Kove 450 Rally Review 

I’ve been in touch with Kove about the bike we rode. It has over 1000kms on it now and has no shifting issues. They also have told me there is a new tune available for these bikes. Maybe a part 2 this spring will be in order 🤔

So refreshing to watch and enjoy a straight forward “level” non biased review. Excellent job and thank you so much.

Imagine if Honda 450 derived a spec like this, or say Kawaski made a Versys 450 in this manner. Noone would even blink. But it took a Kove to go Dakar in '23 and return in '24 to tease this concept. Going to keep an eye on their progress, especially with Mason's push.

Really enjoyed this one , great unbiased review . As always you do a great job including some drone shots to give us a better idea of the terrain you’re riding .

Nicely done. Covered a lot of areas and concerns. Videography was outstanding plus really loved the small talks. Loved it. Cheers from Pakistan.

We have a Kove at the dealership where I work. So far the guys who are super into KTM/Husky seem to find it favorable to ride. I own 2 Honda bikes and 1 CFMoto bike and I'm excited for the 450 Adventure bike from CFMoto. I don't care where my bikes are made. Whichever manufacturer makes the product that excites me gets my money.

Another good time watching your vids! I have always wanted to get down to Drumhellar for a Moto Camp weekend, now I just have to after seeing the Rail Trail!!

Another great production! Props for carrying the Tenba Doctors bag while riding too!

Great review and wonderful landscape to ADV ride thru! Thanks for sharing 🙌

Awesome getting your insights on it. I too remember being a little underwhelmed after test riding at Giant Loop. I thought we might finally have the unicorn.

Another great Kove 450R review in the beautiful Canadian terrain of the Badlands. The Kove 450R is the love-child b/w my 990A and slightly adventurized and uncorked 500. Have been looking for this for a long time and after speaking to Gary and Joe I was sold and bought one right there. Have been enjoying it since purchase as it opens up my future riding plans. It's the perfect complement to my 500 with about 70% duty overlap. There is not much comparison to any other bikes than perhaps the KTM 450 rally or maybe the 640 adventure. Each moto has a range of purposes in your quiver. The Kove is more easy ST / sandy southern states / western BDR's whereas the 350/500 is more American Fork UT / TID style plated riding. Yes, near redline and ride it hard is just a suggestion for full blast fun. Get that back tire out a bit at 50mph around dirt corners fully loaded with 400 miles (yes!) of fuel range and it'll dig right in and arrow to the next turn, or sit and relax at 80mph on some nice tarmac and enjoy the view. You can't whack the throttle as with my 500 and expect a launch control experience, that's not what its meant for. The approx. 6in longer wheelbase and low tanks on the Kove really provide a lot of low CG chuck it around stability in comparison. Check out the relatively active AdvRider and FB threads, a good amount of participation and quirks and features discussion.

Thanks for the video. Can't wait to see how Kove and Mason Klein do this year.

2for2 you are the second source of review stating: the same exact thing. Feels underpowered but if you rev the hell out of it it's got plenty... Suspension way too stiff on initial stroke but works very well at combat speed 💪 Equally everybody likes to trash. Talk the DRZ400 but when you are riding one they are very few places inaccessible 😂

Absolutely it is not a causal cruiser, get a 300l for that. Ride the Kove 450 hard as it was intended. Loving mine and believe it will continue to fill 70% of my riding needs. the poor Beta 390 that I love so much is now relegated to technical single track and desert holeshots. The Tiger will remain just for pillion trips with my wife

That was such a fun scenic place to film!! Can’t wait to go ride there again. Maybe on a Kove 800 next? 🏜️🏍️ Great video Blake!! thank YOU for letting me come along to ride the Kove too 🦾

Great video and I appreciate your insight - I just subscribed. I own a Kove but haven't had the opportunity to put many miles on it. As a value proposition, it's hard to beat. I think it will be a great BDR bike for those of us who are getting older and ride solo. I will try to soften up the rear shock a bit, but otherwise find it more comfortable than my CRF 450L. It's like my old WR 250R with more power, which is what I was looking for - something more powerful than a CRF 300L but not as twitchy as the CRF 450L. For those looking for a lighter more powerful bike, I would direct them to a Beta, but I wanted a comfortable dual sport with the ability to go great distances between gas fill-ups, and the 8 gallons it can carry definitely checks that box. Hopefully, the reliability holds up, which I expect will happen given this engine has been around for a while in other bikes like the Fantic. I might have been tempted by the new Royal Enfield 450 but its pretty heavy and for that weight, I'd rather go with my Tuareg 660, which was a wonderful bike but too heavy for my use case. I now have the Kove and a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE. One is a Swiss army knife of a bike and the other is just pretty (with a low after-market exhaust because putting an exhaust pipe right on your leg is just silly).

Great review, thank you! I'm very interested to see how it would do with a better map!

For me the AJP PR7 would be the closest thing to the Kove 450. I'd love to see that comparison.

New subscriber here for ya , great video and editing skills!

Great video and test rides thanks

Your soundtrack makes the whole video sound like a grand adventure🎉 without removing my ass from the couch 🏁

I've not ridden a Kove 450 rally yet, though I do have what one might call left field experience. I have a bike that in north America you've likely never heard of. A Fantic caballero 500 rally, although it's not strictly a rally bike, but more duel sport. It's made in Italy, but the engine is a sohc 450 made in China. My Fantic & the Kove use the same engine & I believe transmission?, but with one big difference is the Kove has a new dohc head pushing out a few more HP. That 450 engine first appeared in the Fantic caballero 500 scrambler back in 2016 so it's been around for a few years and has largely been proven quite reliable. Mine as well as all the Fantics tend to run a bit hot, but I've heard Kove solved that with the new dohc head. I've never had a problem, but I have heard the the transmission can be a bit fragile. I think that may be more hooligan thrashing than core mechanical?. The only problems I've had in 3 years have been electrical, but that's Italian spaghetti electrics for you 😅. I'm a big rally fan, especially Dakar and would love to have one of these bikes some day. I think what Kove has done is phenomenal. They not only designed and built a bike capable of competing and surviving the Dakar rally, but then turned around and made them available for a price that any mere mortal who fancies one can afford. You can buy a KTM replica rally bike, but it'll cost you three times as much & it's not road legal. PS, you discovered & touched on this. It's a rally race bike designed to be ridden out on the edge. What it probably isn't is your unicorn lightweight adventure bike. Just ask Yamaha what a hard balance that is?. Yamaha built & marketed the real first rally race bike for the road in the XT 600 Tenere. Cool bike, but it never woon a rally

I’ve got the Pro. Thought I’d made a $13k mistake until I got my preload and clickers dialed-in. I absolutely love this bike so much now. I bought it after spending 7 days on the Husky/KTM RFR and yes, it lacks the refinement of the RFR, it’s plenty fast enough and even more comfortable. I actually like riding it more. I’m a similar weight / height BTW and had similar bucking and needed to lean way out over the bars in turns. It’s now amazing.

Wow, awesome video!

Very good review on the Cove

Great overview. Needs some tweaks and refinement, but it's the closest thing to a do-it-all unicorn on the market right now, IMO.

I have it on my short list of bikes to buy. I got the chance to ride one and I really like it, has a lot going for it for the price and it's really competitive. The dealer that let me ride theirs said the the hard to find Neutral was intentional by Kove. It was supposedly done that way to significantly reduce the chance of catching N during the 1-> 2 shift. I didn't have the 3-4 shift issue on mine though, so no comment there. The other thing I was suprised by, the seat was actually pretty nice. I was expecting a plank with how small it looks in the marketing. It was actually a nice place to sit, and I could see it being comfortable on long rides.

Good stuff. To get better performance up in Canada, get premium gas and 51T rear sprocket.

Mason Klein 98 would be riding this machine on January's Dakar. Can't wait to see how he'd perform.

After 20+ hours of break-in, here are my thoughts. In stock form, the fork is stiffer than the rear and deflects more than it should(front mostly). Bottom out control is great on both ends. I am 165 with gear, which is on the low end for rider weight. My tuner(M9 suspension)softened up the valving on the front while keeping the same spring rate. If I were 180+ pounds I would bump up one spring rate on the rear. After only tuning the fork, the bike has much better balance through whoops, chatter, and turning and does not deflect or throw me off trail like it did, It's glued to the ground. The clickers on both ends really do work and I have messed with HS compression on the rear shock to find a more neutral balance when riding really whooped out or trails with lots of jumps or G-outs. This bike has alot of potential!

This vid is awesome broski

I just don't know what to make of the Kove based on the mixed reviews. Definitely still on the fence...Thanks for sharing, cheers from OZ

No way it could be any less reliable than my 690... Haven't run a tank finished without an issue on mine for over a year

Love seeing great content like this coming out of Canada. That’s some beautiful riding areas there in Alberta. What’s the nearest major city to that?

Just came back from a trip 5 riders ,4 days 700Km 350km on dirt in similar terrain to parts of your video.2 X Koves on the trip,they tracked incredibly well across sketchy terrain at speed and cornered great standing at speed very well also.These are the two most important things for an adventure bike.Both riders v happy.I wll sell my CRF300 with upgraded suspension as i will be able to go faster on the Kove and be less tired.I have a KTM 525 so i am able to judge the difference between the bikes.The Kove is an excellent machine.IMHO its a far better bike off road than a KTM690 which bounced along the track a fair bit

We have some ordered here in Sudbury ON. I'm hoping to get a lowered version for March

Buen video! Saludos desde España. 😜

thank you. nice comparison.

I'm looking at buying a new bike in the next year or two. It's looking like a choice between the 300l and Kove if it comes to Australia. I'm hoping for the to to last me a really long time. I will mostly use it for single track and day trips. I previously owned a kx450f that I found to be way above my riding level when on technical stuff so I ended up selling it and going back to my crf230f. I know that with the 300l I'll need to upgrade the suspension at a minimum but it's likely I'll end up putting tonnes of aftermarket parts on it. will the kove be the better choice here or should I stick with a 300l and upgrade it as I go?

Curious to hear impressions from those that add the race ECU and exhaust to bump up power. It's a compelling bike on paper and according to the reviews.

Cst tires has also been doing well. I've used their mountain bike tires a while back. They are my "go to" for affordable tires.

I'm really eager to see where this brand is gonna go! I think their vision on how it should be if good! Also, where were you riding? That scenery is amazing!

Great video and review. You hit the nail on the head with your observations at the end; the harder you ride it the better it feels. The power is indicative of Rally bikes as Mason Klein put it to me; you don’t want to ride a bike that’s going to rip your arms off for 10 hours a day. However, top end of the Kove is lacking as well. Watch Everide’s recent drag race video where mine wouldn’t break 80mph up a slight hill with a strong headwind. Looking forward to the timing advance mod.

How well would the subframe handle a full ADV equip? Many dirtbikes have so light subframes that they cannot be converted to a proper ADV. Riding with setups like that in highways feels like the whole thing is flexing and wobbling around.

I figure a few years they will have it tuned in. Same as every new bike build for commercial sales. I say well done Kove

The Kove 800 looks very appealing

Where were you riding, great scenery

Can't wait to see you try the 2023 450 Himalayan

Not sure if this bike had mapping issues or if this was just the first fully honest review given on the bike but it was refreshing to hear someone not gushing over it in every breath haha. I agree that the 500 comparison isn't the best, the weight difference alone negates that. I love my 500 but I'll be the first to admit that it isn't the end all be all answer for everyone. That said, the 500 is my chosen dual sport and BDR weapon and will remain so for some years to come. At the end of the day it's good to see competition in the segment, it drives further innovation and improvement in the stalwart makes/models. If Kove makes some improvements in the components department they might have a home run for most, but if not I am certain that the aftermarket will take care of those needs.

Sure ready for one....

I heard the there is now a 2.0 ECU tune available for the initial models and the production models seem to be a bit up on power so probably this is the version that ships from the factory now.

I was looking for the ADV Unicorn and ended up with an AJP PR7. So far so good.

I havent tried it, but AJP PR7 would be my choice with at this moment.

Man, I want one.

💥💥💥💯

The lack of low rpm grunt can be fixed by going down a tooth on the front sprocket

It’s tough because the KTM 500 is so good, and so popular that you’re bound to find parts anywhere in North Americaz

For a headwind and/or top speed comparison, how bout a Versys 300X? Without bags I got mine up to 106 with a 15 toother. 2nd thru 4th and revving it to 12 plus there's no lacking. 290 mile range on 4.5 gallons. Japanese (Thailand made) quality and a billion mile tested Ninja twin motor. $5,199 with freight and prep out the door. 7,500 on the Dunlop Trailmax tires spooned on and five k to go. Can't register the Kove in my state, Versys X sails thru DMV.

I think it's great their shaking up the market. But with no dealer support near me if Honda releases a 450/500 with a 270 degree crank or if a new DRZ400/450 comes out I'd go that route.

i hear the ecu settings from rally fit on the normal one. its the same ecu. [a dealer in belgium offers this as a option]

Hehe I knew those races from the video you were talking about were BS. Good video bud

intertsting comparative...so in terms of vibrations is the Kove a lot better than KTM EXC? :-) about the seat is the same more or less

Kove definitely still has a long way to go. I saw two at my local OHV park. Both were sadly broken within an hour of unloading them. Their riders were new riders who bought them as their first bikes. One blew the engine and one had a badly broken frame. Both were ridden at low speeds on very minor trails. I'll definitely keep an eye on it to see if it gets better but for the time being, I won't be buying one. I've seen far too many problems with the Kove for me to want to trust it for BDRs and stuff

Hey guys,try testing on the east coast. Dry and sand......?

All I want is a KTM EXC 350/450/500 that has a rear subframe and can carry a tent and toolkit! I thought the Kove may be the answer… but after watching this video , I’m saddened ! It seems it won’t cut it ! If anyone can point me in the right direction I’d be thrilled !

About 50lbs lighter than my Aprilia Tuareg 660, ...cause of more fuel capacity its still heavy? Feel like it should have much more power for that weight

Waiting in Spain , seems high potential 4me.

👍👍👏👏

A nice comparison would be the new himalayan 450?

Weight obviously matters, question, were the bikes equally fueled when doing the acceleration comparison? The difference in fuel capacity between the EXC and the Kove is huge. That's why I'm asking.

As somebody who owns a kove 450 and rides with mates on drz,s I can confirm, there is nothing in it , in fact a few times the kove has lost maybe a bike or two lengths , but I am 6ft and 18 stone with gear on , I have though since fitted the race ECU and titanium exhaust system so will test again

Would definitely try a Kove over a KTM. Had a KTM and it’s ruined a few trips because of its unreliability. Niggly electrical faults, some mechanical issues. Many of us give them a pass for that because they’re quick. Kove are at the start of their journey and their first bike looks good and clearly has had some serious thought applied.

I wanna know where they where riding at, that's amazing

The ktm 500 is over a hundred pounds lighter than the Kove... offroad that's HUGE and is why I'd not really compare it to the 500exc. So it's closer to the 690 but with at least a third less power... so is that really a fair comparison? It has ADV fairings from the factory like the middleweight adv bikes but they are all REALLY dialed in for street use (IMO) and the Kove is clearly dialed in for offroad use... so that's not a good comparison EITHER. I think where I'd slot the Kove is into a "300-400lb lightweight ADV" class that really barely exists and has a lot of variation. I put my ($20,000 invested to get it there) 701 Enduro into that category... but I ALSO put the CRF300L Rally in that class, and the AJP PR7... and now the Kove... (edit - also the DR650 properly kitted out) and that's about it. Personally I'm super-excited to see how the Kove does, I'm not quite as excited that I'm seeing a lot of 'central planning' based pushing of Chinese brands onto the world market at prices that seem 'too good to be true'. I'm also not excited that I'm seeing a LOT of investment in 'influencer' reviews of Chinese branded bikes popping up (not saying that this is one of those... it feels very balanced to me). BUT... that does seem to be the way the game is played these days so I guess it's not fair to single out the Chinese brands for doing the same thing.

this seems like most legit review so far. I'd still choose 690. give me power and torque, better suspension, less weight. still curious to ride kove

Is it better than drz400s Sir?

it uses zongshen nc450 engine?

Where did you rent the bike from ?

Wrong opinion regarding power. Do not ride it like a 450 dirt bike! Ride it like a crf300l and look at the speeds you are achieving. It is also geared very tall. Try it with 52 rear sprocket. There is another positive thing about the delivery. You can ride it hard for longer periods of time and it doesn't tire you out.

Good for you for not touching politics otherwise, for those hating on Chinese bikes because of politics, then please look around you & more importantly, look at whats on you. Then consider boycotting everything made in China cos you know, you hate China & its politics. Alls I can say is goodluck & Godbless 🤣. Back to topic, I'm a fellow Albertan & budding ADV noob & dirtbiker wannabe. As a lifelong sportbiker, I get the 200hp thingy but I also get that I hardly ever get to use it. If I wanna keep life, limb & licence that is. So its ok if I gotta spank it hard as that my thing actually 😜. I want a soft dirtbike cum enduro that I can ride from home to trails & RTB. Perhaps intracity commutes & the occasional intercity rides. But I'm gonna let the crash test dummies do the initial testing & also wait for DOT approval. Nice vid

El motor de la Kove es el mismo que el de la Fantic Caballero 500, Zonseng.

Well....never expected to see the home country area. The Drum area can be amazing if ya know the right people....which i dont😂

Should check out the beta

Guys, you need to compare it to KTM LC4 Adventure ;-) This is proper replacement with less vibrations 🙂

Was some known motorcycle company's technology directly just copied in this bike?

I find the cove a 450 to be very tempting. I currently ride a 23 701 and really like it. It’s relatively lightweight and has plenty of power. Other than more fuel, I don’t see how the Kove would be better. (For me) I hope this starts a race with other motorcycle manufacturers, because this really is the bike of the future.

What's with the music can bearly hear the bike

Can you license this bike?

My Ktm 640 adv riders forum has about 7000 members and we are all mostly drooling over the kove 450 rally and at the fact that its been 15 years since someone made a 640 competitor. To us all other adv bikes pale in comparison to the short lived 640 adv but i think the kove 450 rallye has done just that. Finally we 640 riders have a new bike to ride that fills the 640 shoes and we can finally rest our ktm 640 adventure vintage rides to rest, not retire mind you:) mine is a 2007 ktm 640 adventure and im seriously considering buying the 450. i would sell my 2019 ktm 350 for it i think. no i will not sell my 640 ever. sorry. :) I am also in touch with AJP as a distributor fyi if there are any canadians interested

Alberta? Badlands!?

Big pass. I’ve owned Gpx and unhappy with them. When I can order from rocky Mountain atv Mc. I might try one.

You gotta wonder how 51hp feels.ultra slow on par with a DRZ when a KTM 500 is around 40hp? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Overall nice review and spectacular footage thanks for posting. Folks seemed to miss our test rider weighs 220 lbs. without riding gear, add 15 lbs minimum (sans hydration) for that = 235 lbs. Bike with 4 gallons of gas weights 346 add 235 = total 581 lbs. KTM wet s/ 2.5 gallons = 255 lbs. add rider 200 (with gear) = 455 lbs. Love these folks that say the KTM has WAY more power than the Kove. Read a review or spec for krysakes.. KTM is 40.5 hp. The KTM has approximately 5 gallons less capacity, costs $3500 USD more. That's alot of left over "ching" to throw at it when the after market catches up ! RALLY KILLAH bu bu bu bum, bum buh buh buh bum bum....."it will" run run run run away.. hey hey hey hey, ay ya ya yah yah !! One should not even discuss suspension without setting sag and playing with the clickers...period. Especially not knowing the current settings. 51 or 52 tooth sprocket adds a great deal of grunt. There are a few re flashes for the ECU, a few tweaks here and there and bob's your uncle. Lot's of shooting from the hip comments on here without knowing WTF they are talking about...mostly the nay nay's. Not one person has had issues with getting parts that I have read. All have commented on the ease. Many importers have several "complete" bikes worth of spares and parts only to get better. Bike is $9k not $10k USD. Another nay nay of course..

KTM announced they are shifting more manufacturing to China yesterday, so to the people hating on where Koves are manufactured, where is the next goalpost?

Enduro is henceforth Super Struggle. 👍

No one seems to be 100% convinced about this bike yet, maybe the mk2 will be improved. I wont sell my drz just yet.

2:20 I am never getting this fucking image out of my head now

I wouldnt call the Kove slow I would call the Kove reliable like the DRZ400. Theres trade offs. A skilled rider can go faster off-road on a CR125 then a guy thats intermediate on a CRF450.

Wait. That is an already sold Bike and the Dealer said "Yes, no problem. Hammer it through the Countryside for a whole day." :D Wat.

can't believe this bike sells at about half price at home... if they do that worldwide...