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 🤔
Joe loaded up a new map at purchase just over a month ago. If you decat there is another map for more fuel low down to smooth out some of the herky-jerky.
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.
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 .
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).
The power curve is almost identical in shape to the wr250r. Just more power everywhere. I think its a fantastic motor. Id love to see it in a more dirtbike/enduro chassis too.
I’m in nearly the exact same situation… but between the Kove or a great deal on a nearly new ‘21 DRZ that has all the right additions I’d do myself - for a bit less than half a Kove’s cost.
I'm debating between a slightly used 23' 450RL for $8k or a new kove 450 standard with the off road exhaust/ECU and larger sprocket for $9500. Decisions decisions....
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
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.
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 🦾
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.
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
What year was the ktm 690 adventure? I have heard different years had different suspension? I love the tech on the 690, hydraulic clutch, cornering abs, traction control, quickshift and autoblip. Really wish a lighter bike had all that stuff, at least the kove has abs for the street.
@@connor3288 It was a 2023 model lowered slightly for the rider.The ktm 690 is a much more powerful motorcycle ,the kove feels quite unresponsive(just rode another one a couple of weeks ago)A guy who had a 690 2015 sold his and bought a kove ,they are better on road and in typical tracks but you will miss the power of the 690.My problem is also 14000e and its still not right!!!the sm model does not have these issues as it doesnt go off road
@@nickg2431 Hmm interesting. I have yet to ride a kove 450/800 or 690. I still think there is a hole in the market for a truely modern dualsport. Suppose it had single cylinder, wideratio 6spd, quickshift/autoblip, cornering abs with rear off and disabled modes, traction control, and ride modes. Twin charging and ignition systems and fuel pumps for backups like on an airplane and low mounted large tanks like on the kove. Full barkbusters and adjustable windscreen, cruise control, fuel level and battery voltage on cluster, remote shock preload adjuster and passenger pegs. And wet weight below 350-375lb, preferably 300 or less. A 500/501 chassis would be a lightweight starting point for such a machine. I am excited to see how the new drz4s does. Electronic throttle quickshift, autoblip, and cruise control should be possible. When a 100hp+ fz09 costing under $10k USD has such an advanced modern electronics package I dont understand why more bikes dont have it, and dualsports are crazy money in comparison to streetbikes for material cost and what you get in features/tech. Was thinking about getting a 690 but I think i will pass for now, especially as ktm as a company has uncertain longevity right now.
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 😂
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
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.
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!!
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.
Oh yeah for sure! The rear tanks on kove weren’t ever In use ever on that bike at that point. And that was at the end of the day and the kove was under 1/4 tank.
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. One should not even discuss suspension without setting sag and playing with the clickers...period. 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 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. 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..
I rode both of them. AJP PR7 and Kove 450 rally. Pr7 has better seat and has more grunt bellow,but a lot more vibration. KOVE is lighter and COG is lower, in offroad situation it has more grip on the rear wheel, suspension is better on Kove,you feel more connected with the bike.
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.
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.
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.
On a slight tangent, can you take that former rail line west any distance? I never had the balls to try because I figured there's going to be a bridge with a giant gap in the boards or something.
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.
Yeah I personally don’t think that it was a mapping problem either, more likely that they needed to tune it like that for euro5 regulations and American/Canadian emissions.
@@rangeroadmoto I don't know but my hope is that they'll make good stock tires for most bikes since the original tires usually aren't great. But I've been seeing this company pop up more and more. Some nice escooters from Segway have them. My mountain bike tires were in between what you would find at Walmart and legit mountain bike tires, which I liked.
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!
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
80mph is comfortable but it's getting above 85mph that seems to take more work. Joe (Kove USA) said to just wind it up into the red, 9k+, it should do 100mph easy. Thoughts on getting it there?
@@meder07 from my personal experience: my Kove will not break 93 mph on flat ground with no wind. As stated, in the particular drag race I’m talking about, my Kove would not break 80 mph up a slight hill, in a strong headwind. Those are my observations, not what someone else told me.
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'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?
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
@@rangeroadmoto it's definitely fast throughout the range , the only thing I found it was snatchy low down , the ECU is cheap as chips I think £76 UK sterling
What's with the races on Everide's channel? The Kove beat a 500 exc in a highway roll race... A Stock KTM is only around 40 hp, but the Kove looks to have a little less, and it's a bit heavier. It should walk away from a DRZ 400 though. Shouldn't it? Not that it needs to be any faster than a DRZ to be a really fun and capable bike..
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.
Yup it definitely doesn’t have power like a 450. Riley owns multiple crf300’s so he’s used to riding off-road with bikes that have more street bike tunes. You can see in the drag races I am using allll the rpm’s. It needs to be remapped to make more power in the midrange. Even in the upper mid range. Would be interesting to try with a 52 tooth sprocket!
@@rangeroadmoto is the power on 450 rally sufficient to race on international rallies? Stock 450 was powerful enough to win the Sardegna rally 2023 among 200 motorcycles. It is not brutal,it doesn't have the hit of a true 450 hard enduro, but it sure is fast enough. And remember: it is 50kg heavier and geared way taller than dirt bikes. Try gearing a exc 500 taller, and add a passenger and repeat the test. It would be interesting.
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
First time hearing this, I've been watching review after review, and have not seen anybody with a bad experience really. Small things, sure, but nothing like this... Maybe it was a rider issue, as they were both new, and not a bike issue?
@@dygon7663 I wish I could say that but they weren't riding at high enough rpm or on hard enough trails. They were riding slowly on the trails I was teaching my 5 year old nephew to ride his 50 on
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 !
I carry my rackless giant loop bag on my 500 with my tent, chair, sleeping bag etc no problems, I know lots of people who do it. There are supports available that add metal mounting points from the frame to the rear if you are concerned. Check out adventure spec. If you feel more secure with having a subframe the Honda Crf450rl has a rear subframe and is sub 300lbs, and great suspension.
That’s a hard one, depends what you’re doing with it I think. The Kove might be a better adventure bike but the drz is the better dual sport. So mostly depends what sort of riding you wanna do.
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.
It feels like you are in my brain, everything you said is pretty much exactly how I feel. I definitely wasn’t paid, and have no vested interest if Kove does well or not. But your observation about Chinese manufacturers paying ppl for bike reviews is very astute. I’ve never seen so much forced positivity in bike reviews as I have with the Kove, and GPX. And you find a lot of the more vocal platforms discussing Kove are distributors and or friends of distributors. Usually there’s links somewhere to buy a kove. I even had someone comment on this video and drop a link to buy a Kove. So I really tried to be unbiased without being negative.
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.
Where all those fuel is locacted at matters too. Remember almost every reviewer mentioning the Kove feels like a heavy dirt bike handling wise despite its near ADV territory fully-fueled weight? Having the fuel tank designed alongside the bike itself is a huge advantage, most aftermarket oversized fuel tanks usually won't be able to place the fuel as low/close to the CG as the ones on Kove. (BTW imho fuel tank design was also a huge factor that made ghe original Africa Twin, including NXR and XRV, stand out from its contemporaries.)
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
I don't think the hp specs are correct. Looks like rear wheel hp on the ktm vs engine hp one the Kove. Apples to oranges I think. The KTM has 64 at engine, 40 at rear wheel. Very interesting bike though... I dig the fuel tanks and fairing setup
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.
Depends where you live. I believe america has gotten their licensing. But that may be state by state specific. Here in Canada they are in the process of getting them street legal, they have told me they will be soon
@@kaosbc I see what you’re saying. For myself personally no 10,000 isn’t in my budget. But I have never owned a new motorcycle so I have never come close to the 10k. However if you look at the whole market that Kove claims this bike was intended to compete with it would have to be considered the cheapest out of them all. Like the 500exc/450exc/any of the bigger adventure bikes etc
I love that dinosaur land! I've been out there for work, along with further south in sask far south west corner, similar landscape. Manitoba rider here, I'm lucky enough to have sandy sprucewoods park in my backyard so I need a sand friendly bike!
Too bad you did not adjust the suspension. It would be a simple matter of keeping count of the number of clicks and turns on the adjusters then returning them to their previous settings. Struggling in 6th gear bucking a head wind? Why not simply drop to 5th gear? You had plenty of rpm left to do so. My biggest concern is eventually you need brake pads, levers, pedals, and other wear items and stuff that breaks items. On a major brand, there are plenty of options for parts. In the US, we are depending upon a new start up distributor who is/was under funded and had issues getting his shipment delivered. He has said nothing about his parts inventory; that is a huge red flag. What is worse than having a $10,000 motorcycle sit unused because it needs a $15 part?
Definitely could have shifted down, I included it in the video to show how the midrange power was. Bike was over 6000rpm in 6th gear and struggling with headwind. I could have dropped to 5th and been at over 7000rpm and it probably would have been fine, but quite high in the rev range in my opinion. The less powerful KTM beside me had no issues in 6th, so I wanted to show that comparison. Those all good points and concerns about parts distribution. I did talk to our local distributor and he did say so far that the relationship with Kove has been great and they have been good at getting back to them and shipping parts needed. I was also wondering if eventually a brand like Kove could have just parts warehouses and ship parts via a service like Amazon and not rely on dealer/distributor networks. It could be interesting.
Hey man, we are the Canadian distributor for Kove. All of the wear items are available through aftermarket distributors which most dealers in Canada have accounts with. In the next 30 days they should see the parts available through their drop down Make/Model menu. No issues there, as well. We will be stocking OEM parts right here in Canada.
Setting suspension properly is more than just clickers... proper sag needs spring rate adjustments then from there with clickers yes you can adjust proper compression and rebound ✌🏻
@@advriley Proper sag is adjusted on the rear shock and until you try, you don't know if you need a different spring rate (which is not adjustable). You simple count the turns on the shock collar to set the sag. Then and only then can you determine if the spring rate is correct. You should have adjusted it instead of complaining it was too harsh and bucking you.
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?
Tons of manufacturers have had bikes made in more affordable countries for years now including Yamaha and Honda in such places like Brazil, Thailand and others.
It's not the manufacturing location that's the problem it's the company that's behind it. KTM is going to make sure all the parts are made to the right spec and designed properly, I wouldn't say the same thing for all the chinese parts on one of these.
They're increasing production of the 790 and 890 out of China, from 50,000 units to 100,000 units per year, to keep up with expected demand. The dirt bikes have always been Austrian-made. This shift doesn't affect the dirt bikes. I'm not saying that they will ALWAYS be made in Austria, but people like you who post stuff like "they're moving the production to China" without mentioning that it's ONLY for the 790 and 890 really do a disservice to the truth.
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
the dirt bike style twitch of the 350 bugs me. im not a dirt bike rider and bought it to keep up with my son...that didnt work but i get there eventually without fear of dropping it, in other words its not a struggle to pick up. Last time i dropped my 640 it wedged itself into a fallen tree and was pointed down hill. holy fk what a mess that was,.
@@rangeroadmoto several broken off kickstands cuz it rides too low. loose bolts on handle bar clamps (lost bolts), spokes major fail on BDR barely made it home, i have the gpx 300r 2022 and totally lacks power, I'd much rather have a ktm 350. my knees started rubbing off the stickers after first ride. IMO the kove 450 is a drz400, both not my fav. I'll stick with ktm 300 two stroke, ktm 500 and tenere 700 vs gpx/kove anything.
lol. No comparison to a 500 EXC lol. I have a first year 2012 500 EXC and it’s insanely powerful and far too fast in stock trim and stock gearing. Easily does 105 mp/hr 180 km/hr , over and over and over again . Even at 13,000 km’s on it . Great review though. I was super curious about this bike. As the KTM version is rare AF and stupid $$$$$$ .
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..
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 🤔
Joe loaded up a new map at purchase just over a month ago.
If you decat there is another map for more fuel low down to smooth out some of the herky-jerky.
Can't wait to see part 2
@@benleblanc3618still no part 2 🥺
there is an ecu available in europe,52hp cost 80e this is NOT the full rally ecu ,that wont fit.
So refreshing to watch and enjoy a straight forward “level” non biased review.
Excellent job and thank you so much.
Thanks! That was the goal, so I am glad it came across!
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.
Plus you can think of all the uygers being locked up 😊
Where is your dealership...none around me in CT....
when is that CFMoto 450 coming?
@@Purehess It's here now
@@FilthyGoyim欢迎你亲自来新疆看看，不要被假新闻洗脑，也不要做键盘侠。
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.
Yeah it’s been an exciting race so far! Too bad to see the problems they are having. Good testing ground to get the bike worked out though.
It didn't win
Klx 450 maybe yes, but versys? Versys seems to be always derived for road-biased adventure with engine from sport bikes
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 .
Thanks man! Appreciate that
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).
The power curve is almost identical in shape to the wr250r. Just more power everywhere. I think its a fantastic motor. Id love to see it in a more dirtbike/enduro chassis too.
Great real owner view, thanks.
I’m in nearly the exact same situation… but between the Kove or a great deal on a nearly new ‘21 DRZ that has all the right additions I’d do myself - for a bit less than half a Kove’s cost.
I'm debating between a slightly used 23' 450RL for $8k or a new kove 450 standard with the off road exhaust/ECU and larger sprocket for $9500. Decisions decisions....
Nicely done. Covered a lot of areas and concerns. Videography was outstanding plus really loved the small talks. Loved it. Cheers from Pakistan.
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
For me the AJP PR7 would be the closest thing to the Kove 450. I'd love to see that comparison.
Me too! Unfortunately they aren’t street legal in Canada. What part of the world are you in that they are legal?
@@rangeroadmoto that makes it hard. I'm in Australia where we don't yet have kove,'s
Portugal! where they come from
@@rangeroadmoto
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.
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 🦾
It wouldn’t be nearly as fun without your songs, high pitched squeals and actual ability to ride off road!
And yes! The Kove 800 looks very very interesting!
@@rangeroadmoto🤣💯 it’s trailside & editing entertainment for you
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.
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
What year was the ktm 690 adventure? I have heard different years had different suspension? I love the tech on the 690, hydraulic clutch, cornering abs, traction control, quickshift and autoblip. Really wish a lighter bike had all that stuff, at least the kove has abs for the street.
@@connor3288 It was a 2023 model lowered slightly for the rider.The ktm 690 is a much more powerful motorcycle ,the kove feels quite unresponsive(just rode another one a couple of weeks ago)A guy who had a 690 2015 sold his and bought a kove ,they are better on road and in typical tracks but you will miss the power of the 690.My problem is also 14000e and its still not right!!!the sm model does not have these issues as it doesnt go off road
@@nickg2431 Hmm interesting. I have yet to ride a kove 450/800 or 690. I still think there is a hole in the market for a truely modern dualsport. Suppose it had single cylinder, wideratio 6spd, quickshift/autoblip, cornering abs with rear off and disabled modes, traction control, and ride modes. Twin charging and ignition systems and fuel pumps for backups like on an airplane and low mounted large tanks like on the kove. Full barkbusters and adjustable windscreen, cruise control, fuel level and battery voltage on cluster, remote shock preload adjuster and passenger pegs. And wet weight below 350-375lb, preferably 300 or less. A 500/501 chassis would be a lightweight starting point for such a machine. I am excited to see how the new drz4s does. Electronic throttle quickshift, autoblip, and cruise control should be possible. When a 100hp+ fz09 costing under $10k USD has such an advanced modern electronics package I dont understand why more bikes dont have it, and dualsports are crazy money in comparison to streetbikes for material cost and what you get in features/tech. Was thinking about getting a 690 but I think i will pass for now, especially as ktm as a company has uncertain longevity right now.
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 😂
Another great production! Props for carrying the Tenba Doctors bag while riding too!
Haha it’s a beast to go off roading with! But it is my favourite camera bag so far.
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
Thanks for the video. Can't wait to see how Kove and Mason Klein do this year.
Yeah it’s gonna be awesome!
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.
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!!
Yeah man! It’s epic
Your soundtrack makes the whole video sound like a grand adventure🎉 without removing my ass from the couch 🏁
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.
Thanks for watching! Yeah there’s not much out there for bikes like this.
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.
Oh yeah for sure! The rear tanks on kove weren’t ever In use ever on that bike at that point. And that was at the end of the day and the kove was under 1/4 tank.
@@rangeroadmoto , ok, cheers mate.
@@thorstentrapp274My KTM started with a full fuel tank for the day and really didn’t sip much so probably had more fuel in it than the Kove
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.
One should not even discuss suspension without setting sag and playing with the clickers...period. 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 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. 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..
@stevebiron3036, you're clearly not biased? right? so, your comment is credible?
Good stuff. To get better performance up in Canada, get premium gas and 51T rear sprocket.
Where were you riding, great scenery
I was looking for the ADV Unicorn and ended up with an AJP PR7. So far so good.
How do you like that bike over all?
Calling bikes unicorns is so gay
@@MrDEANOSCOOLVIDSAnd your comment isn’t?
I rode both of them. AJP PR7 and Kove 450 rally. Pr7 has better seat and has more grunt bellow,but a lot more vibration. KOVE is lighter and COG is lower, in offroad situation it has more grip on the rear wheel, suspension is better on Kove,you feel more connected with the bike.
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.
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.
Sadly the eternal search for the unicorn continues. Maybe it truly is hiding in North Korea
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.
We have some ordered here in Sudbury ON. I'm hoping to get a lowered version for March
On a slight tangent, can you take that former rail line west any distance? I never had the balls to try because I figured there's going to be a bridge with a giant gap in the boards or something.
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.
Yeah I personally don’t think that it was a mapping problem either, more likely that they needed to tune it like that for euro5 regulations and American/Canadian emissions.
Great review, thank you! I'm very interested to see how it would do with a better map!
Mason Klein 98 would be riding this machine on January's Dakar. Can't wait to see how he'd perform.
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 wonder if they have softer compound options or if there mountain bike tires are better. The ones on the kove were not great
@@rangeroadmoto I don't know but my hope is that they'll make good stock tires for most bikes since the original tires usually aren't great.
But I've been seeing this company pop up more and more. Some nice escooters from Segway have them.
My mountain bike tires were in between what you would find at Walmart and legit mountain bike tires, which I liked.
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!
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.
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!
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
Yeah it is not a lite bike, my ktm 500exc with a large capacity 5.3 gallon tank, big seat and some creature comforts is well over 100lbs less
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]
Yeah that’s what I’ve heard too, a commenter here said they have purchased the pro ecu and it did help.
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.
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.
80mph is comfortable but it's getting above 85mph that seems to take more work. Joe (Kove USA) said to just wind it up into the red, 9k+, it should do 100mph easy. Thoughts on getting it there?
@@meder07 from my personal experience: my Kove will not break 93 mph on flat ground with no wind. As stated, in the particular drag race I’m talking about, my Kove would not break 80 mph up a slight hill, in a strong headwind. Those are my observations, not what someone else told me.
Great review and wonderful landscape to ADV ride thru! Thanks for sharing 🙌
It’s such an amazing place
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
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
Really? What year is it, and what sort of issues are you having?
Don't worry, the 690 has more or less the same exact issues all over the globe.
That is not surprising at all. KTM knows about all its problems but chooses to ignore them lol
I think I'll change out my 701 enduro for the Kove ASAP. Wish that exhaust were tucked up and outta the way though...
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.
Everywhere I look says the Kove 450 is 50 state legal.
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?
Drumheller
Hey guys,try testing on the east coast. Dry and sand......?
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
I feel pretty similar honestly. Just have to wait and see
Ask Everide if the back end tends to buck!
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?
Very good review on the Cove
Thanks Brian!
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
Does the powerband feel a lot different now, with the new ecu?
Do you mind if I ask how much they sell those items for?
@@rangeroadmoto it's definitely fast throughout the range , the only thing I found it was snatchy low down , the ECU is cheap as chips I think £76 UK sterling
Wow that’s so cheap! That’s awesome. Thanks for the input!
Not tried to race them with new ECU and exhaust though I think the kove would win now , the kove also may win stock , I am heavy
What's with the races on Everide's channel? The Kove beat a 500 exc in a highway roll race... A Stock KTM is only around 40 hp, but the Kove looks to have a little less, and it's a bit heavier. It should walk away from a DRZ 400 though. Shouldn't it? Not that it needs to be any faster than a DRZ to be a really fun and capable bike..
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.
Yup it definitely doesn’t have power like a 450. Riley owns multiple crf300’s so he’s used to riding off-road with bikes that have more street bike tunes.
You can see in the drag races I am using allll the rpm’s.
It needs to be remapped to make more power in the midrange. Even in the upper mid range.
Would be interesting to try with a 52 tooth sprocket!
That’s the funny thing about opinions is they are our own and can’t be wrong 😜 I own a CRF 300L and it’s a blast!!
@@rangeroadmoto is the power on 450 rally sufficient to race on international rallies? Stock 450 was powerful enough to win the Sardegna rally 2023 among 200 motorcycles. It is not brutal,it doesn't have the hit of a true 450 hard enduro, but it sure is fast enough. And remember: it is 50kg heavier and geared way taller than dirt bikes. Try gearing a exc 500 taller, and add a passenger and repeat the test. It would be interesting.
Can’t unsee Sid the Sloth 😂
@@caleyrose603🤣💯 definitely my favourite part of the video 🤭
The lack of low rpm grunt can be fixed by going down a tooth on the front sprocket
Where did you rent the bike from ?
The link is in the bio, it was a test drive not a rental.
A nice comparison would be the new himalayan 450?
That would be cool! I have to find one
The Kove 800 looks very appealing
I really hope I can get on one when it comes out
It’s tough because the KTM 500 is so good, and so popular that you’re bound to find parts anywhere in North Americaz
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
I havent tried it, but AJP PR7 would be my choice with at this moment.
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
First time hearing this, I've been watching review after review, and have not seen anybody with a bad experience really. Small things, sure, but nothing like this... Maybe it was a rider issue, as they were both new, and not a bike issue?
@@dygon7663 I wish I could say that but they weren't riding at high enough rpm or on hard enough trails. They were riding slowly on the trails I was teaching my 5 year old nephew to ride his 50 on
Total bs. How can anyone, on any bike, break their frame?
@@habibi750 usually from jumping too high for the suspension to handle or a brutal crash. Weak welds like in the case of the Kove are also a cause
Waiting in Spain , seems high potential 4me.
Is it the same engine as the GPX 450?
Can’t say for sure but that’s what I’ve heard
Great video and test rides thanks
Thanks for watching!
Sensational video. Best wishes
I wanna know where they where riding at, that's amazing
Outside of Drumheller, Alberta Canada!
@rangeroadmoto and I'm obviously in montana, beautiful country guy
Wow, awesome video!
Thank you! Appreciate that.
it uses zongshen nc450 engine?
Yeah that’s google says 🤷🏼
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 !
I carry my rackless giant loop bag on my 500 with my tent, chair, sleeping bag etc no problems, I know lots of people who do it. There are supports available that add metal mounting points from the frame to the rear if you are concerned. Check out adventure spec.
If you feel more secure with having a subframe the Honda Crf450rl has a rear subframe and is sub 300lbs, and great suspension.
Hehe I knew those races from the video you were talking about were BS. Good video bud
Yeah it was a little disappointing to see.. not a great way to gain trust for a new company that most people are still unsure about.
@@rangeroadmoto I think the TH-camr might have been as much to blame too. Maybe that's a bit harsh, they could have given him a bike in a higher tune
Yeah I can't recall if he stated wether or not that bike had the "R" tune or not.. @@onthebackwheel
Is it better than drz400s Sir?
That’s a hard one, depends what you’re doing with it I think. The Kove might be a better adventure bike but the drz is the better dual sport. So mostly depends what sort of riding you wanna do.
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.
It feels like you are in my brain, everything you said is pretty much exactly how I feel.
I definitely wasn’t paid, and have no vested interest if Kove does well or not. But your observation about Chinese manufacturers paying ppl for bike reviews is very astute. I’ve never seen so much forced positivity in bike reviews as I have with the Kove, and GPX. And you find a lot of the more vocal platforms discussing Kove are distributors and or friends of distributors. Usually there’s links somewhere to buy a kove. I even had someone comment on this video and drop a link to buy a Kove.
So I really tried to be unbiased without being negative.
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.
Definitely see the appeal with my current ride being a KLR 650 which I beat like a rally bike lol
Where all those fuel is locacted at matters too. Remember almost every reviewer mentioning the Kove feels like a heavy dirt bike handling wise despite its near ADV territory fully-fueled weight? Having the fuel tank designed alongside the bike itself is a huge advantage, most aftermarket oversized fuel tanks usually won't be able to place the fuel as low/close to the CG as the ones on Kove.
(BTW imho fuel tank design was also a huge factor that made ghe original Africa Twin, including NXR and XRV, stand out from its contemporaries.)
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
This vid is awesome broski
thank you. nice comparison.
Thanks for watching!
Can't wait to see you try the 2023 450 Himalayan
Oh man I would love to!
@@rangeroadmoto what is ur expectations. I did take it for a test ride yesterday .
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
I don't think the hp specs are correct. Looks like rear wheel hp on the ktm vs engine hp one the Kove. Apples to oranges I think. The KTM has 64 at engine, 40 at rear wheel. Very interesting bike though... I dig the fuel tanks and fairing setup
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.
Which ktm model was giving you issues?
I also had some KTM for Offroad ridi ng. No problems at all. A friend of mine rides a Kawasaki. Much problems with his bike.
El motor de la Kove es el mismo que el de la Fantic Caballero 500, Zonseng.
Was some known motorcycle company's technology directly just copied in this bike?
What's with the music can bearly hear the bike
Can you license this bike?
Depends where you live. I believe america has gotten their licensing. But that may be state by state specific. Here in Canada they are in the process of getting them street legal, they have told me they will be soon
budget is $10,000?
?
"the idea of a budget machine that could really do it all"
do you consider a $10,000 450cc budget machine?
@@kaosbc I see what you’re saying. For myself personally no 10,000 isn’t in my budget. But I have never owned a new motorcycle so I have never come close to the 10k.
However if you look at the whole market that Kove claims this bike was intended to compete with it would have to be considered the cheapest out of them all. Like the 500exc/450exc/any of the bigger adventure bikes etc
Alberta? Badlands!?
Sure is!
I love that dinosaur land! I've been out there for work, along with further south in sask far south west corner, similar landscape. Manitoba rider here, I'm lucky enough to have sandy sprucewoods park in my backyard so I need a sand friendly bike!
Sure ready for one....
Have you ordered one?
💥💥💥💯
Buen video! Saludos desde España. 😜
Gracias! Saludos dessert Canada
Guys, you need to compare it to KTM LC4 Adventure ;-) This is proper replacement with less vibrations 🙂
Too bad you did not adjust the suspension. It would be a simple matter of keeping count of the number of clicks and turns on the adjusters then returning them to their previous settings. Struggling in 6th gear bucking a head wind? Why not simply drop to 5th gear? You had plenty of rpm left to do so.
My biggest concern is eventually you need brake pads, levers, pedals, and other wear items and stuff that breaks items. On a major brand, there are plenty of options for parts. In the US, we are depending upon a new start up distributor who is/was under funded and had issues getting his shipment delivered. He has said nothing about his parts inventory; that is a huge red flag. What is worse than having a $10,000 motorcycle sit unused because it needs a $15 part?
Definitely could have shifted down, I included it in the video to show how the midrange power was. Bike was over 6000rpm in 6th gear and struggling with headwind. I could have dropped to 5th and been at over 7000rpm and it probably would have been fine, but quite high in the rev range in my opinion. The less powerful KTM beside me had no issues in 6th, so I wanted to show that comparison.
Those all good points and concerns about parts distribution. I did talk to our local distributor and he did say so far that the relationship with Kove has been great and they have been good at getting back to them and shipping parts needed.
I was also wondering if eventually a brand like Kove could have just parts warehouses and ship parts via a service like Amazon and not rely on dealer/distributor networks. It could be interesting.
Hey man, we are the Canadian distributor for Kove. All of the wear items are available through aftermarket distributors which most dealers in Canada have accounts with. In the next 30 days they should see the parts available through their drop down Make/Model menu. No issues there, as well. We will be stocking OEM parts right here in Canada.
Setting suspension properly is more than just clickers... proper sag needs spring rate adjustments then from there with clickers yes you can adjust proper compression and rebound ✌🏻
@@advriley Proper sag is adjusted on the rear shock and until you try, you don't know if you need a different spring rate (which is not adjustable). You simple count the turns on the shock collar to set the sag. Then and only then can you determine if the spring rate is correct. You should have adjusted it instead of complaining it was too harsh and bucking you.
@@albertapowersports8223 That is good for Canada. In the US, it is a different story.
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?
Kinda what I was thinking!
Tons of manufacturers have had bikes made in more affordable countries for years now including Yamaha and Honda in such places like Brazil, Thailand and others.
It's not the manufacturing location that's the problem it's the company that's behind it. KTM is going to make sure all the parts are made to the right spec and designed properly, I wouldn't say the same thing for all the chinese parts on one of these.
The proof is in the eating of the pudding. @@elobiretv
They're increasing production of the 790 and 890 out of China, from 50,000 units to 100,000 units per year, to keep up with expected demand. The dirt bikes have always been Austrian-made. This shift doesn't affect the dirt bikes.
I'm not saying that they will ALWAYS be made in Austria, but people like you who post stuff like "they're moving the production to China" without mentioning that it's ONLY for the 790 and 890 really do a disservice to the truth.
2:20 I am never getting this fucking image out of my head now
Sid the slothhhh
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
the dirt bike style twitch of the 350 bugs me. im not a dirt bike rider and bought it to keep up with my son...that didnt work but i get there eventually without fear of dropping it, in other words its not a struggle to pick up. Last time i dropped my 640 it wedged itself into a fallen tree and was pointed down hill. holy fk what a mess that was,.
id assume the kove is somewhere in between weight wise.
Man, I want one.
Should check out the beta
The 500rr?
Big pass. I’ve owned Gpx and unhappy with them. When I can order from rocky
Mountain atv Mc. I might try one.
What made the experience unhappy?
@@rangeroadmoto several broken off kickstands cuz it rides too low. loose bolts on handle bar clamps (lost bolts), spokes major fail on BDR barely made it home, i have the gpx 300r 2022 and totally lacks power, I'd much rather have a ktm 350. my knees started rubbing off the stickers after first ride. IMO the kove 450 is a drz400, both not my fav. I'll stick with ktm 300 two stroke, ktm 500 and tenere 700 vs gpx/kove anything.
👍👍👏👏
lol. No comparison to a 500 EXC lol. I have a first year 2012 500 EXC and it’s insanely powerful and far too fast in stock trim and stock gearing. Easily does 105 mp/hr 180 km/hr , over and over and over again . Even at 13,000 km’s on it . Great review though. I was super curious about this bike. As the KTM version is rare AF and stupid $$$$$$ .
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..