Building on its rally raid experience worldwide, including the Dakar Rally on the 450 Rally EX, six-year-old Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Kove is building a much larger rally bike for the street-going rider. Kove claims the 800X Rally will be a rally motorcycle that approaches the performance level of its Dakar 450s. Kove will also offer a race kit for those who want an open-class rally bike. While it’s unlikely many will be competing on the 2025 Kove 800X Rally, it will be an enticing machine for adventure enthusiasts who covet high performance in the dirt. With all that in mind, let’s take a more detailed look at the stock version.
- The 799cc parallel twin powerplant boasts impressive numbers. According to Kove, the DOHC parallel twin cranks out 95 horsepower at 9000 rpm for a top speed is 112 mph. Torque maxes out at 37 ft-lbs at an undisclosed rpm. Bosch handles the fueling responsibilities. The short-stroke motor gets a six-speed transmission.
- The range of the 2025 Kove 800X Rally suits rallies and adventure. The fuel tank holds 5.3 gallons and the motor squeezes 50 miles out of a gallon of gas, so we’re looking at over 250 miles between visits to the gas station. Of course, as we all know, your mileage may vary.
- Suspension is by Yu-An. While you may have never heard of this Chinese company based in Changzhou, a couple of hours outside of Shanghai, Yu-An builds some sophisticated suspension units, including semi-active damping. While not electronically enhanced, the 800X Rally does have full damping adjustments at both ends. Travel is 10.6 inches in the front and 9.8 inches in the rear.
- The perimeter steel frame’s geometry is ready for rally speeds. The wheelbase is an expansive 60.8 inches, and the Yu-An 49mm inverted fork is raked out 26.5 degrees.
- As you’d expect, there’s a 21-/18-inch wheelset. Taiwanese CST EX-01 tires are employed for traction. FIM-compliant, the rear measures 140/80 and the front 90/90.
- The brake calipers are made in China by Taisko. That’s a two-piston unit in the front and a single-piston for the rear. The calipers grasp wave-style rotors.
- The seat height is an even 35 inches, with 11.5 inches of ground clearance.
- There is some serious chassis armor on the 2025 Kove 800X Rally. Check out the full skidplate and radiator/bodywork crash protection. Oddly, there is no hand protection.
- It’s a one-person motorcycle. While it has a long seat, there are no passenger pegs on the 800X Rally.
- According to Kove, the 800X Rally its “dry weight” is 363 pounds. Unfortunately, dry weight is a vague term, so we can’t compare it directly to other models of motorcycles. However, with all the fluids added, it shouldn’t weigh more than 425 pounds, so it will be a class lightweight going up against motorcycles such as the Yamaha Ténéré 700, Suzuki V-Strom 800DE, and the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
- Due to be released next month, the 2025 Kove 800X Rally has a price tag of $11,999. It will be sold in all 50 states. Kove boldly claims, “The 800X Rally doesn’t just look like a big dirt bike; it IS a big dirt bike!” We will work on getting a test bike from the US importer, which is based in Mona, Utah.
2025 Kove 800X Rally Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Parallel twin
- Displacement: 799cc
- Bore and stroke: 88 x 65.7
- Compression ratio: 13:1
- Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 vpc
- Fueling: Bosch EFI
- Cooling: Liquid
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Clutch: Wet multiplate
- Final drive: Chain
CHASSIS
- Frame: Steel perimeter
- Front suspension; travel: Damping-adjustable Yu-An inverted 49mm fork; 10.6 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: Linkage-assisted damping-adjustable Yu-An piggyback reservoir; 9.8 inches
- Wheels: Wire-spoke
- Tires: CST EX-01
- Front tire: 90/90 x 21
- Rear tire: 14080 x 18
- Front brake: 310mm disc w/ 2-piston Taisko caliper
Rear brake: 240mm disc w/ single-piston caliper - ABS: Standard (plus front-wheel only and off)
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 60.8 inches
- Rake: 27.15 degrees
- Trail: N/A
- Seat height: 35.2 inches
- Ground clearance: 11.5 inches
- Fuel capacity: 5.3 gallons
- Estimated fuel consumption: 50 mpg
- Color: Red
- Curb weight: N/A
2025 Kove 800X Rally Price: $11,999 MSRP
