Motorcycle specifications Kove450 Rally Standard 2024 The test at hand

When it comes to investigating the world of competitive rally-raid, the temptation to buy a machine naturally turns to a Katoche 450 Rally or a Honda CRF 450 RX Rally. These are tried-and-tested machines that need to sell a kidney.
Kove intends to change all that with its 450 Rally, offered at an extremely aggressive price. It's got a taste of the Dakar for the price of a 650 V-Strom XT.

Very tall, very square, the Kove takes its stylistic cues from sandy, rocky rally machines without batting an eyelid. Only its eyes add a brow of eccentricity, with the eyes set back at ear level. Serious, the bike is all about the essentials, focusing on technical solutions rather than fashion. It presents itself very well in this way, and enthusiasts will easily appreciate it.

The suspension is an instant sign of the desire to square up rough roads. The big 49 mm inverted fork offers 305 mm of travel, while the shock absorber develops 300 mm. That's enough to soak up a lot of roughness and provide 310 mm of ground clearance, similar to that of the Katoche. One unavoidable and systemic drawback is the seat height, which peaks at 960 mm - a stepladder or legroom is essential. Kove has also designed a lowered version with 260 mm and 250 mm suspension lines, lowering the saddle to 910 mm.

As for damping quality, it's hard to say. The components are not Showa, Sachs, Kayaba or any other well-known brand in the category. The YU-AN elements are adjustable all over the place; it remains to be seen how effective they are.
The same goes for the Taisko brakes. The 450 Rally is fitted with as many Chinese components as possible. More for cost control than patriotism. This may give rise to a few reservations, but let's not forget that more and more components are manufactured in China, both for domestic bikes and for European models. And Chinese manufacturers are making a serious effort to break with their reputation for junk.

The motorcycle is not averse to a little road-trip to get from its homeland to ours, with a high rolling capacity. It can carry 30 liters of fuel, divided between 3 tanks: 2 at the front, fixed around the frame's spine, and 1 at the rear, which also serves as a subframe.

Like all its rivals, the Kove 450 Rally is powered by a single-cylinder engine not exceeding 450 cm3. With super-square dimensions, 2 ACT and 4 valves, the Zongshen block produces 42 hp at 8,500 rpm. Torque isn't dazzling, given the displacement, but pulls 35 Nm at 6,500 rpm. A decent performance, similar to that of the Keeway competition, but far from the strength of the segment's tenors. With less thrust, however, the engine should hold out longer. It also provides more controllable power. Above all, the bike's light weight should boost sensations and put fun at the forefront of riding.

There's virtually nothing missing to get you started on a major raid right away. The machine comes standard with all the necessary equipment, including a carbon engine cover, a seat that can be removed in 2 seconds by means of a pull tab, thus freeing up access to the air filter, a raised color TFT instrument panel, disconnectable ABS and a USB port.

Kove isn't here to fool around with bushes. The brand took part in the Dakar 2023, with convincing effectiveness: its riders didn't take first place, but they all finished the event. Compared to the benchmark KTM, the Kove promises to be less explosive, less powerful, but easier and more accessible both financially and technically. It should enable many riders to have fun rather than suffer the enormous potential of a pure rally machine - which most of them can't exploit.

The Kove 450 Rally is also available in a Factory version, for those who want to take rallying to a more muscular level. The bike loses its road homologation, but gains a titanium exhaust and bolts, a carbon navigation tower, a steering damper, a water tank, an F2R road-book holder, handguards, race instrumentation, a more aggressive ECU, and power that can climb to 55hp - for almost 6,000 euros more. This is the version used by the official team. That says it all.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos