In this video I'm comparing the Kove to the Husky 701. We went for a proper dual sport ride and swapped bikes throughout the day. Here is what I thought about the bikes.
The Kove has an enormous advantage over the so called adventure bikes. It works as it is out of the crate, mods are not needed. Power is enough for any serious offroad driver even in thick mud or deep sand, the handling is excellent, no bothering vibrations, no rattles, able of 170 kmh top speed so 120-130 kmh (the maximal legal in many countries) cruising on the highway is a breeze. Brief it's largely fast enough at least for Europe and all the countries I've traveled in Africa and Asia. And cherry on the cake the Kove Rally is approved Euro 5 so you have registration like any ordinary vehicle with legal insurance so you can travel with the Kove anywhere in the world. In France the price is 10000€, in comparison the Yamaha T7 costs 11000€, weights 40 kg more, has a bothering high center of gravity and you have to spend 1500€ to get decent suspensions (I did not said good nor excellent) plus the big tank which will give a higher center of gravity. The Honda CRL 300 Rally costs in France, when you can get it, 7000€ (expensive for a bike made in China assembled in Vietnam, no Japanese had been harmed for making it) and if you want decent suspensions you have to add 1000 to 1500€ plus the big tank and you'll arrive close to 10000€ for a bike which is heavier and has 20 HP less than the Kove. Morality better to buy a cheap, reliable and very good Voge 300 Rally for 4700€ which has better suspensions and seat than the Honda. The Voge is a total bargain, with a simple preparation you can have fun and go traveling anywhere. The suspensions of the Kove are excellent and can be easily tuned for your taste, the bike has 3 tanks with 30 liters (from 450 to more than 500 km of range) so you do not need to buy and adapt aftermarket tanks, it's easy to maintain with all the dzeus thought for true rally, the oil capacity is at least 1.6 l and there is an oil cooler; the two radiators have already fans, the alternator gives 300 watts, the air filter can be cleaned in minutes. The engine is the well known and robust Zongchen NC 450 with a Kove DOHC head, injection and ECU. The similar bikes are the Fantic 450 Rally with the Yamaha WR enduro engine (16000€) unable to make long travel with just 1.2 liters of oil to change every 10 hours, and the very rare and expensive KTM 450 Rally (27000€). Another contender as travel bike is the AJP PR7 (11500€) with the italian SWM engine (similar to the 2010 600 Huskvarna). The 701 Husky costs 11300€ and you have to add some bank notes to get the suspensions done, plus big tanks (if possible I'm not sure). The lone thing to add to the Kove is a rack and supports for the the luggage bags (see Aliexpress or Berotec in Germany) and you have the best bike for crossing Morocco by the mule tracks of the Atlas mountains or to cross Europe by the TET trails. Or even crossing the Mauritanian desert with all the sand dunes. All the countries where you can have 400 km between the gas stations are not more a problem... For the price the Kove is a total bargain. And some are waiting the Kove 800X twin 95 HP for 165 kg dry. PS You can get pretty good chinese bikes; Voge (brand of Loncin which makes also engines and components for BMW), CFM Moto (makes also the KTM twin engines, plus a lot of components, maybe complete bikes for KTM ), and Zontes.
If you live in Europe why would you even bother with a adventure/offroad bike? There’s no where to ride it and if there is it sucks. It’s literally for people who think a flat dirt road is offroad. Lol.
@@pabloricardodetarragon2649 no where to offroad it's a prison there no freedom no nature too, why waste your time, just save ur money and take trips to amazing places
@@keithquinn5624 Well our roads are often in the quality of the double track and they happen to be in nice nature, with views, mountains and such with occassional chances for real offroad. Sounds exactly like rally - so boom, Kove solved our problem 😀
There's a huge difference between Kove and what everyone keeps saying a "Chinese Bike" generally is. Kove was started by a proper legit passionate guy that is building a bike company who happens to be in China. Can't really paint them with the same brush as an Alibab bike company. I personally wish them well and hope this brand takes off!
As an electrical wholesaler, back in the 90s when Chinese stuff came in, it was 90% crap. But like the Japanese before, the Chinese adapted by forcing US and EU companies to build there , train local employes, and teach the finer details of quality. By 2005, a lot of Chinese imports were nearly indistinguishable from US made. Then they went one step further, actually investing in R&D to improve on the original US production machinery, while many US domestic plants were milked dry by management.
Thank you so much! I love your videos, I watch them during winter garage time, when I make some preventative maintenance on my bikes, counting the days that separate me from spring riding!!
Helpful review in many respects. Since the Dakar Rally bikes are limited to 450 cc now, that ought to be motor comparison to keep things fair, IMHO. The fact that all 3 of the riders and bikes completed the Rally without mechanical breakdown -- riders who are in a different league than most of us -- speaks highly, as well. I don't presume to speak for the ADV community, but having a bike capable of slaying BDRs and minimizing the dread of dropping and picking up a bike while carrying a modest set of camping gear would rank high on the list of desirable rigs.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech That would seem to place it in rare company, filling a need the majors have ignored for too long. As for durability and longevity, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating as the months wear on and the number of owners increases.
Kove did themselves a disservice by using inexperienced riders. They have a video of their Dakar premier and it was very apparent that the riders were holding back the bike. If Kove had given a couple bikes to an experienced team, they could have gotten top10 or even a podium. When Ducati decided to race their Scrambler Desert Sled, they contacted Fasthouse and gave them the bikes and full support. As a result, Fasthouse slaughtered the field in the Mint 400. Kove should have taken the same approach.
Great review. I currently have a 23 701 which I love,but I have been curious as to how the Kove compares. You did a good job of explaining the differences of the two.
I have the Rally 450 Pro and took it for a proper shakedown this weekend in a mix of everything inckuding songletrack, and some gnarly rock step enduro sections. Your review is pretty spot on but I I’m actually happy with the power of the pro. Having spent a lot of time on the Husky/KTM RFR 450, there’s a lot of subtle differences that I’m going to outline in a video soon.
I have 150 miles on my Kove in all kinds of conditions. Singletrack, whooped out OHV trails, gravel roads, and some pavement. I’ve spent a few hours riding stock 690’s and this Kove is so much more confidence inspiring when the tires touch the dirt. Yes it’s low on power but with the aggressive way I ride, less power is better. I have yet to get arm pump or whisky throttle 😂
@@claudemarchand1196 I’ve got 800 on it so far. The bike keeps getting better. I go back and forth on a 21’ Beta 300 and this Kove still impresses me. 2 oil changes, 2 filter changes, multiple days on the MX track and long days on the trails. It’s too effing cold to ride here in Oregon to do longer rides. I’m on several owners groups in the USA. Not a critical failure to mention.
@@Trailfocused Just installed the full race exhaust and pro race 2.0 ECU map on my Kove. The power has increased across the entire range and it pulls so much harder now in open terrain.
YEAH! Thanks for this video. That was fast :D I love that you come right out and say things - the 4cs forks straight up sucks. That may offend some people, but that is how you compare bikes among your buddies, and it is rare to find on YT especially in the ADV segment, where people mince their words, because they fear/have ties to the industry. And I think that it is really useful to talk about rider backgrounds as well. I have a 701, with 4cs forks, and I can't tell that it is that bad. Because I don't have access to anything remotely close to the type of terrain you are riding. I live in Denmark, but ride in Sweden, because they have gravel roads. I'm lucky if I ride proper two track. The ride in this video would be the ride of the year. We tend to lust for the bike that can do the thing we dream of (Kove/Dakar) in stead of analysing what riding we do/have access to and which bike would suit that more - in my case the 701. I'm just so happy to not have to be completely crazy about the Kove, and instead be happy with my 701. Thanks for the video, great stuff!!
I appreciate the comments. Considering riders of varying skill levels & preferences is too often overlooked. Although the 4CS fork has many design flaws it may be exactly right for you. It sounds like your 701 does exactly what you need it to do. It is certainly fun to explore the options though.
Another great video. A guy that knows what he's talking about who talks about feel, not spec sheets 👍 This bike seems to fit in the dual sport category right next to a 450L properly set up for dual sporting. If it had passenger pegs and another 150cc it would be perfect IMO. Gotta give the 690/701 platform some credit here for being the only performance DS that can carry a passenger.
Thoroughly enjoyed both the unboxing video, and this one - well done! Tip: even with volume on FULL, am often battling to hear you, yet your riding buddies come through 10/10? Please consider louder volume/closer mike placement on yourself, in follow-up videos, thanks, Chris, Flying Brick, Cape Town, S.A.
Good stuff! Another element that needs to be in the comparison is price. I do not know what the price of each bike is in the US, but it certainly does have a weight in the equation.
Nice review. I am stuck on both ends with no middle bike. From air cooled yamis to a drzsm with tires and a gen3 klr to dl1000. I recently got a tse250r and the front suspension is very stiff! I might get the 450 sooner or later
Hi Chuck and thanks for doing this comparison. I know some people don't think anybody would be considering these two bikes when shopping for their next one but I am proof that we exist. I can't speak for those that can only have one bike to do it all because if I was in that situation the bikes on my radar would be totally different. However, there is more than displacement and assumed/perceived performance when looking at any purchase. In my case I have a 2005 KTM 525 EXC and a 2021 Beta 500 RR-S for the dirt side of things and a 2004 KTM 950 Adventure for the more "streetish" side of riding. Streetish being in quotes because the bike always wears knobbies and I actually ride it in places big bikes don't normally belong. Typical usage is to get "out there" on the 950 and explore very far from home and then come back to the hardcore trails on a small bike, typically in the back of the pickup with spare gas. My first road legal bike was a Yamaha XT350 when I was 17 and I had largely forgotten about the virtues of a small air-cooled foofoo bike until a few years ago when a deal on a 1983 Honda XL250R came up. Instantly that bike took me back to those days of carefree exploration in my youth. The big added benefits were that I could go much deeper into old abandoned trails than I could on the 950, it didn't boil over in very slow technical terrain and it could almost go as far as the 950 with less than half the fuel capacity. Plus there's something to be said about taking your time and enjoying the scenery. While I still enjoy the XL the fact that it's a 40 year old bike is not lost on me. Nor do the thoughts of (because I'm spoiled by the other bikes I have) having more power, better brakes, electric start, some wind protection and finally even more range. That list of criteria is pretty broad and the hole I'm trying to plug between the XL250 and the KTM 950 is a large one. There's a shit ton of bikes that one can consider to fill that hole. And that brings me to the bikes I am considering for my next purchase. And I'm going to further annoy some with the third bike in the list. 1. KTM 690 platform. I don't much like the handling of a stock 690 (regardless of generation) and the gearing spread is a bit thin but I have ridden one with decent suspension and a Rally fairing as well as the Rade auxiliary fuel tank. I found that bike to handle ok and it would probably do the job, albeit with bigger rads and maybe some ungraded fans. Range is good too. I can see gearing being something fiddly and this bike is not the inexpensive solution in my list. Also, reliability is hit or miss it seems; these bikes are so intolerant of debris in the fuel. 2. Kove 450 Rally. Haven't even seen one in person yet but I'm liking what those that have ridden them say about it. Here in northern Ontario gravel travel is just a way of life. Gas stations are few and far between and a bike that can go around 600kms on a fillup is a huge asset. Not to mention it checks all the other boxes as well as the coolness factor. Gearing may also be fiddly and therefore not be the right tool for slow abandoned trails but that is only about 25% of my riding. I have to do a lot of pavement and gravel logging roads to even get to those trails. Reliability is yet unknown but it's a widely used motor and parts are very inexpensive. A complete motor is like $2000 CDN shipped. 3. Honda CRF250/300 Rally. Crap suspension but that can be sorted out easily within the price range of the other two. Maybe add a bit of power too but not really necessary as it will comfortably do HWY speeds here. Incredible range due to its excellent mileage and fuel capacity. Probably better in slow trails than the other two and might run cooler due to making less power. Reliability and parts availability are excellent. Definitely not the cool kid of the bunch though. So there you go, three COMPLETELY different bikes but somehow they are all on my radar for reasons that put them all on the same playing field for me. Hey, think you can maybe snag a Honda Rally and take them on a long adventure to compare them? That way you can annoy the people you left out by comparing the Kove to the 690/701.
Don't forget the 2 rad fans and the oil cooler on the Kove. I don't know for sure, but I would bet it stays cooler in the slow speed stuff better than the 690 which tends to run real hot if the rads aren't getting air...
Best real world comparison video I've seen so far. Thanks for been honest. I agree the 450 platform is not enough for a ADV bike and only ok for a dual sport. Even a longer stroke 500 would be better than a short stroke 450 (as most 450's are short-strokes). Ideally I think if Kove made a light 500-600 single it would be a better unicorn bike. Just my 2c and fantasy thinking ;-) Great review - loved it.
It has enough power to be an adventure bike. In the USA id say 40-45 hp is fine. Less makes highway a chore. More say up to 65 hp becomes a little to much on dirt (depending on weight) I know a lot of people want a good out of the box adventureized dual sport. This seems to fit that bill perfectly.
Good video, really interested to see one of these in person. As a roadbook rally racer who just built a 690 "RFR" using the KTM factory tanks and whatnot and fixing the ridiculous stock suspension issues and travel limitations, I wish I lived closer to to some kind of comparison testing. If the power issues can be fixed, the Kove seems like a really interesting platform to build on.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Caveat being I'm a Vet A woods racer and 5 years into rally racing, and I race a 990 in the desert - I would rather have too much than too little. Specifically because of things like the sand dunes and soft sandy roads at events like Sonora, or times where a burst of power is the differences between tucking the front and cartwheeling or getting the front end up over a hidden hole or cut. On my FX450 rally lite bike, it's always got plenty to get up to speed on hard pack, but soft sand roads and the dunes in Sonora, there are times where I am wide open just shy of the limiter for minutes at a time to maintain pace, and less power would mean having to be more creative getting through the dunes. The 690 has more torque but is a lot heavier (~380 lbs full of gas) so it doesn't actually feel much quicker with 9 gallons on board, and the gear spacing is not great. And I'd take less power if it meant more flexibility - the 690 is an earlier 2014 engine with the 8000 rpm rev limit, which really gets in the way - hit the bottom of a dune on the limiter in 4th on both bikes, and the 450 can lug back a lot further before downshifting because it's got another 3000 rpm above the 690. So even though it makes more power, you're working harder to use it on the 690 sometimes. I'm not a rev limiter guy, and I hit it constantly on the 690 for things like not wanting to upshift just to downshift right away for a corner. So flexibility is key.
And on the flexibility front - I'm actually looking at putting the FX450 engine (it's got the 6th gear swap) in the 690. I'd take the power hit to have the extra RPM flexibility and better gearing and clutch.
Seems like a very fair review of them all but remember non of those other bikes can qualify for Rally events and the smaller engine is obviously part of the power difference. only 3 mire sleeps to picking up mine so I can comment from experience. I am glad that the quality is good and I look forward to easier single track and motocamp8ng with it but even more so a few NA rally events leading to a Sonora run just to complete one. I will keep the beta 390 though for more purely single track rides I am sure
What’s keeping them from qualifying? Just displacement? This engine is slow even for a 450, but it does make sense to keep power down for reliability. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours a lot. Seems like a great bike.
I have the 2020 701 and it has the XPLOR which is better but STILL needs work before I'd say it handles well (I swapped springs and revalved). FWIW I came from a more street focus and believe the 701 bars are too low (and I swapped the bar and raised the bars some to sort that). The Kove is a super interesting bike... and I'd say the fact that you can actually compare a Chinese bike to the KTM's is a big win for Kove. IMO the 701 is a good offroad ADV platform but it cost me $20k to get it where I wanted it, the Kove IMO may start out a lot closer to 'capable' for offroad focused ADV - so getting it where it needs to be may (other than power) be MUCH more cost effective.
Awesome video mate. Thanks for posting it. I'd love to see a Kove 450 v AJP PR7 comparison if you happen to know someone with one of them. I'm hoping we see more and more bikes that are legitimate alternatives to the 690/700/701's. Cheers from Australia.
@@bushybill7189 PR7's have a great fan base here in Oz. We also have some great technicians that make a better ECU for them. If Kove makes it to Australia then we're in for a great comparo :D
Great honest content Chuck. As a 21' 690 owner I would agree with the under sprung (for me) stock handling of the 690 & 701. Swapping out front and rear springs to the correct rates is a big improvement, but the xplor fork still lacks rebound adjustment range so I'm now considering the k-tech ORVS. It's a 300+ pound bike and you are right, not super nimble but stupid fun when things open up. I wondered if the Honda 300 Rally might be a better comparison to the Kove mainly because of the lower power output.? Really appreciate your perspective, keep it coming! Also how comfortable was 6'8" Dallas on the Kove?
I’d love to compare the 300 as well! I know the suspension is really bad on it too. Dallas was actually very comfortable on the Kove once I used Rox Risers to get the bars forward a couple inches. I actually didn’t even raise them.
Thanks for very interesting review. The fact you're from Enduro world more than Adv one, allow a better view of offroad capacities of the Kove 450. I used to ride a '21 701 E over 14.000km of TransEuroTrail, but never felt that good on it, may be too stable/stiff for gnarly terrain. Now riding a 500excf which is way more my taste of handling, forgiving all my mistakes. Of course, I won't ride long highways with the 500, but I didn't either with the 701. Would be interested in your comparison of Kove 450 vs KTM 500EXCF in BDR context as well as single track. Of course, short service intervals and light/weak rear frame limiting luggage, are a drawback of 500excf. Some fixes exist for these. And serious price advantage of Kove makes me think.
The big factors between the Kove & the 500 are weight & power. The 500 has SO much more power. The 500 feels a lot lighter too. The suspension is quite a bit stiffer on the Kove though. Fuel capacity is obviously bigger on the Kove. The 500 is definitely a lot more dirt oriented.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Picking up my K450R next week. Can't wait to compare it on the same trails as my uncorked/ecu'd 500 and then riding 50-100 more miles on the twisties on a single fill-up. Might be like riding a gravel bike on your fav mtb trails...
I own the 2023 MY 701 and I have no clue what kind of husky you tested, but I can assure you the suspension is amazing on that. Really hard and offers lots of control. Coming from adventure bikes - 701 is a rock. I would strongly advise servicing that suspension on the 701 you tested.
This is exactly my point with stressing that I’m an enduro rider. Enduro suspension is much stiffer than ADV or DS suspension. Same situation with moto vs enduro. Moto guys ride my enduro bike (which is WAY stiffer than the 701) and tell me what a saggy couch it is.
Totallly agree, I'm 99kg and my suspension never bottoms out. In Australia we get the Euro version with Explor suspension so maybe that's part of it...
Thought maybe you’ve been a little harsh on the old 701… yes, it’s a little front heavy, but get attitude right, and it’s not that bad… anyway, I think you’re spot on in comparing kove and 701, that was my thought too (and decided not to swap over)
Really excellent series on the Kove. The power is interesting. Everide says it can keep up with a KTM 500, and you were on a 701, so apples and oranges. Looking forward to hearing how this bike performs for you long term, and especially when you start checking valve clearances etc. I am a mechanic and really appreciate your perspective. Will subscribe to your channel.
I’m hoping to do the same test with the 500. It’s got to be different than the pro model because I can’t see the Kove keeping up to a 500. It feels so much slower. Maintenance will be interesting. Looking forward to it too.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech I am most interested of anything in the maintenance. I am not a particularly power hungry guy, but needing to check the valves every 5 thousand kilometers or changing the oil every 2 thousand kms would be a deal killer How much oil does it carry? And what type of oil 10w40?
@@ChuckfromTrueTech I'll be releasing a video with a few more drag races. Spoiler: The Kove dominates the stock street legal KTM 500 every time, as well as the KTM 300 xc (even off the line at a 20mph rolling start) but loses easily to the uncorked dirt version of the 500. It is not a slow bike. The power delivery is different for sure, and somehow that makes it *feel* slower... yet in every drag race I've done, it holds its own. (And believe me, the KTM guys I'm racing against do NOT want to lose to a Kove! 🤣 )
It seems very strange to me as the Kove and the DRZ400 feel very similar when it comes to power. Our weather window is closing up here but I’ll be doing some drag racing at my earliest opportunity.
That’s a description about how I feel. Definitely in the “feeling” category. My “personal” opinion about the engine is that it’s underwhelming. It has “enough” power. Overall I really like the bike. I think it’s actually pretty close to ideal for dual sport riding with an enduro background. I don’t think my reviews were negative despite pointing out the weak points the bike has. I don’t claim to be unbiased or objective.
Great review! the comparative choice is right even Kove has a rally mod already on (capacity, screen, etc,) than 701 (it needs more money to get adv tower/screen/ large tank). One thing over all…the enduro seat of these bikes are definitely not made for long distance ride and travel…so dual bike what? 😂
Interesting comparison. The suspension on the 701/690 platform has some variance over different years, my 2019 701 suspension has been pretty spot on out of the box for a heavy rider who leans on the aggressive side. I'm not sure I agree on the power of the 701 being a handful in the slow stuff, geared down, its perfectly fine.. at speed however, its easy to get away from you if you aren't aware of what it is capable of.
I had a 2019 701. It was fun and powerful. But without spending extra money, and a lot of it, it just couldn't do what I was asking it to do. I sold it and ride a 2009 husaberg fe570 which is a far beter bike for my style of riding. The 701 could get pretty sketchy when pushing it hard. And the seat on the 701 was terrible. Buy a 701, but be prepared to send extra money, or just enjoy semi road/dirt. The kove looks promising.
Truthfully, I do not care where a product is made if it is made properly. I rode a CF Moto bike recently (the 450 NK to be precise) and it was surprisingly a great experience. I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, raced MX amateurly, have owned super sport, classic British, and American cruisers; that said, I have also played around with Chinese manufactured dirt machines with my sons and grandkids most of which are knockoffs of Japanese and European designs but the good ones all had one thing in common Zongshen engines. I am wanting a 450 rally pro not for anything other than an all season go anywhere economical commuter I trust the engine and if the build quality is what everyone claims which it must be to have 3 production bikes finish all stages of the Dakkar Ralley I am sold. Can you affix panniers and a top box?
Very interesting review and comparison. I wondered how many miles or hours you had on the Kove to see if power improved after time? Unfortunately, any street legal 450 dirt bike is probably going to feel way down on power to the 701. Nice to hear your impressions!
It will do anything you would ask it to do on a dualsport trip. Unfortunately it is billed to be way more than a typical dualsport and it just comes up way short.
Hows the Kove 450 for vibration, my old adventurized 690 has vibes. I like the 450 but would want more power only because alot of riding I do is in sand and hills where you need ponies. The Kove that has my future ADV interest is the coming 800X Pro version.
Great review! How about the gear box range? Does it have enough of a short 1st so that rpm isn’t too low in slow tech climbing AND does it have a long 5th or 6th (what is it?) to keep rpm moderate on longer highway sections on multi day rides? (My 990 adv r had a terrible long 1st and my TTR 600 had to in the high rpms on the highway all the time)
The gearbox is typical DS. First gear is too high for tight single track. In my initial ride review I rode a bunch of single track. I expect that video may shed some more light on your questions. I had several misconceptions about the bike that got exposed on that first ride.
Thanks! Typical DS means not a super wide range?! Would be a bit of a bummer if that is a limiting factor for an otherwise very versatile bike. Are there any numbers out on gear ratio per gear?
Nice vid, even if the comparison was sort of skewed on the engine volume side. Wouldn't a) flashing the ECU and b) dropping a teeth on the Kove help with extra "grunt"?
Flashing the ECU makes a small, but nice difference. No chance of getting anywhere near most of the other 450s. Initially I thought I would compare the Kove with a 500EXC or a 450L, but as soon as I rode it I realized it was closer to the 690 than the DS bikes with similar displacements.
Wich year was your 701? In 2023 the 701 have WP Xplor 48mm coil-spring fork and WP Xplor shock with linkage. I have one and do not feel the suspension too soft maybe a bit too stiff. I would like to be able to compare myself the two bikes. The KOVE seems to be a very interesting motorcycle but in Canada it seems to have only one dealer in Alberta who is very far from my home and I still don't know the Canadian prices.
I don’t know what year they switched off the top of my head, but in general it makes sense that the 690/701 platform would have soft valving because it lends itself better to gravel road/ 2 track riding than a stiffer setup. The Kove suspension feels more like dirt bike suspension. The Kove dealer network is very small so far and that’s definitely a concern, but I’ve talked with the Canadian distributor about the strategy to provide support for the brand & they have some ideas that I think are revolutionary in the bike industry. I wish I could tell you about their plans. I think other brands may follow suit in the future.
Alright that's it. Time to sell the 3rd gen KLR. I basically spend 90% of my time riding 2 track like in this video with the occasional single track sketchy "why am I doing this" trail, with pavement in between. 460lbs is quite the adventure in the woods. I've been debating getting a true dual sport and slapping a long range tank on one. Why not just grab a Kove for 9k, slap some bark busters and heated grips on there and call it good.
Keep in mind that I’m an enduro rider. When I do suspension for DS or ADV riders it’s a whole different category. I know a lot of ADV riders find the 690 suspension stiff, but it all depends on how hard you’re hitting the obstacles on the trail. Us enduro riders get funny looks from the MX riders because our suspension is so soft. It’s all about skill level. The faster you can ride the stiffer the suspension needs to be.
Great video thanks! If I could criticize anything, because you asked us to, is that you get a better camera. Otherwise the content is great! Just subbed on one of your other videos and looking forward to the straight forward and accurate content. Love that you can actually ride because that makes a huge difference to my perspective of the content.
The quality is actually a RUclips compression issue. Once I do everything in 4K it should be solved, but I need a proper editing computer to handle those file sizes. It’s on the list! Thanks for sharing your opinion. I’ll be spending money on an editing rig soon.
How does the power compare to a drz400 or wr250F specifically? Neither can hold a candle to a 690 but I've had plenty of fun on both and never wanted or needed more power off pavement
I haven’t ridden a DRZ in a while, but I’d say they’re close enough that I need to revisit before making the call. The 250F is a tough one too because of the quick revving engine & the relative light weight. I think it’s safe to say that if the WR was carrying 30L of fuel & had all the lights & road trinkets the Kove has it would be weaker than the Kove, but that’s a lot of ifs.
I’d say the power is comparable, but the Kove makes more on top & less on the bottom. The chassis & suspension on the Kove is miles ahead for more aggressive riding though, not to mention fuel capacity.
did you tune the 701 suspension for your weight? if the dude who owns it is skinny the suspension might have just been set up weird. mine never bottoms out and i hit jumps and all types of stuff but then again i also have the supermoto i think its got different forks... and even less clearance... weird. also not sure about he kove cuz you didnt mention it yet but the 701 is fully adjustable so you should be able to dial in both
The owner weighs about what I weigh. The clickers make relatively small adjustments. I’ve ridden dozens of 690s over the years and this one wasn’t unique. They’re set up for dual sporting. Compared to the Kove they’re mushy.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech ok gotchu. maybe it's just the supermoto forks for wheelies etc but man my forks are stiff as all hell I had to soften them up big time when I started going off road.
get Ktech ORVS in the xplor48 on 701/690 and the bike is 100% different, literally a bike changer no BS - comp+rebound in both legs opposed to one in each which is dumb AF, better bottoming x 10, better pistons etc - did it on my 500 and the bike is a missile in comparison, really cannot recommend enough
After riding the Kove I realized that they’re not really in the same category. I already know the outcome. The 500 is lighter and WAY more powerful. The 500 is significantly further to the dirt bike side. Compared to the 500 the Kove feels like an ADV bike.
It was older. I think a ‘17. The suspension is set up soft on the newer ones too though. It has less to do with the style of fork & more with the market KTM is building the bike for. Their target with the 701 is clearly a more ADV or light DS crowd.
Think I would rather have a Kove and find the hidden power. 701 I have now even with pretty good suspension is just to big, heavy and I don't need all the power. Not much choice here in NZ with bikes needing ABS to be registered. First time for a smell review on a bike :)
I expect there is a little power to be gained, but I’m pretty sure to make a big difference it would need a cam & more compression. When I smell that China smell it tells me a story I’ve experienced too many times.
@@darko_lengkeek-jakupovic I've already got a couple ECUs coming and I'm sure we'll be looking at removing the cat at some point. I don't have high expectations, but we'll see how it goes.
Thanks for the review! 701 has had Xplore fork for quite a while now, comparison to the old 4CS isn't fair ) Although, Xplore is a little soft for fast riding @ my 100 kilo's (220lb)
Lol. The ADV riders find it stiff. The enduro riders find it way too soft. Nothing strange about that. I encounter this all the time. Most ADV bikes are dangerously under-sprung and under-valved for offroad use.
I'm surprised you compared a 690cc against a 450cc. These are not in the same class. I have a '17 701, and the 4cs fork was indeed horrendous. Racetech gold valves, conversion to open chamber and springs appropriate for my weight corrected that. ($500-$600 if you do the work yourself)
The engine size & horsepower is certainly different, but how you would use these bikes is very similar. The bike is more similar to the 701 than to the 450/500 options. I was initially surprised by this too.
We’ve talked about getting the exhaust. We’ve already updated the mapping. Mapping and exhaust make a noticeable difference, but it’s not going to get us anywhere close to a KTM. This engine feels more like a DRZ400.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Yeah, the engine is derived from a very old NC450, which explains a lot of things. KOVE is still not capable of developing their own bespoke engines, I do hope the best for them.
I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not sure there’s much to learn. The DR suspension is worse than the 701 (although it can be greatly improved) and the power is softer as well. It’s not as heavy feeling, so it’s a bit more nimble but things like small diameter axles & tiny rubber mounted footpegs give it a flexible, wet noodle feeling… I guess I just did the comparison.
What year was the 701 ? The 2020 701 comes with wp xplore the same as the 890 adventure r and the exc500, which I found it amazing, also the 2020 comes with traction control it takes some time to become familiar with its ability but when you do it works in your favor in controlling the power without being so intrusive Cheers great comparison!
This was a 2017. Keep in mind that although all 3 of those bikes have Xplor forks the valving is very different. The 701 & 890 are a couple inches shorter than the 500 as well. The 4CS however is just a poor design, even though it can work quite well with the right modifications.
I just re-valved a set of 890 forks. This highlights the importance of perspective. The 890 forks are so soft that they bottom out & feel harsh under light offroad conditions for a novice enduro rider. I modified them significantly to add enough damping to keep the bike from wallowing under compression. It’s not that they’re objectively bad, just bad for specific applications. The 890 suspension is great on gravel roads, but in an offroad scenario with an enduro rider on board they’re terrible. It’s so important for the rider & the suspension tuner to be on the same page about application & expectation. I think this is one of the toughest things to get right for any tuner.
That’s exactly what I thought till I rode it. It’s more like 690 than the 500. The 500 is much more offroad oriented. Both the 500 and the 690 have a much more powerful engine than the Kove and the Kove feels similar in weight to the 690. Similar feeling width to the 690 too.
You should probably state very clearly that this is a pre '18 H701. There is a pretty big difference in the engine and suspension of the '18 + bikes IIRC
It’s not appropriate for me to discuss someone else’s finances, but I understand that you’re asking if Kove is incentivizing the eRag to put out positive reviews on the bike and the answer to that is no. I do think that in general it’s not good karma to bash a product publicly. Instead I prefer to give private feedback, however I also believe it’s my responsibility to relay accurate information to people considering a purchase. Maintaining integrity is extremely important to me personally, so I always try to inform about how the product works instead of focussing on how much I love or hate it.
Seemed unbiased to me, unlike megs braap on her chinabike (IMO, although it seems like a good bike to me) Very good review video, which covers the major points one would like to know.
I’m sure Chuck’s review is honest, my question was about the three new, unproven bikes that suddenly appeared in the eRag stable. It’s naïve to see this in the social media landscape and not wonder if the bikes were free. If they were free, just say so. Anything less is dishonest - though as Chuck says, I can see why he would choose to mind his own business!@@traileater
@@dznnf7You’re absolutely right to wonder, and it matters. When I say the eRag isn’t incentivized that definitely means the bikes were not free. I have had (& will continue to have) conversations about issues, tuning & testing with the importers both in Canada & stateside, but otherwise I don’t really have any perks or incentives that anyone else doesn’t.
Nice one ! probably just as reliable , the bar ktm sets isnt alt hat high proven so. Seriously that Kove with the owner of Kove over seeing its r and d on quality control it easily could be better than a ktmhuskgas . That WP stuff is shite , the tuners love it ! Business is booming , so the Kove ready to race compared to some .
Lol. Kove is more ready to race than the KTMs for sure. All I’ve done to these Koves is install hand guards & grip heaters, remove the charcoal canisters & cut away a piece of the skid plate. I would like to install an ABS switch though. It’s a death trap going down hills.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech I put an ABS switch on my 990A. Interrupts the signal when you re-run the starter and ABS fully disables. It's klunky but it works. How do you do an ABS switch on the Kove? The have all on, just front on or all off or am I mistaken? Is just front on still not a good thing? How did you wire/fuse/switch up the grip heaters? It's cold in UT, definitely needed. Also, regarding the bars did you switch? Thinking a Renthal CR high. Not all of us have a shop lathe...
Considering there’s 204cc difference between them and the KTM’s legendary LC4 motor won so many Dakar stages and overall wins that the organisers almost literally had to level the playing field (450’s only) to add spice to the event, I don’t think there’s anyway you can compare the two at all.
These 2 bikes are built to ride the same type of terrain. I can’t think of another bike that’s more similar. The DRZ is way smaller and more nimble. Even though the engine is very similar to the Kove the rest of the bike is further. 450L and 500 EXC are even further away.
seems like a good learner bike, these things are deceptively safe on the road, if you're the type of rider to try to avoid getting in a cars way and dont drive like a moron.
Of course the engines are very different, but for the majority of consumers these two bikes are strong contenders for dual sport riding. Both are well suited for the same terrain. Kind of like a Harley & a CBR1000. They’re both designed to meet at Starbucks.
Although the 4CS is a poor design the valving is set up similar to the newer Xplor. The point is that the 701 is designed to be a DS or small ADV bike from the factory. It’s set up accordingly. It’s not hard to set up the Xplor for semi aggressive off-roading, but it suits a large swath of the demographic as it is stock.
Just like with the Xplor, they’re totally different than the MX or enduro settings. I can’t blame them because ADV or DS riders tend to be less aggressive & often prefer comfort over performance. The Kove errs on the side of performance.
as someone who owns two 690s -enduro and sumo, the review doesn't make sense. the criticisms of 701 seem invalid. i cannot imagine in what situation that i would prefer kove to 690? 701/690 have map settings to tame power, if needed. who wants less power? i want to pull front wheel whenever i want. he 701 suspension in the video doesn't sound stock. regardless, any decent rider will adjust suspension for her riding style. the suspension and geometry can be adjusted. i.e., one can setup 701/690 to function like kove and a whole lot more. one cannot do anything to make kove perform like 701. give me the 701/690 everyday all day. oh, and kove is heavier. heavier and much less powerful? who wants that? kove is probably better suited for average to beginner riders. i cannot see a skilled rider choosing kove, unless sponsored. all good. i really look forward to riding a kove. enjoy the ride.
Definitely true that the suspension on the 690/701 can be modified to suit. I think a lot of riders will be wanting the Kove valving softened to accommodate their needs. It’s easier to soften suspension than to stiffen 4CS or Xplor forks. The damping capacity just isn’t there on the Xplor and the 4CS is over-complicated & failure prone. Everyone in the group liked the handling of the Kove over the 701. It would be great to have the 701 engine in the Kove.
When I get my '18 701 up on steep sandy/rocky trails, I would like the power delivery to be WAY smoother. I have 2 maps on the bike and even on the soft map that rear tire likes to spin and shoot me off-line where my 350exc and T7 will hook up. The monster torque is as annoying and dangerous as it is fun in the open. And in weight, they're close enough it makes little difference. My 701 is 340-350 lb. A new 690 is 360 lb. The Kove is 320 empty - put 4 gal in it and it weighs the same.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech but statrting out a comparison with something _completely_ out of it's league from the get-go is silly, right ? You wouldn't compare the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruze to a 2024 F150 Crew Cab would you ? It shows your bias against it before you even started.... Motorcycle reviews are all subjective as hell, no different than Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge/Ram whatever.....
@@ChuckfromTrueTech'member when everide's kove 450 blew the (metaphorical)doors off a 2022 ktm 500exc 6 days in a pavement roll race? I 'member. It looks fast enough for a heavy dual sport bike...
@@ChuckfromTrueTech yes, except for engine power, which is one of the primary comparisons always being made of the Kove 450 (because everyone gets on it expecting 'power' of a 690/701 and then says they are disappointed. Really?! I wonder why?!) A 450 v 690/701 is not a fair/equal comparison and seems so pointless in the power comparison stakes. There are plenty of KTM 450/500 Rally (or rally setup) or Husky 501 (with full rally setup) bikes out there. I think MADtv did a build not long ago. The main dampener for the Kove once again, compared to the KTM/Huskies, is the fuel capacity and the associated weight impact that has.
Because it was already done by Dakar pro rider? And result is that they are basically the same? And as was seen on this year Dakar he was able to finish stages 3rd and 5th. ruclips.net/video/usUJCSuzsec/видео.html
@@puffybodie5282but they are not the same. The comments in the video talk about it being underpowered, compared to what? Another 450 or the 690? KTM has a 450 Rally, compare it in real world riding not some elite race
You can't compare the 701 to the 450. There's a 250cc difference. Ktm/husky 690/701 are not European. they're made in China and India. I owned a 2020 KTM 690 Enduro. The ktm 690 Enduro is nothing like a Kove 450 Rally. 10:05
Хобби
The Kove has an enormous advantage over the so called adventure bikes. It works as it is out of the crate, mods are not needed. Power is enough for any serious offroad driver even in thick mud or deep sand, the handling is excellent, no bothering vibrations, no rattles, able of 170 kmh top speed so 120-130 kmh (the maximal legal in many countries) cruising on the highway is a breeze. Brief it's largely fast enough at least for Europe and all the countries I've traveled in Africa and Asia. And cherry on the cake the Kove Rally is approved Euro 5 so you have registration like any ordinary vehicle with legal insurance so you can travel with the Kove anywhere in the world.
In France the price is 10000€, in comparison the Yamaha T7 costs 11000€, weights 40 kg more, has a bothering high center of gravity and you have to spend 1500€ to get decent suspensions (I did not said good nor excellent) plus the big tank which will give a higher center of gravity.
The Honda CRL 300 Rally costs in France, when you can get it, 7000€ (expensive for a bike made in China assembled in Vietnam, no Japanese had been harmed for making it) and if you want decent suspensions you have to add 1000 to 1500€ plus the big tank and you'll arrive close to 10000€ for a bike which is heavier and has 20 HP less than the Kove. Morality better to buy a cheap, reliable and very good Voge 300 Rally for 4700€ which has better suspensions and seat than the Honda. The Voge is a total bargain, with a simple preparation you can have fun and go traveling anywhere.
The suspensions of the Kove are excellent and can be easily tuned for your taste, the bike has 3 tanks with 30 liters (from 450 to more than 500 km of range) so you do not need to buy and adapt aftermarket tanks, it's easy to maintain with all the dzeus thought for true rally, the oil capacity is at least 1.6 l and there is an oil cooler; the two radiators have already fans, the alternator gives 300 watts, the air filter can be cleaned in minutes. The engine is the well known and robust Zongchen NC 450 with a Kove DOHC head, injection and ECU.
The similar bikes are the Fantic 450 Rally with the Yamaha WR enduro engine (16000€) unable to make long travel with just 1.2 liters of oil to change every 10 hours, and the very rare and expensive KTM 450 Rally (27000€). Another contender as travel bike is the AJP PR7 (11500€) with the italian SWM engine (similar to the 2010 600 Huskvarna). The 701 Husky costs 11300€ and you have to add some bank notes to get the suspensions done, plus big tanks (if possible I'm not sure).
The lone thing to add to the Kove is a rack and supports for the the luggage bags (see Aliexpress or Berotec in Germany) and you have the best bike for crossing Morocco by the mule tracks of the Atlas mountains or to cross Europe by the TET trails. Or even crossing the Mauritanian desert with all the sand dunes. All the countries where you can have 400 km between the gas stations are not more a problem...
For the price the Kove is a total bargain. And some are waiting the Kove 800X twin 95 HP for 165 kg dry.
PS You can get pretty good chinese bikes; Voge (brand of Loncin which makes also engines and components for BMW), CFM Moto (makes also the KTM twin engines, plus a lot of components, maybe complete bikes for KTM ), and Zontes.
If you live in Europe why would you even bother with a adventure/offroad bike? There’s no where to ride it and if there is it sucks. It’s literally for people who think a flat dirt road is offroad. Lol.
@@keithquinn5624 Maybe you're American but It's absolutely certain You have certainly never been in Europe...
@@pabloricardodetarragon2649 no where to offroad it's a prison there no freedom no nature too, why waste your time, just save ur money and take trips to amazing places
@@keithquinn5624 Well our roads are often in the quality of the double track and they happen to be in nice nature, with views, mountains and such with occassional chances for real offroad. Sounds exactly like rally - so boom, Kove solved our problem 😀
Pablo.. good post 👍🏻
There's a huge difference between Kove and what everyone keeps saying a "Chinese Bike" generally is. Kove was started by a proper legit passionate guy that is building a bike company who happens to be in China. Can't really paint them with the same brush as an Alibab bike company. I personally wish them well and hope this brand takes off!
As an electrical wholesaler, back in the 90s when Chinese stuff came in, it was 90% crap. But like the Japanese before, the Chinese adapted by forcing US and EU companies to build there , train local employes, and teach the finer details of quality. By 2005, a lot of Chinese imports were nearly indistinguishable from US made. Then they went one step further, actually investing in R&D to improve on the original US production machinery, while many US domestic plants were milked dry by management.
OUTSTANDING comparison and very helpful! 👊 Thank you!
Thank you so much! I love your videos, I watch them during winter garage time, when I make some preventative maintenance on my bikes, counting the days that separate me from spring riding!!
Great video yet again. I'm looking forward to the upcoming motorcycle category talk.
GREAT comparison and GREAT way to put it/tell it ! ♥ I have a 701 LR and very happy with it. ♥
Not in the market for a 701 but I’ve read a lot about it so this was a helpful comparison. Keep up the great content.
Helpful review in many respects. Since the Dakar Rally bikes are limited to 450 cc now, that ought to be motor comparison to keep things fair, IMHO. The fact that all 3 of the riders and bikes completed the Rally without mechanical breakdown -- riders who are in a different league than most of us -- speaks highly, as well. I don't presume to speak for the ADV community, but having a bike capable of slaying BDRs and minimizing the dread of dropping and picking up a bike while carrying a modest set of camping gear would rank high on the list of desirable rigs.
I wouldn’t mind doing a 450 comparison, but I feel like there really aren’t any other accessible bikes that fit the bill.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech That would seem to place it in rare company, filling a need the majors have ignored for too long. As for durability and longevity, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating as the months wear on and the number of owners increases.
What about the CRF450L?
Kove did themselves a disservice by using inexperienced riders. They have a video of their Dakar premier and it was very apparent that the riders were holding back the bike. If Kove had given a couple bikes to an experienced team, they could have gotten top10 or even a podium. When Ducati decided to race their Scrambler Desert Sled, they contacted Fasthouse and gave them the bikes and full support. As a result, Fasthouse slaughtered the field in the Mint 400. Kove should have taken the same approach.
Add it to the mix - stock from the factory - to see how it stacks up.
Great review. I currently have a 23 701 which I love,but I have been curious as to how the Kove compares. You did a good job of explaining the differences of the two.
I have the Rally 450 Pro and took it for a proper shakedown this weekend in a mix of everything inckuding songletrack, and some gnarly rock step enduro sections. Your review is pretty spot on but I I’m actually happy with the power of the pro. Having spent a lot of time on the Husky/KTM RFR 450, there’s a lot of subtle differences that I’m going to outline in a video soon.
Nice! Can you do a 3rd gear wheelie?
Is video available somewhere already? Thx
im so happy i found this channel
That s how review should be done! Subscribed👏
Great object review with facts, data, and applicable metaphors
I have 150 miles on my Kove in all kinds of conditions. Singletrack, whooped out OHV trails, gravel roads, and some pavement. I’ve spent a few hours riding stock 690’s and this Kove is so much more confidence inspiring when the tires touch the dirt. Yes it’s low on power but with the aggressive way I ride, less power is better. I have yet to get arm pump or whisky throttle 😂
with 150 miles on it, we dont need your opinion.
@@claudemarchand1196 I’ve got 800 on it so far. The bike keeps getting better. I go back and forth on a 21’ Beta 300 and this Kove still impresses me. 2 oil changes, 2 filter changes, multiple days on the MX track and long days on the trails. It’s too effing cold to ride here in Oregon to do longer rides. I’m on several owners groups in the USA. Not a critical failure to mention.
@@Trailfocused Just installed the full race exhaust and pro race 2.0 ECU map on my Kove. The power has increased across the entire range and it pulls so much harder now in open terrain.
@@BraapTales Same here, map, exhaust, and timing key. It's got another 5hp and is 7.5 pounds lighter weight, it was a great investment.
Thanks for the video. Very informative.
This looks like a great trail! Bring us there. Thanks for the video guys! Great review.
We have way better stuff than this to show you.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech
Let's do a trail swap!
Come visit us here in UT, we have a few good trails too...
I’ve just purchased a 701. I’m working till the end of the month, but can’t wait to collect it !
Excellent video. No complaints 😎
YEAH! Thanks for this video. That was fast :D
I love that you come right out and say things - the 4cs forks straight up sucks. That may offend some people, but that is how you compare bikes among your buddies, and it is rare to find on YT especially in the ADV segment, where people mince their words, because they fear/have ties to the industry.
And I think that it is really useful to talk about rider backgrounds as well.
I have a 701, with 4cs forks, and I can't tell that it is that bad. Because I don't have access to anything remotely close to the type of terrain you are riding.
I live in Denmark, but ride in Sweden, because they have gravel roads.
I'm lucky if I ride proper two track. The ride in this video would be the ride of the year.
We tend to lust for the bike that can do the thing we dream of (Kove/Dakar) in stead of analysing what riding we do/have access to and which bike would suit that more - in my case the 701.
I'm just so happy to not have to be completely crazy about the Kove, and instead be happy with my 701.
Thanks for the video, great stuff!!
I appreciate the comments.
Considering riders of varying skill levels & preferences is too often overlooked. Although the 4CS fork has many design flaws it may be exactly right for you. It sounds like your 701 does exactly what you need it to do.
It is certainly fun to explore the options though.
Another great video. A guy that knows what he's talking about who talks about feel, not spec sheets 👍 This bike seems to fit in the dual sport category right next to a 450L properly set up for dual sporting. If it had passenger pegs and another 150cc it would be perfect IMO.
Gotta give the 690/701 platform some credit here for being the only performance DS that can carry a passenger.
I agree. It’s next to the 450L, but quite a bit less power. Passenger pegs is definitely a con. Nowhere really to mount them either.
Thoroughly enjoyed both the unboxing video, and this one - well done! Tip: even with volume on FULL, am often battling to hear you, yet your riding buddies come through 10/10? Please consider louder volume/closer mike placement on yourself, in follow-up videos, thanks, Chris, Flying Brick, Cape Town, S.A.
Appreciate the input! I can adjust that.
Great vid, thanks.
Good stuff!
Another element that needs to be in the comparison is price. I do not know what the price of each bike is in the US, but it certainly does have a weight in the equation.
Nice review. I am stuck on both ends with no middle bike. From air cooled yamis to a drzsm with tires and a gen3 klr to dl1000. I recently got a tse250r and the front suspension is very stiff! I might get the 450 sooner or later
Hi Chuck and thanks for doing this comparison. I know some people don't think anybody would be considering these two bikes when shopping for their next one but I am proof that we exist. I can't speak for those that can only have one bike to do it all because if I was in that situation the bikes on my radar would be totally different. However, there is more than displacement and assumed/perceived performance when looking at any purchase. In my case I have a 2005 KTM 525 EXC and a 2021 Beta 500 RR-S for the dirt side of things and a 2004 KTM 950 Adventure for the more "streetish" side of riding. Streetish being in quotes because the bike always wears knobbies and I actually ride it in places big bikes don't normally belong. Typical usage is to get "out there" on the 950 and explore very far from home and then come back to the hardcore trails on a small bike, typically in the back of the pickup with spare gas.
My first road legal bike was a Yamaha XT350 when I was 17 and I had largely forgotten about the virtues of a small air-cooled foofoo bike until a few years ago when a deal on a 1983 Honda XL250R came up. Instantly that bike took me back to those days of carefree exploration in my youth. The big added benefits were that I could go much deeper into old abandoned trails than I could on the 950, it didn't boil over in very slow technical terrain and it could almost go as far as the 950 with less than half the fuel capacity. Plus there's something to be said about taking your time and enjoying the scenery. While I still enjoy the XL the fact that it's a 40 year old bike is not lost on me. Nor do the thoughts of (because I'm spoiled by the other bikes I have) having more power, better brakes, electric start, some wind protection and finally even more range. That list of criteria is pretty broad and the hole I'm trying to plug between the XL250 and the KTM 950 is a large one. There's a shit ton of bikes that one can consider to fill that hole.
And that brings me to the bikes I am considering for my next purchase. And I'm going to further annoy some with the third bike in the list.
1. KTM 690 platform. I don't much like the handling of a stock 690 (regardless of generation) and the gearing spread is a bit thin but I have ridden one with decent suspension and a Rally fairing as well as the Rade auxiliary fuel tank. I found that bike to handle ok and it would probably do the job, albeit with bigger rads and maybe some ungraded fans. Range is good too. I can see gearing being something fiddly and this bike is not the inexpensive solution in my list. Also, reliability is hit or miss it seems; these bikes are so intolerant of debris in the fuel.
2. Kove 450 Rally. Haven't even seen one in person yet but I'm liking what those that have ridden them say about it. Here in northern Ontario gravel travel is just a way of life. Gas stations are few and far between and a bike that can go around 600kms on a fillup is a huge asset. Not to mention it checks all the other boxes as well as the coolness factor. Gearing may also be fiddly and therefore not be the right tool for slow abandoned trails but that is only about 25% of my riding. I have to do a lot of pavement and gravel logging roads to even get to those trails. Reliability is yet unknown but it's a widely used motor and parts are very inexpensive. A complete motor is like $2000 CDN shipped.
3. Honda CRF250/300 Rally. Crap suspension but that can be sorted out easily within the price range of the other two. Maybe add a bit of power too but not really necessary as it will comfortably do HWY speeds here. Incredible range due to its excellent mileage and fuel capacity. Probably better in slow trails than the other two and might run cooler due to making less power. Reliability and parts availability are excellent. Definitely not the cool kid of the bunch though.
So there you go, three COMPLETELY different bikes but somehow they are all on my radar for reasons that put them all on the same playing field for me.
Hey, think you can maybe snag a Honda Rally and take them on a long adventure to compare them? That way you can annoy the people you left out by comparing the Kove to the 690/701.
The season here is about finished, but I expect next year I’ll be doing some more comparisons. The Honda 300 will likely be on that list.
Don't forget the 2 rad fans and the oil cooler on the Kove. I don't know for sure, but I would bet it stays cooler in the slow speed stuff better than the 690 which tends to run real hot if the rads aren't getting air...
Thanks, appreciated.
Best real world comparison video I've seen so far. Thanks for been honest. I agree the 450 platform is not enough for a ADV bike and only ok for a dual sport. Even a longer stroke 500 would be better than a short stroke 450 (as most 450's are short-strokes).
Ideally I think if Kove made a light 500-600 single it would be a better unicorn bike. Just my 2c and fantasy thinking ;-)
Great review - loved it.
I’m wondering if they’ll put out a bike with a better engine. They have a whole lineup of bikes on their website.
It has enough power to be an adventure bike. In the USA id say 40-45 hp is fine. Less makes highway a chore. More say up to 65 hp becomes a little to much on dirt (depending on weight)
I know a lot of people want a good out of the box adventureized dual sport. This seems to fit that bill perfectly.
Maybe a big bore kit can fix that...
50 horsepower should be fine, I suspect that it has the WR250r problem. No power or torque unless you rev it out. @@Andrea_Daytona
Good video, really interested to see one of these in person. As a roadbook rally racer who just built a 690 "RFR" using the KTM factory tanks and whatnot and fixing the ridiculous stock suspension issues and travel limitations, I wish I lived closer to to some kind of comparison testing. If the power issues can be fixed, the Kove seems like a really interesting platform to build on.
As a rally racer, how important is big horsepower to you?
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Caveat being I'm a Vet A woods racer and 5 years into rally racing, and I race a 990 in the desert - I would rather have too much than too little. Specifically because of things like the sand dunes and soft sandy roads at events like Sonora, or times where a burst of power is the differences between tucking the front and cartwheeling or getting the front end up over a hidden hole or cut. On my FX450 rally lite bike, it's always got plenty to get up to speed on hard pack, but soft sand roads and the dunes in Sonora, there are times where I am wide open just shy of the limiter for minutes at a time to maintain pace, and less power would mean having to be more creative getting through the dunes. The 690 has more torque but is a lot heavier (~380 lbs full of gas) so it doesn't actually feel much quicker with 9 gallons on board, and the gear spacing is not great. And I'd take less power if it meant more flexibility - the 690 is an earlier 2014 engine with the 8000 rpm rev limit, which really gets in the way - hit the bottom of a dune on the limiter in 4th on both bikes, and the 450 can lug back a lot further before downshifting because it's got another 3000 rpm above the 690. So even though it makes more power, you're working harder to use it on the 690 sometimes. I'm not a rev limiter guy, and I hit it constantly on the 690 for things like not wanting to upshift just to downshift right away for a corner. So flexibility is key.
And on the flexibility front - I'm actually looking at putting the FX450 engine (it's got the 6th gear swap) in the 690. I'd take the power hit to have the extra RPM flexibility and better gearing and clutch.
Seems like a very fair review of them all but remember non of those other bikes can qualify for Rally events and the smaller engine is obviously part of the power difference. only 3 mire sleeps to picking up mine so I can comment from experience. I am glad that the quality is good and I look forward to easier single track and motocamp8ng with it but even more so a few NA rally events leading to a Sonora run just to complete one. I will keep the beta 390 though for more purely single track rides I am sure
What’s keeping them from qualifying? Just displacement?
This engine is slow even for a 450, but it does make sense to keep power down for reliability.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours a lot. Seems like a great bike.
Excellent Explanation good comparison but in future go directly with Technical issues differences Thanks
Cool to see you ride with Dallas. Kove ralley definitely has my attention.
I can't seem to find a price on the bike though
I have the 2020 701 and it has the XPLOR which is better but STILL needs work before I'd say it handles well (I swapped springs and revalved). FWIW I came from a more street focus and believe the 701 bars are too low (and I swapped the bar and raised the bars some to sort that).
The Kove is a super interesting bike... and I'd say the fact that you can actually compare a Chinese bike to the KTM's is a big win for Kove.
IMO the 701 is a good offroad ADV platform but it cost me $20k to get it where I wanted it, the Kove IMO may start out a lot closer to 'capable' for offroad focused ADV - so getting it where it needs to be may (other than power) be MUCH more cost effective.
Awesome video mate. Thanks for posting it. I'd love to see a Kove 450 v AJP PR7 comparison if you happen to know someone with one of them. I'm hoping we see more and more bikes that are legitimate alternatives to the 690/700/701's. Cheers from Australia.
AJP is super rare here. Never seen one. I suppose that means it’s a good candidate.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech there's not a whole lot here in Australia either. It's a shame, they appear to be good things.
@@bushybill7189 PR7's have a great fan base here in Oz. We also have some great technicians that make a better ECU for them. If Kove makes it to Australia then we're in for a great comparo :D
I hear that the low end has been re-tuned now with ver 2.0 and apparently it now really pulls well.
Great honest content Chuck. As a 21' 690 owner I would agree with the under sprung (for me) stock handling of the 690 & 701. Swapping out front and rear springs to the correct rates is a big improvement, but the xplor fork still lacks rebound adjustment range so I'm now considering the k-tech ORVS. It's a 300+ pound bike and you are right, not super nimble but stupid fun when things open up. I wondered if the Honda 300 Rally might be a better comparison to the Kove mainly because of the lower power output.? Really appreciate your perspective, keep it coming! Also how comfortable was 6'8" Dallas on the Kove?
I’d love to compare the 300 as well! I know the suspension is really bad on it too. Dallas was actually very comfortable on the Kove once I used Rox Risers to get the bars forward a couple inches. I actually didn’t even raise them.
Thanks for very interesting review. The fact you're from Enduro world more than Adv one, allow a better view of offroad capacities of the Kove 450. I used to ride a '21 701 E over 14.000km of TransEuroTrail, but never felt that good on it, may be too stable/stiff for gnarly terrain. Now riding a 500excf which is way more my taste of handling, forgiving all my mistakes. Of course, I won't ride long highways with the 500, but I didn't either with the 701.
Would be interested in your comparison of Kove 450 vs KTM 500EXCF in BDR context as well as single track.
Of course, short service intervals and light/weak rear frame limiting luggage, are a drawback of 500excf. Some fixes exist for these.
And serious price advantage of Kove makes me think.
The big factors between the Kove & the 500 are weight & power. The 500 has SO much more power. The 500 feels a lot lighter too. The suspension is quite a bit stiffer on the Kove though. Fuel capacity is obviously bigger on the Kove. The 500 is definitely a lot more dirt oriented.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech
Picking up my K450R next week.
Can't wait to compare it on the same trails as my uncorked/ecu'd 500 and then riding 50-100 more miles on the twisties on a single fill-up.
Might be like riding a gravel bike on your fav mtb trails...
I own the 2023 MY 701 and I have no clue what kind of husky you tested, but I can assure you the suspension is amazing on that. Really hard and offers lots of control. Coming from adventure bikes - 701 is a rock.
I would strongly advise servicing that suspension on the 701 you tested.
This is exactly my point with stressing that I’m an enduro rider. Enduro suspension is much stiffer than ADV or DS suspension.
Same situation with moto vs enduro. Moto guys ride my enduro bike (which is WAY stiffer than the 701) and tell me what a saggy couch it is.
Totallly agree, I'm 99kg and my suspension never bottoms out. In Australia we get the Euro version with Explor suspension so maybe that's part of it...
@@GlennFrost321 I didn't know that US version has different suspension. I'm from Europe myself so maybe that's the thing.
I also have 2023 701 with XP Explorer forks and I think tbe suspension is very good
Thought maybe you’ve been a little harsh on the old 701… yes, it’s a little front heavy, but get attitude right, and it’s not that bad… anyway, I think you’re spot on in comparing kove and 701, that was my thought too (and decided not to swap over)
No bad days on a bike. Modifying the fork is relatively cheap. Who wants to ride a stock bike anyway?
Really excellent series on the Kove. The power is interesting. Everide says it can keep up with a KTM 500, and you were on a 701, so apples and oranges. Looking forward to hearing how this bike performs for you long term, and especially when you start checking valve clearances etc. I am a mechanic and really appreciate your perspective. Will subscribe to your channel.
I’m hoping to do the same test with the 500. It’s got to be different than the pro model because I can’t see the Kove keeping up to a 500. It feels so much slower.
Maintenance will be interesting. Looking forward to it too.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech I am most interested of anything in the maintenance. I am not a particularly power hungry guy, but needing to check the valves every 5 thousand kilometers or changing the oil every 2 thousand kms would be a deal killer
How much oil does it carry? And what type of oil 10w40?
@@ChuckfromTrueTech I'll be releasing a video with a few more drag races. Spoiler: The Kove dominates the stock street legal KTM 500 every time, as well as the KTM 300 xc (even off the line at a 20mph rolling start) but loses easily to the uncorked dirt version of the 500. It is not a slow bike. The power delivery is different for sure, and somehow that makes it *feel* slower... yet in every drag race I've done, it holds its own. (And believe me, the KTM guys I'm racing against do NOT want to lose to a Kove! 🤣 )
It seems very strange to me as the Kove and the DRZ400 feel very similar when it comes to power. Our weather window is closing up here but I’ll be doing some drag racing at my earliest opportunity.
That’s a description about how I feel. Definitely in the “feeling” category. My “personal” opinion about the engine is that it’s underwhelming. It has “enough” power.
Overall I really like the bike. I think it’s actually pretty close to ideal for dual sport riding with an enduro background. I don’t think my reviews were negative despite pointing out the weak points the bike has.
I don’t claim to be unbiased or objective.
Great review! the comparative choice is right even Kove has a rally mod already on (capacity, screen, etc,) than 701 (it needs more money to get adv tower/screen/ large tank). One thing over all…the enduro seat of these bikes are definitely not made for long distance ride and travel…so dual bike what? 😂
good neutral review. maybe they should put the SWM Superdual (former Husky TE610) engine in the Kove 😊
There is already a bike with this engine, it's called AJP PR7 and it is quite an interesting bike
I like the Double Take mirrors on the Kove. I'm part of the community waiting to see how Kove does in this year's Dakar with Mason Klein on the bars.
I definitely through the kove into the Enduro section. Perhaps capable of pavment but much more at home for dirt track.
Interesting comparison. The suspension on the 701/690 platform has some variance over different years, my 2019 701 suspension has been pretty spot on out of the box for a heavy rider who leans on the aggressive side. I'm not sure I agree on the power of the 701 being a handful in the slow stuff, geared down, its perfectly fine.. at speed however, its easy to get away from you if you aren't aware of what it is capable of.
It all depends where you’re coming from & what you expect from the bike. Both great bikes for sure.
I had a 2019 701. It was fun and powerful. But without spending extra money, and a lot of it, it just couldn't do what I was asking it to do. I sold it and ride a 2009 husaberg fe570 which is a far beter bike for my style of riding. The 701 could get pretty sketchy when pushing it hard. And the seat on the 701 was terrible. Buy a 701, but be prepared to send extra money, or just enjoy semi road/dirt. The kove looks promising.
Truthfully, I do not care where a product is made if it is made properly. I rode a CF Moto bike recently (the 450 NK to be precise) and it was surprisingly a great experience. I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, raced MX amateurly, have owned super sport, classic British, and American cruisers; that said, I have also played around with Chinese manufactured dirt machines with my sons and grandkids most of which are knockoffs of Japanese and European designs but the good ones all had one thing in common Zongshen engines. I am wanting a 450 rally pro not for anything other than an all season go anywhere economical commuter I trust the engine and if the build quality is what everyone claims which it must be to have 3 production bikes finish all stages of the Dakkar Ralley I am sold. Can you affix panniers and a top box?
Would have loved you to say something against the 350, I'm trying to decide between the 2 for Adventure DS
I feel like the Kove is similar to the 350 EXC-F in power, just much heavier.
Very interesting review and comparison.
I wondered how many miles or hours you had on the Kove to see if power improved after time? Unfortunately, any street legal 450 dirt bike is probably going to feel way down on power to the 701. Nice to hear your impressions!
We’ve a few hundred kms on them. The 1.41 map makes a nice difference, but there’s no denying the weak power.
It will do anything you would ask it to do on a dualsport trip. Unfortunately it is billed to be way more than a typical dualsport and it just comes up way short.
Hows the Kove 450 for vibration, my old adventurized 690 has vibes. I like the 450 but would want more power only because alot of riding I do is in sand and hills where you need ponies.
The Kove that has my future ADV interest is the coming 800X Pro version.
I’m not very sensitive to vibration, but the Kove certainly ain’t no paint shaker. I think the 800 is going to be a big seller.
Great review!
How about the gear box range? Does it have enough of a short 1st so that rpm isn’t too low in slow tech climbing AND does it have a long 5th or 6th (what is it?) to keep rpm moderate on longer highway sections on multi day rides?
(My 990 adv r had a terrible long 1st and my TTR 600 had to in the high rpms on the highway all the time)
The gearbox is typical DS. First gear is too high for tight single track. In my initial ride review I rode a bunch of single track. I expect that video may shed some more light on your questions. I had several misconceptions about the bike that got exposed on that first ride.
Thanks! Typical DS means not a super wide range?! Would be a bit of a bummer if that is a limiting factor for an otherwise very versatile bike.
Are there any numbers out on gear ratio per gear?
Nice vid, even if the comparison was sort of skewed on the engine volume side. Wouldn't a) flashing the ECU and b) dropping a teeth on the Kove help with extra "grunt"?
Flashing the ECU makes a small, but nice difference. No chance of getting anywhere near most of the other 450s.
Initially I thought I would compare the Kove with a 500EXC or a 450L, but as soon as I rode it I realized it was closer to the 690 than the DS bikes with similar displacements.
It sounds like the Kove would make a good beginners bike. Enough power to get the job done, not enough power to quickly get yourself into trouble.
Wich year was your 701? In 2023 the 701 have WP Xplor 48mm coil-spring fork and WP Xplor shock with linkage. I have one and do not feel the suspension too soft maybe a bit too stiff. I would like to be able to compare myself the two bikes. The KOVE seems to be a very interesting motorcycle but in Canada it seems to have only one dealer in Alberta who is very far from my home and I still don't know the Canadian prices.
I don’t know what year they switched off the top of my head, but in general it makes sense that the 690/701 platform would have soft valving because it lends itself better to gravel road/ 2 track riding than a stiffer setup. The Kove suspension feels more like dirt bike suspension.
The Kove dealer network is very small so far and that’s definitely a concern, but I’ve talked with the Canadian distributor about the strategy to provide support for the brand & they have some ideas that I think are revolutionary in the bike industry. I wish I could tell you about their plans. I think other brands may follow suit in the future.
Alright that's it. Time to sell the 3rd gen KLR. I basically spend 90% of my time riding 2 track like in this video with the occasional single track sketchy "why am I doing this" trail, with pavement in between. 460lbs is quite the adventure in the woods. I've been debating getting a true dual sport and slapping a long range tank on one. Why not just grab a Kove for 9k, slap some bark busters and heated grips on there and call it good.
This is an upgrade from a KLR in almost every regard.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Ha, I think most bikes are...
I wonder... If you're OK with all that weight, maybe you wanna wait and get a 800x instead of the 450?
First time I hear bad things about the WP suspension on the 701/690. Maybe they just needed some adjustment?
Keep in mind that I’m an enduro rider. When I do suspension for DS or ADV riders it’s a whole different category. I know a lot of ADV riders find the 690 suspension stiff, but it all depends on how hard you’re hitting the obstacles on the trail.
Us enduro riders get funny looks from the MX riders because our suspension is so soft. It’s all about skill level. The faster you can ride the stiffer the suspension needs to be.
Great video thanks! If I could criticize anything, because you asked us to, is that you get a better camera. Otherwise the content is great! Just subbed on one of your other videos and looking forward to the straight forward and accurate content. Love that you can actually ride because that makes a huge difference to my perspective of the content.
The quality is actually a RUclips compression issue. Once I do everything in 4K it should be solved, but I need a proper editing computer to handle those file sizes. It’s on the list! Thanks for sharing your opinion. I’ll be spending money on an editing rig soon.
Did you change the video settings? Default is poo
@@traileater Yep. Tried a bunch of different things. It only happens with GoPro footage and only happens once uploaded.
Suspension so much more important than extra horsepower.
100%
How does the power compare to a drz400 or wr250F specifically? Neither can hold a candle to a 690 but I've had plenty of fun on both and never wanted or needed more power off pavement
I haven’t ridden a DRZ in a while, but I’d say they’re close enough that I need to revisit before making the call. The 250F is a tough one too because of the quick revving engine & the relative light weight. I think it’s safe to say that if the WR was carrying 30L of fuel & had all the lights & road trinkets the Kove has it would be weaker than the Kove, but that’s a lot of ifs.
I've always wished for a drz with 6th gear and a bigger tank, the Kove seems like a pretty good option
Would like to know how it compared to the 350 also. Great review.
The 350 is definitely a lot lighter and I’d say it also feels more powerful. The 350 is a lot better offroad than the Kove.
@@ChuckfromTrueTechThats super interesting as I have an FE350 and was thinking about trading up to the Kove. Maybe thats not a great idea...
hey how does it compare to a DR650 or a XR650L?
I’d say the power is comparable, but the Kove makes more on top & less on the bottom. The chassis & suspension on the Kove is miles ahead for more aggressive riding though, not to mention fuel capacity.
did you tune the 701 suspension for your weight? if the dude who owns it is skinny the suspension might have just been set up weird. mine never bottoms out and i hit jumps and all types of stuff but then again i also have the supermoto i think its got different forks... and even less clearance... weird. also not sure about he kove cuz you didnt mention it yet but the 701 is fully adjustable so you should be able to dial in both
The owner weighs about what I weigh. The clickers make relatively small adjustments. I’ve ridden dozens of 690s over the years and this one wasn’t unique. They’re set up for dual sporting. Compared to the Kove they’re mushy.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech ok gotchu. maybe it's just the supermoto forks for wheelies etc but man my forks are stiff as all hell I had to soften them up big time when I started going off road.
get Ktech ORVS in the xplor48 on 701/690 and the bike is 100% different, literally a bike changer no BS - comp+rebound in both legs opposed to one in each which is dumb AF, better bottoming x 10, better pistons etc - did it on my 500 and the bike is a missile in comparison, really cannot recommend enough
I’ve got Gold Valves in my Xplors on my TPI. Same idea. Turns them into proper open chambers.
Dallas!!!
Kove vs Ktm500exc-f ?? Great review thanks
After riding the Kove I realized that they’re not really in the same category. I already know the outcome.
The 500 is lighter and WAY more powerful. The 500 is significantly further to the dirt bike side. Compared to the 500 the Kove feels like an ADV bike.
My 2020 701 has Explore forks. What year were you testing?
It was older. I think a ‘17. The suspension is set up soft on the newer ones too though. It has less to do with the style of fork & more with the market KTM is building the bike for. Their target with the 701 is clearly a more ADV or light DS crowd.
"The 701 is a couch, and the Kove is a Ferrari..." Pretty interesting. Great review video.
Yeah that was a weird comparison
How’s the engine vibrations between the two?
Oh boy. I didn’t think of that at all. You’d think that might be a good thing, but I often don’t notice.
@@ChuckfromTrueTechvibes are kinda toward the top of the list for a dual sport bike IMO.
Then is it more like a modernised DRZ 400 with increased fuel capacity and rally fairing?
Yes. The engine is very similar to the DRZ. Suspension is stiffer and the DRZ feels lighter.
Think I would rather have a Kove and find the hidden power. 701 I have now even with pretty good suspension is just to big, heavy and I don't need all the power. Not much choice here in NZ with bikes needing ABS to be registered. First time for a smell review on a bike :)
I expect there is a little power to be gained, but I’m pretty sure to make a big difference it would need a cam & more compression.
When I smell that China smell it tells me a story I’ve experienced too many times.
@@ChuckfromTrueTechparts of the race version of the bike should be available soon, including a race ECU and exhaust.
@@darko_lengkeek-jakupovic I've already got a couple ECUs coming and I'm sure we'll be looking at removing the cat at some point. I don't have high expectations, but we'll see how it goes.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech
Gary said they have a couple of maps to choose from and vortex is working on a unit.
Cat is more easily drilled than removed.
What yr 701 are you riding🤔
This was a ‘17 I believe, but the tuning is similar on all of them. This one had 4CS.
Thanks for the review! 701 has had Xplore fork for quite a while now, comparison to the old 4CS isn't fair )
Although, Xplore is a little soft for fast riding @ my 100 kilo's (220lb)
Certainly soft as a dirt bike, but I would take the Xplor over the 4CS any day.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech 100% agree
Did you found how to check oil level?
Just with a zip-tie, like in the assembly video.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech 👍🏼✊🏼
I think you are the first man on this planet complaining about 690 suspension!
Lol. The ADV riders find it stiff. The enduro riders find it way too soft. Nothing strange about that. I encounter this all the time. Most ADV bikes are dangerously under-sprung and under-valved for offroad use.
I'm surprised you compared a 690cc against a 450cc. These are not in the same class.
I have a '17 701, and the 4cs fork was indeed horrendous. Racetech gold valves, conversion to open chamber and springs appropriate for my weight corrected that. ($500-$600 if you do the work yourself)
The engine size & horsepower is certainly different, but how you would use these bikes is very similar. The bike is more similar to the 701 than to the 450/500 options. I was initially surprised by this too.
Do you feel the forks are really good now after these mods? Was considering for my ‘17 690.
The weight puts these two bikes in the same comparison.
The exhaust and the ECU are interchangeable on the civilian and the pro model, maybe you can ask your dealer for more details. love from China
We’ve talked about getting the exhaust. We’ve already updated the mapping. Mapping and exhaust make a noticeable difference, but it’s not going to get us anywhere close to a KTM. This engine feels more like a DRZ400.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Yeah, the engine is derived from a very old NC450, which explains a lot of things. KOVE is still not capable of developing their own bespoke engines, I do hope the best for them.
How about a DR650/Kove comparison.
I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not sure there’s much to learn. The DR suspension is worse than the 701 (although it can be greatly improved) and the power is softer as well. It’s not as heavy feeling, so it’s a bit more nimble but things like small diameter axles & tiny rubber mounted footpegs give it a flexible, wet noodle feeling… I guess I just did the comparison.
What year was the 701 ? The 2020 701 comes with wp xplore the same as the 890 adventure r and the exc500, which I found it amazing, also the 2020 comes with traction control it takes some time to become familiar with its ability but when you do it works in your favor in controlling the power without being so intrusive
Cheers great comparison!
This was a 2017. Keep in mind that although all 3 of those bikes have Xplor forks the valving is very different. The 701 & 890 are a couple inches shorter than the 500 as well.
The 4CS however is just a poor design, even though it can work quite well with the right modifications.
Weird the comments on the xplor forks considering how good they are on the 890 adventure r. I guess ktm messed up on the 701
I just re-valved a set of 890 forks. This highlights the importance of perspective. The 890 forks are so soft that they bottom out & feel harsh under light offroad conditions for a novice enduro rider.
I modified them significantly to add enough damping to keep the bike from wallowing under compression.
It’s not that they’re objectively bad, just bad for specific applications.
The 890 suspension is great on gravel roads, but in an offroad scenario with an enduro rider on board they’re terrible.
It’s so important for the rider & the suspension tuner to be on the same page about application & expectation. I think this is one of the toughest things to get right for any tuner.
Why compare to a 701/690 when it should be 500 KTM/Husky? 🏍️🇨🇦
That’s exactly what I thought till I rode it. It’s more like 690 than the 500. The 500 is much more offroad oriented. Both the 500 and the 690 have a much more powerful engine than the Kove and the Kove feels similar in weight to the 690. Similar feeling width to the 690 too.
You should probably state very clearly that this is a pre '18 H701. There is a pretty big difference in the engine and suspension of the '18 + bikes IIRC
😂 I think I prefer the Marzocchi Bombers on my 1988 Kona 26" Hardtail to 4CS....... Or most other WP from the last 10 years
🤣 I like the Xplors the best because it’s easy to swap the parts for more useful valving.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech if only we could get a discount on a Austrian with no suspension and build it ourselves 🤣
Is there a financial agreement between Traction eRag and Kove?
It’s not appropriate for me to discuss someone else’s finances, but I understand that you’re asking if Kove is incentivizing the eRag to put out positive reviews on the bike and the answer to that is no.
I do think that in general it’s not good karma to bash a product publicly. Instead I prefer to give private feedback, however I also believe it’s my responsibility to relay accurate information to people considering a purchase. Maintaining integrity is extremely important to me personally, so I always try to inform about how the product works instead of focussing on how much I love or hate it.
Seemed unbiased to me, unlike megs braap on her chinabike (IMO, although it seems like a good bike to me)
Very good review video, which covers the major points one would like to know.
@@traileater I appreciate the input. It's definitely a difficult line to walk between being honest and being rude.
I’m sure Chuck’s review is honest, my question was about the three new, unproven bikes that suddenly appeared in the eRag stable. It’s naïve to see this in the social media landscape and not wonder if the bikes were free. If they were free, just say so. Anything less is dishonest - though as Chuck says, I can see why he would choose to mind his own business!@@traileater
@@dznnf7You’re absolutely right to wonder, and it matters. When I say the eRag isn’t incentivized that definitely means the bikes were not free.
I have had (& will continue to have) conversations about issues, tuning & testing with the importers both in Canada & stateside, but otherwise I don’t really have any perks or incentives that anyone else doesn’t.
Nice one ! probably just as reliable , the bar ktm sets isnt alt hat high proven so. Seriously that Kove with the owner of Kove over seeing its r and d on quality control it easily could be better than a ktmhuskgas . That WP stuff is shite , the tuners love it ! Business is booming , so the Kove ready to race compared to some .
Lol. Kove is more ready to race than the KTMs for sure.
All I’ve done to these Koves is install hand guards & grip heaters, remove the charcoal canisters & cut away a piece of the skid plate. I would like to install an ABS switch though. It’s a death trap going down hills.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Sheesus ! yeah ABS off road Danger ! :)
@@ChuckfromTrueTech
I put an ABS switch on my 990A.
Interrupts the signal when you re-run the starter and ABS fully disables.
It's klunky but it works.
How do you do an ABS switch on the Kove?
The have all on, just front on or all off or am I mistaken?
Is just front on still not a good thing?
How did you wire/fuse/switch up the grip heaters?
It's cold in UT, definitely needed.
Also, regarding the bars did you switch?
Thinking a Renthal CR high.
Not all of us have a shop lathe...
Where is the weight coming from in the kove? They are about the same weight but the 701 has a bigger engine and much more power.
Windscreen, Tower, with screen, 3 Gas Tanks, 2 large radiators, 2 radiator fans, and the Kove engine probably weighs the same as the 701.
Yeah Rally Raid like Sonora or Dakar is 450cc max displacement
That makes sense.
Considering there’s 204cc difference between them and the KTM’s legendary LC4 motor won so many Dakar stages and overall wins that the organisers almost literally had to level the playing field (450’s only) to add spice to the event, I don’t think there’s anyway you can compare the two at all.
These 2 bikes are built to ride the same type of terrain. I can’t think of another bike that’s more similar. The DRZ is way smaller and more nimble. Even though the engine is very similar to the Kove the rest of the bike is further. 450L and 500 EXC are even further away.
You were making a direct comparison between the power of the engines, that was what my comment was referring to.
seems like a good learner bike, these things are deceptively safe on the road, if you're the type of rider to try to avoid getting in a cars way and dont drive like a moron.
It’s an excellent learner bike for ADV or DS. A bit heavy, but very manageable power. My wife actually prefers the Kove to my 300.
So the main take away is, Chuck Harder went into the woods with 3 guys for the day and came out with a sore ass...
I suppose those are the objective facts. 🤣
I enjoyed the video but they’re two very different classes. Not sure how any 450 compares to any 700
Of course the engines are very different, but for the majority of consumers these two bikes are strong contenders for dual sport riding. Both are well suited for the same terrain.
Kind of like a Harley & a CBR1000. They’re both designed to meet at Starbucks.
Lol true. Both very cool. I love my 690, but always looking for some like the KOVE.
Quite a pity you reviewed the 701 with 4cs. Mine has Xplor, and properly set up, it does everything like my 501. Only the weight makes slower laps
Although the 4CS is a poor design the valving is set up similar to the newer Xplor. The point is that the 701 is designed to be a DS or small ADV bike from the factory. It’s set up accordingly.
It’s not hard to set up the Xplor for semi aggressive off-roading, but it suits a large swath of the demographic as it is stock.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech 4 CS is a closed-cartridge fork type, Xplor is open cartridge. 4CS is known to have design flaws
I would disagree about the forks. The XPlor 48s are fantastic dual sport forks.
This one had 4CS, but the valving is similar. Just less valving than I (and the rest of the group) preferred. Lots of bottoming out.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech ahh. I never have ridden the 4cs on a dual sport, but on a motocross bike it was rather terrible. Haha
Just like with the Xplor, they’re totally different than the MX or enduro settings. I can’t blame them because ADV or DS riders tend to be less aggressive & often prefer comfort over performance. The Kove errs on the side of performance.
Obviously the 350 is the best bike in the video. Just get the 350 😉
as someone who owns two 690s -enduro and sumo, the review doesn't make sense. the criticisms of 701 seem invalid. i cannot imagine in what situation that i would prefer kove to 690? 701/690 have map settings to tame power, if needed. who wants less power? i want to pull front wheel whenever i want. he 701 suspension in the video doesn't sound stock. regardless, any decent rider will adjust suspension for her riding style. the suspension and geometry can be adjusted. i.e., one can setup 701/690 to function like kove and a whole lot more. one cannot do anything to make kove perform like 701. give me the 701/690 everyday all day. oh, and kove is heavier. heavier and much less powerful? who wants that? kove is probably better suited for average to beginner riders. i cannot see a skilled rider choosing kove, unless sponsored. all good. i really look forward to riding a kove. enjoy the ride.
Definitely true that the suspension on the 690/701 can be modified to suit. I think a lot of riders will be wanting the Kove valving softened to accommodate their needs. It’s easier to soften suspension than to stiffen 4CS or Xplor forks. The damping capacity just isn’t there on the Xplor and the 4CS is over-complicated & failure prone. Everyone in the group liked the handling of the Kove over the 701. It would be great to have the 701 engine in the Kove.
When I get my '18 701 up on steep sandy/rocky trails, I would like the power delivery to be WAY smoother. I have 2 maps on the bike and even on the soft map that rear tire likes to spin and shoot me off-line where my 350exc and T7 will hook up. The monster torque is as annoying and dangerous as it is fun in the open.
And in weight, they're close enough it makes little difference. My 701 is 340-350 lb. A new 690 is 360 lb. The Kove is 320 empty - put 4 gal in it and it weighs the same.
Wonder why a 450 seems down on power compared to a 690/701, hmmmmm.
It’s also down on power compared to a 450, or even a 350.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech but statrting out a comparison with something _completely_ out of it's league from the get-go is silly, right ? You wouldn't compare the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruze to a 2024 F150 Crew Cab would you ? It shows your bias against it before you even started....
Motorcycle reviews are all subjective as hell, no different than Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge/Ram whatever.....
@@ChuckfromTrueTech'member when everide's kove 450 blew the (metaphorical)doors off a 2022 ktm 500exc 6 days in a pavement roll race? I 'member. It looks fast enough for a heavy dual sport bike...
Onya cobba
It's telling a story about WP junk when the China bike is superior
Gotta love Ze German engineering 🤣👌
701 so powerful??? Come on. Its not gutless but its NOT to much. Its normal good everywhere
Why compare a 450 with a 701/690? Bizarre. How about a test against a KTM 450 Rally
I’d love to do that comparison, but I’ve never seen one. The kove is closer to the 701 than the 500 or 450 EXC-F though.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech yes, except for engine power, which is one of the primary comparisons always being made of the Kove 450 (because everyone gets on it expecting 'power' of a 690/701 and then says they are disappointed. Really?! I wonder why?!) A 450 v 690/701 is not a fair/equal comparison and seems so pointless in the power comparison stakes.
There are plenty of KTM 450/500 Rally (or rally setup) or Husky 501 (with full rally setup) bikes out there. I think MADtv did a build not long ago. The main dampener for the Kove once again, compared to the KTM/Huskies, is the fuel capacity and the associated weight impact that has.
Because it was already done by Dakar pro rider? And result is that they are basically the same? And as was seen on this year Dakar he was able to finish stages 3rd and 5th. ruclips.net/video/usUJCSuzsec/видео.html
@@puffybodie5282but they are not the same. The comments in the video talk about it being underpowered, compared to what? Another 450 or the 690? KTM has a 450 Rally, compare it in real world riding not some elite race
@@ChuckfromTrueTechhow is it closer to a 690/701?
You can't compare the 701 to the 450. There's a 250cc difference.
Ktm/husky 690/701 are not European. they're made in China and India. I owned a 2020 KTM 690 Enduro. The ktm 690 Enduro is nothing like a Kove 450 Rally. 10:05
I showed both and I’m talking about valve seals. It’s extremely rare for them to leak in dirt bike engines. Very common misconception.