bike. Congrats
Thanks!
Looks like a really nice bike, I'd say you have about 23 minutes on that seat until the pain sets in :) Very refreshing bike, awesome thanks
I suspect you’re right, though I did an hour the other day and it was ok. I do have some ‘built in’ padding though 🤣
Defiantly going to start saving for this bike. I want one!
After a quiet start, they are now tricking through to customers. Good luck!
What a superb motorbike, now I want one
Thanks. So far so good. They seem to be doing well.
Nice motorcycle review and I liked it🎉
Thanks
Glad you are happy with your new bike Andre.Very light at 140kg but the width/weight distribution/gyrometric effect will make it feel much heavier then your crf.The good thing about this is you could ride it off road in more challenging terrain than a big heavy"middleweight" adventure bike,plus it has wind protection.
So far it feels lighter but not much, than the CRF300 Rally, but I think the dimensions are similar, so that makes sense.
Great looking bike, perfect for an adventure.
I hope so. I’ll see what I can do with it!
Thanks for showing your new Kove, Andre. Looks like real middle ground for enduro riding, unlike the T7, 890, T900... Surprisingly clean construction, and I really like the easy-to-reach air filter - much better than on the Desert X. Wishing you a first great ride in the Peak District, Günter/Nürnberg (pity there's no German importer yet)
Thanks Günter. I understand the approval for Germany is a bit more complicated that for the UK. I'll let you know how it goes.
@@PeakMotorcycles Guess homologation is now easier in the U.K. than in the EU. Andre. Anyway, the Kove 450 could be the expected unicorn.
New to the channel. Kove brought me here. Like your style. I expect to see plenty of t7 riders on these in the near future and even more virtually unused t7 coming to the market. Subscribed.
Thanks, and I can only apologise for the content… I do things that I’m doing anyway, rather than content that I think other people will watch, every now and again I get lucky with something!
As for the Kove, I met a few T7 riders at the Lightweight Adventurers and Armchair Adventurer Festivals and it was a mix of genuine interest and curiosity. Don’t get me wrong, I think the T7 is a brilliant bike, but if they could have made it 30kg lighter and maybe a few other tweaks, it would be perfect. But they didn’t and though the World Raid looks the part, it’s more of an underpowered GSAdventure than a Tenere, in my opinion at least… other opinions are available! 🤣
@@PeakMotorcycles i have a 2020 t7. It's in Overland spec rather than off road. Have been off road and it's great until you drop it. Did act Pyrenees last year and act uk this year (first 2 days a nightmare). I will keep t7 for planned multi month trips. Looking at crf300l, but kove looks more like it. Will check out your crf build. Cheers
@@alrightdave6135 if you’re already taking your T7 on trails, I think you’ll find the CRF a bit underpowered. I take my 1250GS on trails and until I have to pick it up, I love it. The CRF is great, but it does feel underpowered to me, and for a trail bike, it’s not particularly light either. Worth trying one if you can though.
Really looking forward to your exploits on your new Kove.
Thanks Andrew
Been looking forward to this since Icma. Back up and spares will be interesting too.
Me too! I ordered a box of common spares and service items with the bike. (Levers, filters, gaskets etc.) and all were delivered with the bike. The importer also carries stocks and anything else is, apparently, available from the factory within a few days via DHL.
Look at the Tig exhaustweld on the bottom, absolutley brilliant
🤣. I did a TIG welding course a few years ago. Quite simple to explain… but definitely one of those 10,000 hours things to become great at it!
Andre, beautiful looking bike. It seems like a different world from when I was watching the first videos of your CRF3000l Rally. I am touring Great Britain on my own CRF, and I hope our paths cross.
It is, and yes, I hope so. I’m in the Peak District between Manchester and Sheffield, about a mile from the TET if that’s on your itinerary at all? I’ll also be at the lightweight adventurers festival up here and the armchair adventure festival in Cornwall if you’re passing either of them?
@PeakMotorcycles At the moment my bike is in a garage in Plymouth after crossing over from Spain. I go back in a week, hopefully it is still there.
I was doing the ACT Portugal when I crashed and broke my hip. Recovered now and hoping to tour Great Britain.
Great video on a bike we all want to know more about!
Thanks. Can't wait for another day of riding or messing about in the garage, never looking forward to the day or two at the laptop after though...
Brilliant! I see great attention to detail and it will surely be a bike that we will see very often on the streets. Although it continues to have an exclusively sporty profile despite being a civilian version. If they were able to make a motorcycle approved for two people and with a slightly more comfortable profile with this base, it would undoubtedly become the best-selling in the world.
They have a 800cc inline twin that weighs 180kg with 100hp which is coming later in the year. It's not a Rally bike, but it sounds like something that is closer to what you described.
@@PeakMotorcycles Yes, but it's bigger and less versatile. It will also be more expensive as well.
great video. im not really into enduro but i love my wr250r for daily use. If kove makes a 450 non rally or even sm im 100% going for it. they have put some real effort into this bike and its well thought and designed.
The WR250R is a great bike. I guess the non-rally version of the Kove might be the GPXMoto FSE450R?
Congratulations on acquiring your new Kove 450 Rally (first viewed in your Eicma 22 review) it looks great and appears to be well screwed together, I shall be following your reports on what its like to live with , if it gets the thumbs up and hasn't caused you any grief (after 6 months) I may well dip a toe on the water and buy one.
Thanks Ian, and yes, I was a bit nervous, but I suppose someone has to be first! Even though it's reasonably priced, £8500 is a lot of money to lose (for me...) if it turns up and is junk. Thankfully the production bikes look as good as, if not better than, the pre-production models. It'll take me a while to get a feeling for how it rides and compares to my other bikes, but I'll keep you posted.
@@PeakMotorcycles Your Eicma review on the Kove 450 Rally 'peaked' my interest (no pun intended) so I am definitely impressed you 'bit the bullet' and bought one, will be following your reports on the bike with great interest- on a related note , u mentioned your van in your 450 Rally video , I remember seeing a video last year where u sent your van off to a company to have it converted to carry your GS and act as camper , I haven't seen a follow up video on the Van ,any chance of seeing a video on the completed conversion ?
@@ianmorgan7198 thanks, and yes, the van is now pretty much done. The first company went bust and made a real mess of it so I took the videos down. Then with some stuff at home, I left it for a few months. I found another company who took it in January while I was in India and started fixing things up. It’s now pretty much there with the electrics and water all done, electric lifting bed too. I’ll do a video on it, maybe from the Armchair Adventure festival as it’ll be all set up there and I’ll have a bike in it too.
@@PeakMotorcycles I look forward to seeing your Van report👍
Great looking bike congratulations, I really hope they do well for sales as I used to live in china and know how hard they try to make good products in the right hands. I have a 890 adventure but in a couple of years would consider a Kove depending on parts availability in the uk. My only concern with any Chinese or Indian brands is the quality of steel and fixings used, as I’ve had experience with this subject while over there. Im sure Kove have this sorted, enjoy the bike
Thanks and yes, I think that the people behind Kove have the right focus on quality, and there's so many features that just make sense, that they could have only come from people who ride bikes. Noted re the steel and fixings, and while it is a risk, the Dakar entries, timing and successful completion helps. My bike was due to ship at the end of January and Kove took the decision to delay the shipment of the first bikes in order to make some modifications from what they learned in the Dakar. Though it meant waiting a while, I'm glad they did, and I'm not sure every manufacturer would do the same. It would have been easy to ship the first bikes and still get paid, even though they had some known flaws, so correcting that on the first bikes and delaying by a few months is a positive move.
You own a 890 and your worried about the quality of steel and fixings from China.??? Unbelievable that my experience of quality from anything non chinese in the last 5 years has been so BAD that all my things have been replaced by Chinese made only. With zero problems.
Great walkthrough, thanks for sharing. What is the capacity of each fuel tank? How do you switch between them?
2 x 7L at the front and 17L at the rear. You don’t switch between them, they are all connected. It is possible to disconnect the rear one though.
I saw this bike at the importer last Friday, very impressed with the quality, I went along to have a look as interested in the 800x and if that is the same quality will be on my list. Looking forward to your reviews on this bike, found it quite tall when I swinged a leg over.
It is quite tall, but James has found some lowering options of 50 and 100mm for those that need it.
Congratz! This really looks like a unicorn bike. If the reliability is there, it'll probably sell a lot. I was hoping for ktm or honda to come out with something similar, but they would surely cost at least 50% more than this.
It does. 🤞 on the reliability.
Looks great
I think so. It looks like they've done a decent job of it.
Looks pretty good 👍
I think so. Some people are less keen, but no bike is for everyone.
I so hope this bike comes to Australia. Thanks for the upload.
I think it will, but it's a question of when...
It’s going to take a long time to get ADR compliance. I know. Depending on export pricing & testing costs, it’s going to cost a lot. I’m in the process of finding out who is willing to import it.
Looks very interesting and as an early adopter of a PR7, the standard Kove model seems to be aimed at the same market. The price is very competitive and it looks like a well thought out bike. I've had my AJP for 4 years now and used it for numerous TET trips, and with time and long term it's proven itself very capable. Never had any issues getting parts either which is always a worry for slightly left field bike choices. Well done for being an early adopter, and hope the bike proves to be everything it promises.
I thought I'd replied to this, but perhaps not, or if I did, I didn't save it (apologies). The PR7 is great and either that or the CCM 450GP would have been my other choices in this segment. I spoke to AJP at EICMA last year, and they had some critical part supply chain problems which was slowing production of new bikes. Dealer support in the UK is limited too (as it is with Kove) and though the PR7 is an exceptional bike, that engine isn't getting any younger, so the arrival of the Kove meant that I had a third choice, and I lucked out getting one of the first ones. I hope it wasn't a terrible decision!
It looks well made and its got good gear on it im inpressed actually
Yup, that seems to be a common opinion from those who have seen one.
What a design! Just needs a trip to the Upholsterer for a Fisher type seat job. Would love to see a dyno run. My sceptical nature is guessing 35'ish hp at the wheel with those service intervals. Subscribed.
Thanks Mike. I'd be interested to see what it does on a dyno too. Anyone have one or can recommend one near the Peak District?
Great vid :). I seriously felt emotional watching this. This bike is the first really exciting bike to come out in years - since the T7 probably - No stupid modes, no RBW, no TC - Just a proper exciting bike for real motorcyclists. You say 50hp isn't much but this bike weighs very similar to the DRZ400 (One of my favorite bikes) and puts out 10hp more. Also, from other reviews, I think it has good smooth power everywhere, so it should go awesome. So excited for you. I've joined your channel. I can't wait to see you have adventures on this. I hope it is wicked reliable to silence the haters. It is very pricy (Although not for what it is I guess). But I'm sure if they grow and start mass producing the price could come down a little. I'd love to see this for around $16,000nz (approx $7,800 pounds). Thanks so much for posting and the walk around - you must be so excited. Cheers, Cam from NZ :)
I'd love to see this company go from strength to strength - 500cc parallel twin putting out 60hp and weighing 180kg wet next????
Thanks and yes, I think they’ve done a good job of it and while cheaper would be grand, it’s competitively priced for what it is. As for the 500cc you mention, they have a 800cc parallel twin on the way that (on paper) makes 100hp and weighs 180kg, but I think that’s dry, so it’ll be like a Tenere 700 with +30hp and -7kg…
@@PeakMotorcycles That is exciting... Was that at EICMA?? I remember hearing about something along those lines, but wasn't sure who was building it. There was a bit of controversy about the specs too. That could be a cool bike - provided it comes minus RBW, modes etc. We can really do with another option like the T7.
If they could get the price to $7800 they would be sold out permanently...lol
@@chopshopchopper they do seem to be sold out permanently at the current price, so I don’t think they’ll drop it anytime soon.
@@chopshopchopper Yep, not sure about that, but they would certainly sell very well (which would be well deserved). $8,500pounds ($17,600nz) is the same price as the T7 when it came out. I think that is wayyyy too expensive for a 450cc dirtbike. But, as I said, once they are mass producing them, the cost of every component will come down and hopefully they pass that saving on to the consumer. If the price remains $8,500 pounds they'll be ripping us off like all the Western manufacturers. I want to see KOVE get huge and destroy the current manufacturers - just like the Japanese did to the British and American companies in the 70s.
Very well done video, and we too, have high expectations for this PARTICULAR bike. Just one 'tip' for you, if I may, those clips you mention 3-odd time in the video are DZEUS clips, pronounced something like Zeuss, the God of Thunder, but with a 'D' before the 'Zeus'. DZEUS clips VERY handy for checking something - WITHOUT tools, in the back of beyond, thus perfectly suited to checking air filter (or whatever) on this bike. Cheers, Chris, Flying Brick, Cape Town.
Thanks! I did wonder what they are called, though I thought Zeus was the good of war? (Isn't Thor the god of thunder?) I'm planning on coming to Cape Town for a week in December, maybe hiring a bike and riding around a bit. I might ask you a few questions if that would be ok?
@@PeakMotorcycles It's actually Dzus fasteners, but the "D" is silent.
wow, it finally arrived. grats
It did. 😁. There is a bit of relief that it did!
Looking forward to content on this bike!
Thanks. I’ll try to keep it coming.
Very exciting, looking forward to more on this bike. Currently on a crf250 rally and would like some more oomph without the added weight!
It’s exactly that. I have a CRF300 Rally and a R1250GS. Both good bikes at what they do, but something that can do both (I know I can ride trails on the GS, but you know what I mean!) would be great. Fingers are crossed!
Make lots of videos on this! I’ll watch them all 😅. I want one of thes but I’m in Australia so can’t get one yet
I will do what I can. (Time to make and edit videos was a lot easier to come by during lockdown... though I think I'll find the time for this bike!)
Nice Bike. I like the adventure model
Which one is the Adventure model? Do you mean the 800X or one of the versions of the 450 (Factory or Standard, mine is a Standard)
One of the first deposits in USA. Should be here late August. So excited.
Great! August is near.
Hey thanks for the great breakdown. Just a quick question are the break and clutch levers adjustable?
I think there’s a bit of adjustment with a small
Hex bolt, though I’m not sure if that’s just for contact with the brake actuator on the cylinder. I suspect aftermarket levers will have more adjustment.
@@PeakMotorcycles Thanks for the response! Hope the Kove is still treating you well?
My old and long gone KTM 640 Adv was 20 years ahead of its time....
It was! It seems that ‘middleweight’ adventure bikes are all 200-230kg these days and make more power than many need.
Hi looks very interesting. The rear wheel looks like it has two valve stems? Looking forward to a ride review.
It does, but it has rimlocks fitted front and rear.
Hi Andre. Congrats to your new bike. How are the service intervals for an oil change? Greetings from Germany, Stefan.
The manual says 500, 1500 then every 4000km, but I don’t know if that’s race or trail use. That said, it only takes 1.6L and the drain and filler are easily accessible, so even every 4000km isn’t terrible.
@@PeakMotorcycles Every 4000km sound pretty good. But I guess it`s for easy offroad/ trail riding. For racing I would change it every 1000 km. Thanks for your answer. I am looking forward to your next videos. Greeting, Stefan.
Fantastic vid as always. Thanks.
Thanks!
are the KOVE handguards ALU-backed hand PROTECTORS (aluminum back-bone), or rather plastic (wind/weather) protection only? Cheers, Chris
Alu backed with plastic covers. They don't look as robust as BarkBusters though. When I get the other bolts I'll do a fitting video.
Looking forward to hearing more of this bike... if reliable it could be a good step after my crf250 rally.
Is it via importer only or are they signing up any dealers?
Well done for being the first, enjoy and good luck with it, fingers crossed for it being the Unicorn!
I think there’s one dealer in York, but they are looking for more. I got mine from the importer, but perhaps the challenge at the moment is supply. The first 20 are all sold and the next 12 to arrive are also sold, so getting dealers before they can supply them with bikes might be difficult.
very interesting bike...I currently ride a 25yr old XR400 and this could be nice to give a try too
😁 the XR is a fine bike and 25 years is a long time to wait for a possible (only ‘possible’ 🤣) alternative…
Service intervals would be nice to know. And on what mileage or hours engine rebuild is scheduled?
No rebuild mentioned. Oil change intervals are 500, 1500 and then every 4000km, but I don’t know if that’s for race or road conditions.
Wow, a great looking bike that will do very well if priced sharp 🤙 Enjoy👌
I think they are. this is £8500 on the road in the UK, which seems to be about right for a lot of people to give it a go if it's reliable enough.
Important point, hopefully costs will be covered in future vids.
Had KTM introduced the 490 adventure they would own the market now. Think KOVE will take it with this baby
Yup. I was watching for that and continued to be disappointed. It'll be interesting to see what Royal Enfield come up with for the water cooled 450 Himalayan. Maybe the big launch at EICMA this year? (I'll be there)
Is the hanger for the exhaust mounted directly on threaded inserts, which are moulded into the rear fuel tank? Risky! Or is there a subframe below the plastic?
It looks like it's directly in to the tank, but the clamp is an L shape, so there's a bolt up from the bottom and another in from the side. I'll see how that's attached to a subframe (if at all). I know what you mean though and it looks a bit exposed, but it might be a double skin plastic. Either way, it would have to pass scrutineering for the Dakar, so if it was a risk or dangerous, they probably wouldn't let them race, especially if the damage would be a breach of the fuel tank onto an exhaust in the event of a crash?
The established manufacturers are woefully conservative. Thanks for the review!
They are, but as long as they sell there’s nothing to make them do anything different. Hopefully this does.
The new bike looks great Andre, great intro video. One thing I might have expected on the bike, is a cush drive, it doesn't look like it has one, is that correct? Do you agree this might be an oversight, or did you simply not spec one?
I think it does have a Cush drive… I’ll check but I’m pretty sure it does.
Hello, thanks for your videos...can you tell us about which brands are: motor, wheels, suspension... thans a lot ;-)
Motor is a modified Zhongshen 450 single like the one in the Fantic Caballero 500 but with double overhead cams, new exhaust and fuel injection. Suspension is a Chinese company called Yuan.
Its literally the bike everyone wants but no one makes!
I think so. Let’s hope it’s reliable and they can ramp up production!
I sold my T7 as it was too heavy for me for riding solo offroad , went to a ktm390 adventure, which I love. I would have been sorely tempted by this, from what you've shown, had it been available at the time.
It appears to be really well thought out, and I was surprised how exposed the rear brake cylinder was , because everything else being done so tidily makes it stand out as a flaw (which is a compliment, not a criticism)
There are guards available for the rear master cylinder, and one is ordered! I was also hoping for the rumoured 490 adventure that never appeared.
I also have a T7 in my stable. I plan on keeping it and I do have an order as mentioned earlier on the Kove 450 rally due in September. Both bikes will complement one another within my stable. My YZ250 has a similar rear Reservoir like Kove and it just has a plastic guard over it. Seems like a fairly ordinary design and placement, just needs a little protection. I am amazed at where I can take my T7 but this Kove 450 is going to push the envelope further into the dirt. A very exciting dual sport adventure bike!
@@silverhill377 Aye, I was astonished at where I managed to get to on my T7 (especially when I put AX41 Adventurecross tyres on it), but being older, and riding solo, I was too hesitant for fear of dropping it somewhere I wouldn't be able to pick it back up (hence the 390) . The Kove ticks a lot of boxes, waiting to see the ride report and then I mibbe have a proper sniff around at them :)
The rear brake master cylinder only stood out to me because everything else seemed so well designed and laid out, almost like it was an afterthought. Easy to make a bracket up even out of some b and q bits if there isn't one available from the importers.
Congrats in your purchase and jumping in so soon.
Maube interesting to touch on in a future video:with all tje talk about unicorn bikes. How well suited do you think this bike is for use as a single bike to do it all? So not only offroad but also use as a b-roadachine, highway and as a commuterbike. I know, not what it was intended for but i guess there will be many thinking about it. Especially with the seat height vd lanespliting abilities during city traffic jams for people who are average in height
I’ll do a proper road test, but I think that’s a question better answered after 1-2000 miles of varied riding. Initial thoughts from the 24 miles I did at the weekend are that it’s plenty fast enough but the gearing is a bit low for 70mph cruising. Perhaps dropping from a 49T to a 45T rear sprocket would help.
How do you switch between front and rear tank? I suppose there is only one single fuel pump (unlike KTM, it has one in each tank). Thanks mate, I do appreciate your videos!
As standard, you don’t need to switch. They are all connected. Kove USA came up with a fuel valve switch that bolts to the engine. I have one and will fit it when I’m able (I’m out touring at the moment). That would allow the rear tank to be kept as a reserve and only used when required.
The one thing that worries me is how the exhaust is mounted to the rear plastic gas tank. The pipe sits out pretty far from the bike, I would imagine slapping that side on the ground would snap the exhaust out of that plastic pretty easily, or weaken it over time with heat and crack and leak gas onto the exhaust. So make sure you only fall on your left side :)
I’ll do what I can 🤣. Though three bikes survived the Dakar with the same configuration despite a few tumbles. I’ll put a sticker on the inside of the screen saying ‘fall left’ as a reminder 😁
Hi Andre, thanks for your video. I've seen the Kove 450 Rally last saturday and I immediately fell in love with it. Not yet for sale here in Italy, it will probably be available in autumn. As I was thinking of changing my CRF300L with a Kove, I was wondering what the maintenance intervals are...
Hi Paolo, the manual says oil changes at 500, 1500 and then every 4000km, but I don’t know if that’s race or road/trail use. I’ll do it to start with, but if I’m getting clean-ish oil out at 4000km, I’ll stretch to 6000 or even 8000km. That said, it only takes 1.6L and the oil change access is pretty easy, so it’s no major hardship to do it.
Valve checks?
@@PeakMotorcycles thanks!
Very interesting details and design. Obviously needs some better engine guarding, CF wont last long. The Hex / Torx bolts are nice little touch. Separate tanks / is there a link connection, to keep the balanced?
I think the CF guard is a composite material with the CF for the strength, kevlar (or something similar) for toughness and some sort of plastic/resin to bond the layers together and give it shape. I think it's the same as what is on their Dakar bikes, and it survived that. There is a link connection for the tanks, but it seems that the air vents through the evap cannister don't breathe as well as they should (this seems to affect the fuel gauge readings) and might slow the balance between the tanks. I think I'll replace the Evap cannister and tube with some MX breathers, one per tank, to see if that improves it.
Great video! Love all the detail you provided! What did you pay for it? I look forward to seeing how this bike plays out for you. Congrats and cheers 🍺
£8500 plus £150 for assembly
@@PeakMotorcycles That's a heck of price when you consider all the goodies this bike come with standard! I hope this bike makes Honda and KTM think about things with their upcoming bikes.
A great review, it reminds me a little of the 950 adventure, looks well put together, and so what it's chinese built... most stuff is. I can see, at this price, it will do pretty good, looking forward to more on this bike, I dont suppose you'll be taking it to the LW adv festival? To give us all a look? Looking forward to meeting you regardless, providing I can survive a week on the TET and UK ACT... without breaking something😂
Hi, Good luck on the TET and ACT. I reckon you'll be ok! And yes, I'll be taking it to the LW Adv festival. I appear to be on the bill to talk to the TAMPodcast... so maybe this gives us something to talk about 🤣 It's either that or sizes of spanners.
@PeakMotorcycles great news, you know you're famous in this world when you get on that podcast 👏. Good luck with that pair 🤣🤣, I'm joking of course, they're actually pretty good.
@@steveh100 🤣 I think they were short. And I'm local... that might be enough..
good video
Glad you enjoyed
Is the exhaust hanger bolted to rear fuel/water rank ? If so not good if dropped.
This bike looks like it’s based on a 690/701 rally set up
I think so, yes. It did survive the Dakar though with that setup and they had a few spills. I'll hopefully keep mine intact. I checked the fuel capacity, and the rear tank is massive, 17L I think. The two front tanks are 14L between them, and the other 17L in the rear. I don't think I'll be using the rear tank much as I would expect that 14L will get me more than far enough between refills.
Very cool looking bike. I’m happy you got one because it’s very appealing to me, and I enjoy your content. My biggest question is which bike, between this one, and the 300l, which one provides you with the most Joy. I’ll be anxiously waiting to hear the results! By the way, UA-cam only allowed me to watch this video in 1080p.
Thanks, and it's a bit early to say really. I like the 300 Rally as a trail bike. It's light, unthreatening and has kept me entertained for the last few years. But I also have a R1250GS which has been great for the road based tours where I'm doing 4000 miles in 2-3 weeks. Highway riding on the 300 is tiring and a 300 mile day is hard work compared to the GS. That said, the GS is a 250kg lump, so while it's a good counterpart to the CRF they both do very different things. I'm hoping that the Kove might be as good a trail bike as the 300, while also having longer legs to do more of what I can do with the GS. It'll take me a while to work it out though, so I'll keep you posted.
@@PeakMotorcycles understandably so. I have owned a 300 Rally for 18 months now and I just love it. But I am mostly into off road trail riding. That’s where I find the most joy, so that’s what I’m mostly curious about. Thanks for the reply!
Damn you Andre, I'm looking at my beloved CRF Rally and thinking, 'what can I get for this next year?' It has one more Portuguese TET in it. Thanks, keep it up!
I can only apologise 🤣. I still have my CRF Rally…. Will see for how long 🤣
Looks like a nice setup. At 320lbs that is lighter than the 300 rally. No chain guard?
I think the weights are similar, the 145kg is dry, so with 13L of fuel (like the CRF300 Rally), it’ll be 158kg. It does have double the power though.
Fantastic bike!! If you can make a video when you ride it it would be much appreciated :)
I will. I had to work this week but will get out tomorrow.
Hi, nice video and it’s a good looking bike. What’s the service interval?
Oil changes at 500, 1500 then every 4000km according to the manual. Page 30 in: www.kovepower.com/uploads/8/0/6/7/8067174/450_rally_instruction_manual.pdf
@@PeakMotorcycles thank you 👍