First Ride: Kove 450 Rally 4K
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- First Ride: Kove 450 Rally 4K
This is my first ride video on my Kove 450 Rally. It's a road ride, on a bike with brand new tyres and brakes, so this isn't a performance test. It's also on road, so if you're hoping for Dakar-like shots or review, then the Dakar coverage is a better place to look!
That aside, if you're interested in how the bike behaves on the road, under various different conditions, including at 50mph, 70mph, through towns and twisty country lanes with my thoughts on the brakes, gearbox, engine braking, screen, dash, suspension and more, then perhaps this might be interesting.
It is rather long, for which I can only apologise. I did think what I could cut, but as it's a new bike, and this is the first customer production model, I left it all in. I have added chapters, so you can easily skip bits that are not of interest.
Thanks again to James at Kove UK for sorting out my bike and getting it road registered and available for pickup in just a few days.
There will be a much shorter follow up video for the trail section mentioned in this video.
Thanks for watching
00:00 Introduction
01:50 First thoughts
03:53 Hill Climb
06:11 Power roll on
06:37 Front wheel wobble
08:02 70mph run
10:43 Town riding
11:41 Twisties
15:10 Halfway thoughts
17:40 Rain
18:36 Fuel gauge
19:24 More low speed town riding
21:32 Suspension test
23:30 Trails (see other video)
24:20 Engine braking
25:10 Fuel economy
25:58 Conclusion
#kove #kove450rally #kove450 #rallybike #adventurebike #dualsport #rally #peakmotorcycles - Авто та транспорт
The Kove 450 Rally is a good way toward being the lightweight adventure bike we need. Overall, a good first effort. Suggestions: taller windscreen, large rear rack, engine protection, quieter exhaust, more accurate fuel gauge, more comfortable seat (or Seat Concepts after market replacement), balance the front wheel and raise the gearing a bit for better road use. I don't need rim locks but I do need tubeless spoke wheels, so I'd convert those rims to tubeless at the first tire change. Maybe Akropovic will make a quiet titanium exhaust. I'm surprised the loud Kove 450 Rally passed your regulations for import. My only nit to pick is I thought the switch gear looked a bit low budget for a bike in this price range.
I love the nod to simplicity and ease of use and maintenance. Major kudos to Kove for the huge fuel capacity, the body panels that can be easily removed without tools and the big air filter on top that's easily serviced by removing the seat.
I'm not put off by the lack of dealer support. I do my own wrenching. As long as there is a website or phone number where I can order parts and have them shipped anywhere in the world... we happy.
My biggest hope is that Kove is so wildly successful with their 450 Rally that BMW and the big four Japanese manufacturers are finally forced to manufacture the lightweight adventure bikes we want. I think they know their big heavy adventure bikes are pigs on the dirt but they're all pretending otherwise to justify the cost of their big, heavy, expensive adventure bikes. Even when grudgingly forced by the market to make a small adventure bike, they all treat their smaller adventure bikes as beginner bikes to get new customers on the upgrade path to their more expensive bikes. Many of us don't want an 850 or 1300 cc "adventure" bike because our idea of adventure isn't city and highway miles. It's past time that we have a true adventure bike instead of the choice between dual sport bikes that really are not very good on the road, and "adventure" bikes that are street bikes with more off road aesthetics.
Thanks, and yes, I think I agree with all of that. Just one thing on the sound is that it's not exhaust noise, it's induction noise so changing the exhaust won't help. Changing the inlet manifold or putting soundproofing around it should quieten it down, and one is in development for later this year. I also hope other manufacturers will respond positively to Kove's success. We shall see.
Yes It seems like a very good bike and therefore It cannot be bought in my country.
Very happy to see this video posted! Your concerns about the noise echo my own. I appreciate your informative 1st ride review and will check the front tire balancing when I get my Kove - hopefully in September. I already planned on installing the steering damper. Very excited to watch your future videos on the Kove.
Glad it was helpful! And good luck for September. May I ask which steering damper you were considering? I think the factory bikes come with a Scott, but there’s also several lookalikes (with Kove 450 mounting brackets) available…
huge round of applause, thank you for bringing one of the first customer ride experience on the web
Thanks Jack.
Great series of videos Andre . I’ve been waiting patiently for a true honest review of this bike . I’m definitely gona go take a closer look 👍🏻 keep up the great work 👍🏻🏍️💨
Thanks Pete. I’ll probably have a few more to come. I’ve festivals and visitors for the next few weeks but will add some of the accessories after that, and also make any other videos around suspension setup, servicing etc.
Thanks for posting these vids so quickly. Much appreicated.
Thanks, I think I could do more, but you know, day jobs and life gets in the way 🤣
Andre you're my go to thoroughly professional personable aspiration. I've followed you from the start when I bought my 300 Rally here in NZ and loved your series. That ride covered some great roads and your commentary achieved (my opinion) what most of us wanted to hear. I agree with you about exhaust volume both at the comfort level and the long term in terms of conserving where we love to ride off road. I thought if I understood correctly, that I would be happy getting 66mpg. Its good to hear that the rear sub frame will cator for rackless pannier systems such as Giant Loop etc. From my point of view having an adventure channel myself, I like the clean unclutted cockpit layout. I have high expectations for future episodes of this series watching you developing and personalising to your requirements, the Kove. Your first video in this series made a strong impression as to the quality and inventive ideas Kove have. Cheers.
Thanks, and I do what I can. Some things work better than others. I sort of talk through things that matter to me, and while that might not be what everyone wants to hear, it’s popular enough. Thanks again, and good to hear from you! Cheers.
This is the bike adventure riders in the US have been begging for.
Kove has hit a home run with this.
I hope it is, and that they can make enough of them.
Yeah. I wonder why the Japanese stopped selling similar bikes. The demand is there it seems. I'm happy with my crf300l and I dont like loud bikes, but this looks quite good and really if this was an XT450 Yamaha could sell a crap load of those. Wasted opportunity.
I would say aside from the higher RPM on the freeway, it is. It’s geared surprisingly low. But maybe a little gearing up would handle it.
I am not sure how this is better than the 300 rally? The only problem with the Honda is that it is slow on the freeway. This bike looks even slower so unless it’s a lot cheaper i don’t see the point of it.
@@khalahari7629 it would be boring if we all liked the same things. I have a CRF300 Rally, and comparing the bikes, the Kove is lighter, had double the fuel capacity, twice the power, and has higher quality components such as the cush drive on the rear wheel, the fully adjustable suspension (compression and rebound damping) as standard front and back, and even all the bolts are higher quality than the Honda and are torx/hex and galvanised where the Honda is not. Maintenance is a lot easier too on the Kove, and it comes with a Lithium battery as standard. I can only assume that none of these things are important to you, in which case the Honda sounds like your perfect bike. Ride safe!
A really good informative review! Thanks for spending the time doing it. I enjoyed the hint of smile during your first summary - it says alot😁. Looking forward to the next video and i am now itchimg like a small child at christmas for miy Kove 450 to arrive.
Thanks! (In fairness, I enjoy riding most bikes on country roads, but yes, it's easy to smile about this bike) May yours arrive shortly.
Great video, thanks 🙏
The Kove 450 is on the shortlist for my next ride
Excellent. I hope you can find one!
That first run looks like it was fun. I look forward to seeing more of this bike from you in future videos. It definitely has me interested. Great content, as always.
It was and I’ll see what else I can do. Thanks.
Cheers for the chat in your last video. Popped up to Petersfield yesterday to meet James and check the bikes out. Nice bit of kit, construction looks sound and well thought out. Looking Forward to your ride video. Oh yes, engine sounds awesome on startup.
Thanks Dave. It was tough having to work all week with the bike in the garage, though it was good to get out for several hours yesterday to try various things. The editing today wasn't exactly how I'd choose to spend a sunny Sunday though!
@@PeakMotorcycles would you not get the wheel balanced normally before riding? I ride a Svartpilen which has a healthy grunt at most times so not worried about noise because my landlady hasn’t complained , yet. Nice to see that the tires are compact and handling different scenarios. Look forward to the off-road video, many thanks for your updates.
So far im impressed
Lookin forward to watching the off road part
Looks perfect for our conditions here in Oz
Thanks. I’ll do what I can. The first trail video is quite sedate. After I’ve done the first couple of services I’ll find somewhere more interesting to ride. The trail video should be up tomorrow (if I can finish the edit in time)
Great first ride video. Looking forward to the intial trail experience.
Thanks
This is awesome, thanks so much for the indepth first ride!
Thanks. My apologies if it was a bit long…
@@PeakMotorcycles Dude, no worries! You didn't repeat yourself and I loved that you used it in a multiple situations on the road since almost everyone has to ride a road at least to get to the trail and I'm super interested in using it as a lightweight ADV for short trips.
I think this is an infinitely more useful video than the 5 min first rides that people do and are like "the bike feels good."
First impressions are good Andre, i think it's shaping up to be a very capable bike. 👍
Early days but we shall see.
I love that sound man.
Aye, it does sound good. Takes a bit of getting used to though.
Thank you for this video mate!
You’re welcome!
Wow, thank you for the video. I was looking forward to seeing this bike in real life in UK. It's more and more apparent that we need a 450 "adventure " bike for reasonable money. I hope that kove will be able to dent the market enough for others to notice. Keep those videos coming especially trail riding. If you'll decide to go south to Salisbury plains area ping me.
Thanks. Will do. I’ll be down at the Armchair Adventure festival in a few weeks with the Kove. It’s not Salisbury, but it’s on the way.
@PeakMotorcycles never heard about it but I'll Google it and see if I'll be able to join
The idea of balancing the front wheel is definitely a very good one. You should also pay attention to a possible radial run-out of the front wheel, I had this with my Tenere 700 at the very beginning. If necessary, let the air out of the hose, roll it briefly and then pump it up again. With me, a higher pressure of 0.2 bar solved the problem. Now, with new tires, the problem is completely gone. Greetings from Germany and many thanks for the videos :-)
Thanks. Will try the balancing first, and if still there will try reinflation. Thanks! 👍
A friend of mine had troubles with his T7 frontwheel aswell!
Good memories when I see you riding up this hill 😊
It hasn’t changed much over the years!
I’m sure it’s louder in person, but it’s the same tone that my 300 Rally had when I pulled the snorkel out. That deep induction roar.
Thanks! I should probably measure it, or go riding with someone and ask them how loud it sounds…
Great review as always Andre must admit I love the look of your Kove and you picked the best roads for the road test (I,m a regular at Moneyash) hopefully you will get the few little issues ironed out.
On the subject of the seat I had my DRZ400 seat redone(it was like sitting on a piece of 4 x 2 and killed my back) with a better density of foam and a new hand made cover by Motorcycle Seatworks in Wyke near Bradford £125 all in,it is a proper old school place but his work is second to none and the seat has now transformed my rides I can do 150 mies no problem.
Ride safe
Martin
Thanks Martin, it's a nice part of the world. I know Motorcycle Seatworks well. Damon does all my lowered seats for the CRF300L and Rally that I sell in the Peak Motorcycles shop. He's a top chap! I'll probably ride my Kove stock for a while to see if the seat softens up, and then pay him a visit to see what he thinks.
Cheers,
Nice video. Gives me a fair idea of the bike on how it would be on typical usage. I used to have a Himalayan and miss the smaller bikes of this type sometimes.
I have a Scram 411 and a CRF300 Rally. This is definitely a step up, whilst still being fairly lightweight.
@@PeakMotorcycles yeah the Himalayan and the CRF feel underpowered even for what they're supposed to do. Hoping the better power to weight will make this more fun.
I love how the bike sounds on the video, I bet live sounds even better. Honestly on road, judging from this video, the bike does better than I thought it would. :)
Yup, I am slightly relieved that I haven’t wasted my money… or at least initial indications are good.
@@PeakMotorcycles I'm really glad to see that your videos about the Kove are finding a lot of people, and many are interested to see the bike and your content. Keep up the good work Andre :)
I think the airbox noise is fooling you with the overall volume
Thanks. Good to know!
Kove is the bike everyone in the US wants. Come on Japanese manufactures !
I agree about the noise. It definitely sounds like induction roar rather than exhaust noise 👍🏻
i reckon the same…sounds like induction noise (can’t actually hear any exhaust noise)…with the airbox that big and in the location it is….the mic from the gopro picks it up
@@Kelly-oq9nhthis is the UK. We already have it.
It's so like my XT!! I've got a loud exhaust too. It worried me at first cos it scares sheep and horses, but I got used to it and now I love it. And like you say, when you're on trails it doesn't need high revs, just putter along at 2-3k no problem. Enjoy.
Yup, all of that. The XT’s are great bikes!
@@PeakMotorcycles Time for your trip to Ireland now...
Thanks for your first impressions, Andre. Seems to be a really good bike. That wobble should be gone when the front wheel's balanced. That exhaust/intake noise stays, though. You cannot have it all. Looking forward to seeing your long trail ride in the Peak District, Günter/Nürnberg
Thanks Günter and yes, the noise is there, though perhaps as intake noise it sounds worse on the bike due to the gap in the tanks and to the outside world it's not bad at all... maybe!?
@@PeakMotorcycles You need a neighbour to judge if it's quieter from the outside. My old CBR 600 RR has a lot of intake roar, it's much noisier for the rider. And the Aprilia 1100 V4, well, it's by far not as noisy than a Streetfighter V4 ;-)
I’ll keep an eye for you when I’m out on my CRF 250😃👍🇬🇧
Likewise. I'm the one on the bike covered with Peak Motorcycles stickers 🤣
Keen to hear what a seasoned dirt bike rider thinks of it.
I’ve enquired about them as we don’t have them here in Australia yet.
I wouldn’t mind importing them if they’re good.
Backup always seems to be the problem with new manufacturers here.
Ktm husqvarna Yamaha pretty much rule off road here in new enduro bikes.
We get very hot weather here but ADV market is massive.
I ride a lot of bikes, but a seasoned dirt bike rider I am not I’m afraid. I wish I was. I ride trails, and have started doing off-road rally’s on my GS (one more on that, and I’ll probably switch to the Kove…) and I’ve done some dirt bike travel in India, Bolivia, Colombia… that all sounds like I’m more competent than I am, but I assure you, I still think of myself as a novice.
Same here with the same brands for enduro, though GPXMoto are becoming a more common site and are the same importer as Kove for the UK.
So far, getting spares has been easy but I haven’t broken anything unusual, yet, so we shall see when that happens 🤣. I’m sure they l get to Oz when they can, it’s bound to be a big market for them. It’ll be a question of supply though. Right now there’s a wait in the US and UK, and EU homologation is in progress and a lot of interest there too. They are not a big manufacturer, so this level of interest might have caught them out a bit. We shall see.
good stuff, some thoughts, as others have said a lot of sound heard at least on the video is induction noise which is common to higher performance machines, your CRF and most other road based vehicles will have some kind of an inlet sound baffle (snorkel) on the airbox the KOVE does not even have an airbox, Induction noise is usually less obnoxious than exhaust noise, perhaps some kind of prefilter may quieten it a little but doubtfull unless Kove come up with a cover which they may well do to allow more market accessibility your stuck with it. Set the sag for a basic suspension setup before any consideration to steering dampers.ine . As I remember the fuel tanks were full with you when speaking of performance chassis or engine for this particular bike it may be worth commenting how much fuel (weight) is on board as full tanks (unrealistic) for many will make a significant difference. Great honest real world rider info. We met at the ABR Ireland rally last year I was the Welshman on the yellow GS.
Thanks! It was with 31L of fuel, though, having tried it and now I know it’ll do 200 miles on just the forward tanks, the rear will be drained and saved for special occasions. I’m sorry that I missed Ireland this year; I was in Corsica on a bike tour though so it was just about ok!
Been to the .Monyash Smithy many times..... Good riding roads round there
There are. I’m a regular 😁
Like most people I’m sure I have some trepidation about any new manufacturer and even more so a Chinese one, but my goodness if that’s not a beautiful bike. I want it to be a success so that some of them trickle into the used market and so it hopefully influences the bigger brands to put a similar bike out. I think it looks amazing.
Yup. It is a struggle, and I must admit it was a bit of a gamble. I did see one in person at EICMA last year and it looked good enough to try, but until this week, I’d never ridden one. So far I am relieved but time will tell.
Thx for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Very interesting video and Bike. I believe Kove may be the 1st chinese brand to silence the doubters. Im very interested in the rally and factory version. I have had 4 BMW GPS and now ride/race old man class enduro in France. I think this bike could open up new possible for me for simpler extended trails/randonees in France. Of course also for me is the "Dakar" look which i love. Kove have this spot on. The induction roar on the video is what I think is making the noise for you also. Single cylinder bikes are hard to silence inlet and outlet. Overall I think I want 1..
I hope so, though I’m sure there’s still a few useful tweaks that could be done to the bike for day to day riding. I’m still working out what they are but as more and more of them ship, more and more third party manufacturers are coming up with parts. I still have my 1250GS which has its place for touring and even rallying, but I like the idea of a lightweight bike and lots of fuel that comes ready to go from the start. I’m sure they will sell a lot more when the EU homologation is in place. Good luck with whatever you decide.
good video
Thanks
That is an incredibly desireable machine. I would not want to leave it anywhere in town for more than a few minutes!
Towns are all a way away from me. This is fine!
Difinetly interested to see how you get on with the bike the Peaks seem like a great place for the Bike
I’ll keep you posted. (Glad you found the channel!)
biggest concern is reliability over time for the engine and gear box, i will be getting one if it all checks out and i really hope it does !
Absolutely, only time will tell.
The engine is already proven, it's in the fantic and ajp I believe , although this is the twin cam which is new out
@@fozzy1717 yup, it’s the Zhongshen engine that’s in the Fantic Caballero 500, though the twin cam head increases the power from 39hp to 50hp, so perhaps that will need to be proven. So far, mine is still running smoothly.
Nice video. For the noise, sounds more like air intake noise booming in the airbox than just exhaust nose
Yup. It is.
i know buxton and the surrounding area well. i imagine that bike would be really capable on camping trips up through wynats pass, goyt valley even in winter. when all the cars are stuck that bike will get you where youre heading.
I’ll need heated grips for that! 🤣
Around the 04:00 mark, the loud sound might be because of the air filter. When you sit on it, is sounds louder than it actually is when you are not on the bike. So don't worry about complaints due to noise, worry only about the fact that the naz- I mean, HIKERS, will complain anyway and there's nothing you can do about it. It's a them problem. Another note, the redline is normally not 9k rpm. It normally goes way above 10k rpm. Because the bike is in it's break-in stage it wont let you rev higher than 9k.
🤣. A few folks have said the same. I shall persevere. Good to know about the 9k too!
Agree with wheel balancing, front needs doing, not had the wobbles on higher speed, but only gone up to 65 so far.
I think most of the noise you refer to is induction roar, when you crack the throttle open - air filter is high and has no box really . My old FZR 600 had a similar sound, as does some of the later WR250’s.
My fuel gauge is erratic as well, shows full then empty when it’s full , low fuel warning, strange messages on display, , poor translation I think ?
I agree with you regarding clutch , brakes and gearbox.
Suspension feel good but hard, behaves on road, handles nice, but for the dirt and my weight (just under 13 st) it definitely needs some tuning
Nice neutral riding position, seats a bit hard, but not as bad as a std ktm exc.
Found the wind protection good, bit of buffeting around the helmet, but that’s to be expected really
I ride a 690 enduro and a 400exc, it’ feels more exc than 690, good lock, light, flickable and good road manners.
Only done one short fairly flat lane so far and about 80 road miles.
I’m please with mine so far, few minor issues, but nothing that can’t be sorted.
Yes , the noise that comes with opening the throttle is induction noise , a less restrictive muffler will reduce induction noise but increase exhaust noise . My WR 250 F has the same type of issue , I fitted a FMF slip on muffler and now the exhaust is much louder than the induction noise , but in reality it is less noisy to me the rider as the noise is behind me rather than right below my helmet .
Thanks for all that Roy. Sounds like a similar experience. Thanks for your other note too. I’ve been out for the evening and am only catching up now.
Roy, does it fell like a wide ratio tranny (400 exc) or more like a narrower ratio tranny (690)?
I’m still loving that bike!
The exhaust noise doesn’t bother me at all.
My KLR 650 is at least that loud, with it’s Jardine exhaust.
I’m curious to know the wheel diameters.
When you were parked up, it looked like the wheels were exactly the same diameter.
I’m used to, and definitely prefer a 21’ front wheel.
Looking forward to more Peak Motorcycles fun with the new Kove!
It's a 21" front and 18" rear. I sort of got used to the sound by the end and several people have mentioned that it's induction, not exhaust noise, and it sounds worse sitting on top of the bike than it would from the side, so perhaps I'll wait and see. I'm enjoying it so far!
Watching the steering wobble I was reminded of my 2009 dl650. Wobbled all over until I installed a fork brace.
Still though very interested in this bike. Not sure how many will arrive in Canada next year though.
I'll try a few things. I'm sure I can sort it. My guess is the wheel balance will fix it. Not sure what a rimlock weighs, but it's a bit of weight to put just outside the rim that isn't balanced anywhere.
Thanks for the straight forward review. I didn’t notice you mention handlebar vibration on the road at any speed. Was there any? How were your hands afterwards?
Not particularly but it’s quite smooth for a single and the bars are on a fancy shock mount clamp, so I wouldn’t really expect it either.
Cheers for the vid and the fuel consumption figures. Took a while to work out, but I eventually got the km/l figure. I've never understood l/100km. What use does it have? Magazines started using l/100km sometime in the late 90s and we got stuck with it. Useless measurement, unless you have amazing skills with complex division.... Anyway, It looks like the average fuel consumption is: 23.4km/l. The front fuel tanks give around 23 litres of capacity. So on the front tanks alone, you have a max of 540km, or conservatively 500km. That is a lot of range. Auzzies doing bush trips will probably opt to use the rear tank for water. However, if they are doing desert riding, they are going to love those rear tanks for that extra range (36L) - giving an estimated range of 842km, or certainly over 750kms conservatively. (I'm sure hours of sand riding probably eats fuel :) Cheers, CAM from NZ :)
I think the front tanks are only 7L each, 14L total with the other 17L in the rear. I’ll report back on long term consumption and include km/l when I do!
@@PeakMotorcycles I worked it out on an article that said the rear tanks held 3 Gallons - So figured that left 5 Gallons in the front tanks... Can't find any specs online that state exactly what the tanks hold - only the 8 gallons total. Be great to hear your fuel figures. Thanks for the reply. Cam from NZ :)
@@actstuntcam I was going from the owners manual which said 14L up front. Page 27 (28 in the .pdf) of www.kovepower.com/uploads/8/0/6/7/8067174/450_rally_instruction_manual.pdf
That seemed to be match what I put in too.
@@PeakMotorcycles Well, can't argue with that. HHHmmm definitely need those rear tanks then.
B9bbķ9
Very interesting & revealing video, André, which, as usual, I watched from soup to nuts. Sort out the front wheel balance (no PDI by the importer?) & lower the gearing & you're all set for miles of smiles.
They did a PDI but perhaps didn’t take it up to 70mph? I guess Enduro bikes might not spend long at high speeds so it’s less of an issue?
That noise is coming from the air cleaner as it suck air into the injections system, my BMW GS 650 Darker is the same air cleaner is on top what looks like the gas tank, that bike looks so bad ass 👍
Yup, a few people have corrected me on that!
Yes another dual sport bike I can't buy in Sweden!
But next year another adventure bike 250kg 1200cc + 200bhp will be awaleble.
Or a perhaps another Enduro bike ligth weight that need maintenance after I uses the horn 3 times.
love the dealers in Sweden.
I feel your pain. Come and visit!?
Thanks for the review the bike is looking good. How much mechanical engine noise is there?
Would you compare it to a typical ktm exc engine or a trail bike engine eg crf300/ 690 enduro r ?
There is very little mechanical noise. Almost none in fact, so I’d say less than any of the bikes in your list.
This is what I'm after, a good ride and thoughts on the bike. Some of that exhaust noise, on the acceleration over 4000rpm, sounds like intake noise.
Do you have to fill the two front tanks separately?
Did you manage to convert the left side of the gauge to English?
I always go on my odometer for when I need to refuel.
A few folks have said it’s intake noise. It sounds likely given the location of the air filter and the gap between the tanks directly in front of me. The two tanks do fill separately, and yes I switched the dash to English (see the last video before this orb 😉)
I like the look of thyat tea room. Nice boike, too. 1990 [Nick J]
The Old Smithy is something of an institution. It’s part of my standard weekend lap.
Loving the videos, looking at getting one of the bikes myself and wandered about how confident you are with supply of spare parts?
The main supplier also does the gpx enduro bikes another really good bike. There parts back up is very good with quick turn around from China. Obviously this has just been launched so you got to give them some time to sort stuff out , but you would hope the limited dealers will have some stock for warranty claims.
Yup, what @1gp100 said. Though I ordered a load of service parts which came with mine. The rest have been quoted as 3 days from China with DHL. Won’t know ‘till I try it though.
@@PeakMotorcycles from what I have seen from the gpx guys who are racing them the parts backup has been great , but also with the gpx 300r , it's basically a ktm and alot of the parts are identical, especially the engine and suspension.
Kool looking bike wish they had these back in the day , did you manage to get into 6th on the dual carriage way ? Enjoy the ride bro 🖖
I did, but it was still sort of noisy and the wheel wobble was annoying. I'll try again with a balanced wheel, and again if I go to a 45T rear sprocket.
Be interesting to try the Fantic Rally 500 back to back. It’s essentially the same motor without the dual overhead cam.
Yup, different exhaust and fuel injection too, so this is 50hp vs 39hp on the fantic. Weights are similar though.
@@PeakMotorcycles I wondered if it kept the character of the engine in the Fantic. I have the scrambler which is more road biased, but same engine. Don’t know how the gearing compares with the Kove, but mine is comfortable at 5th/6th at 30 mph. My 701 Vitpillen struggles in 3rd at the same speeds.
You mentioned engine braking - early on I was holding lower gears and it felt a bit like surging as the bike felt jerky, but I began to realise it really didn’t need lower gears and it’s been happy riding ever since. Even mild off road it’s happy in 3rd or 4th at relatively low speeds, but the suspension is a bit hard for anything but rough gravel tracks, where the Rally comes into its own.
Awesome bike. Does it feel heavier than the 300L (with similar amount of fuel in the tank), or about the same weight?
It feels lighter. But I think it’s how it carries the fuel. On the Kove it’s down both sides, on the CRF, it’s on the top.
Waiting for the 450rally here in Argentina, in theory should be here in December 🤞. I'm waiting for your comments because you come from a crf 300 and I have a voge300rally (similar in power/weight/size).
Good luck for December! 🤞 (I also come from a BMW R1250GS, and this sits between them, though closer to the CRF)
Love the bike. Unsure if it's the recording, but it does sound restricted (air/exhaust) and not free revving?
Hi, I was trying to keep the revs down. Sometimes 🤣. You know, for running in…
Get her in the dirt and let’s hear what you think? Well done video.
I’ll get to that before too long.
Hello Andre, maybe I mised... Which one version is your Kove? Tall or lower version? That hight you are?( in inches and centimetres?) How you feeling in sadle? And how Kove feels? Top heavy like Tenere, or low heavy?
I am very interesting in this motorcicle, and can't desided about ordering it...
Hi, it’s the standard (tall) version. I’m 6’1”/185cm. Saddle is comfy. I’m on half tiptoes both sides or one flat/one peg. Bike feels light, and of your two options, low heavy (there isn’t really any weight on the top)
I'm curious to see how you are going to set up phone/GPS and rear bags, I'm interested in this bike for a long adv trip in Africa and my initial idea was to buy the roadbook tower (without roadbook) and adapt it for the phone's wireless charger + GARMIN zumo XT. I'm looking forward to the next video ;)
I have the bike specific phone mount and rear rack, and I’ll probably use some soft bags. Video to come in the next week or so on both. Just one festival to get through this weekend.
The last thing you should do is buy a steering damper. Some basic setup and maybe having that front wheel balanced will almost certainly solve the issues you experienced.
Last thing? There are a things before that for sure, I was just considering other options.
@@PeakMotorcycles I'm not a fan of Steering dampers - they cause issues and cost money. Also, I'm of the opinion that if a bike requires one, it indicates some major design compromises. Anyway, I'm sure you'll sort it with the wheel balance and probably by increasing the preload in the rear shock.
@@PeakMotorcycles Play with your tire pressures too. Makes a big difference on this style of bike.
Balance the wheels, adjust suspension -set your rider sag, install Flexx handlebars , bar end weights from e.g. Barkbusters, Scotts or MSC Moto steering damper. Does Kove 450 Rally have Cush drive hub?
Yup all that, and yes it has a Cush drive hub.
I like your "mere mortal" review approach, means more to ordinary riders than some massively gifted "super rider". I have a CCM GP450 which is a great bike spoilt a little by excessive vibrations in the bars and particularly the lefthand footpeg, how was the Kove for vibes?
I'd almost go for barely mortal 🤣 But yes, seeing these pro riders throw around heavy adventure bikes like they are a trials bike looks pretty cool, but doesn't help the rest of us with what is achievable. Perhaps I'm too far off the other end of the scale.
The GP450 is great, and if they were still available, it would have been on my shortlist. I've only ridden the Kove for 4-5 hours so far, and I haven't noticed the vibration, so I'll say that it definitely isn't excessive, and probably even barely noticable. I will do some more riding in the coming weeks though and will confirm if that remains the case.
@@PeakMotorcycles 4-5h of riding on pavement and don't notice vibes - i see only 2 options. You are cross rider... or vibration is very low.
On Suzuki DRz400 after 1-2h of riding the earth starts to vibe...
I would like to know more about construction and build quality in general. Whats behind those body plastics and how everything sits on a metal frame? In case of a crash, what would be the weakest link?
I’ll get to some of that at some point. Might be a month or two away though I’m afraid as I’m at bike events for the next three weekends and I have a day job during the weeks. I will see what I can do though. The next few videos will probably be balancing the front wheel, fitting crash protection, phone mount and rear rack, and maybe suspension setup. If any of those require panel removal, I’ll give a close look.
My kove is coming up the Suez canal as I type , what's it like on the road, sounds revvy on the road at 40mph or wasn't you in top?
Awesome! It’s pretty good on the road other than the front wheel wobble above 60mph. But that can be fixed. The noise is induction noise, more related to throttle position than revs or speed.
I've been really struggling with the bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz vibrations of my G310GFS which go through my feet, legs, arse and unfortunately balls. Very uncomfortable at 60+. What's the vibration of the bike like?
Pretty smooth for a single. No problems yet.
How long would you last on that seat and can you get a softer version?
Ride safe mate
👍
I did 5h yesterday and I noticed it more at the start than at the end. So perhaps it’s not as bad as it could be!?
Hi Andre,
I’m in Leicestershire and wondered if I could come up and have a look/sit on your bike? Saves me going to North Yorkshire or down south? Happy to buy you a pub lunch as a thank you.
Cheers,
Ed
Hi Ed, I’m sure that can be arranged. Drop me a note to admin@PeakMotorcycles.com
Thanks
Nice riding vid, thanks. Just wondering what the service intervals look like mileage wise.
Oil changes are 500, 1500, then every 4000km, so 300, 900 then every 2500 miles.
@@PeakMotorcycles Well, that’s certainly better than the CRF 450 rl and KTM 500, thank you .
Can you clarify where you got the information from. There are different informations on the Web. However the official kove instruction manual states an oil change every 500km for the first 2000km, after that every 2000km. It also advices to half that in harsh conditions.
@@bawcdr.division304 mine doesn’t. Page 30 (31 in the .pdf): www.kovepower.com/uploads/8/0/6/7/8067174/450_rally_instruction_manual.pdf
@PeakMotorcycles thanks for responding. I have now found the manual you are referring to on the kove UK website. On page 1 you can see it's the second edition from November 2022.
On the international kove website you can find the third edition of the same document from January 2023: kovemoto.com/uploadfile/202302/2acd58074879f5c.pdf
I would really love to see the 4000km oil change intervals. I will be following along your journey to see how it plays out. Tanks for putting out content about this bike so quickly
Great video. Sound is like KTM?!
Not sure. I have several bikes, but none are a KTM... I'll see if I can find someone who has one and compare.
I wonder how well it handles luggage on it? Saddle bags or a "trunk" if it will work.
I have a rack and will put some saddlebags on. There will be a video 😁
Any long term review/comments? Would love to know how the bike's holding up reliability wise and if you could compare now to the likes of T7
Tricky one for me. I've only done 1000 miles and so far so good. I've ridden a T7 on road but have never owned one or ridden one off road so I'm not well placed to answer that. There's a few T7>Kove 450 converts on some of the FB groups, so you might get a more useful answer there.
Hi Andre, greetings from Down Under. Interested to know if your bike is the standard 38” seat height or the lower 36”?
Mine is the standard. I’m 6’1” with a 32” inside leg. For this ride I was wearing Sidi Adventure Gore-tex boots and I was half tiptoes both sides, or one foot flat and one on the peg.
@@PeakMotorcycles Good to know. I ordered the low seat version and now feel better for it. Thanks!
About the noise (too loud): My Rally KTM used to be the same, it came from the air filter that is right in front of the rider. So my guess: The "breathing IN" is what you hear rather than the "breathing OUT". Just my guess..
Yup. It’s definitely induction noise, not the exhaust. They guys in the US are working on something quieter. It should be available in a few months.
@@PeakMotorcycles I wished i had this issue here, the bike is not available here in Thailand.😭
@@thomasschattat13 it will be eventually. You got the CRF300 before anyone else, so now you have to wait a little 🤣
The suspension may soften a tad as it breaks in, especially the forks.
Yup, I think so. I'll do at least the first service (300 miles) if not the second (900 miles) before I change anything.
🆒😎👍! A bit worrying that the bike comes out without the wheels being balanced?
My CRF was the same (though it didn’t have rim locks fitted). I guess it’s an enduro thing to not balance?
@@PeakMotorcycles suppose you must ride those knoblies before you balance them.
the wobble it's probably the tire, with my bikes when the wheel isn't balanced you get a vibration in high speed not a wobble. it happened with the stock tire on my tenere 700, scorpion rally str.
I think it’s probably the rimlock that is installed on the wheel rather than the tire.
@@PeakMotorcycles maybe, I never rode a bike with a rimlock so I don't know how it feels.
What's the seat like compared to the CRF? - i find the seat on my CRF quite uncomfortable after 1hr, better with cover but still get numbness.
I’d say slightly harder and flatter. Though I don’t mind my stock CRF seat or the Kove seat. I probably have too much built in padding 🤣
@@PeakMotorcycles thanks 👍
I'm currently riding the 300l been wanting to get a Kove 450 but not an easy bike to attain at the moment
They aren’t but I’m sure they’ll be coming through before too long. Much like the 300’s?
@@PeakMotorcycles Yes I love it 1 of the best bikes I ever owned!! I have the 2021 and have 12,780 miles with no issues .
I deleted the charcoal canister and all the emissions and the bike runs Great!!
I'm sure they have a long line of people who have already preordered the bike so the rest of us will have to wait
Is it possible to lower the sound of the exhaust? How does it feel overall? What do you think about a multiple-day trip? In terms of comfort? How about lowering it for shorter riders? Basically, the idea is to get this bike instead of the CFR 300 for a long trip but this is the first iteration so it might need some more trial and error before Colove brings out a really good 450 Rally that's reliable enough for a long trip.
How do you feel about it?
Possibly for the exhaust sound, but I don’t think it’s that loud. To make the bike quieter you would be better finding a way to reduce the induction noise. Maybe a sound proofing panel under the seat on top of the air filter (as long as it didn’t impact airflow). Multi-day trip, the luggage is certainly possible. I’d need to try it before I can give you a real opinion. Lowering there are several options. 30mm for the low seat. Then a further 50mm or 100mm suspension mod which costs £400. And yes, I think it is a good alternative to a CRF300 (I have both) reliability will only be confirmed in time I’m afraid, so I’d rather wait until I can give you a real answer. What I feel probably isn’t that helpful.
@@PeakMotorcycles Regarding reliability, you are definitely right about it needs time, there is no other way around it. I have had a Chinese bike before, not a particular brand sold in Europe but with an engine from ZF-KY and I can say that thing was indestructible. The parts that let me down were third-party but even the dealer told me to replace those with some Japanese after-market parts. The 450 Rally is obviously a good-quality motorcycle and the lowering possibilities are definitely very interesting. Maybe you can make a video about it? I'm definitely waiting to see how the rack with the luggage is doing after a long trip. Anyway, thanks!
Hey Andre...is it very high?...did you get the normal or low version...can you flat foot it?...what's your height
It’s quite high. I have the normal version and I’m 6’1 (185cm) with a 32” inside leg and I’m on half tiptoes both sides or one for on the peg, one foot flat on the floor. Does that help?
@@PeakMotorcycles so I'm 172cm...so about 5ft8 with boots...dyou think I'll be able to atleast put half a foot down with the low version?
Quick tip to improve your riding skill and fun. Stop using the clutch when out of 1st gear, especially when pinning it.
Just change as per normal without pulling the clutch and you'll find any bike changes smoother, sharper and waaaaaay quicker.
I’m having fun already. You mean there’s more?
@@PeakMotorcycles ah ha ha amazingly yes 😁
Just try it out a few times on hard top and see what you think.
It's especially useful offroad as the upshift/downshift is way quicker and smoother meaning traction is more constant and safer
Does it allow a pillion or is it 1 person only homologated?
One person only. No pillion pegs and they’d be sitting on the fuel tank.
Great videao ... is the gearing like KTMs ?
Not sure. Which KTM, and what’s the gearing? This is a 49T rear sprocket. Not sure about the front, but I’ll check.
@@PeakMotorcycles Thanks ... I was wondering if the engine needs to run at 3000+ rpm. Or if you can ride at 2500 rpm at 30 mph. KTM have the tendency to be run at "higher" RPMs which I don't like (... owning a 690 Enduro, 1050 Adv)
Was wondering if it has a cush drive as standard.
It does.
Are you likely to be barreling down the byways over 5k revs?
If not, which I expect is the answer, then no worries over the noise. I usually stop my engine for horses if it's that tight anyway 🤷
With regards to crosswinds, I nearly pooped my pants on my first time over the Dartford bridge 😱😂😂
I hope the Kove works out, seems a very interesting bike 👍
No, not likely! (And on the trail ride video, I noticed it wasn’t a problem)
The wobble in the front wheel may probably be the balance and the wobble can sometimes be the particular tyre used , and to wear in the new tyre as well . and or tyre pressures. So eliminate all them 3 before spending money for no real reason. I do a lot of snotty riding in Australia and fitting a steering damper other then riding deep sand or very high speeds “ lots of the time “ to me seems abit of a waste . But your money 💰 mate . Anyway looking forward to some dirt action and then coming to Australia.
I'm from Yorkshire, and they say copper wire was invented by a two yorkshiremen fighting over a penny 🤣 So I'm fine with not spending money for no real reason. Except for n+1 motorcycles. That bit is fine...
You're funny - OF COURSE the wheels (BOTH!!) must be balanced, and no, that's not for paved roads only, for offroad as well... this helps your comfortlevels as well as the suspension doing its work properly!.
Also, the intake makes the 'more sound' not so much the silencer - but that last bit may change if you remove the environmental rubbish like cat etc.
Enjoy the bike!
I try 🤣. The reason why I’m less bothered about balancing the rear is that the weight of the rimlock vs the wider rear wheel, heavier hub and heavier tyre and tube, together with the smaller diameter (18” vs 21”) and that the rear isn’t turning and affecting the handling in the same way as the front means that the impact on riding of having a front wheel out of balance due to a rimlock has a much larger impact on how a bike rides than the rear with a similar weighted rimlock. I know plenty of folk who would balance a front, but not a rear. Not you, but you know, others who are funny like me! And yes, definitely intake noise. A few have mentioned that, and when I say few, I mean loads!
Do these have enduro service intervals?
Not really. Oil change is 500, 1500 then every 4000km (or 300, 900 and then every 2500 miles) That's according to the owners manual. Page 30 (31 in the .pdf) in this: www.kovepower.com/uploads/8/0/6/7/8067174/450_rally_instruction_manual.pdf
@@PeakMotorcycles thats pretty good for this type of bike. Thank you for the reply
Is that summer in the uk?
It is. Or what passes as summer 🤣
How was the vibration at various speeds please?
I didn’t really notice any. No aches in my hands and the mirrors didn’t vibrate noticeably either.
Many thanks
do they have a cush hub ?
They do.
When is Kove coming to America?
That’s a question for Gary at GPXMoto. I think the first bikes are coming in August, but they may all be sold already.
Does it vibrates more then the Honda CRF300L ?
No. Smoother than my CRF300 Rally.
@@PeakMotorcyclesyou reckon that engine is smoother then a crf300l engine, really ?
@@guestappearance3211 I do. There's no rattling on start up and I don't notice any vibration when riding. Perhaps if I push it harder I can find some, but so far I'd say it was smoother than the CRF.
One of the reviews on this bike commented that much of the noise was coming from the airbox in addition to the exhaust.
Yup, that is definitely a thing and several people have suggested the same due to the location of the airbox and the split in the forward fuel tanks.
What’s does yours idle at ?
I’ll need to check, but I think around 1800rpm. It’s a little higher at first startup, perhaps 2000-2200?
what's been your MPG?
Did you see the bit in the video where I explained that? And also put a graphic up with the conversion to l/100km and mpg, both US and Imperial. 😉
could that be induction roar and not exhaust ?
Yup. That seems to be the case.
Thank you for the first impressions. Sadly, it is way too loud for the EU. I don't see that goes to noise regulations in Austria or even Germany. You can't even reserve one in most EU countries. So I think there is some kind of hold up (noise, emissions). Funny that you mention/rating the mirrors. I think they are just come with the bike because it must have some for street legal. Useless Mirrors for any kind of offroading and most customers will throw them away right at the dealer for some double takes or other Enduro mirrors.
Can you tell from this video? The audio is recorded on a repurposed Sena headset mic placed inside my helmet, more for speech than engine noise. Several folks have said it's induction noise due to he location of the air intake and the gap in the tanks. I'm not sure it's louder, and if anything, possibly quieter, than a road legal KTM enduro would be in Austria or Germany. I guess as they go through EU approval, noise will be a factor, so perhaps a different exhaust or a modification will be required to get the bikes on the road in Europe. I guess that somewhere has to get them first, and in this case it was the UK. I suspect there is also a problem with supply. Kove are not a large scale manufacturer, and from the initial demand for the bike, I think all upcoming deliveries are already sold out, in the markets for which they are already approved. I expect they will get to the EU at some point in the future, but when all production is pre-sold before it rolls off the production line, other markets will have to wait.
As for the mirrors, I will swap mine out for double takes, but I was more commenting on the fact that as stock mirrors, they are ok. Many are not.
@@PeakMotorcycles Thanks for the reply. I can't of course tell just from the video. Don't had the pleasure to see one live yet. It was just my assumption because you mention it multiple times in the video it is quite loud, even with plugs, and it was loud in the video. Maybe it is just the induction noise. We will see, I think they will go for the EU probably next year. Maybe with another exhaust/induction, don't care.