China’s native motorcycle industry is continuing to expand, and the Kove 800X Rally is further evidence of that.
It does not seem so long ago that we spoke about motorcycles made in China exclusively as rip-offs of bikes from established brands or small-capacity commuters. Those pieces of the Chinese industry remain, but what has grown out of its - and what continues to grow - is the group of manufacturers that make their own way and look to satisfy the condition of motorcycling that we associate with it so much here in the west: fun.
Kove is one of the brands that could be described as being a part of this group. It might not have the presence here that CFMoto or QJ Motor has, for example, and it does not have the benefit of some of its other compatriot brands which are able to build a western consumer base off the back of once-dead European brands. Benelli, owned by Qianjiang, is a decent example of that, as is SWM, which is owned by Shineray.
For Kove, its European presence is expanded in 2024 thanks to the arrival of the 800X Rally, which builds on the 800X Super Adventure that launched last year.
The base of the bike is the same as the Super Adventure, and the new 800X Rally makes use of the same 799cc engine that is produced by CFMoto and which can also be found in the KTM 790 Duke, for example.
While the engine is mechanically the same, though, its outputs in the Rally and Super Adventure are slightly different. The Rally, with 70kW or 94bhp, is 1kW down in terms of power to the Super Adventure, although maximum torque is equal between the two at 59lb ft.
While the Rally is marginally down on power to the Super Adventure, that doesn’t account for its 25kph speed deficit. The Super Adventure’s top speed is quoted as 210kph, or 130mph, where the Rally’s is 185kph, or 115mph. This indicates a difference in gearing, and confirms the Rally’s further bias towards the loose compared to the Super Adventure.
The Rally is also slightly longer and slightly taller than the Super Adventure, and its 895mm seat height is unadjustable. The 19-litre tank capacity is one litre down on the Super Adventure, while its 169kg weight puts it 16kg lighter. It is difficult to compare exactly with other bikes in its category, because the 169kg of the 800X Rally is its dry weight, but it certainly puts it among the lightest in its class.
A 293mm ground clearance is achieved thanks to a 21-inch front wheel with 270mm of travel from its inverted fork, and an 18-inch rear wheel with 250mm of travel from the monoshock. Both suspension units are preload-adjustable.
Dual 310mm discs up front and a 240mm disc out back handle the stopping, and the bike also comes with a TFT display.
Pricing and availability information is not yet available, and the Kove 800X Rally seems to be only available in the black colour seen in this article, with gold wheel rims and accents.
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