Kove 800X preview: the lightweight twin we've waited for?︱Cross Training Adventure
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- Опубликовано: 23 фев 2024
- crosstrainingenduro.com Our preview of the Kove 800X Adventure from Cross Training Adventure! Many of us dream about a lightweight adventure motorbike. Two years ago we looked at two attempts: the short-lived BMW HP2 Enduro and Aprilia's RXV550. It seems the best manufacturers can do now are models over 200kg like the Yamaha T7 and KTM's 890. So this is just a preview, not a full Kove 800X review. When Kove announced their Kove 800X Adventure model, most of us were very sceptical. A claimed dry weight of 165kg and wet weight of 185kg. And 95 horsepower? We have seen too many dodgy claims and poor quality from previous Chinese manufacturers to take this at face value. We look forward to doing a full Kove 800X review. However, a few prototype Kove 800X models have been weighed and the figures seem to be right. Keen on adventure riding in Australia? Check out our vids. And early test rides indicate the horsepower figures could well be correct too. Kove previously sold motorbikes under the Colove name. To date, a few things appear to set them apart from most Chinese manufacturers. Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. They don't appear to be stealing and copying other designs, but get the correct licences. And they are putting some effort into their own designs. And while it's early days, the quality of their existing models appears to be quite good too. The Kove 800X Adventure engine? It's based on KTM's old 790 engine that KTM licensed to CFMoto. If you like dual sport riding in Australia then you might like our adventure riding vids. We figure that licence extends to Kove as Kove has filed the paperwork to protect the 800X worldwide. The claimed 95hp is the same as the original KTM 790. It potentially makes the Kove 800X the most powerful adventure motorbike in its weight category. And the wet weight of 185kg is impressive. Check out our reviews of various adventure bikes and dual sport bikes. That is close to 25kg lighter than the Yamaha T7 and KTM 890 when you take fuel tank capacity into account. For many riders this Kove 800X Adventure is a big deal. This twin-cylinder adventure motorbike is actually closer to the weight of a DR650 than to its main competitors. What is the Kove 800X Adventure like to ride? We won't know for a while. It seems Kove has only given a few bikes to influencers and personally I don't trust the 'reviews' to date. But I will be very keen to hear owner opinions and tests from decent motorbike magazines. What will the Kove 800X Adventure quality be like? Again, only time will tell. Remember this has Chinese components such as suspension from Yu-An. The brakes are by Taisko. I couldn't even find a website for that brand. The ECU is from Bosch which is good to see. The price of the Kove 800X may not be as cheap as we would hope... for a Chinse motobike. To date, these are the announced prices. There is a bit of variation on some websites so check details in your country to be sure. We think the whole motorbike scene is getting too commercial. So called dual sport riding reviews are just glossy ads nowdays. Everyone is trying to sell you stuff you don't need, convince you to buy the latest model with anodized coffee cup holders for your trips to the coffee shop. Of course if you are cashed up and into bling, go for it. All we are saying is there's also the budget option for adventure riding. And it won't hold you back. Why? We reckon it's 80% the rider and 20% the bike. So the Cross Training Adventure focus is just get out there and have fun on two wheels. Instead of obsessing over the latest blinged out Beemer, which tyres to fit or spending a fortune on your suspension or billet alloy gas cap. So most of our adventure riding vids will feature the much loved bush pig, the Suzuki DR650. And we've done a 10 part series on how to unleash the mighty beast that lurks within. What else? Cross Training Adventure actively avoids sponsorship. We like doing seriously critical reviews. Manufacturers make some really bad mistakes. and there is a lot of dodgy crap being sold out there. Instead of glowing dual sport reviews for kickbacks or free product, we will try to keep the buggers honest. So subscribe. Or don't subscribe to our Cross Training Adventure riding channel. The main thing is get out and ride while you can with dual sport riding or Adventure riding in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Romania and beyond! So check out Cross Training Adventure.
Our enduro channel: / crosstrainingenduroskills
Our trials channel: / mototrialstrainingtech...
Music: Round 2 by Dolby
All Kove 800X video footage courtesy of Kove's RUclips channel.
#crosstrainingadventure #adventureriding #adventurebikes #dualsportriding
#dualsportbikes 
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HOW TO PRONOUNCE KOVE? I have some viewers saying that 'kov-veh' is the wrong way to say it. That is how the Kove CEO, factory riders, and marketing team say it. If you think it should rhyme with 'stove' then argue with them lol.
KOVE CEO RESIGNS! WHY? No reasons given, lets hope he wasn't protesting about cost-cutting measures or patent infringements by copying other manufacturers. motorcyclesports.net/kove-zhang-xue-steps-down-as-ceo/
Oh shit, hopefully not bad news, but then again, KTM had decided to outsource their manufacturing to china. (if you know CnC Generals - "CHINA WILL GROOW LAAARGE")... I can't but think that KTM's quality is going to go to shit, as well as Husky's or so I hear... sad all round. I've owned a Huawei phone before, hopefully they can make equally reliable motorbikes but I tend to be hesitant... much like AKM's, dependent on the exporter and region, you either get something decent or even better than decent vs. absolute shit... it's all so tiresome.
Most KTM models are still made in Austria but yeah they are gradually moving more and more jobs to China. I figure it's only a matter of time before their Austrian factory is closed down.
@@cowboyanimal6700ktm quality will go to shit? Buddy, you're few years late to the party 😂
I hope they go bankrupt for their attitude and greed
Maybe KTM will improve their quality now! Hahahaha
The former KOVE CEO quitted to create a new company be cause KOVE shareholders would rather take dividend than invest in R&D.
I have ridden a friends Kove 800X yesterday here in Beijing mountains. Its a great bike, handling feels like a Hardenduro , but comfortable for long distance. The quality is really good, but if course we need to see how it does long term. Here in China the costs to get it on the road is USD 7600. If this bike comes in larger quantity to foreign markets, watch out.
Suspension on pro version is listed as kayaba with 240mm of travel. If claims are true this is huge breakthrough, most people don't realise how game changing under 200kg twin adv bike is, especially with solid suspension and 95hp
95 hp is nice, but ill gladly give up 20 or 30 hp for a tractor of a motor that just refuses to stall on a steep trail...like the CP2.
The most important things on this spec sheet are the 240mm of sus. travel & the lighter weight. 408 lb wet. It's lighter than a T7 is dry, and that's before 20lb of crash protection goes on.
The other brands have been complacent for a good part of a decade , good to see a true lightweight competitor in the twin ADV segment!
Someone finally gets it!
There's not a single interesting adv twin under 200kg
except the old 450 /550Aprilias
Test riding the 800x Pro here in Greece, back to back after Teneree and Transalp, I can say it has the power of the Honda and the manoeuvrability of Teneree. Suspension is fully adjustable Kayaba and it feels very light for an Adv bike. It costs 8.200€ with all the aluminium protective bars .
Το αγόρασες τελικά;
This is THE bike I am looking for. Lightweight with enough power for comfort on long trips, equiped with traction controls and abs on/off. Seat hight that doesn't need a step stool to get on, 270 offset twin engine and doesn't cost an arm. It's freaking lighter than my Honda CB500x. I'll definetly get this bike next year if the first reviews are decent, I want manufacturers to know lightweight adventure is what we want.
The specs sure look good, hey? Real shame the Japanese aren't making similar moves with bikes like the CB500X or T7. 😢
@@crosstrainingadventureThey went the opposite way and redesigned the CB500X as a more city commuter and less of a lightweight adventure. It looks like donkey's balls as well.
Trying for so much power always ends up with more weight. To me the DR650 is the unicorn that most folks didn't even realize existed. 366 lbs. with what I consider the perfect torque for whatever you want to do :-)
Main question I have is: HOW did the manage to make the bike this light?!? Compared to the 790 adventure (same engine) this bike is 35kg/75lb lighter! HOW?!? Did Kove use some smart innovation(s) or did the just leave out stuff (like frame integrity)?
I do really like the potential of this bike (disrupting the whole adv market) and also I think this bike looks great in fully black😍🌚
Totally agree with you. They can't save much in the components or tyres. Maybe a plastic fuel tank, but even that doesn't save much, so it must be in the frame or wheels which makes one nervous.
Hopefully they did it without compromising the structural strength. Pol Tarres got his T7 down to a similar weight by taking stuff off and putting on a light exhaust etc.
I could be wrong but i think the 185kg is for the pro model which isn't Street legal so some weight savings there. It also uses some additional lightweight materials. I'm sceptical the street legal adventure model will be 185kg, so apples to oranges with the ktm 890, t7 etc.
@@crosstrainingadventure However that type of exhaust is normally aftermarket or only fitted on high end bikes. So I still remain doubtful.
No magic formulas, check the overall dimensions... At 2240mm L x 1385H is way smaller than a T7 for example.
Chinese here, I've ridden the bike in the trails. Compared to KTM 790's R version and T7, this bike is more like a plastic toy for maniacs. The chassis is good enough, the TC is totally unuseable, suspention is not quite enough for enduro-like riding, only light trail. The throttol is super twitchy, slowly opening a little bit of throttol could result in a massive push on the motor. Sorry for the vocabulary but you get my point.
build quality is sub-par compared to a 790, by which I mean much lower.
Good feedback, Henry. I think some owners are using the G2 Throttle Tamer. It makes the throttle less twitchy.
Which version you ridden? The base adventure or pro?
Pro should have significantly better suspension.
Also was that production model or some early version
@@Angry-Lynx the promodel with the adjustable suspensions, this bike is being sold for quite some time in China, the early production model in the dealers are all swapped out, the one I rode is from a friend, definetely a production model
@@henrylee8366 thanks.
Expecting any adv to ride like enduro is insane, that's never the point, suspension should be comfortable, but other than that good feedback 👍🏿🦄
There’s the kicker, as always. “I’m interested, but I want someone else to take on the risk first, and if it’s any good I’ll pile on”……plus, the price is more than a little bit un-Chinese, which is a big component of why we buy [ anything ] Chinese in the first place.🤔
Idk mate I don't think anyones buying bike because it's Chinese.
For me it's con but I don't care too much about price if someone will finally do proper off-road worthy twin adv under 200kg wet with proper, good suspension.
So far nothing like this exist and is sole reason why I'm and many others are interested in it
Even the standard version seems to be purposely more off road orientated which is nice to see, they have a minimalist approach, no shiny plastic and splashy graphics, with the weight numbers being the stand out attraction. Pricing has been released in US & Canada and they are expected at dealers by summer, with the street legal Rally later in the fall. The standard 800X Adventure Pro is priced competitively but the cable throttle and no cruise for adventure tourers could be a reason for some shoppers to move on. The Rally off road model is said to have only 2 power modes, no traction control or ABS despite 6 more hp. It has features like a Scotts stabilizer and titanium exhaust and it must have some special suspension components as it is priced similar to the KTM 890 R.
Already can be pre ordered in Poland.
Will arrive around half of may, already asked dealers.
But so far only base version is available and priced. I'm waiting for pro.
Will definitely do review when I'll get my hands on it.
Agree lack of cruising control is shame and big miss, however it's still groundbreaking bike and it's not deal-breaker for.most.
240mm kayaba suspenders baby, and 95hp! Under 200kg rtr!
What more to want 😅
Hopefully quality will be ok, they're not very cheap which makes me super hopeful
The Chinese people and manufacturers who see a positive future in their motorcycles, don't necessarily share the same views as their government.
We all benefit from healthy competition like this.
There’s an old saying “when goods don’t cross borders, armies do.” Commerce can encourage a more independent outward looking populace.
Haha true dude, love from China
Nice wrap up, thanks. Yeah…as you mentioned, let’s see some real reviews. Then let’s see support, parts availability, parts prices, all that. And finally, at the moment I don’t want to rock up to Oodnawoopwoop Agricultural Supplies and be asking if they have a Kove water pump in stock…not just yet, anyhow.
100%. If they can't get a pile of dealers fast the very least they should do is set up a really fast order/delivery service. Beta did something like that here in Australia until they were established. Parts delivered same day if ordered in the morning... otherwise overnight.
What do u want to "review"?
China just copy everything. This motorcycle is anathor copy of west product.
So hard to get that japanese motorcycles were BETTER than west ones whereas chinese motorcycles are worst copy?
@@crosstrainingadventuredealer network is already very good for such young company.
Not an issue for me. Already they have like 4 dealers in Poland alone.
So if something will stop me from buying it, that's not it.
2 years warranty to that, ktm is 1 year afaik. And ktm is pretty much guaranteed problems while this is mystery. So already better 😂
@@podunkman2709this bike isnt a copy of anything, it only (legally by the way) shares an engine with KTM and CFMoto.
I wasn't interested in this bike, thinking it would just be like all the other mid size adventure bikes, but if it really is under 200kg, it makes it really attractive in my eyes.
The good kayaba suspension alone make this bike ground breaking.
And that weight? Damn 🦄
Great vid!
HEEEEEY BROTHER!!! SO GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE POSTING AGAIN. WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU. Thank you for the review, did you watch the Dakar BTW? Cheers matey. Lots of love.
Yeah Dakar was great! Still posting but just less often to take a bit of a break the past few months. 😎
Change out the battery with a lithium one ( if it doesn’t already have one ) and swap the muffler out with a aftermarket titanium one (when available ) and you got a sub 400lbs twin ADV…. I’m definitely interested.
Lithium batteries are crap don't work Catch fire and overly priced just use normal batteries
@@zackiaryruddick701 bullshit, you have to differentiate between Lithium Ion, which is a time bomb and lithium iron (LIFEPO4) which is absolute safe.
I saw an owner video of an expat living in china, he claims its already coming with a lithium battery
Sell your cordless tools and toss out your cell phone before it's too late.@ryruddick2033
@@zackiaryruddick701 that hasn’t been my experience
I'm very interested too.
I know they can't build high quality cheap so the stiff price is understandable.
I'm not an early adopter willing to be the guy who finds out how good it is.
I'm the guy who waits for others to discover the Good, Bad, and Ugly.
But I like what Kove is doing and hope they succeed.
If and when I find a dealer I will be checking them out.
Warranty, reliability, and parts availability are as important as the purchase price.
It will be very interesting to see what's different on the Rally compared with the standard bike to cut the weight so much and increase the price.
Engine is same from 790r.
All components pretty much manufacturers are.buying from third party.... So how much Chinese is really in Chinese bike? Frame,. design, plastics? Maybe some electric work. Seat? . Everything else will be same shit you see on Honda's ktm etc... they all buy this stuff and build bike from it almost like lego...
The manufacturer is mostly responsible for idea for bike, design, looks. I'm super optimistic for kove. Cfmoto too
We'll see. I do not have money to play around with a brand like Kove.
But Designwise i have to say, it is really what i dreamed of. Kinda. I love the 80s and 90s Dakar Style of AT750 and Super T750. This Kove 800x kinda looks like they took all the designs and just made a more modern looking Super Tenere :D
Nice. Not perfect and i would prefer a Super Tenere 750 and mod it. But 95hp and that weight? Imagine.
Still the general Problems of unknown Brand longterm and i guess not available in Germany.
I just hope it prods the Japanese or Europeans into action. A trimmed down T7? Knock some weight off the KTM 890? Or even better, bring out a KTM 500 EXCF ADV... big fuel tank, windscreen, comfy seat, more oil capacity, detuned a bit for reliability.
It'll be in Germany soon for sure.
Base version coming in Poland around half may , at least that's info I got from dealers. Will see, can't wait
@@Angry-Lynx Oh, interesting. Thanks for the Info. I guess i just thought it won't be here. Maybe a thought too much on Kove 450.
Real thing is, parts availability.
There's plenty of dealers already, I have few in Poland
Kove stretched out pretty quickly, with quite the amount of dealers throughout Europe and the US. Impressive for such a young brand.
I have the 450 Rally and haven’t really needed parts, but the few I needed, radiator overflow tank cap, broken clutch lever, oil filters. I ordered and had them in 3 days. Support is great and I really enjoy my Rally. I gambled on the 450 Rally and bought the first batch. I’ll likely buy the 800 as soon as it’s available. The build quality has been very good and the performance is fantastic for me. I did add the advanced timing key and lowered the gear ratio a little for better low speed response. That’s all it’s needed.
Forget this! Chose the AJP PR7. What a machine!
AJP PR7 is for a slightly different market, but indeed it is a good bike.
Never heard of ajp whats that?
I like the looks of the MT 450 as I want the power of a DR and the mod cons and price of my CRF rally
Yup 450mt looks better and somehow more.... Refined, Iike more expensive, better quality. But for me and many other experienced riders small, under 50hp engine just won't cut it.
It'll be pretty useless on highway or longer trips.
Add to that only 20cm of suspension travel, when 800x pro have 24cm and kayaba at that
thx for this vid ^^ !! BTW : I've tried to look on you channel for the one you talk about Aprilia's RXV550.
No Way :((( I cant find it : please help ?
A search for 'lightest twin' should bring it up.
There a new cf-moto 450mt. I am waiting on your review, as well es tuareg 660.
Who will buy secondhand?
Yes they would need to get a very very good reputation before secondhand values were any good!
Tip to improve video quality. Render the video on 4k. Using 1080p source files is fine. RUclips compressions the video and when you render and upload in 4k you get a much much better quality even with 1080p source files.
Are you sure? RUclips already uses the better VP9 codec for Barry's 1080p videos.
@@frogzie Yes, very sure! Test it out and see.
@@gripsanity , unless the youtuber has a big audience, Google will often default to using the H.264/AVC codec for videos up to - and including - 1080p. Uploading in higher resolution (e.g. 1440p) will then force the VP9 codec, which brings significant quality improvement. Since Barry is famous, his 1080p videos are already VP9.
Remember this is just using Kove's existing vids on RUclips so they've been compressed four times now... twice in software and twice by RUclips. 😢
This bike would be high on my list for a bike to tour South America on. Buy it there, ride it for 18-24 months and sell it for half what I paid. Easy.
That's not a good deal to lose 50 % of the value in 2 years.....
I wouldn't trust it in third world but I have similar plan. Buy new, 2 years warranty and then get rid of it.
Who knows if there won't be major issues maybe I'll keep it longer or just switch it to next new one😊
@@istra70 Why not? Selling a 2 year old Harley or Royal Enfield with 40k on the clock would be about that. Plus, compared to the cost and hassle of shipping a bike to and from South America, it seems like a good deal to me. Maybe not everyone's idea of a great way to spend 2 years, but wandering South America is pretty appealing to me...
For now, I'm going with the Himalayan 450 (even though it's a tad heavy) And if that doesn't work out, I'll go back looking for a low k F800gs. Or just suck up pottering around on my KLX400r.
I have my concerns on the Chinese supply line. I'm getting too old to have a lot of options too far in the future. RE have a reasonable presence & offer 24/7 roadside for 3 years. Just hope I can get 110-115 k without too many vibes, for those unavoidable link roads.
I hope the Himalayan works out for you, I'd love to get a test ride but I don't know anybody who owns one.
@@crosstrainingadventureThere are some Showroom bikes travelling around the country, just finished in WA, hoping for the end of the month for mine.
I weighed my fully kitted DR with 10L of fuel and it came to a whopping 185kg.I then went to a 50kg lighter 500EXCF. This will be interesting
Yeah I've tried to avoid putting too much stuff on the DR650 to keep the weight down. But it's still tempting to adventurise 500EXCF!
To dear. I'd rather go a T7 or the 750 Transalp. In the mean time a 790 kit on the Dr is looking good
What price in your country?
I'm in Australia I saw the prices on your guide snd nearly fell over
Sounds good, but then the bright new promises always do and I don't want to be the guinea pig in this experiment.
There are other questions I'd like to see answered first; durability, spares and servicing/support?
The hinted pricing isn't that aggressive if a 5-10 year ownership is considered where servicing/fuel/tyres will easily exceed the purchase price.
What is going on with the weight? 35 years of development and they are still only within 20kg of a DR650?
Had a go on a CRF 300 recently, awesome chassis and deployment but why oh why isn't there a CRF650?
All very good points. I'm not keen to be a lab rat either, even if Kove does seem to be genuine in setting a new level for Chinese stuff... so far. Everyone I know said they'd opt for Japanese bikes if they could match the existing Euro ones they ride. Myself included.
A DR650 is air cooled, conventional forks, flexible frame, 17" rear and 13L tank. Take any modern 210kg bike and remove the radiator, halve the fork size, shrink the tank, put on smaller wheels and drill a bunch of holes through the frame, and you will have a bike just as light. But it will handle like 1990 and have no power, just like the DR ;)
@@Nerb1 So coz ‘marketing’, adventure bikes snub the advances of lighter, smaller more powerful adopted in most other fields of engineering and weight gain is preferably inversely proportional to intelligence.
Not arguing about uncertainty but I look at it this way.
You can get 790r and know for sure I'll have problems. Or get fresh 800x and get surprise. I mean warranty is already better than ktm at 2years 😂
@@sjbechet11118 think it's about effort. Cuz I'm out of conspiracy theories why they don't produce true,off-road capable light twin adv.
Because it's not easy. And hippos like gs1250 are selling like hot cakes. Then why bother with millions into rnd, developing light engine, expensive materials etc when we make billions selling SUV equivalents bikes to posers. Adv bikes market become what SUV market was earlier.
Now everyone wants adv bike, not because they want adventure riding, but because big, mean, high and comfortable bikes appeal to people nowadays. Life style. Trendy. Buzzwords. SUV.
You know 😂
I'm not buying that proposed wet weight of the 800x.
It could be possible but I'd worry about what they've made weight savings on , ie frame strength ,swingarm etc. I'd rather have a slightly heavier bike and know it's going to stand up to hard riding and not have cracks appearing in te frame.
The only reason I'm trusting it to date is a few guys have put them on scales and it's been bang on so far. But yes, it might be influencers stretching the truth. Pol Tarres did get his T7 down to about this weight so it should be achievable without compromising the frame etc.
Not only that, the 800x rally edition is claimed to be something like 383lbs wet. Its just marketing hype. Ive noticed kove has a history of exagerrating the numbers for marketing purposes
@@Weltbummler23how far off were their 450 rally numbers?
@@silverdale3207KOVE engineers did calculation/simulations for the strength after weight cutting. Before it is rolled out, pro dirt riders were riding hard off road.
Adding to the list of problems for purchasing a Kove; their founder has left his leadership role. 😮😂
Interesting! The article below has his apparent explanation - "If I had to give a reason why, I would say that it’s because our values differ". Kove says it was aiming for quality and not just copying western designs. Hopefully that's not changing... 🤔
www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2024/03/zhang-xue-steps-down-as-kove-ceo/
Will be not cheap, especially in future !
I'm sure the price will go up if the quality is actually good and word gets out.
I Hope so cuz I'm getting one if quality is ok on test ride
I think I will buy an Africa Twin and Keep my Suzuki 400.
Good on paper, but I prefer to wait for long term reliability (>5 Years and 50000km) especially on coatings and seals quality. Chinese cliché I know...
Agreed, that's when we'll really know they've hit the mark.
If you aim to bash one bike for that many km and that long then I'd say it's not your market.... Get used T7, AT, transalp and live worry free.
This is clearly performance oriented bike, like ktm. If it's good for warranty period (2years btw) then it's good I say ;
Ktms have already ridiculous amount of problems and they give you 1 year warranty. Ridiculous. And people still pay premium for It 🤷🏿
Not at those prices !
The brakes i think is same like J.Juan
The only reason why i would NOT get it right now is if they are truly bad quality and unrefined with issues from new like bad fueling etc.
But if its acceptable then i dont care.
2 years warranty,.and I don't keep my bikes longer than that anyway.
You obviously won't get such bike to ride in third world country, so as long as its on warranty im fine
There's probably a Chinese director with a MBA from Harvard directing a sneak attack.
quite the contrary the founder Xue Zhang started by working for a motorbike workshop at age 15 (isnt it child labour😂?) and was dreaming to be a professional rally rider, he did joined a race team later, i guess he did ok there but not super bright as a racer so eventually started his own company. the companys first product was actually a 500cc knock off of the r1200gs, the model was sold very well in china and even got sold in europe under the name of macbar and some the other regions, all their subsequential products were with their own exterior design tho.
Apparently he resigned recently due to differences of opinion. Hopefully it won't mean more focus on profit and less on quality if it's true.
www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/kove-moto-founder-zhang-xue-resigns-steps-down-from-post/ar-BB1jkmCd
For some reason, the online chinese motorcycle community that I have contact seems to be holding on pulling the trigger in the Kove products. Some of the claims they are making are related to concern with long term production. They are saying CFMoto is blocking some supply chains to get to Kove, giving incentives since they are a bigger and a powerful brand. The other thing was already mentioned in the comments here, they are quite skeptical about the reason why the founder resigned. Given this I think I won't be one of the first to pull the trigger on this bike like I was planning for a year. It is a disappointment. The CFMoto 450mt Ibex isn't that appealing with a wet weight almost 200kg. Still a good bike which will click a lot of the boxes and be more economic. Not sure what light weight bike we can bet now for long trips.
It definitely pays to be sceptical. The CEO resigning could be very important. Is it because management wanted to cut costs and use lower quality? Or did they just stop the Dakar racing?
I have not heard about CFMoto blocking supply chains. But it is interesting that Royal Enfield invested 50 million euros into Kove so we may see production transferring to their three factories in India...
It's a little lighter than the t7 and a little cheaper than the t7. So buy a t7 used and lose some weight.
Why can't they replace the xr650l, dr650, and klr650? The xr with a lithium battery is less than 350lb wet. Loaded with gear, the bike is still less than a t7. At this point I'm truly considering another xr as my next bike
Pol Tarres put his T7 on a diet and had it down to about the same weight, but it did cost quite a bit I think. But yeah, the Yamaha has a well established reputation while the Kove will be unproven for some time.
@@crosstrainingadventure I hadn't heard of Pol Tarres before so I had look at his clips last night. Remember the rest of us are mere mortals. Bloke could probably ride a Goldwing in hard enduro and make it look easy
@@crosstrainingadventure loose passenger footrests 0,5kg, tail tidy 0,5kg, decat + muffler 5kg, single disc conversion + steel hoses 2,5kg, loose abs 1 or 2kg, lithium battery 2kg, plastic fuel tank 1 or 2 kg, … It’s possible, but I don’t see how they can homologate it like this. If they genuinely pull it off, it may shake the adventure market!
If you think T7 on diet can compare with this (for now on paper) then you clearly miss the main point and appeal of 800x...
T7 is peasant workhorse, there's literally nothing interesting about it... It didn't bring anything new to market, and it was obsolete already at it's release. Just another heavy handed bike from Japs made with no passion, or clear aim. Another modern transalp.
Fat, slow, boring, no features, obsolete and somehow still not cheap. The only advantage is it looks pretty good.😂
Here in the US once they get a bigger dealer network they will be alot more approachable. Having to wait for parts or buying without riding/seeing it will be a big downside for people to adopt a new player in town.
Usa government too scared of Chinese competitors these days to likely allow that,hence all the dodgy propaganda and years of brainwashing in the media.
I'd be so happy for a Kawasaki 450 twin enduro/dual sport that weighs 300-320lbs and has top spec suspension
It'd probably have to use expensive materials so it wouldn't be a cheap bike to match the more budget oriented engine but just like everyone on ADV Pulse it is exactly what I want hahaha
Aprilia certainly got the RXV450 very light but it was so prone to breaking down. I'd love to see the Japanese have a go at it!
Nearest bike u have is cfmoto 450mt.
But if you need such low weight you're just not realistic about twin engine.
Man up, 180kg.ktm 640 adv feels like toy compared to adv bikes.
If that's too heavy for you it's not sport for you, stop being baby. Such bikes already can ride everywhere where enduro can.
Get stupid exc or yz and enjoy your toy bike. Leave adv bikes.for men 😊
I really don't get people complaining about weight of anything below 180kg.... Like my 240kg AT I get it, it's a fucking pig. But anything below 200, 190kg is super light and can get anywhere
I'm actually more interested in an ADV version of the Kove 450 - 8 gallon fuel capacity and 320 pounds dry weight. What I'd *LOVE* to see is a modern 500-600 cc version of the boxer twin BMW HP2. Make it lightweight, give it an aluminum bash plate and large rear rack and a 5+ gallon fuel tank. Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!
The thing with 450 is it's not that revolutionary. Plenty of single cyl enduros with longer range to choose.
The secret of true unicorn 🦄 lies with fact that it's good on road, longer trips and off-road . And that means two cylinders, end of story. And under 200kg wet. No bike like this so far. Tuareg is closest thing from legacy manufacturers
@@Angry-Lynx - It's a lot easier to make a lightweight and reliable single cylinder engine than a twin, and modern counter balancers are pretty good. No more often than I'm on the interstate, I can tolerate a little buzziness at highway speeds with a thumper as long as the engine isn't 1000 RPM from grenading at 70 MPH.
Why not just get a 690 or its derivatives at that point? Far lighter and good road manners.
I think 690/701 and the exc 500 style bikes are a different t class being singles, lacking two up riding capabilities, and having less comfortable touring capabilities. You can tour an any bike but these bikes are street bikes with off road capabilities as apposed to the opposite with 690/701. They are also like 3k more
I’m not really sure I agree with that. My 701 has 32,000 miles on it and I ride two up all the time. Heck mine will keep up with sport bikes in the twisties. Granted I live near a bunch of awesome places to ride so I rarely ride more than 5 hours. @@Adventure_blac
@@spottedcrow1126 obviously you can tour and put 2 people on any motorcycle. But to say a multi cylinder motorcycle with more wind protection, more comfortable seat, more luggage capability, wouldn’t be objectively better for adventure touring is untrue. Also, most people aren’t cross shopping, 690/701 500exc or those style of bike with let’s say a transalp, suszuki vstrom 800de, 790 adventure, or a t7
A 500 and a 690 is a world’s difference of bike. A 500 is basically a dirt bike and the 690 is well, a motorcycle. The 690 is a really good compromise for riding that actually involves off-road. At the end of the day it’s whatever somebody wants, as they are spending their own money.@@Adventure_blac
That myth was busted long time ago. 690.is not unicorn and will never be.
U need 2 pots .
Single cyls will always be glorified enduro bikes imo, no matter what u do to it. Plus it's expensive af
toys like exc shouldn't even be mentioned in adv discussion. Leave the toy bikes for girls and dudes who transport them on trailers 😂
One of the things many noticed in the reviews is that it looks kind of small somehow. That could be one of the reasons for smaller weight compared to similar adv bikes.
Someone in the comments compared dimensions to its competitors and reckons it's where they saved weight.
@@bobsacamano5639 Yes, depends on how you look at it :) I am 194cm so i hope that it is simmilar size as t7 or tuareg 660, but it seems that it is significantly smaller.
@@antiR3alityif u 2m tall u don't need such light bike😂
Easy enough to make them light but how well do they crash.
I will stick to my DR 1200 (HP2 Enduro) 🤙
They looked amazing! Enjoying it? Had no problems?
They are a great bike. No real issues with it, just keep up the maintenance on it. I have turned it more into an adventure bike with a 26L HPN tank plus a 7L,under seat tank. A small adjustable screen (4 iterations to get it right) with mosko racks and cartridges for the front forks. I kept the rear air bag on it. It works well and weighs nothing! Some other minor mods but all in all it’s more bike than me in ability for sure but it’s very well balanced and forgiving.
kove 800 x or 450mt cf moto
No way !!!
imagine a big bang 500cc boxer twin two stroke, fuel injected
I'm curious to know where a claimed 25kg has been lost... That's certainly not an unsubstantial amount of weight. The engine is the same as the 790 so it isn't there. Exhaust must still meet homologation. Still has twin front brakes. Must have ABS pump for homologation. Has pillion pegs, hangers and therefore must have a decent strength subframe. After that your left with stuff like making the bash plate out of tissue paper... Nothing on the bike looks revolutionary. Where has the weight gone without sacrificing strength or performance somehow? Let's see it on the scales.... 🧐
I figure some of it is a weaker subframe as there's a suggested 5kg max for the rear rack apparently.
@@crosstrainingadventure still needs to meet homologation requirements for the pillion in terms of subframe strength which is much more significant than a bit of luggage. To be honest GIVI publish similar weight limits for all their kit. If, hypothetically, they have managed to engineer a super light subframe it would only account for maybe 2kg weight saving absolute tops... Most manufacturers are really fighting for grams here and there...
It will definitely be at multiple points. One viewer looked at the dimensions and said overall it's a smaller bike than its competitors which may have shed a few kg...
How about it being just physically smaller? Almost everyone forgets that...
@@Angry-Lynx what is physically smaller than the KTM 890 Adv R? Shorter wheel base? Shorter suspension travel? Lower fuel capacity? If it uses the same engine (more or less) then the same amount of "stuff" needs to be packaged into the vehicle.
I think that If it's not from Scotland it's crrrrap!
But 'ang on a secind....don't the Japanese make some good whiskeys ??
@@davidnobular9220 for a relaxing time make it a Santori time yer say? That's crrapp!
AJP PR7 650.
Why
Because. AJP PR7
@@ricomotorico5291 i never heard of it before Bro. What brand is that?
Will be now, onya 🏆 Champion
It looks okay but maybe a little pricey for the no name components. The proof is in the riding. If the bike is good, it deserves a go.
The proof to a TP (True Povo) like me, is in the durability and reliability....
Kyb suspension, bosh efi.
Brakes yeah some weird company but who cares about brakes 😂 not important for me
7000 euro I can give... more is too expensive.
Those prices HAHAHA I'll just buy a BMW FFS
Define "ultra lightweight"! Until you test it I don't trust any other review.
'Ultra lightweight' would mean something different to everyone. Me? A bike that is much lighter than anything else in its class. Personally I'd call this Kove 'very lightweight'. If they got it down to 165kg I'd regard it as 'ultra'....
Too much is lost in resale value, I dont see a Kove being my “forever bike so resale value is a deal breaker. Even if they get it right it will take years for resale value to keep up. Just look at Sherco’s resale value curve. I dont buy ADV bikes for an investment but I cant take a 5000 bath after a year of ownership. With that said, KTM could always copy the Chinese😂
If this is a slap to wake up the Japanese, so be it.
I miss the 90's variety the Japanese served us with. There are not that many desirable motorcycles that one can afford anymore. A 1000cc R was not a dream, was something one could get, now only rich bastards can afford such toys.
I have no intention of ever buying Chinese shite again, but if they can shake the jar and make the Japanese to get off their arses and bring back interesting models (ZX4 RR)... go China.
I reckon we'd all love to see the big four from Japan get back into it again...
if Kove can do it, (165KG, 95HP) why cant other manufactures do it ? if this bike is legit and the quality is there Im definatly interested, and i dont even care about the price, it could be more expensive then the other brands for all i care as the other brands just arnt producing what I want, adventure bikes are still far to heavy, even the T7 is far to heavy for the amount of power it has
That is THE question, right? It they pull this off genuinely, it might shake the market!
It's not that hard to drop the weight. I think Pol Tarres got his T7 down to about the same weight for racing. Hopefully Yamaha could be prodded to make a lightweight performance version?
@@crosstrainingadventure I want a brand to make something like the old xr650r but with a 700cc twin cylinder engine, one could be bare basics enduro version and the other could have a fairing and be a adventure version the Yamaha xtr 700 concept is pretty similar to that, unless manufactures get the weight done adventure bike will always just be glorified road bikes I had a Africa twin and as easy as professional riders made it look easy to ride it was a absolute pig off-road and went to a FE501, but I’d still prefer something that’s twin cylinder that can cruise easier
Its looking good, but that ktm motor is a worry. Those things just dont last.
Im guessing that to keep the weight so low, it will have 40mm forks, a 12L tank and an undersized radiator.
Until we see proper long term thrashing of these bikes no one knows.the tenere seems top heavy the ktm too complicated the rest are not tough enough for proper hard terrain.we need a one stop fast road and hard enduro type bike with long service intervals.a big ask yes but that is what we want .don't need these 1290 monster things too big.
Preachin' to the choir! We'd love to see all the brands adapt their big bore dirt bikes to be serious lightweight adv bikes.
KTM isn't too complicated.
They just don't give AF about reliability and don't even pretend otherwise.
Unfortunately Kove will have this 790 engine design so at best we can hope they addressed oiling and failing camshafts issues
If you do not want to buy a motorcycle from a country that the government is repressing their neighbors. Then stuff from USA would be highest on the list. But it would also include Europe and Australia. So good luck with that.
But it isn't the governments that is selling the bikes, it's the manufacturing companies.
Repressing their neighbors is the least of the concerns. How about the active ongoing genocide(s). But besides that, the difference in Chinese vs. other countries' production is that with the, ahem, unique way the Chinese economy works, about half the money spent on anything produced there funds the CCP directly.
The U.S. government does some evil stuff, but it ain't like $15k of every $30k Harley sale ends up in their pockets.
Dont buy this thing then try to sell it.
Make sure its what you want for a long time. On the used bike market it will sit like an unwanted step child with bad hair and smells bad. Its an experiment most have never heard of.
The Aprilia Toureg is kinda the same thing, they were totally cool and rad till they were bought, and then went on the used bike market quickly. 660cc, big tall weighty bike, top heavy.
Many dont know what an Aprilia even is.
same price as a t7...
The expensive Rally model? Yes.
Cuz it's comparable with t7 😂
It's like tractor Vs sport car
dude gtfo it's not even in the same universe
@@Angry-Lynxiluminate us with you great chinese wisdom... how are the bikes imcomparable? oh great master 🤣
there's an owner review of this.
And where can we find that?
As mentioned in the vid. But I suspect it's influencers. Personally I don't trust owner reviews until a bike is available in dealerships to the general public and you know riders are paying full price and will be giving objective opinions.
At that price, no thanks, as a brand, and with those suspension components being largely unproven in the performance space. I’d rather go buy a late model used bike from a mani stream proven brand, and spec it as I need. If I was kove I would be pricing myself to build a brand by volume…..but like with everything Chinese branded, it’s seemingly near enough is good enough. To much of a risk to part with my hard earned. And yes bullying it’s neighbours doesn’t sit well with me.
Claims. Not real world experience. The Chinese may catch up to where we are today but it will be tomorrow.
True. The only reason I'm interested is that all the owner reports of their 450 Rally model are positive to date. But I still think time is needed to see if Kove is getting long-term reliability as well.
Wow, pricey for a China bike
How light, is too light
The Aprilia RXV550 twin? Many suspect the engine breakdowns were due to saving too much weight in the engine design.
I trash on the Kove 450 every chance I get and do my best not to buy Chinese products. However, the CFMOTO MT450 and the Kove 800 could be interesting. I really like the MT/Ibex 450 for the price, features, brand name components and the 450 they use is proven in their other platforms. But it does weigh more than the mighty DR. CFMOTO has a decent dealer network and support, I have 2 very close to me. Even if the Kove 800 is as good as youtubers "say" it is, I don't like ordering it from Utah with no support if something happens. Not saying Gary of PisterPro/GPX doesn't run a quality business, but it seams if you need a part it comes off of cadaver bikes. What if 20 people need the same part? This type of issue has been documented on YT by several creators. But if the hype of the 800 is like the 450, I will pass. Some RUclipsrs will admit the problems of the 450 but also say it's factory ready race bike. How is it factory ready when you have to replace the ecu for it to run properly? They will also tell you it's the greatest unicorn ever made...just don't mind the fueling issues, the ecu, the leaks, the harsh suspension and no name components. Plus, it cost almost as much as a CRF450RL.
My Canadian cousins have a few of the Kove 450 Rallys that they'll be using in their tours so I'll be very keen to see how they hold up in the long term. Their mechanic is regularly going over the bikes with a finetooth comb looking for issues and keen to report them. No issues with ECUs yet, I haven't heard about that one...
Incredible!!! Nr 1 Kove fan again!! 😂😂😂
Still do not get the point of 450? Road legal rally bike under 10.000 usd? Ring any bells already? Have you already made a test ride as i suggest you to do, so you can understand, why everyone is so sattisfied with it?
I own a SWM RS500. most of the parts on that bike are Chinese. I would put my bike against a KTM any day. If you morons like to spend 20k on bike more to you . I spent 19k on mine and never looked back. What you all don't seem to realise is that nearly every bike made has Chinese parts in it.. anyway don't buy one is you can't handle that it's Chinese. Can't handle peoply who winge
No one in their right mind is paying that much for something made from chinesium 😂
It won't be just Chinesium, there will be unobtainium, polycrackythene and crappite in abundance.
Another copy of west product. So hard to get that japanese motorcycles were BETTER than west ones in 60s whereas chinese motorcycles are ***** copy?
Looks promising but not sure how good it will crash will it explode when it hits the ground being that much lighter it must be made out of paper mache.
I think China will be shipping these over by balloon
🤔😂
Chinese bike. uff... can't do it... i just switched from Tiger 800xc to T7 World Raid, hard to imagine it competes but never say never.
Kove is Chinese junk, IT IS more stolen R&D. The CF Moto 450 MT/Ibex is an actual original lightweight twin ADV bike.
Which bits of Kove's design are stolen though? And when you say the CFMoto 450 MT is original, they apparently used KTM's design for their 490 which never got to market... KTM will soon be releasing 490 models though, working in conjunction with CFMoto.
@@crosstrainingadventure The Kove 450 Rally is KTM frame 2016, the suspension even fits. Everything wheel related is 2007 Honda....sprockets, brakes etc. Been there, had problems, never again. All the GPX/Kayo bikes used the same source company Chongqing that uses expired copyright R&D with Indonesia NC engines {which are those are good, its usually the cheap EFI systems failing after a year}. With the new 800 i assumed was a knock off of the first gen Africa Twin, but think I got that mixed up with the CB500 engine all the Chinese brands are copying now. CF Moto actually builds the engines for KTM, so I say good for them if they want to start selling their own and they have a well established market with dealer already with their ATV's.
Interesting! I've certainly given some Chinese manufacturers are hard time in my vid due to stolen designs... especially the KTM 300EXC being ripped off shamelessly and so many copying the CB500R engine illegally. Have you got links to evidence for the Kove 450 Rally copying those other designs? If it all checks out I'd be happy to update my vid about the 450 Rally with that info.
Also which motorbike company do you mean when you say 'Chonqing'? My understanding is that's actually a city with a lot of different manufacturers in it. Chongqing Hengjian Motorcycle Manufacturing Co., Ltd. appears to make the illegally copied 300EXC bikes that are rebranded as GPX in the west so I figure that's the mob you are referring to?
@@crosstrainingadventure I dont have links, but owned a Kayo and GPX and had to learn which part of your bike was copied in order to get parts cuz they dont have a supply house, if u whined enough they might strip a part off a new bike to send to u. A common mod to the GPX bikes is to swap out the suspension from a KTM, WP forks and rear shock was direct fit. It was easier to spot on the FSE450 cuz the frame was more exposed, the Kove rally fairings cover most of it but u can see the frame rail above the footpeg is still the 2016 KTM frame that they use for most their bikes. Their "all new" engine was just putting DOHC on their existing NC450, which was coming anyway. 2 years ago the Indonesian company put DOHC on their NC250, and it was impressive. Their engines have a lot of torque, are reliabe and low maintenance with 11:1 compression but dont have the punch like a race engine.
GPX assembles/sells the KOVE in the USA. Thats the most popular 300exe rebrand u were thinking about, but there is multiple cuz heres why. There was more to Chongquin, i fogot the darn rest of it. If u do some digging, u can find their websites that basically are a "build a bike" factory where u can order your own brand of motorcycle. U can pick between a few frames, engines, and a few chinese suspension companies. Pick the color, what u want your logo to be and they throw it together in a crate and ship it to you. U had to order a certain number of bikes though. I looked this up 2 years ago. Chonquin Hengjian Motorcycle Manufacturing Co : ExportHub is all I can find now but there is enough info there to back up what Im saying.
I remember u bashing the CRF450X clones that came out years ago, and i disagreed with u then. But now I agree. At least with that, every single part of the bike was replaceable with Honda. These newer Chinese bikes are Frankenstein'd KTM and Honda parts so their fitment is always a little off. The biggest issue will be whenever the next update is, u will no longer be able to get parts from the previous gen cuz they no longer can strip it off new bikes. And they update their models every few years {unlike Japanese bikes}. Iv been trying to warn some people about this, most dont listen. And they think this is some magical original start up brand. Its not, and they will get screwed a few years down the road if buying one.
@@crosstrainingadventure Gets real fuzzy with China stuff and their internal relationships. Assume he's referring to Hengjian which yea do straight up KTM copies basically but he's not wrong on the Kove 450 as well (it's not AS bad as Hengjian). Kove and GPX just don't like telling people crossover parts like the Yu-An suspension is a Showa copy, the wheels/sprocket/brakes are Honda copies. Ironically I confirmed this because a Kove 450 owner was bragging about the parts available on Rocky Mountain ATV website but if you look at the parts, they are Honda parts, RMATV has just found crossover parts that work. To go along with the frame comment, I swear I saw someone say an older KTM RFR tank bolts on, it's just so expensive not worth it.
For instance, does anyone think that Works Connection made a brake reservoir cover for the Kove? RMATV just found that Honda ones fit because Kove copied Honda master cylinders (and it only comes in Honda red :)).
2020 CRF450R - www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/works-connection-front-brake-reservoir-cap-p?v=16682
2023 Kove 450 - www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/works-connection-front-brake-reservoir-cap-p?v=19438
Now if China used Nisin brakes and they used the same calipers as a Honda I wouldn't care but they do copy other designs still (while not wanting to admit it). GPX/Kove main pitfall is going to be parts for these because they don't want to admit to things being copied. I've already been told on the Kove 800, "This is not a KTM engine, it's an engine made by Kove in-house!" People's feelings on KTM engines aside, if it's a KTM copy that is NOT necessarily a bad thing, that means I don't have to worry on engine parts since I know of half a dozen KTM dealers around me. Kove folks saying this isnt a KTM engine, to me is like saying, "We want you to buy Kove parts not KTM parts even though this IS a KTM engine!" It's their way to force building up the parts supply otherwise that never happens if owners can get all the parts from other manufacturers, it's the problem with copying parts.
I have also heard that the newest 'Kove 450' engine that Klein raced on dakar and being put in their 450-mx bike is...a Honda copy. Have a feeling they took the same engine SSR450's use and modified it, it looks like a slightly different Honda unicam. This all said, I do want to see Kove bikes around, the more the merrier but I'm realistic to what they are.
No XiPing or Putin bike for me guys
Well I generally agree but...
These companies at least TRY. Can you say that about any of legacy brands? Look at what Japs puked out in last 20years.... AT is the only interesting true adv bike. But it's heavyweight. Zero innovation, zero drive to release true, off-road worthy adv bike.
At any price, at any quality - it’s Chinese. Screw them.
could be , may be, was......not a lot of usable info here guy.
Well duh. The 'preview' in the title should have been the giveaway lol.
> "Not wanting to indirectly support a repressive government, that is also bullying its neighbours."
That's why i don't buy Harley...