Dan, here's perhaps a surprise for you: I
also am farfromfond of Chinese rubbish!
We both are old enough to remember "JapScrap", shit Made in Japan that was hardly worth looking at!
But eh, these days?????
YOU are a Yamaha fan, and
I am fond of Toyota, hell, even fond of Honda quality (note,
quality only)..... so somewhere somehow times did change eh?
Then came "Made in Taiwan" .... oooooohh dear, another shitload of shite coming our way!
But eh, Hyundai or Kia anyone now?
We all (should) know what happened if we look back.
Now there's China crap, for long already, and the crap-bit is very much earned also!
But, but.... there's also
good Chinese quality, excellent stuff too - hell, did you know that our mobile telcoms are handled by Huawei equipment, a massive Chinese company's stuff???
BYD's currently flooding the European markets with their EVs, and we both know where that will lead to - and the EU carmakers know this too!
Hell, even Elon knows this, they're way bigger than his outfit - he'll go bank in only a few years!
But, bikes?
Nah, dilivery shit for a family of 6 plus their sow, all on it on their way to the market - not interested!
Then, about just over a year ago, the name KOVE was dropped - cleverly so, 3 unknown Chinese riders were to attempt the Dakar race on this new Chinese motorcycle ..... they were guaranteed of international news coverage!!
But hold on a sec, they all made it - huh?
Then next we all heard of this new Kove bike, worldwide youtubes galore - and very little negative news was outed, so it got my attention span a bit more than my goldfish is able to do.
Then came Dakar 24 - and hahaha, they failed!!!
Eh, actually they did not, only 2 bikes (a prototype plus one of the 'regular' bikes) did not make it, the rest did.
However, that prototype, manned by Klein, did VERY well, the
bike and the dude is fast as hell.... and the 'others', being on regular Kove's which are not that fast, did not do bad at all!
That 'regular' bike I've bought now - for one simple reason... which is multifold of course
- I liked this bike from the first time I saw it, it's different in some ways, which will allow me to 'adventure' in Southern Africa, and do this in a bit better way than I've done thus far
- I hunched - and yes, that's still a hunch only, I'll admit that - that this Kove is the real first
proper Chinese bike coming our way.
I will test that too, hold your verbal horses: I plan to do with it...
- run it in first of course, around here, some on tar dog forbid
- 11 days Transkei/Lesotho/Drakensberg with John Wood in April
- a service at Offroad Cycles in Pretoria (I want to
know about the tappets, and am sure Conrad would like to know that also!)
- 12 days Kaokoland with Hardy in May, van Zyls Pass and Marienfluss included, directly followed by
- 10 days Kaokoland with John Wood in June, Robbie's Pass included
I reckon that's close to 7000 kms in total if not more, and all rather remote if not wildish, and I'll be reporting on these trips here on WildDog.
If it does this all, without any major shite (bigend, valves or why) ..... will
you then be at least a little more, eh, let's say approachable, to this new Chinese Kove 450 bike?
Have coffee, sleep on it, and only then answer...
