In this video I'm comparing the Kove to the Husky 701. We went for a proper dual sport ride and swapped bikes throughout the day. Here is what I thought about the bikes.
The Kove has an enormous advantage over the so called adventure bikes. It works as it is out of the crate, mods are not needed. Power is enough for any serious offroad driver even in thick mud or deep sand, the handling is excellent, no bothering vibrations, no rattles, able of 170 kmh top speed so 120-130 kmh (the maximal legal in many countries) cruising on the highway is a breeze. Brief it's largely fast enough at least for Europe and all the countries I've traveled in Africa and Asia. And cherry on the cake the Kove Rally is approved Euro 5 so you have registration like any ordinary vehicle with legal insurance so you can travel with the Kove anywhere in the world. In France the price is 10000€, in comparison the Yamaha T7 costs 11000€, weights 40 kg more, has a bothering high center of gravity and you have to spend 1500€ to get decent suspensions (I did not said good nor excellent) plus the big tank which will give a higher center of gravity. The Honda CRL 300 Rally costs in France, when you can get it, 7000€ (expensive for a bike made in China assembled in Vietnam, no Japanese had been harmed for making it) and if you want decent suspensions you have to add 1000 to 1500€ plus the big tank and you'll arrive close to 10000€ for a bike which is heavier and has 20 HP less than the Kove. Morality better to buy a cheap, reliable and very good Voge 300 Rally for 4700€ which has better suspensions and seat than the Honda. The Voge is a total bargain, with a simple preparation you can have fun and go traveling anywhere. The suspensions of the Kove are excellent and can be easily tuned for your taste, the bike has 3 tanks with 30 liters (from 450 to more than 500 km of range) so you do not need to buy and adapt aftermarket tanks, it's easy to maintain with all the dzeus thought for true rally, the oil capacity is at least 1.6 l and there is an oil cooler; the two radiators have already fans, the alternator gives 300 watts, the air filter can be cleaned in minutes. The engine is the well known and robust Zongchen NC 450 with a Kove DOHC head, injection and ECU. The similar bikes are the Fantic 450 Rally with the Yamaha WR enduro engine (16000€) unable to make long travel with just 1.2 liters of oil to change every 10 hours, and the very rare and expensive KTM 450 Rally (27000€). Another contender as travel bike is the AJP PR7 (11500€) with the italian SWM engine (similar to the 2010 600 Huskvarna). The 701 Husky costs 11300€ and you have to add some bank notes to get the suspensions done, plus big tanks (if possible I'm not sure). The lone thing to add to the Kove is a rack and supports for the the luggage bags (see Aliexpress or Berotec in Germany) and you have the best bike for crossing Morocco by the mule tracks of the Atlas mountains or to cross Europe by the TET trails. Or even crossing the Mauritanian desert with all the sand dunes. All the countries where you can have 400 km between the gas stations are not more a problem... For the price the Kove is a total bargain. And some are waiting the Kove 800X twin 95 HP for 165 kg dry. PS You can get pretty good chinese bikes; Voge (brand of Loncin which makes also engines and components for BMW), CFM Moto (makes also the KTM twin engines, plus a lot of components, maybe complete bikes for KTM ), and Zontes.
If you live in Europe why would you even bother with a adventure/offroad bike? There’s no where to ride it and if there is it sucks. It’s literally for people who think a flat dirt road is offroad. Lol.
@@pabloricardodetarragon2649 no where to offroad it's a prison there no freedom no nature too, why waste your time, just save ur money and take trips to amazing places
@@keithquinn5624 Well our roads are often in the quality of the double track and they happen to be in nice nature, with views, mountains and such with occassional chances for real offroad. Sounds exactly like rally - so boom, Kove solved our problem 😀
I have the Rally 450 Pro and took it for a proper shakedown this weekend in a mix of everything inckuding songletrack, and some gnarly rock step enduro sections. Your review is pretty spot on but I I’m actually happy with the power of the pro. Having spent a lot of time on the Husky/KTM RFR 450, there’s a lot of subtle differences that I’m going to outline in a video soon.
There's a huge difference between Kove and what everyone keeps saying a "Chinese Bike" generally is. Kove was started by a proper legit passionate guy that is building a bike company who happens to be in China. Can't really paint them with the same brush as an Alibab bike company. I personally wish them well and hope this brand takes off!
As an electrical wholesaler, back in the 90s when Chinese stuff came in, it was 90% crap. But like the Japanese before, the Chinese adapted by forcing US and EU companies to build there , train local employes, and teach the finer details of quality. By 2005, a lot of Chinese imports were nearly indistinguishable from US made. Then they went one step further, actually investing in R&D to improve on the original US production machinery, while many US domestic plants were milked dry by management.
YEAH! Thanks for this video. That was fast :D I love that you come right out and say things - the 4cs forks straight up sucks. That may offend some people, but that is how you compare bikes among your buddies, and it is rare to find on YT especially in the ADV segment, where people mince their words, because they fear/have ties to the industry. And I think that it is really useful to talk about rider backgrounds as well. I have a 701, with 4cs forks, and I can't tell that it is that bad. Because I don't have access to anything remotely close to the type of terrain you are riding. I live in Denmark, but ride in Sweden, because they have gravel roads. I'm lucky if I ride proper two track. The ride in this video would be the ride of the year. We tend to lust for the bike that can do the thing we dream of (Kove/Dakar) in stead of analysing what riding we do/have access to and which bike would suit that more - in my case the 701. I'm just so happy to not have to be completely crazy about the Kove, and instead be happy with my 701. Thanks for the video, great stuff!!
I appreciate the comments. Considering riders of varying skill levels & preferences is too often overlooked. Although the 4CS fork has many design flaws it may be exactly right for you. It sounds like your 701 does exactly what you need it to do. It is certainly fun to explore the options though.
Great review. I currently have a 23 701 which I love,but I have been curious as to how the Kove compares. You did a good job of explaining the differences of the two.
Helpful review in many respects. Since the Dakar Rally bikes are limited to 450 cc now, that ought to be motor comparison to keep things fair, IMHO. The fact that all 3 of the riders and bikes completed the Rally without mechanical breakdown -- riders who are in a different league than most of us -- speaks highly, as well. I don't presume to speak for the ADV community, but having a bike capable of slaying BDRs and minimizing the dread of dropping and picking up a bike while carrying a modest set of camping gear would rank high on the list of desirable rigs.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech That would seem to place it in rare company, filling a need the majors have ignored for too long. As for durability and longevity, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating as the months wear on and the number of owners increases.
Kove did themselves a disservice by using inexperienced riders. They have a video of their Dakar premier and it was very apparent that the riders were holding back the bike. If Kove had given a couple bikes to an experienced team, they could have gotten top10 or even a podium. When Ducati decided to race their Scrambler Desert Sled, they contacted Fasthouse and gave them the bikes and full support. As a result, Fasthouse slaughtered the field in the Mint 400. Kove should have taken the same approach.
Hi Chuck and thanks for doing this comparison. I know some people don't think anybody would be considering these two bikes when shopping for their next one but I am proof that we exist. I can't speak for those that can only have one bike to do it all because if I was in that situation the bikes on my radar would be totally different. However, there is more than displacement and assumed/perceived performance when looking at any purchase. In my case I have a 2005 KTM 525 EXC and a 2021 Beta 500 RR-S for the dirt side of things and a 2004 KTM 950 Adventure for the more "streetish" side of riding. Streetish being in quotes because the bike always wears knobbies and I actually ride it in places big bikes don't normally belong. Typical usage is to get "out there" on the 950 and explore very far from home and then come back to the hardcore trails on a small bike, typically in the back of the pickup with spare gas. My first road legal bike was a Yamaha XT350 when I was 17 and I had largely forgotten about the virtues of a small air-cooled foofoo bike until a few years ago when a deal on a 1983 Honda XL250R came up. Instantly that bike took me back to those days of carefree exploration in my youth. The big added benefits were that I could go much deeper into old abandoned trails than I could on the 950, it didn't boil over in very slow technical terrain and it could almost go as far as the 950 with less than half the fuel capacity. Plus there's something to be said about taking your time and enjoying the scenery. While I still enjoy the XL the fact that it's a 40 year old bike is not lost on me. Nor do the thoughts of (because I'm spoiled by the other bikes I have) having more power, better brakes, electric start, some wind protection and finally even more range. That list of criteria is pretty broad and the hole I'm trying to plug between the XL250 and the KTM 950 is a large one. There's a shit ton of bikes that one can consider to fill that hole. And that brings me to the bikes I am considering for my next purchase. And I'm going to further annoy some with the third bike in the list. 1. KTM 690 platform. I don't much like the handling of a stock 690 (regardless of generation) and the gearing spread is a bit thin but I have ridden one with decent suspension and a Rally fairing as well as the Rade auxiliary fuel tank. I found that bike to handle ok and it would probably do the job, albeit with bigger rads and maybe some ungraded fans. Range is good too. I can see gearing being something fiddly and this bike is not the inexpensive solution in my list. Also, reliability is hit or miss it seems; these bikes are so intolerant of debris in the fuel. 2. Kove 450 Rally. Haven't even seen one in person yet but I'm liking what those that have ridden them say about it. Here in northern Ontario gravel travel is just a way of life. Gas stations are few and far between and a bike that can go around 600kms on a fillup is a huge asset. Not to mention it checks all the other boxes as well as the coolness factor. Gearing may also be fiddly and therefore not be the right tool for slow abandoned trails but that is only about 25% of my riding. I have to do a lot of pavement and gravel logging roads to even get to those trails. Reliability is yet unknown but it's a widely used motor and parts are very inexpensive. A complete motor is like $2000 CDN shipped. 3. Honda CRF250/300 Rally. Crap suspension but that can be sorted out easily within the price range of the other two. Maybe add a bit of power too but not really necessary as it will comfortably do HWY speeds here. Incredible range due to its excellent mileage and fuel capacity. Probably better in slow trails than the other two and might run cooler due to making less power. Reliability and parts availability are excellent. Definitely not the cool kid of the bunch though. So there you go, three COMPLETELY different bikes but somehow they are all on my radar for reasons that put them all on the same playing field for me. Hey, think you can maybe snag a Honda Rally and take them on a long adventure to compare them? That way you can annoy the people you left out by comparing the Kove to the 690/701.
Don't forget the 2 rad fans and the oil cooler on the Kove. I don't know for sure, but I would bet it stays cooler in the slow speed stuff better than the 690 which tends to run real hot if the rads aren't getting air...
Awesome video mate. Thanks for posting it. I'd love to see a Kove 450 v AJP PR7 comparison if you happen to know someone with one of them. I'm hoping we see more and more bikes that are legitimate alternatives to the 690/700/701's. Cheers from Australia.
@@bushybill7189 PR7's have a great fan base here in Oz. We also have some great technicians that make a better ECU for them. If Kove makes it to Australia then we're in for a great comparo :D
Best real world comparison video I've seen so far. Thanks for been honest. I agree the 450 platform is not enough for a ADV bike and only ok for a dual sport. Even a longer stroke 500 would be better than a short stroke 450 (as most 450's are short-strokes). Ideally I think if Kove made a light 500-600 single it would be a better unicorn bike. Just my 2c and fantasy thinking ;-) Great review - loved it.
It has enough power to be an adventure bike. In the USA id say 40-45 hp is fine. Less makes highway a chore. More say up to 65 hp becomes a little to much on dirt (depending on weight) I know a lot of people want a good out of the box adventureized dual sport. This seems to fit that bill perfectly.
I have the 2020 701 and it has the XPLOR which is better but STILL needs work before I'd say it handles well (I swapped springs and revalved). FWIW I came from a more street focus and believe the 701 bars are too low (and I swapped the bar and raised the bars some to sort that). The Kove is a super interesting bike... and I'd say the fact that you can actually compare a Chinese bike to the KTM's is a big win for Kove. IMO the 701 is a good offroad ADV platform but it cost me $20k to get it where I wanted it, the Kove IMO may start out a lot closer to 'capable' for offroad focused ADV - so getting it where it needs to be may (other than power) be MUCH more cost effective.
I have 150 miles on my Kove in all kinds of conditions. Singletrack, whooped out OHV trails, gravel roads, and some pavement. I’ve spent a few hours riding stock 690’s and this Kove is so much more confidence inspiring when the tires touch the dirt. Yes it’s low on power but with the aggressive way I ride, less power is better. I have yet to get arm pump or whisky throttle 😂
@@claudemarchand1196 I’ve got 800 on it so far. The bike keeps getting better. I go back and forth on a 21’ Beta 300 and this Kove still impresses me. 2 oil changes, 2 filter changes, multiple days on the MX track and long days on the trails. It’s too effing cold to ride here in Oregon to do longer rides. I’m on several owners groups in the USA. Not a critical failure to mention.
@@Trailfocused Just installed the full race exhaust and pro race 2.0 ECU map on my Kove. The power has increased across the entire range and it pulls so much harder now in open terrain.
I had a 2019 701. It was fun and powerful. But without spending extra money, and a lot of it, it just couldn't do what I was asking it to do. I sold it and ride a 2009 husaberg fe570 which is a far beter bike for my style of riding. The 701 could get pretty sketchy when pushing it hard. And the seat on the 701 was terrible. Buy a 701, but be prepared to send extra money, or just enjoy semi road/dirt. The kove looks promising.
If you're not happy with the power of the Kove 450 Rally Standard... Get the 3-piece kit: factory titanium exhaust + factory ECU + factory Air Filter. Welcome to Kove Airlines. Have fun.
Seems like a very fair review of them all but remember non of those other bikes can qualify for Rally events and the smaller engine is obviously part of the power difference. only 3 mire sleeps to picking up mine so I can comment from experience. I am glad that the quality is good and I look forward to easier single track and motocamp8ng with it but even more so a few NA rally events leading to a Sonora run just to complete one. I will keep the beta 390 though for more purely single track rides I am sure
What’s keeping them from qualifying? Just displacement? This engine is slow even for a 450, but it does make sense to keep power down for reliability. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yours a lot. Seems like a great bike.
Thank you so much! I love your videos, I watch them during winter garage time, when I make some preventative maintenance on my bikes, counting the days that separate me from spring riding!!
I own the 2023 MY 701 and I have no clue what kind of husky you tested, but I can assure you the suspension is amazing on that. Really hard and offers lots of control. Coming from adventure bikes - 701 is a rock. I would strongly advise servicing that suspension on the 701 you tested.
This is exactly my point with stressing that I’m an enduro rider. Enduro suspension is much stiffer than ADV or DS suspension. Same situation with moto vs enduro. Moto guys ride my enduro bike (which is WAY stiffer than the 701) and tell me what a saggy couch it is.
Totallly agree, I'm 99kg and my suspension never bottoms out. In Australia we get the Euro version with Explor suspension so maybe that's part of it...
That’s exactly what I thought till I rode it. It’s more like 690 than the 500. The 500 is much more offroad oriented. Both the 500 and the 690 have a much more powerful engine than the Kove and the Kove feels similar in weight to the 690. Similar feeling width to the 690 too.
Truthfully, I do not care where a product is made if it is made properly. I rode a CF Moto bike recently (the 450 NK to be precise) and it was surprisingly a great experience. I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, raced MX amateurly, have owned super sport, classic British, and American cruisers; that said, I have also played around with Chinese manufactured dirt machines with my sons and grandkids most of which are knockoffs of Japanese and European designs but the good ones all had one thing in common Zongshen engines. I am wanting a 450 rally pro not for anything other than an all season go anywhere economical commuter I trust the engine and if the build quality is what everyone claims which it must be to have 3 production bikes finish all stages of the Dakkar Ralley I am sold. Can you affix panniers and a top box?
You should probably state very clearly that this is a pre '18 H701. There is a pretty big difference in the engine and suspension of the '18 + bikes IIRC
Good video, really interested to see one of these in person. As a roadbook rally racer who just built a 690 "RFR" using the KTM factory tanks and whatnot and fixing the ridiculous stock suspension issues and travel limitations, I wish I lived closer to to some kind of comparison testing. If the power issues can be fixed, the Kove seems like a really interesting platform to build on.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Caveat being I'm a Vet A woods racer and 5 years into rally racing, and I race a 990 in the desert - I would rather have too much than too little. Specifically because of things like the sand dunes and soft sandy roads at events like Sonora, or times where a burst of power is the differences between tucking the front and cartwheeling or getting the front end up over a hidden hole or cut. On my FX450 rally lite bike, it's always got plenty to get up to speed on hard pack, but soft sand roads and the dunes in Sonora, there are times where I am wide open just shy of the limiter for minutes at a time to maintain pace, and less power would mean having to be more creative getting through the dunes. The 690 has more torque but is a lot heavier (~380 lbs full of gas) so it doesn't actually feel much quicker with 9 gallons on board, and the gear spacing is not great. And I'd take less power if it meant more flexibility - the 690 is an earlier 2014 engine with the 8000 rpm rev limit, which really gets in the way - hit the bottom of a dune on the limiter in 4th on both bikes, and the 450 can lug back a lot further before downshifting because it's got another 3000 rpm above the 690. So even though it makes more power, you're working harder to use it on the 690 sometimes. I'm not a rev limiter guy, and I hit it constantly on the 690 for things like not wanting to upshift just to downshift right away for a corner. So flexibility is key.
And on the flexibility front - I'm actually looking at putting the FX450 engine (it's got the 6th gear swap) in the 690. I'd take the power hit to have the extra RPM flexibility and better gearing and clutch.
I owned a 19 ktm 690r,had $20,0000 into it, and I've been riding/ racing for over 50 years. Riding The 690r was the most fun ive had on a motorcycle,other than I'm getting old and found the 690 too tall and long and stiff for proper offroad riding i tore my left Achilles off picking it up in a awkward position!,being 5'9" w/ 30" inseam didnt help ,now saying that if i was 6' so i could touch the ground better and that would help,if i ever bought another 690/ 701 it would be a sm ,I've owned 37 motorcycles so i have good experiences and some bad😂
I know this is an old review, but in my opinion this is an apples to orages comparison. The 450 Kove is built for desert racing. The 701 is built for dual sport light adv. The 450 does to do well in dual sport environment, but it can be moded to be just as good if not better than most dual sports on the market. with just a simple ecu swapp more power an a rear tooth change to 51 more front end pull .
Great review! the comparative choice is right even Kove has a rally mod already on (capacity, screen, etc,) than 701 (it needs more money to get adv tower/screen/ large tank). One thing over all…the enduro seat of these bikes are definitely not made for long distance ride and travel…so dual bike what? 😂
I'm surprised you compared a 690cc against a 450cc. These are not in the same class. I have a '17 701, and the 4cs fork was indeed horrendous. Racetech gold valves, conversion to open chamber and springs appropriate for my weight corrected that. ($500-$600 if you do the work yourself)
The engine size & horsepower is certainly different, but how you would use these bikes is very similar. The bike is more similar to the 701 than to the 450/500 options. I was initially surprised by this too.
Nice review. I am stuck on both ends with no middle bike. From air cooled yamis to a drzsm with tires and a gen3 klr to dl1000. I recently got a tse250r and the front suspension is very stiff! I might get the 450 sooner or later
Alright that's it. Time to sell the 3rd gen KLR. I basically spend 90% of my time riding 2 track like in this video with the occasional single track sketchy "why am I doing this" trail, with pavement in between. 460lbs is quite the adventure in the woods. I've been debating getting a true dual sport and slapping a long range tank on one. Why not just grab a Kove for 9k, slap some bark busters and heated grips on there and call it good.
Another great video. A guy that knows what he's talking about who talks about feel, not spec sheets 👍 This bike seems to fit in the dual sport category right next to a 450L properly set up for dual sporting. If it had passenger pegs and another 150cc it would be perfect IMO. Gotta give the 690/701 platform some credit here for being the only performance DS that can carry a passenger.
get Ktech ORVS in the xplor48 on 701/690 and the bike is 100% different, literally a bike changer no BS - comp+rebound in both legs opposed to one in each which is dumb AF, better bottoming x 10, better pistons etc - did it on my 500 and the bike is a missile in comparison, really cannot recommend enough
You can't compare the 701 to the 450. There's a 250cc difference. Ktm/husky 690/701 are not European. they're made in China and India. I owned a 2020 KTM 690 Enduro. The ktm 690 Enduro is nothing like a Kove 450 Rally. 10:05
How does the power compare to a drz400 or wr250F specifically? Neither can hold a candle to a 690 but I've had plenty of fun on both and never wanted or needed more power off pavement
I haven’t ridden a DRZ in a while, but I’d say they’re close enough that I need to revisit before making the call. The 250F is a tough one too because of the quick revving engine & the relative light weight. I think it’s safe to say that if the WR was carrying 30L of fuel & had all the lights & road trinkets the Kove has it would be weaker than the Kove, but that’s a lot of ifs.
seems like a good learner bike, these things are deceptively safe on the road, if you're the type of rider to try to avoid getting in a cars way and dont drive like a moron.
Good stuff! Another element that needs to be in the comparison is price. I do not know what the price of each bike is in the US, but it certainly does have a weight in the equation.
Hows the Kove 450 for vibration, my old adventurized 690 has vibes. I like the 450 but would want more power only because alot of riding I do is in sand and hills where you need ponies. The Kove that has my future ADV interest is the coming 800X Pro version.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech but statrting out a comparison with something _completely_ out of it's league from the get-go is silly, right ? You wouldn't compare the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruze to a 2024 F150 Crew Cab would you ? It shows your bias against it before you even started.... Motorcycle reviews are all subjective as hell, no different than Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge/Ram whatever.....
@@ChuckfromTrueTech'member when everide's kove 450 blew the (metaphorical)doors off a 2022 ktm 500exc 6 days in a pavement roll race? I 'member. It looks fast enough for a heavy dual sport bike...
Thoroughly enjoyed both the unboxing video, and this one - well done! Tip: even with volume on FULL, am often battling to hear you, yet your riding buddies come through 10/10? Please consider louder volume/closer mike placement on yourself, in follow-up videos, thanks, Chris, Flying Brick, Cape Town, S.A.
Keep in mind that I’m an enduro rider. When I do suspension for DS or ADV riders it’s a whole different category. I know a lot of ADV riders find the 690 suspension stiff, but it all depends on how hard you’re hitting the obstacles on the trail. Us enduro riders get funny looks from the MX riders because our suspension is so soft. It’s all about skill level. The faster you can ride the stiffer the suspension needs to be.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech yes, except for engine power, which is one of the primary comparisons always being made of the Kove 450 (because everyone gets on it expecting 'power' of a 690/701 and then says they are disappointed. Really?! I wonder why?!) A 450 v 690/701 is not a fair/equal comparison and seems so pointless in the power comparison stakes. There are plenty of KTM 450/500 Rally (or rally setup) or Husky 501 (with full rally setup) bikes out there. I think MADtv did a build not long ago. The main dampener for the Kove once again, compared to the KTM/Huskies, is the fuel capacity and the associated weight impact that has.
Because it was already done by Dakar pro rider? And result is that they are basically the same? And as was seen on this year Dakar he was able to finish stages 3rd and 5th. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-usUJCSuzsec.html
@@puffybodie5282but they are not the same. The comments in the video talk about it being underpowered, compared to what? Another 450 or the 690? KTM has a 450 Rally, compare it in real world riding not some elite race
Thought maybe you’ve been a little harsh on the old 701… yes, it’s a little front heavy, but get attitude right, and it’s not that bad… anyway, I think you’re spot on in comparing kove and 701, that was my thought too (and decided not to swap over)
Have had and built a 701E .. engine amazing, frame has terrible geometry as pegs are too far forward and way too high to the seat, making it awkward for enduro(front feels so low even with raisers) and painful for highway miles. 1st is to high, making the bike chug and stall, and the gearbox is criminally flawed with false neutrals at the worst possible time. Wish KTM had bothered to redesign the frame 🤦♂️. Love the engine so much I bought a vitpilen 701 ❤
Thanks for very interesting review. The fact you're from Enduro world more than Adv one, allow a better view of offroad capacities of the Kove 450. I used to ride a '21 701 E over 14.000km of TransEuroTrail, but never felt that good on it, may be too stable/stiff for gnarly terrain. Now riding a 500excf which is way more my taste of handling, forgiving all my mistakes. Of course, I won't ride long highways with the 500, but I didn't either with the 701. Would be interested in your comparison of Kove 450 vs KTM 500EXCF in BDR context as well as single track. Of course, short service intervals and light/weak rear frame limiting luggage, are a drawback of 500excf. Some fixes exist for these. And serious price advantage of Kove makes me think.
The big factors between the Kove & the 500 are weight & power. The 500 has SO much more power. The 500 feels a lot lighter too. The suspension is quite a bit stiffer on the Kove though. Fuel capacity is obviously bigger on the Kove. The 500 is definitely a lot more dirt oriented.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Picking up my K450R next week. Can't wait to compare it on the same trails as my uncorked/ecu'd 500 and then riding 50-100 more miles on the twisties on a single fill-up. Might be like riding a gravel bike on your fav mtb trails...
as someone who owns two 690s -enduro and sumo, the review doesn't make sense. the criticisms of 701 seem invalid. i cannot imagine in what situation that i would prefer kove to 690? 701/690 have map settings to tame power, if needed. who wants less power? i want to pull front wheel whenever i want. he 701 suspension in the video doesn't sound stock. regardless, any decent rider will adjust suspension for her riding style. the suspension and geometry can be adjusted. i.e., one can setup 701/690 to function like kove and a whole lot more. one cannot do anything to make kove perform like 701. give me the 701/690 everyday all day. oh, and kove is heavier. heavier and much less powerful? who wants that? kove is probably better suited for average to beginner riders. i cannot see a skilled rider choosing kove, unless sponsored. all good. i really look forward to riding a kove. enjoy the ride.
Definitely true that the suspension on the 690/701 can be modified to suit. I think a lot of riders will be wanting the Kove valving softened to accommodate their needs. It’s easier to soften suspension than to stiffen 4CS or Xplor forks. The damping capacity just isn’t there on the Xplor and the 4CS is over-complicated & failure prone. Everyone in the group liked the handling of the Kove over the 701. It would be great to have the 701 engine in the Kove.
When I get my '18 701 up on steep sandy/rocky trails, I would like the power delivery to be WAY smoother. I have 2 maps on the bike and even on the soft map that rear tire likes to spin and shoot me off-line where my 350exc and T7 will hook up. The monster torque is as annoying and dangerous as it is fun in the open. And in weight, they're close enough it makes little difference. My 701 is 340-350 lb. A new 690 is 360 lb. The Kove is 320 empty - put 4 gal in it and it weighs the same.
Great review! How about the gear box range? Does it have enough of a short 1st so that rpm isn’t too low in slow tech climbing AND does it have a long 5th or 6th (what is it?) to keep rpm moderate on longer highway sections on multi day rides? (My 990 adv r had a terrible long 1st and my TTR 600 had to in the high rpms on the highway all the time)
The gearbox is typical DS. First gear is too high for tight single track. In my initial ride review I rode a bunch of single track. I expect that video may shed some more light on your questions. I had several misconceptions about the bike that got exposed on that first ride.
Thanks! Typical DS means not a super wide range?! Would be a bit of a bummer if that is a limiting factor for an otherwise very versatile bike. Are there any numbers out on gear ratio per gear?
After riding the Kove I realized that they’re not really in the same category. I already know the outcome. The 500 is lighter and WAY more powerful. The 500 is significantly further to the dirt bike side. Compared to the 500 the Kove feels like an ADV bike.
Of course the engines are very different, but for the majority of consumers these two bikes are strong contenders for dual sport riding. Both are well suited for the same terrain. Kind of like a Harley & a CBR1000. They’re both designed to meet at Starbucks.
I’d say the power is comparable, but the Kove makes more on top & less on the bottom. The chassis & suspension on the Kove is miles ahead for more aggressive riding though, not to mention fuel capacity.
We’ve talked about getting the exhaust. We’ve already updated the mapping. Mapping and exhaust make a noticeable difference, but it’s not going to get us anywhere close to a KTM. This engine feels more like a DRZ400.
@@ChuckfromTrueTech Yeah, the engine is derived from a very old NC450, which explains a lot of things. KOVE is still not capable of developing their own bespoke engines, I do hope the best for them.
It will do anything you would ask it to do on a dualsport trip. Unfortunately it is billed to be way more than a typical dualsport and it just comes up way short.
Lol. The ADV riders find it stiff. The enduro riders find it way too soft. Nothing strange about that. I encounter this all the time. Most ADV bikes are dangerously under-sprung and under-valved for offroad use.
Think I would rather have a Kove and find the hidden power. 701 I have now even with pretty good suspension is just to big, heavy and I don't need all the power. Not much choice here in NZ with bikes needing ABS to be registered. First time for a smell review on a bike :)
I expect there is a little power to be gained, but I’m pretty sure to make a big difference it would need a cam & more compression. When I smell that China smell it tells me a story I’ve experienced too many times.
@@darko_lengkeek-jakupovic I've already got a couple ECUs coming and I'm sure we'll be looking at removing the cat at some point. I don't have high expectations, but we'll see how it goes.
What year was the 701 ? The 2020 701 comes with wp xplore the same as the 890 adventure r and the exc500, which I found it amazing, also the 2020 comes with traction control it takes some time to become familiar with its ability but when you do it works in your favor in controlling the power without being so intrusive Cheers great comparison!
This was a 2017. Keep in mind that although all 3 of those bikes have Xplor forks the valving is very different. The 701 & 890 are a couple inches shorter than the 500 as well. The 4CS however is just a poor design, even though it can work quite well with the right modifications.
Wich year was your 701? In 2023 the 701 have WP Xplor 48mm coil-spring fork and WP Xplor shock with linkage. I have one and do not feel the suspension too soft maybe a bit too stiff. I would like to be able to compare myself the two bikes. The KOVE seems to be a very interesting motorcycle but in Canada it seems to have only one dealer in Alberta who is very far from my home and I still don't know the Canadian prices.
I don’t know what year they switched off the top of my head, but in general it makes sense that the 690/701 platform would have soft valving because it lends itself better to gravel road/ 2 track riding than a stiffer setup. The Kove suspension feels more like dirt bike suspension. The Kove dealer network is very small so far and that’s definitely a concern, but I’ve talked with the Canadian distributor about the strategy to provide support for the brand & they have some ideas that I think are revolutionary in the bike industry. I wish I could tell you about their plans. I think other brands may follow suit in the future.
Just like with the Xplor, they’re totally different than the MX or enduro settings. I can’t blame them because ADV or DS riders tend to be less aggressive & often prefer comfort over performance. The Kove errs on the side of performance.
Nice vid, even if the comparison was sort of skewed on the engine volume side. Wouldn't a) flashing the ECU and b) dropping a teeth on the Kove help with extra "grunt"?
Flashing the ECU makes a small, but nice difference. No chance of getting anywhere near most of the other 450s. Initially I thought I would compare the Kove with a 500EXC or a 450L, but as soon as I rode it I realized it was closer to the 690 than the DS bikes with similar displacements.
It was older. I think a ‘17. The suspension is set up soft on the newer ones too though. It has less to do with the style of fork & more with the market KTM is building the bike for. Their target with the 701 is clearly a more ADV or light DS crowd.
Interesting comparison. The suspension on the 701/690 platform has some variance over different years, my 2019 701 suspension has been pretty spot on out of the box for a heavy rider who leans on the aggressive side. I'm not sure I agree on the power of the 701 being a handful in the slow stuff, geared down, its perfectly fine.. at speed however, its easy to get away from you if you aren't aware of what it is capable of.
I just re-valved a set of 890 forks. This highlights the importance of perspective. The 890 forks are so soft that they bottom out & feel harsh under light offroad conditions for a novice enduro rider. I modified them significantly to add enough damping to keep the bike from wallowing under compression. It’s not that they’re objectively bad, just bad for specific applications. The 890 suspension is great on gravel roads, but in an offroad scenario with an enduro rider on board they’re terrible. It’s so important for the rider & the suspension tuner to be on the same page about application & expectation. I think this is one of the toughest things to get right for any tuner.
Very interesting review and comparison. I wondered how many miles or hours you had on the Kove to see if power improved after time? Unfortunately, any street legal 450 dirt bike is probably going to feel way down on power to the 701. Nice to hear your impressions!
Great honest content Chuck. As a 21' 690 owner I would agree with the under sprung (for me) stock handling of the 690 & 701. Swapping out front and rear springs to the correct rates is a big improvement, but the xplor fork still lacks rebound adjustment range so I'm now considering the k-tech ORVS. It's a 300+ pound bike and you are right, not super nimble but stupid fun when things open up. I wondered if the Honda 300 Rally might be a better comparison to the Kove mainly because of the lower power output.? Really appreciate your perspective, keep it coming! Also how comfortable was 6'8" Dallas on the Kove?
I’d love to compare the 300 as well! I know the suspension is really bad on it too. Dallas was actually very comfortable on the Kove once I used Rox Risers to get the bars forward a couple inches. I actually didn’t even raise them.
