The middleweight ADV segment is exploding, as there are tons of choices from all sorts of manufacturers. With bikes like the Yamaha Tenere 700, Honda Transalp, and Ducati DesertX setting the standard, everyone wants in on the on-fire segment. As such, a lot of new players have joined the game—unsurprisingly, some from China.
And while we’ve talked a whole lot about brands like CFMoto and QJ Motor, there’s yet another Chinese manufacturer that’s adamant on revving up the middleweight market in the US: Kove Moto.
First making its global debut back in 2022, the Chinese company has made notable strides in the global market, as well as competing at Dakar, and it's already set up shop in the US and getting ready to release the brand's new 800X adventure bike.
The Kove Moto 800X very much follows the same formula as the rest of the middleweight ADV-enduro segment, as it’s rocking a 799cc parallel-twin that dishes out 94 horsepower and 59 pound-feet of torque.
It's also insanely lightweight, with Kove Moto claiming 358 pounds with a gallon of fuel in the tank—quite an interesting way to measure weight.
In the suspension department, the Kove Moto 800X Rally rocks beefy 49mm forks up front and a linkage-equipped rear monoshock. With nearly a foot of ground clearance, it’s more than capable of handling everything from whoops to jumps to technical forest trails. To top it all off, the bike has Eco and Sport riding modes, allowing the rider to tailor performance to their needs and preferences. And each can be toggled via a full-color TFT display.
It goes without saying that the Kove Moto 800X Rally feels like one specialized bit of kit. And quite frankly, not all adventure riders need that much tech. As such, Kove is also introducing the 800X Adventure Pro, which is built on the same architecture as the Rally, albeit lacking some of the fancy bells and whistles like the Rally's race ECU, and gets shorter suspension resulting in a lower seat height. For on-road convenience, it gets ABS, traction control, and cruise control. It also gets dual disc brakes up front and a luggage rack at the rear for more touring capability.
Styling-wise, Kove Moto takes a page out of the Dakar rally rulebook, drawing inspiration from both tried and tested rally replicas, as well as its own 450 Rally which it fielded in last year's race. It well and truly looks like a race-bred machine, and the Dakar-inspired livery shown below takes its aesthetic to a whole new level. We sure hope this livery will be among the color options in the US.
When it comes to pricing and availability, the new Kove 800X Rally is set to hit the market in July 2024, and will command a price tag of $13,999 USD. Meanwhile, the Adventure Pro will retail for $9,999 USD, squarely within striking range of the Yamaha Tenere 700 and Honda XL750 Transalp. And while the new bike’s pricing and specs have yet to be posted on Kove Moto’s US website, Gary Goodwin of USA Motortoys, the exclusive distributor of Kove in the US, told RideApart that the website will be updated soon.
New players in the motorcycle market, regardless of where they’re from, are always a good thing. They’re living proof that the motorcycle and powersports industry is alive and well, and so too is our insatiable desire for adventure and exploring the great outdoors. As technology continues to advance, we’re seeing more and more serious contenders from all sorts of Chinese manufacturers, and Kove is no exception.
Keep your eyes peeled, folks, brands like Kove are surely up to something big.
