Nice man. Yeah, I hope these mods will be worthwhile in the end. I went with standard model, arrives next week. Def excited! Would be interesting to compare them side by side with and without the timing key. The full TI exhaust is pretty pricey so I'll do something else or just have to wait awhile on that cuz still need all the basic stuff like handguards, larger windscreen, etc...but I am upgrading to the race flash ECU asap.
Awesome! You’ll be so stoked when yours comes. They say there was no gain with the ecu flash without a free flowing exhaust. Kove USA has been testing the different setups.
@@DirtByk Good to know! Now I need that exhaust even more, lol. Also wanna get a more robust nav tower from Uncle Wangs, cuz I do hope to rally this thing a bit.
@@DirtByk Thanks to your advice on the ECU, I went ahead and ordered the full TI exhaust from Wang's. I'll get my ECU reflashed by Kove USA as soon as I can.
The M5B in is NO Bueno! If your riding nothing but soft sand GREAT! Here in CA we go from desert sand to rocky terrain & my M5Bs never last. Literally the middle KNOBS torn off & missing. Sticking with the motoz 130, not the 140 desert1
I once ran rocket exhaust back when i raced they would make custom exhausts to your design i plan to contact them to make a can to me specs whenever i get my next bike
@@DirtByk Yeah, a little strange. Modern CDI ingnitions are easily adjusted through the ECU allowing for some fancy timing curves and other trickery. I wonder about the driving factors behind this design choice.
To answer your question: could you try the ecu by itself first, then the exhaust and ecu, then back to standard ecu and exhaust with key fitted. Then add ecu with key fitted, then add exhaust? Ha ha, not asking much! But that way we could see what difference the easy and cheap mods do.
lol! I’ve installed the key and it’s a game changer. I’m second guessing the ecu and exhaust. After a trail ride tomorrow to really see how it performs, I’ll decide if the other mods are necessary.
Great to see people posting up about their bikes like you are doing, real world thoughts from real people. More 450 rally's are being bought in the UK now and videos/reviews are all positive. A few have bought to race so will be interesting to see how they get on. No one seems to be talking about the timing key over here so looking forward to hearing about that. I cant really afford one just now but keeping my eye on them for when and if I can. I live on a small Scottish island, a bike that do a bit of everything and take the rough is very appealing but having long legs and good lights at the same time. Just wish it could carry a light passenger then the kids could get introduced to biking. Does it look like it could be modified to carry a light, less than 50kg, pillion?
Due to the exhaust mounting there’s no where for a passenger to put their legs. Is there off-road trails to ride on your island? My ancestry is Scottish (Kincaid Clan) so it’s a dream of mine to return to visit.
@@DirtByk It's a mixed bag as far as bike access off road here. We got real good open access land laws for walking, cycling and horse riding in Scotland but almost nothing for vehicles. We have a little mx track on the island and if you know some of the farmers they might let you use some of there fields. There are a few enduro clubs around the place on mainland Scotland, with good courses, but you have to pay. It's actually a real shame, a lot of southern Europe is covered in trails but Scotland is one of the most restricted countries to own an off roader. There is still a thriving enduro/mx scene, but in general, public view it's all eco and tree hugging over here in the last 20 years. When I was young we could ride off road anywhere, on the beaches, forestry trails, moor, almost any field. Not any more though, you will be reported for wildlife crimes, so any bike I own wants to be good to go on road as well as off, would love to get my children out on the back of a bike to introduce them to riding as well.
@@AndyMac-xk3ys tis a shame but sounds like you make the best of it. Back in my home state of Illinois there was very little open land to ride. It meant riding a quarry or on some farmer’s land that could land you in trouble. I relocated to Arizona two years ago and am in love with the west and public lands. Now I can ride from my house in any direction and the options are endless! I’m very blessed. I’ve started my young boys on mini bikes to plant the seed!
@@DirtByk That sounds amazing! Been watching vids of guys exploring Utah on bikes, so much space and interesting scenery to explore. I've not heard of public lands? Is that over a large area and open use?
@@AndyMac-xk3ys yeah, public lands are like national forests, bureau of land management land, and open desert. All of which are open for exploring. National forests have some restrictions like staying in marked trails and spark arrestors but most allow motorized travel.
Who does? I’m guessing for $85 it’s probably just reflash of your stock ecu. I’m having Kove usa reflash mine for the straight through exhaust I’m having built at the moment.
Correction: The battery issue was resolved. Mason's Dakar came to an end due to yet another engine failure. In Mason's own words on why he is out "the engine broke." The reports also say "the battery issue was resolved and the engine failed." Hopefully, Honda will pick him up next year. You can push and mod that turd all you want. But hay, the Kove is the greatest motorcycle ever made.
Was it engine failure? been trying to find that out, talk of 75 horsepower in the EX he was riding and it being an experimental bike make it hard to compare to any of the big names. I bet any of the Honda's or KTM's or others putting out 75hp wouldn't get far. Comparing the outcomes of a small venture against the 100 of thousands that the big names put into each bike/rider doesn't really work. I bet each Honda or KTM bike has more money behind it than I could earn in 10 lifetimes. Kove are testing these bikes in the real world with only 2 months to prep and seem to be quite honest about what is failing and what they will do to fix it, never seen the big names being that open from a mechanical perspective, wish they were, then we could see that all engines and machines fail. The big names are just really, really ,really good at hiding the truth about their failures, and they are failing. I think it would be a shame if Mason went to Honda, I'm sure everyone is for sale at the right price but you just working for the money man.
Can't stop following Kove ? You try to hard to find more negative words for it. And you forgot, how honda started when class 450 was created for Dakar. And do not worry..mason will ride Kove next year😊.
@@MERMBRAMA when the jap bikes first appeared in the uk some 70 years ago they were laughed at. No one ever thought they would be so successful, but they are very good at copying others designs and inventions then making them better. I like the story of how Kove has come about and their approach, just like I love the story of Bultaco and Hondaka and some of the lesser known British bikes. It's the story of our lives that can carry meaning. Hope you are right about Mason and Zhang, I don't want that story to end.
@@MERMBRAMA As an off road motorcycle rider for 40yrs, all motorcycles pop up in my feed. I am open minded and look at everything to stay educated. I don't have to try hard to find negative points when they are displayed daily on the Dakar pages and live feeds. How many off road championships does Honda have and it never took them long to get there. Let's see how the Dakar ends and where Kove finishes. And by the way, I wouldn't ride any of the Dakar bikes for any type of riding east of Arizona, they no purpose. A 27yr old DR650 has much more usage than a Desert bike. But you keep making excuses for your stupid purchase.
Кино
Nice man. Yeah, I hope these mods will be worthwhile in the end. I went with standard model, arrives next week. Def excited! Would be interesting to compare them side by side with and without the timing key. The full TI exhaust is pretty pricey so I'll do something else or just have to wait awhile on that cuz still need all the basic stuff like handguards, larger windscreen, etc...but I am upgrading to the race flash ECU asap.
Awesome! You’ll be so stoked when yours comes. They say there was no gain with the ecu flash without a free flowing exhaust. Kove USA has been testing the different setups.
@@DirtByk Good to know! Now I need that exhaust even more, lol. Also wanna get a more robust nav tower from Uncle Wangs, cuz I do hope to rally this thing a bit.
@@inrptn the carbon fiber one looks like a good option.
@@DirtByk Thanks to your advice on the ECU, I went ahead and ordered the full TI exhaust from Wang's. I'll get my ECU reflashed by Kove USA as soon as I can.
HI can you share the link of the Aluminium tower you installed. Looks awesome and for my Tablet perfect fit! Thxs Cheers Franky
Check out Uncle Wang’s shop online. They have a few options.
Thxs
Where did you get the graphics. Best I've seen.
They are SKDA! They will make you anything you, just send ideas and you can proof before printing.
The M5B in is NO Bueno! If your riding nothing but soft sand GREAT! Here in CA we go from desert sand to rocky terrain & my M5Bs never last. Literally the middle KNOBS torn off & missing. Sticking with the motoz 130, not the 140 desert1
I’m not looking for great life but good traction and inexpensive. The MotoZ is definitely a better option all around.
I once ran rocket exhaust back when i raced they would make custom exhausts to your design i plan to contact them to make a can to me specs whenever i get my next bike
That’s great info. I’d never heard of them. I’m questioning getting anything louder, but the CAT needs to go!
@DirtByk you can get them to build a longer canister with a quiet core insert it'll be louder then stock I imagine but pleasant on the ears
I'm a little surprised you adjust the ignition timing with a key rather than an adjustable pickup sensor. This remids me of a gas RC engine.
This was per Kove USA’s Joe Henner. He patented the design. I’m not sure why they did it that way.
@@DirtByk Yeah, a little strange. Modern CDI ingnitions are easily adjusted through the ECU allowing for some fancy timing curves and other trickery. I wonder about the driving factors behind this design choice.
@@JPspinFPV my guess is they did not have those permissions through the ecu tuning app provided by the factory?
@@DirtByk Maybe the Bosch system they are using only controls EFI, and the ignition system completely separate?
To answer your question: could you try the ecu by itself first, then the exhaust and ecu, then back to standard ecu and exhaust with key fitted. Then add ecu with key fitted, then add exhaust? Ha ha, not asking much! But that way we could see what difference the easy and cheap mods do.
lol! I’ve installed the key and it’s a game changer. I’m second guessing the ecu and exhaust. After a trail ride tomorrow to really see how it performs, I’ll decide if the other mods are necessary.
Do the mods independently. If you want to lift the front wheel easily, ride with less fuel.
The key is a game changer and making me second think the other mods as I tend to prefer a quieter bike.
Great to see people posting up about their bikes like you are doing, real world thoughts from real people. More 450 rally's are being bought in the UK now and videos/reviews are all positive. A few have bought to race so will be interesting to see how they get on. No one seems to be talking about the timing key over here so looking forward to hearing about that.
I cant really afford one just now but keeping my eye on them for when and if I can. I live on a small Scottish island, a bike that do a bit of everything and take the rough is very appealing but having long legs and good lights at the same time. Just wish it could carry a light passenger then the kids could get introduced to biking. Does it look like it could be modified to carry a light, less than 50kg, pillion?
Due to the exhaust mounting there’s no where for a passenger to put their legs. Is there off-road trails to ride on your island? My ancestry is Scottish (Kincaid Clan) so it’s a dream of mine to return to visit.
@@DirtByk It's a mixed bag as far as bike access off road here. We got real good open access land laws for walking, cycling and horse riding in Scotland but almost nothing for vehicles. We have a little mx track on the island and if you know some of the farmers they might let you use some of there fields. There are a few enduro clubs around the place on mainland Scotland, with good courses, but you have to pay. It's actually a real shame, a lot of southern Europe is covered in trails but Scotland is one of the most restricted countries to own an off roader. There is still a thriving enduro/mx scene, but in general, public view it's all eco and tree hugging over here in the last 20 years. When I was young we could ride off road anywhere, on the beaches, forestry trails, moor, almost any field. Not any more though, you will be reported for wildlife crimes, so any bike I own wants to be good to go on road as well as off, would love to get my children out on the back of a bike to introduce them to riding as well.
@@AndyMac-xk3ys tis a shame but sounds like you make the best of it. Back in my home state of Illinois there was very little open land to ride. It meant riding a quarry or on some farmer’s land that could land you in trouble. I relocated to Arizona two years ago and am in love with the west and public lands. Now I can ride from my house in any direction and the options are endless! I’m very blessed. I’ve started my young boys on mini bikes to plant the seed!
@@DirtByk That sounds amazing! Been watching vids of guys exploring Utah on bikes, so much space and interesting scenery to explore. I've not heard of public lands? Is that over a large area and open use?
@@AndyMac-xk3ys yeah, public lands are like national forests, bureau of land management land, and open desert. All of which are open for exploring. National forests have some restrictions like staying in marked trails and spark arrestors but most allow motorized travel.
I see they also sell a pro ecu for $85
Who does? I’m guessing for $85 it’s probably just reflash of your stock ecu. I’m having Kove usa reflash mine for the straight through exhaust I’m having built at the moment.
@@DirtByk It is listed as an accessory on the kove site
Fallowing
Correction: The battery issue was resolved. Mason's Dakar came to an end due to yet another engine failure. In Mason's own words on why he is out "the engine broke." The reports also say "the battery issue was resolved and the engine failed." Hopefully, Honda will pick him up next year. You can push and mod that turd all you want. But hay, the Kove is the greatest motorcycle ever made.
Was it engine failure? been trying to find that out, talk of 75 horsepower in the EX he was riding and it being an experimental bike make it hard to compare to any of the big names. I bet any of the Honda's or KTM's or others putting out 75hp wouldn't get far. Comparing the outcomes of a small venture against the 100 of thousands that the big names put into each bike/rider doesn't really work. I bet each Honda or KTM bike has more money behind it than I could earn in 10 lifetimes. Kove are testing these bikes in the real world with only 2 months to prep and seem to be quite honest about what is failing and what they will do to fix it, never seen the big names being that open from a mechanical perspective, wish they were, then we could see that all engines and machines fail. The big names are just really, really ,really good at hiding the truth about their failures, and they are failing.
I think it would be a shame if Mason went to Honda, I'm sure everyone is for sale at the right price but you just working for the money man.
Can't stop following Kove ? You try to hard to find more negative words for it. And you forgot, how honda started when class 450 was created for Dakar. And do not worry..mason will ride Kove next year😊.
@@MERMBRAMA when the jap bikes first appeared in the uk some 70 years ago they were laughed at. No one ever thought they would be so successful, but they are very good at copying others designs and inventions then making them better. I like the story of how Kove has come about and their approach, just like I love the story of Bultaco and Hondaka and some of the lesser known British bikes. It's the story of our lives that can carry meaning. Hope you are right about Mason and Zhang, I don't want that story to end.
@@MERMBRAMA As an off road motorcycle rider for 40yrs, all motorcycles pop up in my feed. I am open minded and look at everything to stay educated. I don't have to try hard to find negative points when they are displayed daily on the Dakar pages and live feeds. How many off road championships does Honda have and it never took them long to get there. Let's see how the Dakar ends and where Kove finishes. And by the way, I wouldn't ride any of the Dakar bikes for any type of riding east of Arizona, they no purpose. A 27yr old DR650 has much more usage than a Desert bike. But you keep making excuses for your stupid purchase.
@@jonwoodworker tried one? Or making up excuses not to?