New Kove 450 Rally Bike Hitting North American Showrooms Soon

No doubt it’s fun to see all the new bikes being unveiled at the annual EICMA show in Milan each year, even if that thrill is so often tempered by lack of availability in the US. But this is one revealed at the show that will be headed our way, and soon  — the Dakar spec’d 450 Rally Pro and standard option 450 Rally from emerging manufacturer Kove Moto. 

So what is Kove Moto? It’s a Chinese brand founded in 2017 and run by CEO, Zhang Xue, a former semi-pro MX rider who is obsessed with rally raids and wants to bring the Chinese flag onto the world stage. In fact, Kove Moto already has three of its Rally Pro factory bikes and Chinese pilots entered in the grueling Dakar Rally and will compete in the upcoming edition.

For those who haven’t already left for the comments section to complain about the infiltration of Chinese brands, one of the noteworthy things about this rally bike is that the standard version, currently in the process of being approved for full street legal certification, will be affordably priced at $8,999. Its Dakar-spec’d Pro counterpart, according to the brand’s US distributor, USA Motortoys, will sell for $13,999. 

Kove Moto has been busy in its short life, developing and producing a range of street bikes, as well as a 500cc adventure bike, all to date sold in Asia under the name Colove.  According to a statement on Kove Moto’s website, company sales growth for 2021 was 40%, with sales exceeding 20,000 units.

Behind the scenes at the fast-growing Chongqing-based company, CEO Xue’s passion project 450 Rally has been in the works for four years. When interviewed at EICMA, Xue made his intention clear. He not only wants to create a machine that will be competitive in Dakar and other famously tough rally raid events, he wants to make such a bike available to every rider. And as a motocross rider himself, he’s been notably hands-on during the development process and also in prototype testing. 

The Rally Pro certainly looks the part, and in a recent promotional video it seems to go fine too. Power is supplied by a specially prepared Zongshen 449cc liquid-cooled single claimed to pump out 54 hp and 31 ft-lbs of torque. The standard version will offer slightly less pop: 51 ponies and 30 ft-lbs of torque. It also offers a 38-inch seat height option (same as the Pro) as well as a lower 36-inch seat height option. The Pro model will come with all the Dakar-friendly goodies like a Scotts steering stabilizer, Bib Mousses, titanium exhaust silencer, Tri-nitride coating on lower fork tubes, carbon navigation tower, and a roadbook, while the Rally will come with a color-TFT display and ABS. Dry weight for both versions is listed at 320 lbs.

The bikes are equipped with three fuel tanks for a combined eight-gallon capacity offering a claimed 300 mile range and are listed as featuring 12 inches of travel front and rear, while the “Low Seat” Rally offers 10 inches. Wheels are the expected 21/18 combo, brakes are listed as Nissin single disc for front and rear and the recommended service interval will be 5,000+ miles.  

According to USA Motortoys, the first demo bikes are on track to be air shipped this month, with the bulk of the first shipment arriving to the States around May, 2023. All those first arrivals, 70 Rally models in total, will be designated “Competition Use Only.” With a unit currently being tested for street-use approval at US government labs, USA Motortoys says if all goes well it expects full street legal versions of the 450R Rally to be landing at its 71 GPXMoto dealers by Fall. 

And yes it’s true the KTM and other top brand’s Rally replicas are Dakar proven and sold in extremely limited numbers, but still, the idea of owning an “uncorked” Rally bike for less than $15k will be appealing to many. Especially if it’s a bike that can be competitive and survive the toughest rally on Earth. 

We won’t have to wait long to find out. But make sure to mark your calendar since the flag drop in Saudi Arabia this year will come a little early (December 31st).