The real party trick here is that Kove have provided a bike to the market that droves of consumers have been asking for, at a price point that makes it attainable to the masses rather than the most dedicated riders or deep pocketed weekend warriors. Every other manufacturer could have done the same, but have declined or shelved projects because the corporate bean counters didn't see enough $ signs. As long as this bike has reasonable reliability and parts availability they will fly off the showroom floor, forcing these other brands to sharpen their pencils and take note. This alone is good for all consumers, regardless of your purchasing priorities.
I researched the KOVE 450 Rally a solid month before fully convinced to get one. Absolutely has lived up to expectations and will definitely be getting rid of my KLX300R I thought would still be keeping as a companion bike to it... KOVE is much easier to ride than a KLX300R - turns & tracks better/quicker, easier to pick up when down, and much more stable on loose surfaces at speed. The only thing a KLX300R does better is extremely slow crawling. And then you have the matter of ~ double the HP/torque with only about an 80lb weight increase. Selling the KLX300R will be nice though because I it will let me pick up a used Honda CB500X to be a better counterpart to the Kove 450 Rally...
I’ve been on a mission buying and building my dirt bikes into light adventure bikes for a decade now. Large fuel tanks, some sort of homemade nav tower, windscreen, etc. The Kove does all this out of the box, and better than I could build up on my own using existing platforms. It’s a great bike and best one so far.
I bought an AJP PR7. I may have been tempted by the Kove if it was available when I dropped the cash, but I love my PR7. I wouldn't trade it for a Kove now. I like the low end grunt of a larger single more than a high reviving smaller bore.
@@nathanbanks7091 in a few weeks I’m riding with a guy who just bought the new pr7 so it’ll be very interesting to compare them side by side. I’ll certainly make a video to document it!
Still have much to learn about my kove. Going fast! In death valley hit wash at 70 miles an hour on my km 640 adventure with gear. It took it very well even with extra weight. Stayed straight - even so slowed down after that. Still working on kove to set up for me. Had the Kim 640's since 1999 - so many moons to work on bugs. Now big problem is parts - no longer make engine parts. So look for use one to have parts need to keep running the 24 year old bike.
I see this bike as psudo a-kit equipped 145KG GEM. All the expensive "upgrades" have been done at the factory and you only need to derestrict it + tune the ecu and its read to race.
Great ride there, mate. Ogling a Kove 450, so a few questions: - Would it make a good "all rounder", general transportation for Mo-Fri, trail use Sat/Sun/Hols/Events, or is it just too much money spent and better look for something else? Asking because my other bike of interest is the CFMoto 450 Ibex (450MT here in Italy) which is a horse of a slightly different colour but (judging from other YT channels) quite trail-worthy. - What's your tower setup, especially the speedo on top? - I'm not a trail rider yet, by Rekluse I suppose you mean the clutch manufacturer. Which one did you install, I looked them up and there are no parts specifically for the Kove
Thanks for taking a moment! I think the Kove is the best all around off-road bike. It’s not going to be great for stop and go traffic as it runs hot. The CF Moto might be a better street bike. I’m running the Uncle Wang tower and Trail tech Voyager Pro gps on top. The voyager pro is the best off-road gps on the market imo. Again, it’s not a turn but turn gps unit. It’s a backcountry exploration unit. The Rekluse is the auto clutch. I really like the rekluse and have been using them for years. Lots of info out there on all these products.
Looks like you’re getting some great performance out of the exhaust mods! Also I need to find a nice long straight remote road like that one around here! I sent my ECU in for reflash and expecting race exhaust to arrive by Friday. Hopefully get it all installed and oil change done this weekend. Just under 500 miles on mine and loving the crap out of it! Do you have any interest in head to head comparing your bike with mine that doesn’t have the flywheel advance key?
Let’s do it!! That’s what we need; some comparisons because it could certainly be in my head wanting results from labor and $ put into the bike. Weren’t you up in the Phoenix area?
Yes, I believe the key is a good mod, but I want to know how good it is and understand more precisely how it changes the character of the bike before I do it! And I think others would like to see some comparisons, too. Yes, I’m in the Phoenix area. Will reach out to you on FB!
Is the exhaust heat causing fuel to boil in gas tank ? I'm wondering if the exhaust is running enough cooler. I've seen the complaint on other reviews about the gas/fuel boiling. Great review !!! Thanks !!!
No, thank you! I think on one occasion on a very hot day coming down out of the mountains, the fuel was pouring out of my left tank for a few minutes. I’m not sure if it was boiling or pressure. Since properly venting the tank, I have not had the fuel/venting issues. I also added some heat shielding under the right tank near the header. I think the combo has a alleviated an issue which ultimately is tank venting.
Question. I live in Havasu (opposite corner of the state) and have a fair amount of interstate to get to riding areas I enjoy around Prescott, PHX and Barstow. Now that you’ve done the mods (pipe, sprocket, ecu, timing key, windshield), how miserable will I be on the interstate to get to those areas? My 500EXC was terrible and frankly wasn’t a revelation on the trail. Will this be tolerable at 70-75mph for 2-3 hours without stepping up to a 690/701 and dealing with their deficiencies on the trail? Maybe I need a PR7…
The PR7 would be a great choice. The Kove is still a single cylinder dirt bike but handles the road much better than the 500 exc. The ktm’s vibrations killed it for me as a dual sport. Some big guys love the 690 as a dirt bike but I’m not a fan of the how the bike carries the weight and handles off-road. The kove spans the gap between dirt bike and dual Sport better than anything in the market. If you’re going to do some road work on it, I’d keep the 49t rear sprocket. Cruising at 75 with that gearing is tolerable.
The 500 is more of a lugging motor, where the Kove needs to be revved to get the power out. Big positives of the Kove over the 500 is the smoothness of the motor. I went from a WR450F to the 500 exc and thought my teeth were going to rattle out. I got used to it and loved my 500. However, the fuel range and low slung fuel on the Kove make the weight seem less than the scales say. For me, the Kove is the best all around bike for someone who loves dirt with some road in the mix to connect epic off-road. It’s what the drz should have evolved into.
Tried riding my ATK 605 in a wash north of town (north of Oro Valley) and didn't have enough guts to get on top of the sand. Got to about 3rd and my mtn biker brain started screaming 'slow down! you're going to die!' ...which led to letting off the throttle which led to the front wheel digging into the sand and me meeting said sand which didn't help with the 'you're going to die!' screams from my brain. Guy I was with was on a Yamaha and he was flying down the wash in front of me. Quickly got WAY ahead of me cause he was comfortable on the bike Sold that bike soon after and moved to Denver so I haven't ever figured out how to ride washes I don't think that the Kove and I are meant to be together in a wash till I get much better. No such thing as a wash here in VA, so I think I'll be OK.
lol! That atk is a heavy bike! No wonder! The Kove isn’t a lightweight but it carries it’s weight nice and low making it feel light. Did you get a Kove???
@@DirtByk I'm somewhat under/self-employed at the moment so not yet. If/when a Kove is in my future I'm likely to trade in my R1150rt to help offset the cost I had a KTM 640Adventure for a bit. That bike put a big ole grin on my face when riding it. Only thing that's put the same grin on my face was a KTM 940A ?950A? and that one did it faster. The Kove looks similar. Hope it isn't a paint shaker like my 640A
@@GummeeH3 totally get it! I jumped off the deep end two years ago and quit/sold everything to move west to be able to ride daily. Since had to sell off the fleet to survive. It’ll make sense when we get there, enjoy the ride!
@user-kl1sw5ce2v apparently not, at least according to dealer in San Diego. He said they call it 50 state legal but they are still working with California on testing and specs and does not have a time line.
You now have as much money in the Kove as a CRf450RL and the Honda will run circles around the Kove. Honda fixed their ecu problems also and the aftermarket is far greater. Sorry but the reality is, the value isn't worth it. You have a rally tower, that's it. For another $650 you can add a rally tower to the CRF that plugs right into the stock harness. Not to mention, there is a Honda dealer in almost every city in the USA. Communist slave labor built product vs. an allied made product...the choice is obviously Honda. Keep trying to fix that thing and you might even get into KTM cost territory.
A CRF450RL doesn't hold ~8 gallons on board with a lower CG than a 250/300cc trail bike. A CRF450RL will only handle worse if you increase it's fuel capacity from the stock 2 gallons. It or any other dirtbike/dual sport are not really that comparable to a KOVE 450 Rally which is purposely engineered from the start to carry ~8 gallons at a way lower CG height. There is a noticeable difference in how it feels to ride compared to any of the standard configuration 'dirtbikes'. I have a Kawasaki KLX300R and recently picked up a KOVE 450 Rally, the KLX is definitely more top heavy and noticeanly harder to lift off the ground when dropped compared to a fully fueled KOVE 450 Rally. The KOVE runs circles around the KLX300R with its quicker and more responsive steering input and much easier to balance & quicker responding chassis setup. Also way more planted and stable at 90+mph on desert dirt/sand tracks than the KLX on same tracks at 65-70mph...and that was stock without a steering stabilizer.
😂 this guy just has to comment on every single video. The 450RL has the same problem. It's choked up from the factory. It still requires you to add an ECU, exhaust, and modify your air box. And that still doesn't get rid of the low idle flame out.
The real party trick here is that Kove have provided a bike to the market that droves of consumers have been asking for, at a price point that makes it attainable to the masses rather than the most dedicated riders or deep pocketed weekend warriors. Every other manufacturer could have done the same, but have declined or shelved projects because the corporate bean counters didn't see enough $ signs. As long as this bike has reasonable reliability and parts availability they will fly off the showroom floor, forcing these other brands to sharpen their pencils and take note. This alone is good for all consumers, regardless of your purchasing priorities.
Let’s hope other manufacturers are taking note! I love innovation and Kove provided that!
What a great bike. I am torn about getting one. It almost seems to good to be true!
I researched the KOVE 450 Rally a solid month before fully convinced to get one. Absolutely has lived up to expectations and will definitely be getting rid of my KLX300R I thought would still be keeping as a companion bike to it...
KOVE is much easier to ride than a KLX300R - turns & tracks better/quicker, easier to pick up when down, and much more stable on loose surfaces at speed. The only thing a KLX300R does better is extremely slow crawling. And then you have the matter of ~ double the HP/torque with only about an 80lb weight increase.
Selling the KLX300R will be nice though because I it will let me pick up a used Honda CB500X to be a better counterpart to the Kove 450 Rally...
I’ve been on a mission buying and building my dirt bikes into light adventure bikes for a decade now. Large fuel tanks, some sort of homemade nav tower, windscreen, etc. The Kove does all this out of the box, and better than I could build up on my own using existing platforms. It’s a great bike and best one so far.
I bought an AJP PR7. I may have been tempted by the Kove if it was available when I dropped the cash, but I love my PR7. I wouldn't trade it for a Kove now. I like the low end grunt of a larger single more than a high reviving smaller bore.
@@nathanbanks7091 in a few weeks I’m riding with a guy who just bought the new pr7 so it’ll be very interesting to compare them side by side. I’ll certainly make a video to document it!
Still have much to learn about my kove. Going fast! In death valley hit wash at 70 miles an hour on my km 640 adventure with gear. It took it very well even with extra weight. Stayed straight - even so slowed down after that. Still working on kove to set up for me. Had the Kim 640's since 1999 - so many moons to work on bugs. Now big problem is parts - no longer make engine parts. So look for use one to have parts need to keep running the 24 year old bike.
I think the Kove is a good replacement. The 640 can become a collector’s piece!
I see this bike as psudo a-kit equipped 145KG GEM.
All the expensive "upgrades" have been done at the factory and you only need to derestrict it + tune the ecu and its read to race.
I’d say that’s a fair assessment!
Great ride there, mate. Ogling a Kove 450, so a few questions:
- Would it make a good "all rounder", general transportation for Mo-Fri, trail use Sat/Sun/Hols/Events, or is it just too much money spent and better look for something else? Asking because my other bike of interest is the CFMoto 450 Ibex (450MT here in Italy) which is a horse of a slightly different colour but (judging from other YT channels) quite trail-worthy.
- What's your tower setup, especially the speedo on top?
- I'm not a trail rider yet, by Rekluse I suppose you mean the clutch manufacturer. Which one did you install, I looked them up and there are no parts specifically for the Kove
Thanks for taking a moment! I think the Kove is the best all around off-road bike. It’s not going to be great for stop and go traffic as it runs hot. The CF Moto might be a better street bike. I’m running the Uncle Wang tower and Trail tech Voyager Pro gps on top. The voyager pro is the best off-road gps on the market imo. Again, it’s not a turn but turn gps unit. It’s a backcountry exploration unit. The Rekluse is the auto clutch. I really like the rekluse and have been using them for years. Lots of info out there on all these products.
Looks like you’re getting some great performance out of the exhaust mods! Also I need to find a nice long straight remote road like that one around here! I sent my ECU in for reflash and expecting race exhaust to arrive by Friday. Hopefully get it all installed and oil change done this weekend. Just under 500 miles on mine and loving the crap out of it! Do you have any interest in head to head comparing your bike with mine that doesn’t have the flywheel advance key?
Let’s do it!! That’s what we need; some comparisons because it could certainly be in my head wanting results from labor and $ put into the bike. Weren’t you up in the Phoenix area?
Yes, I believe the key is a good mod, but I want to know how good it is and understand more precisely how it changes the character of the bike before I do it! And I think others would like to see some comparisons, too. Yes, I’m in the Phoenix area. Will reach out to you on FB!
Is the exhaust heat causing fuel to boil in gas tank ? I'm wondering if the exhaust is running enough cooler. I've seen the complaint on other reviews about the gas/fuel boiling. Great review !!! Thanks !!!
No, thank you! I think on one occasion on a very hot day coming down out of the mountains, the fuel was pouring out of my left tank for a few minutes. I’m not sure if it was boiling or pressure. Since properly venting the tank, I have not had the fuel/venting issues. I also added some heat shielding under the right tank near the header. I think the combo has a alleviated an issue which ultimately is tank venting.
That's good to hear !!! What ever it takes if it works !!!@@DirtByk
Looking for aluminum bash plate for kove in order to save the carbon fiber one.
Camel ADV Products is your go to! Might be sold out but should be back in stock soon.
Question. I live in Havasu (opposite corner of the state) and have a fair amount of interstate to get to riding areas I enjoy around Prescott, PHX and Barstow. Now that you’ve done the mods (pipe, sprocket, ecu, timing key, windshield), how miserable will I be on the interstate to get to those areas? My 500EXC was terrible and frankly wasn’t a revelation on the trail. Will this be tolerable at 70-75mph for 2-3 hours without stepping up to a 690/701 and dealing with their deficiencies on the trail?
Maybe I need a PR7…
The PR7 would be a great choice. The Kove is still a single cylinder dirt bike but handles the road much better than the 500 exc. The ktm’s vibrations killed it for me as a dual sport. Some big guys love the 690 as a dirt bike but I’m not a fan of the how the bike carries the weight and handles off-road. The kove spans the gap between dirt bike and dual Sport better than anything in the market. If you’re going to do some road work on it, I’d keep the 49t rear sprocket. Cruising at 75 with that gearing is tolerable.
You could also take a look at the SWM Superdual
It's a pretty cool bike. How does it compare to the KTM 500 exc? How about DRZ400?
The 500 is more of a lugging motor, where the Kove needs to be revved to get the power out. Big positives of the Kove over the 500 is the smoothness of the motor. I went from a WR450F to the 500 exc and thought my teeth were going to rattle out. I got used to it and loved my 500. However, the fuel range and low slung fuel on the Kove make the weight seem less than the scales say. For me, the Kove is the best all around bike for someone who loves dirt with some road in the mix to connect epic off-road. It’s what the drz should have evolved into.
Need USA Forest approved spark arrest end cap or exhaust to be legal in forested areas.
For sure!
No doubt
Kove is a good bike and is about 20 lbs lighter then my setup km 640 adventure.
I agree
What fuel running? Pump, alcohol free or racing fuels?
Just pump fuel. Mostly 91 but sometimes 89 when it’s only available in the back country.
Tried riding my ATK 605 in a wash north of town (north of Oro Valley) and didn't have enough guts to get on top of the sand. Got to about 3rd and my mtn biker brain started screaming 'slow down! you're going to die!' ...which led to letting off the throttle which led to the front wheel digging into the sand and me meeting said sand which didn't help with the 'you're going to die!' screams from my brain.
Guy I was with was on a Yamaha and he was flying down the wash in front of me. Quickly got WAY ahead of me cause he was comfortable on the bike
Sold that bike soon after and moved to Denver so I haven't ever figured out how to ride washes
I don't think that the Kove and I are meant to be together in a wash till I get much better. No such thing as a wash here in VA, so I think I'll be OK.
lol! That atk is a heavy bike! No wonder! The Kove isn’t a lightweight but it carries it’s weight nice and low making it feel light. Did you get a Kove???
@@DirtByk I'm somewhat under/self-employed at the moment so not yet. If/when a Kove is in my future I'm likely to trade in my R1150rt to help offset the cost
I had a KTM 640Adventure for a bit. That bike put a big ole grin on my face when riding it. Only thing that's put the same grin on my face was a KTM 940A ?950A? and that one did it faster. The Kove looks similar. Hope it isn't a paint shaker like my 640A
@@GummeeH3 certainly much smoother than any other dual sport single.
@@GummeeH3 totally get it! I jumped off the deep end two years ago and quit/sold everything to move west to be able to ride daily. Since had to sell off the fleet to survive. It’ll make sense when we get there, enjoy the ride!
im salty, finally a KOVE dealer here in Socal, but they cant sell 450 rally, not street legal. Fucking california sucks balls
The 50 state one coming out this summer is not street legal in california?
@user-kl1sw5ce2v apparently not, at least according to dealer in San Diego. He said they call it 50 state legal but they are still working with California on testing and specs and does not have a time line.
That’s horrible news! Beautiful state but man, to say a bike is not allowed is just cruel!!
You are correct. California does, in fact, suck balls.
You now have as much money in the Kove as a CRf450RL and the Honda will run circles around the Kove. Honda fixed their ecu problems also and the aftermarket is far greater. Sorry but the reality is, the value isn't worth it. You have a rally tower, that's it. For another $650 you can add a rally tower to the CRF that plugs right into the stock harness. Not to mention, there is a Honda dealer in almost every city in the USA. Communist slave labor built product vs. an allied made product...the choice is obviously Honda. Keep trying to fix that thing and you might even get into KTM cost territory.
A CRF450RL doesn't hold ~8 gallons on board with a lower CG than a 250/300cc trail bike. A CRF450RL will only handle worse if you increase it's fuel capacity from the stock 2 gallons. It or any other dirtbike/dual sport are not really that comparable to a KOVE 450 Rally which is purposely engineered from the start to carry ~8 gallons at a way lower CG height. There is a noticeable difference in how it feels to ride compared to any of the standard configuration 'dirtbikes'.
I have a Kawasaki KLX300R and recently picked up a KOVE 450 Rally, the KLX is definitely more top heavy and noticeanly harder to lift off the ground when dropped compared to a fully fueled KOVE 450 Rally. The KOVE runs circles around the KLX300R with its quicker and more responsive steering input and much easier to balance & quicker responding chassis setup. Also way more planted and stable at 90+mph on desert dirt/sand tracks than the KLX on same tracks at 65-70mph...and that was stock without a steering stabilizer.
😂 this guy just has to comment on every single video. The 450RL has the same problem. It's choked up from the factory. It still requires you to add an ECU, exhaust, and modify your air box. And that still doesn't get rid of the low idle flame out.
that's a bold statement... have you ever ridden a Kove because it sure doesn't sound like it.
Uh oh, Mr. Kove Derangement Syndrome strikes back! Everyone out there enjoying your Koves watch out!!
Bro... At this rate you are just coping