Thanks so much for a clear and concise video! I just took delivery of mine today here in the states and before I mount up the front wheel I'l run it over to my local shop and have them do a proper balancing. Thanks for the heads up and I'll look forward to more videos in the future.
Great video showing how to balance at home. Be interesting down the line when you change tyres to weigh the rim lock and see the difference that something like a Motion Pro Light one would make. Since all rims, tubes and rim locks are built to a tolerance, it is understandable that some wheels will be better balanced than others. A friend of mine had a GPZ900R that out of the crate was way faster than others. By a massive fluke or alignment of the planets, his was just a combination of components that when assembled were as if the bike had been 'Blueprinted'. Just like my experience with the CRF300 Rally, its both fun and personal preference how you set up your bike. To be honest, my Rally front wheel is not that brilliant over 70 but a lot of that is the trackers fitted - it was fine with the IRC's...
That tire tread pattern reminds me of the Goodyear Grasshopper tires that were on my 1962 Harley Davidson 175cc rigid frame bike. I believe it was called the "Scat".
A bog standard rubber front rimlock (1.40-1.60) comes in at 85g / 3oz. Notice the tyre is fitted with the yellow spot at the valve stem. I've also had a front wobble on a dirt bike due to the mudguard oscillating in the wind !
My guess is that this one is steel, not rubber. I’ll confirm when I change the tyre and rebalance. I’d expect the balance weights to be marginally heavier as they are closer to the wheel centre, even if only by a few mm. Will check the mudguard too. Thanks.
I've just uploaded the steering damper video which will be live tomorrow. Phone bracket below the dash will be Friday's video. I then need to do some more riding and spend some more time in the garage. Other things planned are heated grips and Denali spotlights (on the Kove bar) running through a Healtech thunderbox. Also how to do an oil change. I'll be sending an oil sample off for analysis after each change, so will be interested to see what, if anything, that tells me about how the engine is wearing, and if there's sufficient interest, I did consider taking it for a dyno run. I'm sure there will be more, but that's probably the list for now. I just need to find the time! I blame my day job and family and friends commitments. Finding time to record and edit motorcycle videos was a lot easier during lockdown!
Smashing, I think there is a lot of interest in this bike, and you no doubt, because of your prompt purchase are leading the way for the uk interested parties. Well done.
Hi, I am. I'll be there on the Tuesday and Wednesday (Press and Trade days) and then two more days in a darkened room trying to edit and publish everything before end of day Friday!
Hei André, did you try with higher tire's pressure? On my CRF300L, with the 1,5bar that the owner manual states I suffer speed wobble at 130kmh. When increasing to 2,3bar I can safely cruise up to 140kmh.
Not yet, but the tires are inflated to the manufacturers spec which is 1.5bar/22psi. For road riding, I could go higher, but for trails, even 22 is a bit high. I’m sure that if you put a rimlock on your CRF the wheels would also need balancing regardless of the tyre pressure. Perhaps I’ll give it a go though, for road, so see if it helps. Thanks.
Hi Paul, the standard (high) bike like mine is 38”/960mm and the low bike is 36”/910mm. That said, I have a 32” inside leg and with the rider sag on the bike, I’m ok on the high/standard version. If you have a look at www.kovepower.com/#/ they can also lower both versions of the bike by a further 50 or 100mm for £400 (+£100 if you need new springs) so a low bike with the lowered suspension could be as low as 32” before you sit on it. I hope this helps!
@@paulcoverdale8312 if you order it from James, let him know I sent you 🤣🤣🤣 (I’m not on commission, but it seems a few folks have seen my bike at the Lightweight Adventurers and Armchair Adventure festivals and decided to buy one after that.
I think it’s the right way round… but I will check 🤣. It’s more of an adventure tread than block, so I think it’s right. (For a moment I wondered if I’d put the wheel back the wrong way round, but the single disc helps with that.
@@PeakMotorcycles you’re probably right , I think I’m just used to the tread pattern facing the other way on the front as most bikes I’ve owned have done this Great videos Andre, bike looks really interesting and it’s good to get a user’s review over a period of time Keep them coming Cheers
Difficult to say, I haven’t ridden the 450 enough really. I do think it’s the better all round bike, I just need to ride it more. I’ve been travelling the last month, California then Morocco and I’ll finally be home at the weekend. I can get back to it then. For a bit at least before EICMA!
@@PeakMotorcycles You're a busy man, Andre. What was it like to ride California and Morocco? And how does your Peak District compare? Happy to be back home? I had a a few days in Wales on my Beta Alp 200 and really enjoyed Midwales, the TET round Aberystwyth. Next year we're probably back, lots of hiking to be done (and a few solo days riding enduro). What are your plans? Happy days, Günter/Nürnberg
I’ll try that, and yes, I went back and loosened the pinch bolts and checked the axle torque with a torque wrench before doing everything back up to spec. It’s not in the video as it’s more of a faff and it was already long enough. Maybe I should have left it in…
@@PeakMotorcycles way to many people don't float the axle it's worth a video on it's own l sware by my motion pro adjustable v block measure for this job.
I notice a stock pic runs that ABS line up inside of calipar, still not great underneath but more protected to snagging or damage then yours, needs a little cover (cant post pics)
The wind buffeting is a concern for me. I’ve had that issue on other bikes and fixed it by shortening the screen. Something to consider since they don’t offer anything taller at this moment. I’m 6’3”. How tall are you?
Hi, I'm 6'1" The screen is already quite short. I did think about trying it with a 'wing' at the top of the screen. It doesn't give protection as such, but it does break up the airflow which can buffet less. I'll give it a try.
I can feel it at 50kmh even off road unbalanced with rim locks. I don't use rim locks on the front anymore, have a 701 with 2x rim locks on the rear and 2 3/4 oz to balance and a EXC with tubliss with 5 1/2 oz .
So far so good. I've not been able to get out on it as much as I'd like due to work and other commitments, but it's been fun and even taking it to the festivals for a bit of a ride and for others to see it and give their thoughts has been interesting. I think many were pleasantly surprised at what Kove have done with the bike, and it's good to hear that production is ramping up as it's no good if there's lots of interest, but none to buy. If they have another good year at the '24 Dakar, and they can make enough of them, then they are onto a winner. We shall see...
Hey Andre, sorry I’m late to this party. Been following you in EICMA just now. I wanted to ask you with the 450 rally, what were the RPM at 70mph please? Do you recall?
@@PeakMotorcycles all good! Been seeing your fabulous videos from EICMA anyway. At this stage here in Aus, cfmoto has a bigger chance of getting the 450MT here than KOVE for now.
has anybody balanced the rear wheel of the Kove 450 Rally? How much weight needed to be placed ( I guess ;-) ) directly opposite the rim lock. My approximation calculation ( 119/128 * 213g) says 198g ...
@@PeakMotorcycles as soon as I got the kove it was undrivable above 45mph because of the unbalanced wheels with rim-lock.. removed the front rimlock and was a massive improvement in vibaration. The rear was balanced with the rimlock and now absolutly 0 vibration cruising 65mph+. IMO the kove doesn’t need rimlock unless your riding enduro with really low tire pressures..
Stunning-looking bike. I bet it's a hoot to ride. Sounds great at speed. I like the screen. Is it a 450cc or just called a 450? 1990 [Nick J]. I'll drop the 1990 bit from now on. You know who I am from my name.
Hi Nick, it’s a 449cc Zongshen unit, so close enough to a 450. It’s the same unit that’s in the Fantic Caballero and other bikes except Kove have put a new top end with a double overhead cam on it, also a new fuel injection system and exhaust which increases the power from 39hp (in the SOHC version) to 51hp in this. It’s still early days, but yes, it is a hoot!
Is this supposed to be a temporary fix? If the wheel came with such an imbalance it's a defect of either manufacuring or design and it should be covered by the guarantee.
Are you expecting rim locks to be weightless? I expect you could just take it out and run higher pressures, if that’s your preference, but I doubt such a thing would be a warranty claim. I run down to 18psi without them but have run 10-12psi with a rim lock which makes a huge difference for grip on a trail.
Well it's your call, but I don't think what the specific reason for the wobbliness is (the rim lock) really matters. If the wheel has an invalance big enough to compromise comfort or safety, the seller or brand should cover it.
Thanks for the video so helpful.
You're welcome!
Thanks so much for a clear and concise video! I just took delivery of mine today here in the states and before I mount up the front wheel I'l run it over to my local shop and have them do a proper balancing. Thanks for the heads up and I'll look forward to more videos in the future.
Thanks George and enjoy the new bike! I’m guessing it must be one of the first few over there?
Great video showing how to balance at home. Be interesting down the line when you change tyres to weigh the rim lock and see the difference that something like a Motion Pro Light one would make. Since all rims, tubes and rim locks are built to a tolerance, it is understandable that some wheels will be better balanced than others. A friend of mine had a GPZ900R that out of the crate was way faster than others. By a massive fluke or alignment of the planets, his was just a combination of components that when assembled were as if the bike had been 'Blueprinted'. Just like my experience with the CRF300 Rally, its both fun and personal preference how you set up your bike. To be honest, my Rally front wheel is not that brilliant over 70 but a lot of that is the trackers fitted - it was fine with the IRC's...
Thanks David and yes, I’ll probably change them out when I need new tyres and there will be a video. Things will be weighed 🤣
Front rim lock weights 128grams
rear 213g
I have exactly the same problem with my 450 rally. It is really bad _ lt trembles like a tractor. Thank you for the video. Much appreciated!!!!!
🤣 I hope it solved it! For highway use it is a big help. I should probably do my back wheel too.
Really good and informative video André 👍
Thank Rich. I hope you and yours are keeping well.
That tire tread pattern reminds me of the Goodyear Grasshopper tires that were on my 1962 Harley Davidson 175cc rigid frame bike. I believe it was called the "Scat".
They seem to be a reasonable 50/50 tyre, though I haven't had an opportunity to try them in some proper mud yet. I suspect they will struggle there.
A bog standard rubber front rimlock (1.40-1.60) comes in at 85g / 3oz. Notice the tyre is fitted with the yellow spot at the valve stem. I've also had a front wobble on a dirt bike due to the mudguard oscillating in the wind !
My guess is that this one is steel, not rubber. I’ll confirm when I change the tyre and rebalance. I’d expect the balance weights to be marginally heavier as they are closer to the wheel centre, even if only by a few mm. Will check the mudguard too. Thanks.
I’m hoping we get some more content from you on this exciting bike soon.
I've just uploaded the steering damper video which will be live tomorrow. Phone bracket below the dash will be Friday's video. I then need to do some more riding and spend some more time in the garage. Other things planned are heated grips and Denali spotlights (on the Kove bar) running through a Healtech thunderbox. Also how to do an oil change. I'll be sending an oil sample off for analysis after each change, so will be interested to see what, if anything, that tells me about how the engine is wearing, and if there's sufficient interest, I did consider taking it for a dyno run. I'm sure there will be more, but that's probably the list for now. I just need to find the time! I blame my day job and family and friends commitments. Finding time to record and edit motorcycle videos was a lot easier during lockdown!
Smashing, I think there is a lot of interest in this bike, and you no doubt, because of your prompt purchase are leading the way for the uk interested parties. Well done.
Objective & fair as ever, André & a great fix. Are you booked up for EICMA yet? It's not long, now!
Hi, I am. I'll be there on the Tuesday and Wednesday (Press and Trade days) and then two more days in a darkened room trying to edit and publish everything before end of day Friday!
Did you go with the Scott's steering stabilizer or the aftermarket version? Thanks for these videos. Very informative!
Aftermarket. £110 delivered. That might be tomorrows video if you can wait that long 😉
great video !
How did you mount your phone under the dash ?
It’s an S_Wolf phone mount:
Kove 450 Rally: S_Wolf Phone Mount 4K
th-cam.com/video/fOM1s64qjMw/w-d-xo.html
Hei André, did you try with higher tire's pressure? On my CRF300L, with the 1,5bar that the owner manual states I suffer speed wobble at 130kmh. When increasing to 2,3bar I can safely cruise up to 140kmh.
Not yet, but the tires are inflated to the manufacturers spec which is 1.5bar/22psi. For road riding, I could go higher, but for trails, even 22 is a bit high. I’m sure that if you put a rimlock on your CRF the wheels would also need balancing regardless of the tyre pressure. Perhaps I’ll give it a go though, for road, so see if it helps. Thanks.
Allo Andre, love to know the seat hight in inches please.
So far on the vids a great bit of kit.
Thanks for taking us along.
Cheers
Hi Paul, the standard (high) bike like mine is 38”/960mm and the low bike is 36”/910mm. That said, I have a 32” inside leg and with the rider sag on the bike, I’m ok on the high/standard version. If you have a look at www.kovepower.com/#/ they can also lower both versions of the bike by a further 50 or 100mm for £400 (+£100 if you need new springs) so a low bike with the lowered suspension could be as low as 32” before you sit on it. I hope this helps!
@@PeakMotorcycles your a legend my freind an Thankyou.
I’m gettin on the blower. Cheers
@@paulcoverdale8312 if you order it from James, let him know I sent you 🤣🤣🤣 (I’m not on commission, but it seems a few folks have seen my bike at the Lightweight Adventurers and Armchair Adventure festivals and decided to buy one after that.
@@PeakMotorcycles will do an thankyou
Is that front tyre the wrong way round with the direction of tread or just me?
Good video Andre 👍
I think it’s the right way round… but I will check 🤣. It’s more of an adventure tread than block, so I think it’s right. (For a moment I wondered if I’d put the wheel back the wrong way round, but the single disc helps with that.
@@PeakMotorcycles you’re probably right , I think I’m just used to the tread pattern facing the other way on the front as most bikes I’ve owned have done this
Great videos Andre, bike looks really interesting and it’s good to get a user’s review over a period of time
Keep them coming
Cheers
Quite out of balance, Andre. Good that you noticed and corrected it. What bike do you prefer for TET: your CRF 300 or your Kove 450? Günter/Nürnberg
Difficult to say, I haven’t ridden the 450 enough really. I do think it’s the better all round bike, I just need to ride it more. I’ve been travelling the last month, California then Morocco and I’ll finally be home at the weekend. I can get back to it then. For a bit at least before EICMA!
@@PeakMotorcycles You're a busy man, Andre. What was it like to ride California and Morocco? And how does your Peak District compare? Happy to be back home? I had a a few days in Wales on my Beta Alp 200 and really enjoyed Midwales, the TET round Aberystwyth. Next year we're probably back, lots of hiking to be done (and a few solo days riding enduro). What are your plans? Happy days, Günter/Nürnberg
I would move the abs up out the way , and did you float the axle before you did the r/h axle pinch bolts up.
I’ll try that, and yes, I went back and loosened the pinch bolts and checked the axle torque with a torque wrench before doing everything back up to spec. It’s not in the video as it’s more of a faff and it was already long enough. Maybe I should have left it in…
@@PeakMotorcycles way to many people don't float the axle it's worth a video on it's own l sware by my motion pro adjustable v block measure for this job.
That ABS wire is an aciddent waiting to happen hanging under the fork lug, is that really where it came stock ?
It is. I have a guard for it but haven’t fitted it yet.
I notice a stock pic runs that ABS line up inside of calipar, still not great underneath but more protected to snagging or damage then yours, needs a little cover (cant post pics)
I have a cover. ‘Just need to fit it. Apparently they will move it on future bikes. Lucky them!
The wind buffeting is a concern for me. I’ve had that issue on other bikes and fixed it by shortening the screen. Something to consider since they don’t offer anything taller at this moment.
I’m 6’3”. How tall are you?
Hi, I'm 6'1" The screen is already quite short. I did think about trying it with a 'wing' at the top of the screen. It doesn't give protection as such, but it does break up the airflow which can buffet less. I'll give it a try.
Good video, thanks.
You should have weighed the weights, without a warning - to see the viewer comments.
😁
There’s enough hate in the world already 🤣
I can feel it at 50kmh even off road unbalanced with rim locks. I don't use rim locks on the front anymore, have a 701 with 2x rim locks on the rear and 2 3/4 oz to balance and a EXC with tubliss with 5 1/2 oz .
Thanks. I guess I should do the rear too then?
Thanks for the great video. Overall how is the bike treating you after your current ownership of a month or two?
So far so good. I've not been able to get out on it as much as I'd like due to work and other commitments, but it's been fun and even taking it to the festivals for a bit of a ride and for others to see it and give their thoughts has been interesting. I think many were pleasantly surprised at what Kove have done with the bike, and it's good to hear that production is ramping up as it's no good if there's lots of interest, but none to buy. If they have another good year at the '24 Dakar, and they can make enough of them, then they are onto a winner. We shall see...
@@PeakMotorcycles Nice!! Sounds good and thanks for the update!
Hey Andre, sorry I’m late to this party. Been following you in EICMA just now. I wanted to ask you with the 450 rally, what were the RPM at 70mph please? Do you recall?
Hi Steve, I'm sorry I don't recall. I'm still travelling and editing EICMA videos so I can't check until I get home I'm afraid.
@@PeakMotorcycles all good! Been seeing your fabulous videos from EICMA anyway. At this stage here in Aus, cfmoto has a bigger chance of getting the 450MT here than KOVE for now.
has anybody balanced the rear wheel of the Kove 450 Rally? How much weight needed to be placed ( I guess ;-) ) directly opposite the rim lock. My approximation calculation ( 119/128 * 213g) says 198g ...
Front Rim lock is 128Gr and rear is 213Gr
Thanks! I think I’ll try the MotionPro Liteloc 2’s when I change the tyres.
@@PeakMotorcycles as soon as I got the kove it was undrivable above 45mph because of the unbalanced wheels with rim-lock.. removed the front rimlock and was a massive improvement in vibaration. The rear was balanced with the rimlock and now absolutly 0 vibration cruising 65mph+. IMO the kove doesn’t need rimlock unless your riding enduro with really low tire pressures..
@@PeakMotorcycles do you know which one (inches?) to apply for the Kove front/rear rim?
Stunning-looking bike. I bet it's a hoot to ride. Sounds great at speed. I like the screen. Is it a 450cc or just called a 450? 1990 [Nick J]. I'll drop the 1990 bit from now on. You know who I am from my name.
I've just checked: 449cc.
Hi Nick, it’s a 449cc Zongshen unit, so close enough to a 450. It’s the same unit that’s in the Fantic Caballero and other bikes except Kove have put a new top end with a double overhead cam on it, also a new fuel injection system and exhaust which increases the power from 39hp (in the SOHC version) to 51hp in this. It’s still early days, but yes, it is a hoot!
@@PeakMotorcycles I like the Fantic Caballero Scrambler. I'm sure the Kove must shift. The Chinese seem to make good engines.
That's a very bad location for the ABS sensor in my opinion. Very exposed to any stone and get damaged...
It is. I have a guard to fit, but apparently they will change it. I shall check where it is on my other bikes.
Is this supposed to be a temporary fix? If the wheel came with such an imbalance it's a defect of either manufacuring or design and it should be covered by the guarantee.
Are you expecting rim locks to be weightless? I expect you could just take it out and run higher pressures, if that’s your preference, but I doubt such a thing would be a warranty claim. I run down to 18psi without them but have run 10-12psi with a rim lock which makes a huge difference for grip on a trail.
Well it's your call, but I don't think what the specific reason for the wobbliness is (the rim lock) really matters. If the wheel has an invalance big enough to compromise comfort or safety, the seller or brand should cover it.
Ever had an off-road bike??? I don't think so. That's not a manufacturing defect or issue, completely normal on an off-road bike
Are you kidding ?, have you ever had rimlocks on a bike ?
@@guestappearance3211 🤣
Put some supermoto wheels !🎉
I might get there one day. For now I have enough to do with it as a trail/adventure bike.