KOVE MOTORCYCLES: Who? Read on…

Chinese firm Kove’s added its first ‘big bike’ to its adventure-focused range – and it looks like a winner

Kove’s a pretty cool company. While it’s not exactly a big name in the UK, the Chinese factory has made waves since being founded just a few short years ago, in 2017. 

It’s probably best known for its Dakar exploits and the 450 Rally based on its competition machine – but it’s quickly developed a decent range of rides of all shapes and sizes. It has even bagged some podiums in the World Supersport 300 championship. Impressive, right? And now it’s upping the ante and has the big-name firms in its sights with the new 800X Pro adventurer. 

Choice is abundant if you’re after a middleweight adventure bike that’ll cut the mustard in the dirt. Pretty much every manufacturer has its own version, but it’s Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 (in its various guises) that’s become the favourite since its eventual release a few years back. At its launch, it represented remarkable value for money – undercutting the competition with its stripped-back, off-road-focused performance. 

Since then, though, prices have continued to creep up – which is why Kove’s 800X Pro with its £8499 price tag looks like such a tasty proposition. First shown at EICMA in November, a 95.2bhp 799cc parallel twin motor powers it, tips the scales at a respectable 185kg, and comes kitted out with some decent-spec adjustable KYB forks, radial brake calipers and Pirelli rubber. Proper.

Initial reports have been super positive, and the only question mark is how easily it’ll be to return your bike to a dealer if something does go wrong. That said, the UK arm of the business has big plans and is on with setting up a ‘centrally located’ Kove hub in Oxford. 

If you want to know more about Kove and have a proper nosy at the new 800X, visit: www.kovemotouk.com