SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1503989
A RIDE ON THE KOVE Review Of The KOVE 450 Rally Motorcycle That Is Ready For BaJa By Andy Kirker and Dan Sanchez Photos by Tim Abshire The talk among Baja moto racers is currently all about the KOVE motorcycles that were initially thought to be low-cost motorcycles built overseas but instead turned out to be much more than expected. KOVE Moto was founded in 2017 and quickly became the number four domestic brand in China’s motorcycle line of sales of models over 300cc. Initially, the motorcycle reached the international market with sales exceeding 20K units in 2021. It then came to the attention of SCORE moto racers after it successfully finished the 2023 Dakar rally. Danny Velazquez of Carrera777 saw the motorcycle at the AIMEXPO and became an authorized dealer to sell the bikes in Baja, Mexico. “There was a lot of momentum and good reviews on this bike everywhere,” said Velazquez. “I brought a prototype to the 55th SCORE Baja 500 for people to see it during SCORE Contingency and the response was great.” The bike was the KOVE 450 Rally edition, and SCORE’s Moto Liaison, Andy Kirker, was given an opportunity to test it in Baja. “I was thrilled for the opportunity to ride the first ever mass-produced ‘Dakar Rally’ type motorcycle in the world,” said Kirker. “I am not a rally racer however, nor do I have any rally bike experience. But, I do have a ton of Baja racing experience and that is where we did the testing.” The Kove 450 Rally comes in a Pro and High-Seat edition to match the rider, professional or enthusiast. Kirker got to test the Pro model and was initially skeptical due to the low price point around $13,500. “The idea of a full-fledged Rally bike being offered at a price point of less than half from what that market segment is used to was very intriguing to me,” said Kirker. “This could lead to a whole new racing class of lightweight adventure bikes.” “The bike we tested is the same one that Mike Johnson had recently raced and finished on at both the Sonora Rally and the NORRA 1000, back to back. This bike has already been put through the wringer and we received it that way, as is, with only an oil and air filter change.” Kirker put the KOVE 450 Rally through the Baja desert, just south of Ensenada near the starting point of the SCORE Baja 500. “At first glance, the fit and finish on the bike looked as good as any of the European or Japanese bikes do,” said Kirker. “It has all the extra bits that distinguish a rally bike over your common off-road machines. This includes a navigation tower with equipment, windscreen, and lights, and features three gas tanks that are linked together for the extended range required for rally racing. Two of them are upfront and one on the side rear for a total capacity of over eight gallons. It has a low under-frame exhaust pipe and an oversized skid plate, as well as the ability to hold an emergency water tank. It weighs over 350 pounds and looks big, almost intimidating for my 5’7” frame and short inseam, but once I swung a leg over, it wasn’t bad. The ergonomics were great. The seat was comfy and did not sit too high. The cockpit was surprisingly narrow and felt Honda-like, which I am used to. I didn’t feel like I was perched atop the bike; rather, I felt like I was sitting more on the bike. As soon as I started riding it, I felt at home, and the first thing I noticed was the Navigation tower. I expected it to be right in my face but was surprised at how out of the way it was. I never once hit my helmet on any of the tower components during the test. I could feel the tower’s weight in front of the bike and its minor feedback in the dirt. I immediately realized that I would have to adjust my riding style to accommodate the forward weight. This is something that I had similarly experienced before, as the tower weight reminded me of the same feeling when running frame-mounted dual headlights in Baja racing. The bike has good power, especially in the mid to upper range, although I felt it could use a touch more torque off the bottom range. I would hope that there will be mapping options available to correct this somewhat. Shifting through the gears has a distinct positive engagement feel. I had to shift with purpose. No miss-shifts, though. The clutch had that typical cable-operated feel– nothing to write home about. The brakes were great and predictable– not grabby. The area that we tested had very soft sand, some dunes, and some whooped-out trails. The bike handled well at speed in the sand, but like any bike, it was more of a handful at low speed. I was very pleasantly surprised by how it handled in the whoops. I was apprehensive the first time I hit them and was worried that this big bike might get out of shape in a hurry, but it didn’t. I picked my speed with each pass through the whoops, and it didn’t swap out at all. We didn’t do any adjustments to the suspension at all. It came straight from the NORRA race, and we ran it just as it came to us. The rear shock worked well in the whoops, but the front felt a bit low at low speed, not too soft, but just dove down more than I would have preferred. When I hit the face of the whoops at higher speeds, the compression dampening kicked in and kept it from diving too much. I am sure this could easily be adjusted if we took any time to do so. The more I rode it, I got the sense of a nice flowing, neutral-feeling chassis with a lower-than-expected center of gravity. It also felt right at home on the high-speed flat turns– very planted and fairly easy to wheelie. I imagine the steel frame design and low fuel tanks helped achieve that feeling. The bike feels like a solid racer, was easy to ride, and hopefully holds up well mile after mile.” As other SCORE riders saw the bike at the SCORE Baja 500, they were also impressed it came with so much for the price. “There are some good opportunities for KOVE and SCORE with this bike,” says Velazquez. “It’s a great handling bike both on and off-road. When I got to ride it, I liked the suspension and the powerband had an aggressive feel with great traction. Overall, I feel the bike has great potential in the market, especially with its MSRP. There are a couple of SCORE riders already wanting to race this bike at the SCORE Baja 400 in September.”