Kove 450 Test Ride and First Impressions
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- Опубликовано: 6 июл 2023
- There's a lot of buzz out there right now about the KOVE FSE 450 dual sport (and rally bike) that's coming to the US this summer or fall. For $9000 the Kove 450 delivers a true rally bike that's street legal and has an 8 gallon fuel tank. There's truly nothing like the Kove 450 on the market today.
I was lucky enough to get out on a Kove 450 test ride at this year's Touratech Rally and my KOVE 450 first impressions are pretty mixed, to be honest. It's clearly a very powerful bike, seems well made, and has a lot of potential to crush even the toughest of terrain, but it's also a Chinese-made full rally bike that is clearly not designed for comfort or long days in the saddle, which makes it a far less ideal dual sport or adventure bike.
I didn't have time for a full Kove 450 review, but my initial impressions are definitely mixed. I'm excited to potentially get more seat time on one when they come to the US later this year.
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If nothing else, maybe it will make brands like KTM take notice and come out with a competitive model at a better price.
This right here - if this thing takes off, the big 4 will have to react in kind. And that right there will be the birth of the unicorn. I hope.
Or what will happen more than likely is if this bike ends up catching on is it will slowly raise its price as it grows in popularity. Manufactures won’t lower there prices unless Kove eats a massive market share. Extremely unLikely because people don’t really ride bikes in the US at the extent other countries do. Especially not this kind
Need a 350 -500 rally that weights 250-270 wet with 5-8gallons be perfect
the world will end faster than ktm would react to anything on market or god forbid do remotely what customers want 😂😂👍🏿👍🏿
Probably one of the most intriguing bike releases in a long while. The price is insane! The million dollar question tho will be the reliability. However I do have it on good authority that the Honda 450x parts swap right into it….so that’s a thing 👍🏻
Well I sure do have a lot of those in my garage lol😂
We have the Fantic 500 in Europe which uses the same engine except it’s SOHC, mine has covered all over 2000 road miles so far and never once given me cause for concern. A German RUclipsr Berotex have take a couple of the Rally versions on some really tough stuff in all conditions - they had a cooling issue on one bike, but it was a minor rectification which didn’t even require a new cylinder head even though it had overheated continually. These were early bikes and they ran for 15K miles even though one was overheating badly. It’s had a few years in bikes now and is getting used in other manufacturers models as it’s proven itself to be a reliable power plant.
@@nockianlifter661 that’s very promising news!
It can´t be worse than KTM. Just look at the 790/890 models and the engine/cam shaft problems. Jesus.
As a Southeast Asian I can vouch that Zongshen engine is good... but people outside China should be wary of dealerships and parts availability instead of dubious metric of 'reliability'.
No bike last forever. And when they break, they break hard. But especially offroad bikes.
Selling my Honda CRF450L as I wait delivery of the Kove 450 Rally. They have already arrived in the UK, and I hope to see mine before September. Could be great; could be a mistake, but should be interesting to try for a year or so. Felt the same way about my Aprilia Tuareg, which I sold a few months ago. Pretty sure this won't be the last bike I buy - hope my wife doesn't read this.
Very interested in the Kove 450 and this seemed a very legit first ride review. Really appreciate the video!
Dude first up, glad you got to ride one! Did you try out any of the other GPX bikes? Next up... are you using the DJI osmo action 3 and if so, how are you getting that audio? I want to motovlog again but haven't found a decent solution to the OA3. And third: weird that it was uncomfortable for you. They must have really tightened up the suspension and changed the seat or something. I was on it for days straight and found it to be very comfortable, with fairly soft suspension (I'm 190) and that's saying something because my butt has so much scar tissue it looks like the bad white orc from Return of the King!
Yeah I think it was super tightened up because they were racing it in Sonoma the week before.
Supposedly they've added negative gain control on the Osmo 3 and it's a lot better? I sold mine before they added that so not sure. I've been rocking the Insta360 One RS for a while now.
@eveRide, you not gonna believe it, but to get a good audio out of Osmo action 3 would cost you about 20 bucks. You just have to get a small wire with the gain control plus an adapter from USB C to trrs. I've done it on mine 2 years ago and love it.
The tremolo in your voice was a testament to the harshly tuned race suspension. 🙂
A 450 cc single is the sweet spot for a lightweight ADV bike that is off road oriented but can comfortably handle a highway stretch when needed. This is what I've been yammering about online for a few years. It's what I hoped the new Honda TransAlp would be even though I knew it'd be their me-too version of the Tenere 700. I had a feeling the Chinese would be the first to fill this market niche and kudos to Kove for the huge fuel tank. My small ADV bike has an 11 liter (3 gallon) fuel tank, which no ADV bike should have. I look forward to one of the big four Japanese manufacturers making a bike like this with long service intervals. I've given up on BMW putting their creative forces into something this awesome. They seem to be channeling their energy into trendy urban youth oriented electric scooters and giant 1800 cc road cruisers.
If I had that Kove, I'd peel off the stickers, paint everything matte black, put a large shoe on that pencil looking foot peg, and convert the spoke wheels to tubeless. The tires look a bit dodgy so I might lose them in the process and put some Shinko tires on there in the theory that Taiwan >> China. 😛
Really glad to see you got to ride it. This is the most interesting new bike release in a long time.
I bought a '19 GPX TSE250R. One of the best bikes ive owned. It had some quirks, but they worked it out with later models. The engine was a ripper for what it was, insanely smooth, had 150 rough hours on it, started instantly and never had a failure with it.
I have one on order. I am soooooo excited!
Seems pretty legit great review for being limited brother 👊
Many thanks for a great intro to a real interesting bike. It is narrow between the legs, you have heard that before? I am sure there was a joke in there somewhere, but it was slim:) Keep them coming, thanks!!!
Great review Ben. Thanks man.
Watching this bike carefully. Was great meeting you at Giant Loop.
Love my T7, but this bike has definitely got my attention. Watching with full attention. :) Please post how we BUY one in the US! Nothing on their web site.
Thanks, nice honest review. 👍
HELL YEAH BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
And I thought i carried a lot of fuel on my KLR. I too got to sit on it at GL. It’s definitely tall but I’m used to that in that my KLR is raised. Nice review Ben
Great review!
I rode the Kove right after Harold came back from his demo ride last month.
I was very impressed and honestly could see me replacing two bikes with it. My long distance capabilities would be restricted compared to my 890 Adventure S but my off-road capabilities would be increased.
My 501… I think the Kove would definitely replace the 501 as a lightweight ADV bike.
I kinda liked the raw feel of the Kove. 👍
i'm already plotting a trip to ride around in mongolia on the kove 800x, and kove 450 rally with my buddy, as i'll be working on a project in china soon for the next few years. y'all can wait for my 6700km/4200miles trip next summer and evaluate the reliability issues
I popped into Lucan's in Centrailia about a month ago to have a look first hand. It's very impressive, even when you leave out where it's made and the price tag. These are going to fly off the showroom floor and force the other manufacturers to respond. I think the $9k mark is spot on for the class.
I think the reliability will be there China has come a long ways I have a China bike and it has been reliable after 3 years /3100 miles I’m not afraid to buy one on my list fully adjustable suspension 👍🤟
Did you ride the bike when it was full with gas? If so, how did the weight feel?
Have a gpx 2022 fse250e. Two issues that were showstoppers along with a list of smaller issues.
Everyone saying the price is insane I would agree with. It's way up there considering the equipment installed and the factories that the equipment is coming out of.
hope they make/sell a more dualsport-ish bike. I'm betting that particular bike is set up to be raced (as you said), and from the factory might be a little more user friendly. So, i'd be interested in the 'street bike'. I sold my bike with a 36" seat height, don't really want something similar (or taller).
From what I have read so far, there will be three versions. The more expensive race version which isn't street legal that has some higher end components. And two street versions, one similar to the race in seat height and fuel capacity and a lower version that doesn't have the rear under seat fuel tank. That would be my pick, still has plenty of ground clearance.
Words can not describe my sorrow that this isn’t a video about a nightrider big wheel. 😢
Rekluse clutches are very stiff when used as a "normal" clutch. We have one on the KLX and love it.
so wanna test one of these .. Reliability is the big question.. only time will tell
I have a 300l and was looking for another bike but these are hard to find at the moment
Best RFK Jr impersonation I’ve heard.
I am very impressed with that bike a true race ready rally bike for a low cost 😎👍
8 gallons is a heck of a tank
Oops😁
Almost the same as my car.
The Kove has 3 tanks; 2.5 gallons per side on the front tanks, and 3 gallons on the rear tank. As a bonus for true adventure riders, the rear tank can be repurposed for water (i.e. disconnect the fuel line from the rear tank, thoroughly rinse out the tank (if it was previously use for gasoline) and you have an alternative to carrying water bottles for those disperse camping adventures)!
@@danielklopp7007 or.... whiskey 😬
@@marcochavane3124 I guess it depends on what type of "adventure" you're looking for?
Looks fun ! Wish I could’ve made it this year :(
I wonder what are service intrvals on this motor? high maintenecne similar to crf450?
Curious if we will see the Kove Super Adventure 800X. I'd consider that over the CFMoto 800x
Same!!!
MT 800 is a Porker. As a former owner of CFMotoMT650 and electric problems I would avoid CFMoto. Kove seems to be going after a Certain market. Maybe a disrupter is needed to wake everyone up from making huge bikes that weight way more then needed.
@@Happypillz the bikes u are speaking of are adventure bikes and are as light as they need to be for their intended purpose which is comfortable on road touring and off road travel. Circa 500 lbs is pretty standard among mid weight adventure bikes. This bike isn’t an adventure bike and doesn’t tour well because of the niche it serves. It won’t disrupt anything. The reason manufacturers aren’t making them is because the majority of people aren’t interested in this style of bike. Only a more hardcore style of rider are.
Great that their building this - Hope it scares the heck out of the other manufacturers - The writing is on the wall for them.
I wanna see those 3 same bikes run Baja1000. That's the test, even have 3 or 4 riders per bike over the 1000. Don't let it have a break.
I would definitely consider one of these. The headlight, front looks funny but meh...I could change that.
vs the honda 450L? what are the key differences?
royal enfield 450 is about to come 40 hp 47 nm torque !! cheaper comparing this but we wont get the kove anyays
Interesting bike, honestly pretty good looking. Since that's the Rally version, I wonder if the street legal version will be more comfortable?
I am wondering if the kove motorcycle they set up for the big race is going to be different in quality than the one that gets sold to the masses, bait and switch,if seen it done .
I have the same doubt because the chinese are specialists at it.
Kove needs to prove themselves. If they're smart, they won't ruin the quality.
Seen it right here in the video. He said can’t believe this is a $9k bike as he’s riding the $13k version. Then compares the $9k price point the the $14k KTM is a huge difference (50%). The goes on to downplay the Kove $13k vs $9k version probably won’t be too different. Yeah $4k in China upgrades, the two versions are basically the same minus some slight tuning. 😂
If it's anything like the rc / drone industry, all the "first impressions" will be great cuz the reviewers know they'll be blacklisted if they aren't.
@@Ammothief41 why would a majority of established reviewers in the US/Australia/Europe care if Kove blacklisted them?
Is it as narrow as a crf 300 l?
I was hoping you give it a tiny bleep on the throttle
Just to see the pic up
looks like a decent value rally bike. its mentioned by many as a BDR/ADV bike, first glance its not the tool for that. no one has mentioned is what the sub frame is like, so no way of easily carrying crap and you will need it if you are going 8 gallons of fuel distance. made to race doesnt mean long haul dirt travel, it used to in the past (IT/XR/WR etc) but this looks to be a fail to me as a BDR/ADV bike. I'll stick with my DRZ-E, less HP but can you really use all of the Kove power off road? on road sure. unless you are WFO and near AA ride, Nope. also its a heavy pig. not for a pimped out rally bike but compared to a DRZ-E, oh yeah. but hey if it floats yer boat, go for it. More bikes and choices, the better.
It took a few Dakar races for Yamaha and KTM to get their big singles verified.
It would be great if Honda or some other reliable Japanese brand would make a rally bike with similar design and fuel capacity as the Kove 450.
Do you still have a discount code for seat concepts?
It was DRKNRD but I think that one ran out and my guy left the company 😔
Dude I love the look of this bike. I’m a machinist of 30 years in Massachusetts. Chinese aluminum is horrible. Boeing getting there. Thank god I have a 2018 KLR. Made in Japan. made by tooling from Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan. I just don’t think in a motorcycle you take that chance. It will be unusable after 4 years
hard clutch pull is due to Rekluse being installed.
I probably won't ever get one but I want one...
These bikes will do very well I think.
You can tell that the suspension isn't plush just listening to him trying to talk. Sounded like he was getting a workout just on dirt roads. But if they had all three bikes finish Dakar, that in itself is pretty impressive.
Bike is clearly setup for a harsh high speed race. The street version is not setup that stiff
I try to say no to China when possible, but I'm glad the competition in the market will keep the other big brands on their toes. :)
This will be my next bike if parts aren't impossible to get.
Parts for Chinese motors (in my experience) are very easy to get. It may take a couple years for all the knock offs and aftermarket to catch on IF it is popular.
That's kinda what I was thinking. Either they'd be super available or not at all. Hopefully this becomes the bike for this need and price form and influences other companies.
Didn't the Dakar rally bikes have ktm engines?
Cheers for the Vid - I'm super jealous. I'm watching an English channel that has the road version.
Cool! 🏍️💨
China for kove and India for ktm so what's your point?
Like you said as you were getting bashed on a fairly smooth track while sitting on what felt like a board, “It’s a rally bike”. The Kove certainly is not the unicorn long distance super dirt worthy bike everyone hopes will come out.
I would have used it in SoCal desert races or Grand Prix back in the day so I did not have to refuel and it would have been be nice to have a windshield to hide behind when we were bumping up close to 100 mph across dry lakebeds. We were on our geared to the moon, long as a ship cross country model bikes. Seriously…I would pull up next to a guy riding a converted MXer who was holding on with both hands for dear life across the desert on my old Husky 400 XC, take my hand off the bars, take a sip off my water pack, wave and shift into a veeeery long sixth gear and ….bye bye. Of course the thing did not like to turn! That said, I still had to refuel. Nothing like getting a bunch of fuel poured on your crotch by an over eager pit crew! The Kove would be great for those races or a Rally. For $9k REALLY GREAT!
That said…spending hours on the Kove doing multiple BDR legs or trail riding would be not much different than one of the many race leaning street legal big bores out there, except for less gassing. Riding a lot of hours on a light, tightly sprung race bike is hard. Higher speed road time is real interesting, especially when it gets windy….cross windy that is.
In the end, in my opinion the guys on the big bore dual sports are going continue looking for something a bit more long distance street worthy and the 700 cc + ADV riders are going to be jonesing for a 150 lb. weight loss. I ride a 900 Rally Pro and will likely pick up a 450RL soon for more aggressive stuff, but in my mind the closest thing to the mythical do it all horned beast is the KTM 890 or the Tenere.
yup, I just posted similar , its a rally bike, not a ADV bike, no way to haul crap. lighter rules for me ( old racer here too)
Fun, uncomfortable, hard, that'll be a hard nope from me..
Though I can see the attraction to someone looking to just pound the miles offroad as hard as they can.
Chinese quality is as good as they pay for... You can get pot metal or stuff to rival the best in the world if your wiling to pay for the production and QC to be that good.
Time will tell on the QC side (expensive and usually the first thing to suffer under budget restraints), as for the quality of the design / build.. it seems to be pretty good by most counts.
Good luck getting parts...you will need plenty..
Those engines are bulletproof
For 13g they finished Dakar…
I mean, that’s absolutely *nuts.*
Also, “unrefined” and “janky” are completely different. “Unrefined” means mechanically sound and capable, but not for the average “I want the luxuries from home” crowd.
“Janky” means “fuck, this might kill me.”
Would love if the production model is a win, but I won't hold my breath.
aftermarket support would concern me with service a close second. GM cant even get parts from China!
You mentioned the stiffness during the review a lot, do you upgrade and/or make suspension changes to your other bike?
Dork I'm in desperate need of help finding a pair of footpegs for my cb500x anu help in the right direction would be soo very much appreciated
8 gallons! wow
It's like comparing a Walmart mountain bike to a trek or Cannondale.
If Trek and Cannondale only made bikes too big or too small. Gotta commend them for a 450 with decent intervals and both highway/offroad manners
I want one
Politics aside. Looks good, concept is sound, loads of folks looking for this style of bike, but I think early adopters may pay a price in the end. Couldn't you just build a rally bike out of a proven brand machine, like a 450rl, for virtually the same cost ($13900) given the 450rl is $9,999. At least then you know what you'd end up with in the long run.
Its LCD screen looks exactly like on KTM 390 Adventure, by what I can see from here, only a cheaper version, blind on the sun.
So: do you trust Chinese metal
And
What is the future of the Chinese economy?
No and shaky at best.
❤❤❤
I want to buy a 400cc version
I didn't hear a single word you said after 'its not comfortable..." 😆
What did you expect…he weighs 275 lbs….only a lounge recliner chair is comfortable.
I really hope this does well, because hopefully that means they'll bring the 800x Super Adventure over here. Regardless of whether or not one is a fan of things made in Japan...oh wait, wrong generation...China, them putting pressure on the more trustworthy brands will end up doing good for everyone.
Wrong, wrong , wrong. That what you are riding is street legal version costing 9000 $.
Anyway thanks for your objective view about this bike.
Appreciated.
I'm going totally insane. Nobody is talking about maintenance, reliability and parts. Obviously you can't say. But make some predictions.
You Lucky, Lucky B@stard! i want one.
...... I still say my DR650 is better all-a-round. I think the BETA would be a better bike for race type efforts.
It is I have one too dr650 is the best
I agree.
If you are asking questions about Kove reliability, then KTM automatically fails given the appalling record of the recent twins out of Austria. Look at John Young’s current ownership disaster with his 23 890R. Given half a chance, the Chinese mid range bikes will become a threat to mainstream manufacturers. Note, I own 2 KTM singles.
Chinese twins like Young’s are made in China not Austria
Isn't the 890 engine made in China?
The suspension made you sound like RFK
You're comparing apples and oranges. Yes the rally version is a bargain compared to similar bikes but literally zero of the subscribers here own a Dakar type rally bike. If you race Baja, it's a bargain.
The street legal version will be choked for emissions and is going to be the same as the Honda 450 except for country of origin. And it's only going to be $1000 cheaper. With no dealer network and very limited performance parts suppliers.
I paid about the same amount as they're charging for my Husky 450 and it will shred their bike I guarantee, with literally zero modifications to it. The FE450 is a great option in states where you can get a plate for it. All the signals and paraphernalia bolt right on to it.
actually those naming brands prices in China are 10% less than in the US because they cannot keep up with the steps of Chinese brands. there are a lot of good models from the Chinese brands in China, especially from KOVE, but they aren't available in the US market. Guess they only want to keep the best for themselves like the Japanese do.
These things are a rocket above 5400rpm.
the race version is $14k but the legal version is indeed $9000
Why build a bike with that purpose in mind but it comes with a 2 x 4 seat and so tall..??
Manufactures need to get their their heads on straight. But Chinese quality control and metallurgy still have a ways to go.
Break something in the transmission and the rest of the bike could end up scrap metal. Chinese style.
Like and comment for algo help!
The phone you’re watching this video is on is Chinese. It looks interesting.
I would ride this and don't care who made it.
Nope, your not riding the same bike that finished Dakar. Those bikes used the same parts, (maybe) however they took the very best of what was coming off the assembly line, carefully machined, massaged, and assembled them with a high level of give a shit. Hypothetical example, they may have rejected 10 crankshafts before they found 1 that passed the mustard. The other 9 went into bikes just like the one your riding.
Still Chinese
My thoughts exactly. China is absolutely capable of producing quality bikes, but most factories do less then the bare minimum, and frankly, don't give a shit about producing quality.
Fix the mic
I have a small shop and I'm to the point where I'm refusing to work on Chinese junk, because the new parts are junk half the time 😂
Sorry, but I just can't get past the moral/political aspects of purchasing Chinese products when there are alternatives so readily available.
I really dont understand the obsession with Rally style bikes, just put a larger tank on a dual sport and call it a day! For $10k I’d rather get a Tenere 700
Sounded like your filings were going to rattle out of your head
Point of origin is a deal breaker for me
The problem with Kove, like GPX \ Pitster .... is that the bikes are a bunch of good ideas, wrapped in Chinese junk. Chinese bikes don't get a pass from the old adage; "you'll get what you pay for" ....Things cost less for a reason and its not so a rider can by the unicorn bike at a unicorn price 😐
My local dealer has a bunch of gpx dirt bikes. All the graphics are stickers and their peeling off the bike just sitting on the showroom floor.
@@mxbadboy263 .... That's good, maybe riders will realize what junk they are before they buy one ...Unlike me 😔