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Good overview, thanks! I've had mine since last summer and you nailed the personality of the Kove. It wants to go fast! The magic happens right around 4,000rpm which is good news/bad news as sometimes I end up going faster than I really want to, but everything smooths out including the suspension and engine. I got mine plated here in Colorado and I've ridden the Colorado BDR as big chunks of it are out my back door. Big rocks and whoops get gobbled up. It is a workout at the end of the day, but the bike rides so much lighter than anything else in its class. I usually don't fill the tanks completely up for shorter rides to cut the weight down a bit more. I haven't had any problems so far and I"ve kept it stock except of hand guards, steering stabilizer and a small rear rack. I have a 32" inseam and I'm on my toes as well while stopped. Thanks for taking us along!
Hi there i own a Kpve 450 and took it on the TET starting in switzerland, through slowenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenrgro to Albania (Tirana). i have a T7 and a CRF 300. I am 60 years old, 30 years of only onroad and now for the last 3 yeas getting into offroad. Started using a GS1200, nope not the bike you want to start with offroad, down to a T7, much better but still not what i needed to learn, then a CRf 300, great bike, i learn a lot on that one (really recommend it to start with) and now up to a Kove. I changed the rear sprocket (now 52 teeth), because stock it has ways to large gears, unfortunatly you need to change the chain as well because stock isnt long enough. Now I really like it, it is the most capable bike i have ridden (much more capable then i am), but it is easy to ride. I does good enough on tarmac, so you can ride mountain passes without a problem or go on the motorway, but it shines offroad. Easy to handle, nimble, very nice fuel range. everyone can ride it, with the bigger sprocket it is also nice in lower revs. What i dont like, my dealer (for me not competent), the fuel get to hot when it is really hot outside (>35°C) so it comes through the venting of the tank, ways to loud (you really have to wear earplugs), when you pressure wash it the stickers come loose. but so far i didnt have problems with it, it now has roughly 4'500km on the clock. Ask questions if you are interested in certain things.
Hello ! Thank you for this ! My only worry on this bike is how to manage the service time with a long trip. Maybe you can tell me how you did this ?! Thank you in advance !
@@ValentinCastagna kove accepts that you go to shops of any brands. So i do it in albania, they have good mechanics, not kove ones but they know how to do it
Glad that a company is finally making a light-weight dual sport bike with some fuel capacity. I hope the execs at Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki are watching.
Oh I’m sure the big three are shaking in their boots because some glorified Chinese junk came on the market at a cheaper price. I give it a couple years and we’ll all look back and say remember when…
Chinese junk? Well that means ktm is junk I mean cf moto makes their engines. Cf moto has been around in the states for quite awhile though they were just making atv’s. Now they are making a factory in Mexico. They aren’t going anywhere
I found the Kove 450bsuper easy to ride. Coming off a wr250r the kove powerband felt familiar and I felt at home. It was super easy to ride slow. I was able to lug and putter in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Slow speed handling felt great. The bike really comes alive when you are up above 6000rpm. It loves to rev and to go fast. Going up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket will help most people. I wasnt so sure about the suspension after my first test ride. But my second day of mostly trail riding convinced me it is totally awesome. You just have to stand up. It absolutely soaked up my local trails and felt smooth and controlled over all kinds of bumps and holes and drainage ditches. Standing was key. Im currently adventure touring on a wr250r. and so i put up with the wr250r on pavement sections..... I could easily live with the Kove 450 on the Hwy. I was impressed with the wind screen and the fairings, i was impressed with how smooth the motor is. Very vibration free. I actually was a bit surprised with how short 5th and 6th were on the hwy. But for Dakar racing it makes sense. For long distance adventure touring a slightly taller 5th and 6th would be nice. But the bike is totally happy to zip along at 70-80 mph. It is the absolute best Street legal light weight Adventure bike Currently being made.
This is such a confidence inspiring comment! I just put a deposit on the Kove, I absolutely loved everything about my adventurized wr250r. Just wished the fuel was held lower and it had a little more power for climbing hills/headwinds on the highway. Glad to see you saying it’s exactly that!
Have had mine since October 23 (ordered Mar) and have 7000km on it. Gew big crashes mostly offroad. This review is pretty accurate but with seat concepts the road confort is much better. I have a Beta 390 for Woods riding and a Tiger for pillion with my wife. The Kove is now 70% of my riding. The Beta stays in the woods now. ABS works very well and is not too aggressive when left on offroad.
Ok, so I've had one of these for about 8 months now, and whilst I love it to bits, I also don't love it for a few reasons. First thing to know is I'm in the UK and this is my first grownup bike since passing my bike licence, Second thing to know is I'm an older guy, long since past the point where nothing dangerous seems scary. When I first got the bike it was unbearably twitchy, especially in any gear third or less, below 4000 revs. This made it really annoying in traffic around town, and downright exhausting on the ride home from my nearest trails. Off tarmac it's wonderful on the "easier" trails where you can twist your wrist without fear of instant death in a rut. As the trails get more technical and rutty and you have to slow down, I found the throttle twitch thing terrifying initially. I'd be going along on the pegs, see something random, instinctively roll off the throttle a half degree and instantly feel like I was about to yeet myself over the handlebars. A millisecond later when -- again, instinctively -- my right hand restored itself to its original position a whole new wave of fear ensued as I tried my damnedest not to get squirted off the back of the bike. But once I got my ECU flashed to the latest Kove official version (1.4 here in the UK) the bike's behaviour is greatly improved on this score. An independent company, Coober, does ECU and exhaust upgrades which are apparently amazing, but I have yet to meet one in the wild. Weightwise, at 165kg it isn't enduro light by any stretch. But as you mentioned, it's dead skinny and because it has a low centre of mass it feels super light when you're on the pegs. The only time you notice it -- and in my case it's shamefully often -- is when you have to pick the damned thing up. Which, because it's so insanely tall (don't buy this bike if you're inside-leg challenged!) means that nine time out of ten it'll decide to take a rest with the wheels pointing uphill. At this point, grit your teeth and get ready to huff, puff, and eff and blind. A lot. As a road bike you're absolutely right, it's pretty rough and ready. It'll do the job, and overtaking on country lanes is great fun but when you've done two hours you pretty much have to get off to consume strong coffee and ice cream for an hour before your butt will think about letting you get back on it. It gets a decent amount of attention at biker cafes, so if you're into a good chat it's not a bad bike for that. It's pretty easy to work on(*) if you're into that sort of thing. There are a lot of quick release fasteners and even getting to the rear shock area is pretty easy -- undo two bolts, take the seat off, and the rear tank can be flipped up for easy access to all the important bits (although a friend of mine who did this recently also discovered that those bolts are a complete pain in the 4rse to get back in afterwards.) Finally, as an indicator of reliability, I know a guy has done 10-12,000+ miles all across Europe in rough terrain, and apart from sticking to the oil change schedule and doing one on-the-road crash repair, nothing untoward has come up so far. There are some things you'll want to do, like replace the rear-to-front tank connector with a proper petcock and if you can be bothered, replace the flow tube between the front two tanks with a beefier one. And definitely replace the stoopid Y-shaped breather hose that runs all the way down to the bike to a carbon cannister with apparently no valve in it (whose idea was that?) because if you don't, every time you drop the bike, the next thing it'll do is piss all over the floor. So overall, how do I feel? Well, as I say I love it to bits. But I'm not entirely sure it loves me particularly. I suspect it'll love me more when I become a much better rider, especially off road. I also worry that this is a terrible bike to learn on and that maybe I should get something more road friendly for longer journeys and a 300 2-stroke to learn how to do dirt properly before I'm ready for this bike. If you're a good rider, this is a GREAT bike. If you're not, there may be better things out there. (*)
I built a lowly drz400s a couple years ago after your first couple of videos. It is fitted out with G-Loop gear, 4gal tank, Athena big bore kit and a wide ratio gear set. I love all of your content but i still have so much to learn. It's going to be a while before my skill set can ring all of the potential out of my drz. I'll keep enjoying your content while I plod along camping from my little old Suzuki. I bought it used with 4k miles for $2k dollars. Cheap Thrills!!! Cheers
I rode their bike at Giant Loop this year. I didn’t particularly like it. However the Kove guys were awesome!!! My brothers trailer blew a tire on his trailer on the way home. Out of all of the cars that drove by. The Kove guys were the only people to stop and check on me. As my brother left me on the side of the road with his trailer. My brother let their boss know. They were just genuinely nice people!
Glad you got to ride the bike. I am a dealer for them in Denver. Lots of fun to ride. The suspension softens up after you get some miles on it. also helps to have the suspension adjusted to your weight. Aftermarket seats are available. We just got our first street legal bike. Very smooth. A little quieter. Reliability has been very good so far and parts are easy to get.
I’m still a newish rider with a Honda 250L Rally. The more videos I watch about other dual sport bikes make me content/happy with the 250 Rally. The rally is far from perfect but it just seems to do the job it was designed to do relatively well. I do wish, as many have said, Honda would make a 450/500 Rally.
I’ve owned mine for about a year now. First thing I did was ride it from Seattle to Cabo. The 300+ mile range is definitely nice in Mexico. It has a surprisingly amount of wind protection. My previous bike was a 501 set up for ADV. The bikes are very similar except the 501 has insane low end grunt. The noise does get tiring. I think it’s more from the intake. The bike does like to rip. The suspension does feel stiff at first. But it gets better as you go faster. I’m 240 and am yet to bottom it out.
Fantastic review (as always!). And I'm totally with you. Got to ride one with KOVE Canada a few weeks back. Definitely happiest at higher RPMs, but the bike is dead simple. It's the perfect bush bike, little electronics, easy to fix most things. And that fuel capacity is insane! The one i rode was 3/4 full and was still crazy nimble! Can't wait to try it again with only a 1/4 full down low in the front wings. KOVE Canada is hooking me up with one in Oct for the rest of the season. Sooooo stoked to put in some real time on this monster!!
I own one. Got it back in October, and it runs great, always starts and I was able to easily license it in Washington. Previously, I've owned a WR250R, CRF 450L, Tuareg 660, and an ancient KLX 300 (kick starter and carb). I also own a Triumph 1200 Scrambler XE, with a low exhaust, but it is much too heavy to ride solo in sketchy terrain (I'm in my 60's with one open heart surgery behind me). This bike is closet to the CRF 450L, but with better service intervals, a larger tank, and better electronics. Simple to work on, and the community is great. I find the suspension to be similar to the Honda. The road legal version is different from the one I own - road legal version has a restricted airbox (which lowers the intake noise) and a more restricted stock exhaust similar to what is sold in Europe. Those items reduce the hp from 51 to low 40's; still more than I need most days, but I'm glad I have the uncorked version. I'm likely a CRF300L rider now, but my ego likes the Dakar race bike ability that I cannot really handle anymore. I wish it was quieter. My hearing isn't getting any better, but that is why I have a electric mountain bike. The Kove is for my BDR rides. If I do the TAT (when I retire), it will be perfect. Likely invest in a seat concepts seat, like I did with the WR and the CRF.
Oh don’t say that people will be up in arms. They say Chinese junk but will buy everything else from China. I mean even the bike they own has Chinese parts.
Great review, thank you. Did a test ride on one in Canada back in May - loved it and ordered one. Hopefully the street legal ones show up in Canada before the snow flies.
I would have thought the PR7 would be higher on the request list than the Kove. Personally, I’m more interested in it. I definitely trust your opinion on bike reviews. I may have been riding motorcycles longer than you, but you have put so much time in the saddle in the past 3 years or so, and have ridden so many different bikes, I think your opinions and reviews are enough to let me know what to expect from a certain bike way before I ever get the opportunity to ride it. Excellent work. Keep it up. Oh, you’re also really lucky. I’m sure you haven’t heard that very often.... Lol.
1 year and 3k miles, no issues so far. 3 oil changes, a ton of air filter changes, and 3 rear tires. The Kove is how I dip my toes into ADV riding. It’s definitely the most capable bike for 9k dollars.
Kind of wish this bike would have come out before I built my 350, but I don't regret my build one bit. Eagerly awaiting the CF Moto 450 video though. That's definitely on my list to add to the stable.
I love your energy and your Stoke level. You are fun to watch. Thank you for your content. Also I'm happy you're loving this bike as much as I do :-) it works so dang good for my rental tour company, I think I'm adding two more to the fleet for overnight expeditions to Sedona/Grand Canyon In short, I think it is the most capable well-rounded lightweight adventure bike that majority of mass people need. While I can't say it's the most cushy like you referred to in your video, I think it's the most well-rounded that anyone can hop on and go anywhere on it. On road or off-road. You don't gotta be scared of dropping it and not being able to pick it up, and you're not limited to the smooth gravel roads, you can get off the beaten path and go somewhere gnarly and not get in over your head like you can on a big 500 pound adventure bike. Never understood how an adventure bike requires two people to pick it up. How is that self sustainable on an adventure? From renting and touring, I'm horrified of sending out the big adventure bikes to customers and I'm horrified of sending them down to route that might be too rocky for them and I send them into their doom. But this rally 450, I ain't worried cause I know people can physically get through it There's a feedback perspective from an avid hard Enduro dirtbike rider, that has come into the adventure world and fall in love with it, a tour guide and bike rental company, and one that has hated the big adventure bikes because of how ridiculously oversize they are, and how limiting they are on where you can go. Adventure bike that can't leave the gravel road it's like being at that Disneyland autotopia car ride that isn't allowed to leave the metal guide track. I wanna be able to go wherever I wanna go and not be limited by my machine. This kove rally 450 is everything that I think an adventure bike should be
it was really cool seeing the kove 800x there i even watched a guy take it around the challenge course he described it as extremely snappy on the throttle thats a bike im super looking forward to seeing more of
I have the previous street legal version with the quiet exhaust but the "race" air box, the intake noise gets really annoying riding the highway at 65mph. Everything else has been great! The suspension is identical to the honda 450rl and it's fully adjustable, i softened mine quite a bit. It doesn't like to putt around slow tho... If anyone wants a slightly used one check out marketplace in Billings Montana.
As a bike that likes being run at higher RPMs to really get its true performance envelope, revisit the current model year of the KTM 390 Adventure. A review would truly be warranted to be able to compare this model with the upcoming new 390 Adventure model which is ready to hit the adventure bike market very soon in the near future.
OK I want to upgrade my 96 KX 250 Would you compare to that or is this the bike I want and remember I’m older than you that’s CF Moto 450 MT might be the way but I think this for 50 Kove is sick
Uncomfortable on the road but how? Need more on this! Engine vibration? Noise? Seat? Wind buffeting? Currently on a PR7, i find it very plush. But do like the fuel consumption and range of the Kove. I put around most of the time, vibration and noise is important. Maybe i should just have gotten a CRF300L Rally but wheelies are fun!
Can you ask them if there are any potential dealers around Atlanta coming? Biggest issue for me is there's no nearby dealer in the Southeast. The closest seems to be in SC and is 5 1/2 hours, though general impression is it's fairly reliable. That said, if there was an issue, it would suck.
@@wesb123 - Yeah, but the 30L fuel capacity for less than a KTM has the Kove selling well. Well see how well the Kove holds up, and KTM has the cam problems now.
@@wesb123 - KTM doesn't really have anything to compete with the Kove 450, which is why I think it's so popular; you can buy a fixed fairing the smaller KTMS, but it's a lot of money. The 30L on the Kove is in three tanks, and the weight is proportioned well. I'm waiting to see what the new 2025 390 adventure is like.
I just Googled “china law makers putting forth a mandatory law that requires motorcycles to be turnover and destroyed regardless of condition when they hit 13 years of age.” Wow, it’s on Reddit and multiple other sites showing big cc motorcycles being crushed and ground up. How come no one else is talking about this but me? I must be crazy! Ha ha
Saw one in person at a different touratech rally in NH last weekend, it was a neat lookong bike. They didnt have demos of them there, but I would love to take one for a rip.
@@brandonrides8953It was parked next to one of the vendor tents in the middle area, I noticed it partway through Saturday, I don't know if it was there the whole event. Had a blast.
It is totally ok in slow speed stuff. All you need to do is stand up. Standing the bike feels fantastic. It is not harsh at all. I was able to start in 2nd from a stand still and putter around on trails with ease.
@@Berecutecu They are. I just picked mine up this morning from C and D Cycle Center near San Diego. The only Kove dealer in Cali. All registered, just waiting on plates to come in.
The Kove is way way smoother. The drz vibrates like a paint shaker in compairison. The kove suspension is also much nicer then a drz400. And the kove feels great on the hwy. Oh the drz makes 34hp and the Standard Kove is 50hp and the street kove is 42hp
Dynos at 39hp and 23.5 torque at 420lbs and $9k. If that works for you great, but spending $1700 more for 30 more HP and 27 torque with a T7 that you can get under 430lbs easily seems much more sensical.
And it’s unfair to compare 8 gal vs the 4 gal of the t7. So the weight Of a Kove with 4 gal is 356 lbs. So almost 100 lbs lighter. Also the kove carries the fuel lower down so it feels even lighter.
It is very easy and forgiving to ride.... but it also makes you feel like a much better rider then you are. Its super easy to get going super fast. the bike is just so comfortable at speed.
The CEO, who was pushing R & D of this bike ‘stepped down’. Multiple mechanical issues in Dakar race. Parts not ez to obtain. And little to no dealer network. Hard pass!
Dakar rally is kind of a torture zone for any bike, and anything could go wrong on any bike, but I think for kove was more a way of testing the bike and learning from what works and what's not ,and that's what experimenting is all about.
Dakar performance is hardly a fair comparison for what was essentially a production bike. Nobody else out there had a bike anywhere close to an affordable street legal model...
Chinese bike for those that cannot afford a Japanese/Austrian bike. I'll keep my high maintenance Six Days me thinks, but to each their own. Wassup Dork?
I have one of these Chinese bikes. Would rather not spend 15k dollars or more to have a comparable Japanese/Austrian bike. Or 35k for the most comparable Austrian bike which doesn’t exist for mortals like myself. Until then, I’ll keep winning dirt bike races on the Kove.
@@Trailfocused Like I said, 'To each their own.' $35k?!? I don't know that I have ever seen a $35k adventure bike on any showroom. I am glad the Kove fits you & you are winning races. Pretty soon, the EXC-F 500 will probably be made in China like some other KTM adventure bikes are.
@@-SLOTH the comparable Rally bike from KTM is 35k. It’s a very rare bike. But the exact bike the Kove competes with. The most expensive Adv bike is going to be low-mid 20’s like the 890 rally and BMW. I’m hoping KTM sticks to Europe as much as possible.
Oh look, Dork is on the clown bike. I hear they will finish 1-2-3 at Dakar this year...lol. Everide was PAID to like his and they had a worse year at Dakar than they did the year before.
Repeat, but slowly. Finished. Dakar. Only issues were with the prototypes, which were completely different to the standard models. Finishing Dakar at all is a great accomplishment. Don't underestimate Dakar.
@@darko_lengkeek-jakupovic You can finish Dakar on almost anything. A stock DRZ would finish Dakar. I wouldn't call 49th place a successful finish for the Kove Clownbike Manufacturer. How did Honda do with zero hype leading up the event last race?
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@@DorkintheRoad As always good review video. I would like to see you try Can-Ams new ADV trike Can-Am Canyon
@DorkintheRoad is this a single or a two cylinder engine?
Good overview, thanks! I've had mine since last summer and you nailed the personality of the Kove. It wants to go fast! The magic happens right around 4,000rpm which is good news/bad news as sometimes I end up going faster than I really want to, but everything smooths out including the suspension and engine. I got mine plated here in Colorado and I've ridden the Colorado BDR as big chunks of it are out my back door. Big rocks and whoops get gobbled up. It is a workout at the end of the day, but the bike rides so much lighter than anything else in its class. I usually don't fill the tanks completely up for shorter rides to cut the weight down a bit more. I haven't had any problems so far and I"ve kept it stock except of hand guards, steering stabilizer and a small rear rack. I have a 32" inseam and I'm on my toes as well while stopped. Thanks for taking us along!
Hi there
i own a Kpve 450 and took it on the TET starting in switzerland, through slowenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenrgro to Albania (Tirana). i have a T7 and a CRF 300. I am 60 years old, 30 years of only onroad and now for the last 3 yeas getting into offroad. Started using a GS1200, nope not the bike you want to start with offroad, down to a T7, much better but still not what i needed to learn, then a CRf 300, great bike, i learn a lot on that one (really recommend it to start with) and now up to a Kove. I changed the rear sprocket (now 52 teeth), because stock it has ways to large gears, unfortunatly you need to change the chain as well because stock isnt long enough.
Now I really like it, it is the most capable bike i have ridden (much more capable then i am), but it is easy to ride. I does good enough on tarmac, so you can ride mountain passes without a problem or go on the motorway, but it shines offroad. Easy to handle, nimble, very nice fuel range. everyone can ride it, with the bigger sprocket it is also nice in lower revs. What i dont like, my dealer (for me not competent), the fuel get to hot when it is really hot outside (>35°C) so it comes through the venting of the tank, ways to loud (you really have to wear earplugs), when you pressure wash it the stickers come loose. but so far i didnt have problems with it, it now has roughly 4'500km on the clock.
Ask questions if you are interested in certain things.
@@ruedigerfriebel8454 how much did you needed to adjust the valves allready?
Hello ! Thank you for this ! My only worry on this bike is how to manage the service time with a long trip. Maybe you can tell me how you did this ?!
Thank you in advance !
@@ValentinCastagna kove accepts that you go to shops of any brands. So i do it in albania, they have good mechanics, not kove ones but they know how to do it
@@SweetlakeFreestyle sorry i dont know what the mechanics did adjust.
@@ruedigerfriebel8454 thank you very much for your answer!
Glad that a company is finally making a light-weight dual sport bike with some fuel capacity. I hope the execs at Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki are watching.
Oh I’m sure the big three are shaking in their boots because some glorified Chinese junk came on the market at a cheaper price. I give it a couple years and we’ll all look back and say remember when…
@@OhioGuy82 That was a cf moto 450mt. This kove 450 would smoke the 300L.
@@Mentholox Ugh. My bad. Good call. How embarrassing.
Chinese junk? Well that means ktm is junk I mean cf moto makes their engines. Cf moto has been around in the states for quite awhile though they were just making atv’s. Now they are making a factory in Mexico. They aren’t going anywhere
As far as move they are newer but they completed the Dakar rally. Say what you want but that 450 is undercutting ktm by thousands.
I found the Kove 450bsuper easy to ride. Coming off a wr250r the kove powerband felt familiar and I felt at home. It was super easy to ride slow. I was able to lug and putter in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Slow speed handling felt great. The bike really comes alive when you are up above 6000rpm. It loves to rev and to go fast. Going up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket will help most people. I wasnt so sure about the suspension after my first test ride. But my second day of mostly trail riding convinced me it is totally awesome. You just have to stand up. It absolutely soaked up my local trails and felt smooth and controlled over all kinds of bumps and holes and drainage ditches. Standing was key. Im currently adventure touring on a wr250r. and so i put up with the wr250r on pavement sections..... I could easily live with the Kove 450 on the Hwy. I was impressed with the wind screen and the fairings, i was impressed with how smooth the motor is. Very vibration free. I actually was a bit surprised with how short 5th and 6th were on the hwy. But for Dakar racing it makes sense. For long distance adventure touring a slightly taller 5th and 6th would be nice. But the bike is totally happy to zip along at 70-80 mph. It is the absolute best Street legal light weight Adventure bike Currently being made.
This is such a confidence inspiring comment! I just put a deposit on the Kove, I absolutely loved everything about my adventurized wr250r. Just wished the fuel was held lower and it had a little more power for climbing hills/headwinds on the highway. Glad to see you saying it’s exactly that!
Have had mine since October 23 (ordered Mar) and have 7000km on it. Gew big crashes mostly offroad. This review is pretty accurate but with seat concepts the road confort is much better. I have a Beta 390 for Woods riding and a Tiger for pillion with my wife. The Kove is now 70% of my riding. The Beta stays in the woods now.
ABS works very well and is not too aggressive when left on offroad.
Ok, so I've had one of these for about 8 months now, and whilst I love it to bits, I also don't love it for a few reasons. First thing to know is I'm in the UK and this is my first grownup bike since passing my bike licence, Second thing to know is I'm an older guy, long since past the point where nothing dangerous seems scary.
When I first got the bike it was unbearably twitchy, especially in any gear third or less, below 4000 revs. This made it really annoying in traffic around town, and downright exhausting on the ride home from my nearest trails. Off tarmac it's wonderful on the "easier" trails where you can twist your wrist without fear of instant death in a rut. As the trails get more technical and rutty and you have to slow down, I found the throttle twitch thing terrifying initially. I'd be going along on the pegs, see something random, instinctively roll off the throttle a half degree and instantly feel like I was about to yeet myself over the handlebars. A millisecond later when -- again, instinctively -- my right hand restored itself to its original position a whole new wave of fear ensued as I tried my damnedest not to get squirted off the back of the bike. But once I got my ECU flashed to the latest Kove official version (1.4 here in the UK) the bike's behaviour is greatly improved on this score. An independent company, Coober, does ECU and exhaust upgrades which are apparently amazing, but I have yet to meet one in the wild.
Weightwise, at 165kg it isn't enduro light by any stretch. But as you mentioned, it's dead skinny and because it has a low centre of mass it feels super light when you're on the pegs. The only time you notice it -- and in my case it's shamefully often -- is when you have to pick the damned thing up. Which, because it's so insanely tall (don't buy this bike if you're inside-leg challenged!) means that nine time out of ten it'll decide to take a rest with the wheels pointing uphill. At this point, grit your teeth and get ready to huff, puff, and eff and blind. A lot.
As a road bike you're absolutely right, it's pretty rough and ready. It'll do the job, and overtaking on country lanes is great fun but when you've done two hours you pretty much have to get off to consume strong coffee and ice cream for an hour before your butt will think about letting you get back on it. It gets a decent amount of attention at biker cafes, so if you're into a good chat it's not a bad bike for that. It's pretty easy to work on(*) if you're into that sort of thing. There are a lot of quick release fasteners and even getting to the rear shock area is pretty easy -- undo two bolts, take the seat off, and the rear tank can be flipped up for easy access to all the important bits (although a friend of mine who did this recently also discovered that those bolts are a complete pain in the 4rse to get back in afterwards.)
Finally, as an indicator of reliability, I know a guy has done 10-12,000+ miles all across Europe in rough terrain, and apart from sticking to the oil change schedule and doing one on-the-road crash repair, nothing untoward has come up so far. There are some things you'll want to do, like replace the rear-to-front tank connector with a proper petcock and if you can be bothered, replace the flow tube between the front two tanks with a beefier one. And definitely replace the stoopid Y-shaped breather hose that runs all the way down to the bike to a carbon cannister with apparently no valve in it (whose idea was that?) because if you don't, every time you drop the bike, the next thing it'll do is piss all over the floor.
So overall, how do I feel? Well, as I say I love it to bits. But I'm not entirely sure it loves me particularly. I suspect it'll love me more when I become a much better rider, especially off road. I also worry that this is a terrible bike to learn on and that maybe I should get something more road friendly for longer journeys and a 300 2-stroke to learn how to do dirt properly before I'm ready for this bike. If you're a good rider, this is a GREAT bike. If you're not, there may be better things out there.
(*)
I built a lowly drz400s a couple years ago after your first couple of videos. It is fitted out with G-Loop gear, 4gal tank, Athena big bore kit and a wide ratio gear set. I love all of your content but i still have so much to learn. It's going to be a while before my skill set can ring all of the potential out of my drz. I'll keep enjoying your content while I plod along camping from my little old Suzuki. I bought it used with 4k miles for $2k dollars.
Cheap Thrills!!!
Cheers
I rode their bike at Giant Loop this year. I didn’t particularly like it. However the Kove guys were awesome!!! My brothers trailer blew a tire on his trailer on the way home. Out of all of the cars that drove by. The Kove guys were the only people to stop and check on me. As my brother left me on the side of the road with his trailer. My brother let their boss know. They were just genuinely nice people!
Glad you got to ride the bike. I am a dealer for them in Denver. Lots of fun to ride. The suspension softens up after you get some miles on it. also helps to have the suspension adjusted to your weight. Aftermarket seats are available. We just got our first street legal bike. Very smooth. A little quieter. Reliability has been very good so far and parts are easy to get.
I’m still a newish rider with a Honda 250L Rally. The more videos I watch about other dual sport bikes make me content/happy with the 250 Rally. The rally is far from perfect but it just seems to do the job it was designed to do relatively well. I do wish, as many have said, Honda would make a 450/500 Rally.
Thank you Ben for the great review! Great to see new bikes in the market, cheers!
I’ve owned mine for about a year now. First thing I did was ride it from Seattle to Cabo. The 300+ mile range is definitely nice in Mexico. It has a surprisingly amount of wind protection. My previous bike was a 501 set up for ADV. The bikes are very similar except the 501 has insane low end grunt. The noise does get tiring. I think it’s more from the intake. The bike does like to rip. The suspension does feel stiff at first. But it gets better as you go faster. I’m 240 and am yet to bottom it out.
I seen a few Koves when I was at the dealership looking at my AT. I just couldn't get into em but it's rad to hear good things about them
Fantastic review (as always!). And I'm totally with you. Got to ride one with KOVE Canada a few weeks back. Definitely happiest at higher RPMs, but the bike is dead simple. It's the perfect bush bike, little electronics, easy to fix most things. And that fuel capacity is insane! The one i rode was 3/4 full and was still crazy nimble! Can't wait to try it again with only a 1/4 full down low in the front wings.
KOVE Canada is hooking me up with one in Oct for the rest of the season. Sooooo stoked to put in some real time on this monster!!
I own one. Got it back in October, and it runs great, always starts and I was able to easily license it in Washington. Previously, I've owned a WR250R, CRF 450L, Tuareg 660, and an ancient KLX 300 (kick starter and carb). I also own a Triumph 1200 Scrambler XE, with a low exhaust, but it is much too heavy to ride solo in sketchy terrain (I'm in my 60's with one open heart surgery behind me). This bike is closet to the CRF 450L, but with better service intervals, a larger tank, and better electronics. Simple to work on, and the community is great. I find the suspension to be similar to the Honda. The road legal version is different from the one I own - road legal version has a restricted airbox (which lowers the intake noise) and a more restricted stock exhaust similar to what is sold in Europe. Those items reduce the hp from 51 to low 40's; still more than I need most days, but I'm glad I have the uncorked version. I'm likely a CRF300L rider now, but my ego likes the Dakar race bike ability that I cannot really handle anymore. I wish it was quieter. My hearing isn't getting any better, but that is why I have a electric mountain bike. The Kove is for my BDR rides. If I do the TAT (when I retire), it will be perfect. Likely invest in a seat concepts seat, like I did with the WR and the CRF.
the Build quality in the crf300l is terrible. Stick with the Kove 450. It feels like a premium model compared to the ultra budget crf300l
Oh don’t say that people will be up in arms. They say Chinese junk but will buy everything else from China. I mean even the bike they own has Chinese parts.
I’m excited to get mine, put a deposit down for the first batch that comes to my area!
Great review, thank you. Did a test ride on one in Canada back in May - loved it and ordered one. Hopefully the street legal ones show up in Canada before the snow flies.
I would have thought the PR7 would be higher on the request list than the Kove. Personally, I’m more interested in it.
I definitely trust your opinion on bike reviews. I may have been riding motorcycles longer than you, but you have put so much time in the saddle in the past 3 years or so, and have ridden so many different bikes, I think your opinions and reviews are enough to let me know what to expect from a certain bike way before I ever get the opportunity to ride it. Excellent work. Keep it up.
Oh, you’re also really lucky. I’m sure you haven’t heard that very often.... Lol.
1 year and 3k miles, no issues so far. 3 oil changes, a ton of air filter changes, and 3 rear tires. The Kove is how I dip my toes into ADV riding. It’s definitely the most capable bike for 9k dollars.
Would love to hear more direct comparison to your 450L. Thanks!
Kind of wish this bike would have come out before I built my 350, but I don't regret my build one bit. Eagerly awaiting the CF Moto 450 video though. That's definitely on my list to add to the stable.
It is on the list for the next bike. The price and fuel capacity are a bonus. I rode with Crashy Moto this year on his and it was awesome.
I love your energy and your Stoke level. You are fun to watch. Thank you for your content.
Also I'm happy you're loving this bike as much as I do :-) it works so dang good for my rental tour company, I think I'm adding two more to the fleet for overnight expeditions to Sedona/Grand Canyon
In short,
I think it is the most capable well-rounded lightweight adventure bike that majority of mass people need. While I can't say it's the most cushy like you referred to in your video, I think it's the most well-rounded that anyone can hop on and go anywhere on it. On road or off-road. You don't gotta be scared of dropping it and not being able to pick it up, and you're not limited to the smooth gravel roads, you can get off the beaten path and go somewhere gnarly and not get in over your head like you can on a big 500 pound adventure bike. Never understood how an adventure bike requires two people to pick it up. How is that self sustainable on an adventure?
From renting and touring, I'm horrified of sending out the big adventure bikes to customers and I'm horrified of sending them down to route that might be too rocky for them and I send them into their doom. But this rally 450, I ain't worried cause I know people can physically get through it
There's a feedback perspective from an avid hard Enduro dirtbike rider, that has come into the adventure world and fall in love with it, a tour guide and bike rental company, and one that has hated the big adventure bikes because of how ridiculously oversize they are, and how limiting they are on where you can go. Adventure bike that can't leave the gravel road it's like being at that Disneyland autotopia car ride that isn't allowed to leave the metal guide track.
I wanna be able to go wherever I wanna go and not be limited by my machine. This kove rally 450 is everything that I think an adventure bike should be
Never heard of Kove until today. And now you uploaded this lol. I'm intrigued to see their 800 ADV bike
it was really cool seeing the kove 800x there i even watched a guy take it around the challenge course he described it as extremely snappy on the throttle thats a bike im super looking forward to seeing more of
That was me! The 800x was super snappy in sport mode. Eco was a bit better. The first time I rode the 800 was on the challenge course. Trial by fire
Hi - nice job - edit your description " it's (worth) considering." You rock, Bub.
You sir, ride the most interesting bikes!
8:15 i was just thinking to myself "but is it confidence inspiring?" 😂
Reminds me a lot of my 690 with rally kit. You had to wring it's neck, and it would perform. Picking through technical stuff it hated it.
Very cool bike! I'm diggin' it!
You need to ride it with the clickers backed out. You can make it ride pretty soft.
Pro tip: Seat Concepts have a couple options for aftermarket seats for these.
I have the previous street legal version with the quiet exhaust but the "race" air box, the intake noise gets really annoying riding the highway at 65mph. Everything else has been great! The suspension is identical to the honda 450rl and it's fully adjustable, i softened mine quite a bit. It doesn't like to putt around slow tho... If anyone wants a slightly used one check out marketplace in Billings Montana.
I'm curious how you would compare the KOVE vs the DRZ? I know the power delivery is going to be
different for sure, but how about the suspension?
As a bike that likes being run at higher RPMs to really get its true performance envelope, revisit the current model year of the KTM 390 Adventure. A review would truly be warranted to be able to compare this model with the upcoming new 390 Adventure model which is ready to hit the adventure bike market very soon in the near future.
Welp, we need you to compare these and the Himmy 450 now.
OK I want to upgrade my 96 KX 250 Would you compare to that or is this the bike I want and remember I’m older than you that’s CF Moto 450 MT might be the way but I think this for 50 Kove is sick
Uncomfortable on the road but how? Need more on this!
Engine vibration?
Noise?
Seat?
Wind buffeting?
Currently on a PR7, i find it very plush. But do like the fuel consumption and range of the Kove. I put around most of the time, vibration and noise is important.
Maybe i should just have gotten a CRF300L Rally but wheelies are fun!
Ben your alright mate, I've got to liking you Evan some of you comments, when you run the BDR was you running the tusk 2track tires.
If you would have taking your ktm 790 in the same trail , it would have done it in the same way but more confortable ????
Absolutely not ! Dont compare a heavy railwagon to something light and nimble
Can you ask them if there are any potential dealers around Atlanta coming?
Biggest issue for me is there's no nearby dealer in the Southeast. The closest seems to be in SC and is 5 1/2 hours, though general impression is it's fairly reliable. That said, if there was an issue, it would suck.
2nd most requested bike: CFMOTO 450 MT 😁
Good video. Why did it take the Chinese to make the bike so many have been asking for?
Can't you adjust the suspension to make it plusher?
You realize it’s a KTM clone right?
@@wesb123 - Yeah, but the 30L fuel capacity for less than a KTM has the Kove selling well. Well see how well the Kove holds up, and KTM has the cam problems now.
@@Davran2742 just get an aftermarket tank..
@@wesb123 - KTM doesn't really have anything to compete with the Kove 450, which is why I think it's so popular; you can buy a fixed fairing the smaller KTMS, but it's a lot of money. The 30L on the Kove is in three tanks, and the weight is proportioned well. I'm waiting to see what the new 2025 390 adventure is like.
@@Davran2742 then why do all of the KTM vs KOVE videos exist?
I just Googled “china law makers putting forth a mandatory law that requires motorcycles to be turnover and destroyed regardless of condition when they hit 13 years of age.” Wow, it’s on Reddit and multiple other sites showing big cc motorcycles being crushed and ground up.
How come no one else is talking about this but me? I must be crazy! Ha ha
Have you ever seen how many motorcycles are in China?
How long are you going to sit on the CF Moto 450 MT Video that you were exceptionally graced and privileged to ride in South Dakota???
Adjust the clickers?
Saw one in person at a different touratech rally in NH last weekend, it was a neat lookong bike. They didnt have demos of them there, but I would love to take one for a rip.
I was at the same rally and didn't see it!
@@brandonrides8953It was parked next to one of the vendor tents in the middle area, I noticed it partway through Saturday, I don't know if it was there the whole event. Had a blast.
First notice about this bike is shaked voice of rider on it. Like Janesa Brasil on Synbian ;P
Where can you get one in Oregon? Was there a dealer that lent you the bike?
I just don't understand we can't have something like this from Honda?
Where was Tim? 🎉 Cheers Ben
Is the rear suspension adjustable so it doesn't beat you up if you are riding slower and less technical terrain?
It is totally ok in slow speed stuff. All you need to do is stand up. Standing the bike feels fantastic. It is not harsh at all. I was able to start in 2nd from a stand still and putter around on trails with ease.
Yes it's adjustable, I softened mine quite a bit.
Any adjustable shock settings?
Yes fully adjustable
Is there a change coming to Oregon rules on off road licensing?
I have one in Oregon. With a license plate. Walked into the DMV and got a plate the same day. 1 year ago.
I'm still waiting for the street legal version be approved in California
@@Berecutecu They are. I just picked mine up this morning from C and D Cycle Center near San Diego. The only Kove dealer in Cali. All registered, just waiting on plates to come in.
Or just a used DRZ400 for half the price?
The Kove is way way smoother. The drz vibrates like a paint shaker in compairison. The kove suspension is also much nicer then a drz400. And the kove feels great on the hwy. Oh the drz makes 34hp and the Standard Kove is 50hp and the street kove is 42hp
Perfect thanks!
The DRZ has worse suspension and vibrates a hell of a lot compared to a Kove. Besides, the Kove already has large fuel capacity and a fairing
Shaun Springs
Dynos at 39hp and 23.5 torque at 420lbs and $9k. If that works for you great, but spending $1700 more for 30 more HP and 27 torque with a T7 that you can get under 430lbs easily seems much more sensical.
It's 380lbs full of fuel, way lighter than a T7
And it’s unfair to compare 8 gal vs the 4 gal of the t7. So the weight Of a Kove with 4 gal is 356 lbs. So almost 100 lbs lighter. Also the kove carries the fuel lower down so it feels even lighter.
Yeah, restricted. Unrestricted I've seen them dyno'd and 52 HP
Kove sells a taller windshield 😊
We were literally talking about dork hopefully riding a 450 like an hour ago. CHINA IS LISTENING TO ALL OF US
Remington Curve
Aaron Mills
Catharine Rapid
Hopefully, this and REs new 450 will finally get Japan off their asses.
The Japan version will cost 15 grand
Check out Beau at cross trainin adventures an Andrea at peak motors all on you tube.
Still waiting for the 800 rally to get to the UK 🇬🇧
🏍️🏍️🙏🙏👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
McCullough Trace
❤🇬🇧
Johathan Rue
Hermiston Creek
It’s pronounced Ko-vay? Who knew.?
Marjolaine Run
Treutel Park
Bradtke Estates
This is a good beginner adv right? I mean I've got 20 years of road experience. Probably won't kill myself....
It is very easy and forgiving to ride.... but it also makes you feel like a much better rider then you are. Its super easy to get going super fast. the bike is just so comfortable at speed.
Schmitt Plaza
Norberto Oval
Aimee Lake
Powlowski Centers
Akeem River
It will fall apart.
No it won't. They held up perfectly at Dakar. The only issue were the prototypes, which were entirely different bikes.
Correct. My license plate fell off, some time ago.
Dejuan Island
The CEO, who was pushing R & D of this bike ‘stepped down’. Multiple mechanical issues in Dakar race. Parts not ez to obtain. And little to no dealer network.
Hard pass!
I have 2338 miles as of yesterday. Zero issues with my bike so far. It takes a KTM air filter so I'm worried about that.
Dakar rally is kind of a torture zone for any bike, and anything could go wrong on any bike, but I think for kove was more a way of testing the bike and learning from what works and what's not ,and that's what experimenting is all about.
Dakar performance is hardly a fair comparison for what was essentially a production bike. Nobody else out there had a bike anywhere close to an affordable street legal model...
Last year they did great didn’t they? Every single brand out there has massive mechanical failure every year
This bike didnt break down in dakar. That was the Race bike with a different motor.
Chinese bike for those that cannot afford a Japanese/Austrian bike. I'll keep my high maintenance Six Days me thinks, but to each their own. Wassup Dork?
I have one of these Chinese bikes. Would rather not spend 15k dollars or more to have a comparable Japanese/Austrian bike. Or 35k for the most comparable Austrian bike which doesn’t exist for mortals like myself. Until then, I’ll keep winning dirt bike races on the Kove.
@@Trailfocused Like I said, 'To each their own.' $35k?!? I don't know that I have ever seen a $35k adventure bike on any showroom.
I am glad the Kove fits you & you are winning races. Pretty soon, the EXC-F 500 will probably be made in China like some other KTM adventure bikes are.
@@-SLOTH the comparable Rally bike from KTM is 35k. It’s a very rare bike. But the exact bike the Kove competes with. The most expensive Adv bike is going to be low-mid 20’s like the 890 rally and BMW. I’m hoping KTM sticks to Europe as much as possible.
Oh look, Dork is on the clown bike. I hear they will finish 1-2-3 at Dakar this year...lol. Everide was PAID to like his and they had a worse year at Dakar than they did the year before.
Repeat, but slowly. Finished. Dakar. Only issues were with the prototypes, which were completely different to the standard models. Finishing Dakar at all is a great accomplishment. Don't underestimate Dakar.
@@darko_lengkeek-jakupovic You can finish Dakar on almost anything. A stock DRZ would finish Dakar. I wouldn't call 49th place a successful finish for the Kove Clownbike Manufacturer. How did Honda do with zero hype leading up the event last race?
I paid Kove 9k to ride the bike. It pays me back in smiles Everytime I ride it 😮
Kove positioned themselves in the mid section with almost equally many top brands before and after them.