My Kove 450 Rally February 2024

[FredK]

Looks good Bart. Just came back from a leisurely outride here in the West Coast area, bike runs well, but still need to play around with the suspension settings

 

[BuRP]

need to play around with the suspension settings

I've wound all clickers to "-5", plus a full minus-turn on the fast compression of the shock.... which makes it better yeah, but I still use less than ~half of the stroke up front, and the rear still feels on the stiff side.

Had a chat with @superfoxi already about this, we'll see what we'll do around mid-April - after my Drakensberg/Lesotho/Transkei trip (with a GL Coyote over the back) as I'll know more & better then.
I'll then also put new tyres on (Motoz Tractionator Desert & Mitas E13 with same mousses in) and will do an oil&filter change, and on the way back home I'll be dropping it off at Hardy's place - ready for May's Kaokoland trip

 

[BuRP]

KTM 790 Adv R

You sold it???

 

[FredK]

You sold it???

Yes, my son, Martin has taken it over

 

[BuRP]

Nice ride downhill (which as always is steeper than it looks), and this shows how the Kove will handle rocky tracks - and, the guy also stops at places I am inclined to do too, just have a good look before letting the brakes go
During watching I was waiting for the sometimes LOUD bangs of rocks bouncing off the carbon skidplate (had a few of those already) but nope, none of that here.

What is also nice but not at all visible here, neither commented on, is the utter comfort once one reaches the normal 'roads', paved or unpaved - then this bike rides very smooth & planted, even at ~130 km/h, making it perhaps my best allrounder?
Got a 701 of which especially the power is addictive - and on which I did the previous 2 years of the same trip which is coming up ..... I'll decide when I've finished that.



@KnopKop , if you're going to ride coming weekend and want another Chinese to join you, holler please?

 

[KnopKop]

@KnopKop , if you're going to ride coming weekend and want another Chinese to join you, holler please?

Flip man, I would have loved to!
But it is our anniversary this weekend and the wife has a weekend away planned…… She will kill me if I go bike riding!! The weekend after that might be possible, but let me check as I am in Sabie the week from 2 to 6 April, but might be back on Sunday 7th!

Will let you know!

 

[BuRP]

let me check

I'll be gone the first 3 weeks of April

 

[Vilaishima]

I

Nice ride downhill (which as always is steeper than it looks), and this shows how the Kove will handle rocky tracks - and, the guy also stops at places I am inclined to do too, just have a good look before letting the brakes go
During watching I was waiting for the sometimes LOUD bangs of rocks bouncing off the carbon skidplate (had a few of those already) but nope, none of that here.

What is also nice but not at all visible here, neither commented on, is the utter comfort once one reaches the normal 'roads', paved or unpaved - then this bike rides very smooth & planted, even at ~130 km/h, making it perhaps my best allrounder?
Got a 701 of which especially the power is addictive - and on which I did the previous 2 years of the same trip which is coming up ..... I'll decide when I've finished that.



@KnopKop , if you're going to ride coming weekend and want another Chinese to join you, holler please?

I have a Chinese owned Italian but 130km/h is not on the cards for me. 100-110 is more my safe space. Always keen for a ride.

 

[BuRP]

Always keen for a ride

If free this coming (long) weekend send a PM pls

 

[OomD]

If free this coming (long) weekend send a PM pls

I'm free this coming weekend. I'm still not allowed back on my bike, though, but maybe you want to stick me for bfast or something?

 

[Grunder]

I'm still not allowed back on my bike

Shame. What did you do?

 

[OomD]

Shame. What did you do?

Still recovering from my hip op...

 

[Grunder]

Still recovering from my hip op...

sucks to be old

 

[OomD]

sucks to be old

I suppose. When I get there I'll let you know.

 

[BuRP]

I'm free this coming weekend. I'm still not allowed back on my bike, though, but maybe you want to stick me for bfast or something?

Let's see, if @Vilaishima bites ridewise this weekendwise we could or not.
You have my number, sent you a rude WA just now.....

 

[Welsh]

Still recovering from my hip op...

Hip-Hop?

 

[Vilaishima]

Let's see, if @Vilaishima bites ridewise this weekendwise we could or not.
You have my number, sent you a rude WA just now.....

I am keen. Did you have a specific ride in mind?

 

[BuRP]

I am keen. Did you have a specific ride in mind?

Nope, open to suggestions - and any day(s) of the long weekend suit me!
Don't mind some tar to 'get there' or back ...

 

[BuRP]

Because my ordered Supersprox53 rear sprocket still will take a while to get here I decided to get a normal steel 53-one in the meantime.

That arrived today - so, having the DID chain (required for anything bigger than a 51T) & swage-link already I decided to get this lot on.
That big steel toothed wheel weighs quite a bit, and even more so when holding it next to the 71 Twinstar alu/steel one which came off, a rather big diff - but on with it, can't wait anymore, and my Supersprox will arrive here at some stage so I'll swap it then.

In this thread about my Chinese Kove I now will mention the superior quality of the DID Chain tool ...... which is Japanese yes
To break the AFAM std chain was a doddle - and, doing this proved that it is an X-ring chain, not an o-ring type, see pic below.



I've said it before and will say it again now here: there's nothing better than the DID chaintool for breaking, clamping & swaging of a chain - this tool, together with 2 ringspanners only, will allow you to do all on your own, no other persons required, and do this relaxed, in the knowledge that one and another will be of proper quality!

Anyway, the sprocket was quickly on the cushdrive-hub also...



The new chain - a DID 520VX3 - turned out to be golden - BLING!!!!!
Oh well, I don't clean chains too often, and only lube them after a wash so that shiny bit will be for the photos herewith only

After assembling the lot, the fiddly bit of getting the grease everywhere as well as plentyful, and hand-pressing of the outer link to hold the lot together, it was time to crimp-set this outer link in place - quick & uneventful, and I saw the grease coming out
Then it was time to swage the linkpins one by one, also done quick and efficiently ..... and because I use this tool only once in a long while I was pleased again with the nice swages it makes





Then adjusting the chain plus tightening all up again, and job done!



It's now really ready for Lesotho's rocky inclines, Transkei's muddy ones, Van Zyl's Pass in Kaokoland and Robbie's Pass also thereaboutish!

 

[sidetrack]

Because my ordered Supersprox53 rear sprocket still will take a while to get here I decided to get a normal steel 53-one in the meantime.

That arrived today - so, having the DID chain (required for anything bigger than a 51T) & swage-link already I decided to get this lot on.
That big steel toothed wheel weighs quite a bit, and even more so when holding it next to the 71 Twinstar alu/steel one which came off, a rather big diff - but on with it, can't wait anymore, and my Supersprox will arrive here at some stage so I'll swap it then.

In this thread about my Chinese Kove I now will mention the superior quality of the DID Chain tool ...... which is Japanese yes
To break the AFAM std chain was a doddle - and, doing this proved that it is an X-ring chain, not an o-ring type, see pic below.

View attachment 886282

I've said it before and will say it again now here: there's nothing better than the DID chaintool for breaking, clamping & swaging of a chain - this tool, together with 2 ringspanners only, will allow you to do all on your own, no other persons required, and do this relaxed, in the knowledge that one and another will be of proper quality!

Anyway, the sprocket was quickly on the cushdrive-hub also...

View attachment 886283

The new chain - a DID 520VX3 - turned out to be golden - BLING!!!!!
Oh well, I don't clean chains too often, and only lube them after a wash so that shiny bit will be for the photos herewith only

After assembling the lot, the fiddly bit of getting the grease everywhere as well as plentyful, and hand-pressing of the outer link to hold the lot together, it was time to crimp-set this outer link in place - quick & uneventful, and I saw the grease coming out
Then it was time to swage the linkpins one by one, also done quick and efficiently ..... and because I use this tool only once in a long while I was pleased again with the nice swages it makes

View attachment 886285

View attachment 886286

Then adjusting the chain plus tightening all up again, and job done!

View attachment 886287

It's now really ready for Lesotho's rocky inclines, Transkei's muddy ones, Van Zyl's Pass in Kaokoland and Robbie's Pass also thereaboutish!

With that size sprocket you will never keep up with a XT