You may never have heard of the brand Kove before, but this Chinese motorcycle manufacturer is pretty big, and has become incredibly popular in its home country despite being a fledgling brand founded in 2017. As it would turn out, Kove has some lofty plans for the future, particularly in motorsports, and its appearance at EICMA 2022 along with its impressive model range shows us that the Chinese company means business.
More specifically, Kove has new models across a variety of categories, as well as performance-oriented models it hopes to debut in the global racing scene. Back in China, Kove is apparently the fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer, with two factories in Chongqing and Chengdu. According to the company, it specializes in the “development, design, manufacture, and sale of high-quality large-displacement motorcycles.”
For starters, the ADV 500 X, a 500cc adventure bike, was showcased at EICMA 2022. This bike has been available in China since 2019, with Kove claiming that more than 20,000 units have already been sold. A number of these entry-level ADV bikes have been shipped out to European countries including Spain, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. In terms of specs and performance, the Kove ADV 500 X is a clear-cut rival to the likes of the Honda CB500X and Benelli TRK 502 X.
The next bike in Kove’s arsenal is the 450 Rally, a bike that the company hopes to compete in the 2023 Dakar Rally with. On paper, it’s a real rally racing machine, packing a 449cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine churning out 53 horsepower. Styling-wise, its rally-inspired styling is clear to see. Now, whether or not the bike will actually make an appearance in the 2023 Dakar Rally remains to be seen, but the company’s CEO, Zhang Xue, who’s apparently a trained motorcycle mechanic and motocross rider, wants to race the bike himself.
Up next, we move from the sands of Dakar to the racing circuit with the Kove 321 RR, a small-displacement supersport that the brand hopes to debut in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship, the lowest class in the WorldSBK series. It’s a Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 400-rivaling sportbike, and packs a 322cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine with 41 horsepower on tap. According to Kove, the bike tips the scales at just 160 kilograms, and can hit a top speed of 137 miles per hour.
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Last but not least is the Kove MX 250, a motocross bike which the brand claims is the “lightest off-road bike in the 250cc segment.” With a curb weight of 98 kilograms and 40 horsepower on tap, the MX 250 surely has a respectable power-to-weight ratio. It packs a 249cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine, and is offered in both enduro and supermoto configurations.
