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800 Adventure a jolly good Kove
17 October 2024
800 Adventure a jolly good Kove
Chinese bikes haven’t always enjoyed the best reputation. But that was then.
Now there’s a newish brand on the block, the seven-year old Kove. And, in the 800 Adventure, the company has really hit the spot reports Paul Browne.
Kove is a Chinese company, founded in 2017 which started out starting out making a name for itself in the world of rally raids.
Now, though, it has a full range, with retro styled machines, off-road bikes, naked, sport and adventure categories.
The Rally, and the Rally 450 EX in particular, make me wish that I could really ride a bike.
But I’m fond too of the Kove 800 Adventure, a bike powered by a parallel twin that puts out 95bhp and a tasty 80Nm of torque.
That engine, which is liquid cooled and has dual overhead cams, lives in a chassis that sits on a KYB suspension, adjustable at both ends.
Couple that big brand suspension with Pirelli rubber and a TFT screen and you’re looking at a high spec machine. That’s not a bad achievement for a bike we’d never heard of before last month’s EICMA show in Milan.
Comfort zone
The ergonomics are the first thing that I noticed.
Sitting up on the ‘Pro’ version of the beast it felt quite low for a bike in its class. Then again I am a graceful 6ft tall offering and I’d just got off my new Tenere. What was interesting was how wide and very comfortable the seat is. Once again, though, I’d just got off my Tenere…
The buttons are refreshingly simple with an ignition and a kill switch on the right. There is a menu button on the left side which facilitates smartphone mirroring with that TFT screen.
When the bike is switched on the screen comes to life and presents the rider with a picture of an Alpine scene. It then moves on to the pertinent information, displaying speed, gear and RPM which are all laid out clearly.
Middleweight champion
There’s a bash plate and a set of bars that protect the sides of the bike and, in particular, the radiator.
The wheels are a pair of cross-spoked units with gold rims.
The standard Euro 5 compliant exhaust is rounded out with a brushed titanium end can.
The styling on the front end isn’t unique, but is fresher looking than most of the class.
The headlights look the part and LED indos are well ‘hidden’ until they’re in use.
A rear carrier suggests that purchasing a top box would be the thing to do, while mounting points on the sides for panniers offer me the dream of riding over to those Alpine peaks.
That and the 20 litre tank…
Predictably fun
Meanwhile taking to the streets I find a road that’s technical, wet and a heap of fun to ride the new bike on.
Everything is predictable and the bike goes where I want it to, stops when I want it to and accelerates briskly. It shows itself to be a perfect middleweight machine.
On the trail roads and even the wet grass it performs just as excellently. This has a lot to do with it only weighing in at 183 kilos – and that’s a wet weight!
Back on the motorway, Dublin’s M50, the Kove is easy to slice through traffic on.
There is, indeed, an awful lot to be said for it.
You’ll find the Kove 800 Adventure available exclusively from CCM Racing in Tallaght and will run you a modest €10,795. For more details talk to any of the team on 0 14526170. Test rides are available.
