W
e first took notice of
the Kove Rally bikes
during the 2023 Dakar
Rally. We talked about it during
the Cycle News Dakar Rally Daily
Podcast. The Chinese brand Kove
Moto had three riders competing
at the Dakar Rally. All three riders,
all rookies, finished the grueling
14 stages. Before that, we hadn't
heard of this desert weapon with
its good looks and a mysterious
origin. It turns out this bike was
introduced in September of 2022
and went straight to Dakar. Bold.
The Dakar Rally is not an easy
test to pass. It's over 5000 miles
of special tests and liaison jaunts
through the brutal Saudi Arabian
desert with minimal maintenance
available without massive penal
-
ties outside of oil changes, oil
filters, air filters and fresh tires.
Racers run the gamut of riding
conditions from dark to dark
nearly every day. And this year's
race was full of water-logged
routes and massive sand dune
stages. Finishing the race is a
dream for many people, and it
surely gives this bike street cred
off the road. And after riding it,
we can quickly see how it pulled
off the finishes.
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 KOVE FSE 450R RALLY
P96
We were impressed with
the handling and overall
performance of the Kove
FSE 450R Rally. It looks
as if it's built well, too.
RALLY
FOR $9K!?
OK! OK!
WE TEST THE DAKAR-FINISHING KOVE
RALLY BIKE FROM CHINA
BY CYCLE NEWS STAFF I PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE ZIEGLER
