KOVE MX250 TEST

First things first, the Kove is a very cool bike. It is, as far as I know, the first real motocross bike from China. Most other bikes from mainland Asia are copies of something else, but the Kove is its own beast. It has a DOHC six-speed motor that Kove produced in cooperation with nearby Zongshen. The top end, clutch and most parts are made by Kove. The suspension is by another Chinese company called Yu An and the brakes are by yet another Chinese company called Taisko. Virtually everything is sourced in China, which allows the MSRP to come in at $5999. The great thing about the Kove is that it feels normal. Everything is right; the seat, the bars and the riding position are all very modern and comfortable. This isn’t what I expected. Usually bikes from mainland Asia are laid out in weird ways. From just sitting on it, I would swear it’s a Honda. It fires up easily and sounds just like any other 250cc motocross bike.In performance, the Kove is realistically a step behind most other 250 race bikes of today, and the importers in Utah freely admit as much. It’s around 5 percent heavier than most (237 pounds without fuel versus 227 for a Husky FC250) and makes about 17 percent less horsepower (37.5 versus 44.4 for the Husky). When you ride the bike, though, you don’t really think in those terms. It revs like any modern 250. Most of the power is way up high, so to get around the track, you scream it–just like any other 250. It jumps all the same jumps, goes up all the same hills...