At EICMA 2022, Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Kove made their debut.
Just another Chinese brand, or so most thought, but they really are impressing lots of people across the globe. Kove president and CEO Zhang Xue made it clear that he had ambitions of making it big on the global racing stage.
Kove was born in 2017 and with operations focused mainly on the Chinese market. A mere six years later and 44 years into the Dakar, a Chinese manufacturer joined the fun in order to showcase and to test their tech.
The company fielded a total of three Kove 450 Rally race bikes at Dakar 2023 and all three of them crossed the finish line.
That’s no small achievement…
There were minor issues through the race, but the three 450 Rally bikes were impressive.
One of them even placed in the top 50—a rather impressive feat considering that this was Kove’s first time racing in Dakar. The bike was piloted by a Chinese rider named Sunier Sunier. He finished in 46th place overall, with his best performance when he tackled the 114-kilometer section from Haradh to Shaybah and finished in 33rd place overall, and sixth in the rookie class.
Some info on the bikes:
Two models: Pro and standard
The bikes are equipped with three fuel tanks for a combined 30.2 litre capacity offering a claimed 420 odd kilometre range and feature 12 inches of travel front and rear, while the “Low Seat” Rally offers 10 inches. Wheels are the expected 21/18 combo, brakes are Nissin single disc front and rear.
Power is supplied by a specially prepared Zongshen 449cc liquid-cooled single. The Pro version claims to pump out 54 hp and 31 ft-lbs of torque. The standard version will offer a bit less: 51 bhp and 30 ft-lbs of torque. Seat – a 38-inch height option and a lower 36-inch seat height option. The Pro model comes with all the Dakar-friendly goodies like a Scott steering damper, 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 146 odd kilogrammes.
Chinese machinery proving that it has what it takes to take on the big leagues, it’s inevitable.
The Dakar Rally isn’t the end of Kove’s motorsports efforts.
The brand is simultaneously focusing on road racing with its upcoming debut in the World SSP300. In a similar fashion to how they entered the Dakar Rally, it’ll be a team of Chinese riders, with rider Shengjunjie Zhou taking the helm of the Kove 321RR.
These guys build all sorts of bikes, from Rally to ADV, retro and even a dirtbike. There are even advanced designs for a 4 cylinder 400cc superbike.
Kove Moto is busy!
They have developed and produced 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
As far as we can tell, they export to France and the USA and are aiming at markets all across the globe.
Interesting stuff. Watch this space…
