Kove 350RR parallel twin By Ben Purvis
Kove is a relative newcomer, even in its Chinese homeland, but the brand is pushing into multiple export markets including the USA and Europe - backed by a couple of high-profile entries to the Dakar rally to raise awareness.
The company is preparing a new 350RR parallel twin sports bike to replace its existing 321RR. Type-approval documents in China have revealed the new model in advance of its official launch, showing a lightweight 344 cc machine that's essentially a big bore version of the bike it will replace.
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Kove's original 321RR took more than a little inspiration from Yamaha's YZF-R3, reverse-engineering the Japanese bike's 321 cc twin. Sharing the same bore and stroke as the Yamaha, as well as an identical 11.2:1 compression ratio, it achieved 39 hp compared to the R3's peak of 42 hp. With the new 344 cc version, Kove is looking to leapfrog the bike that inspired its design, moving from the original 68 mm bore and 44.2 mm stroke to a 69 mm bore and 46 mm stroke for increases in both power and torque.
The bike's type-approval shows the peak power is increased to 47 hp (35 kW), which could be a clue to European-focused plans for its future, as it meets the power limit for the restricted A2 licence rules adopted across the EU.
The 8 hp increase is more than might be expected from a mere 22 cc capacity increase, so might hint at more extensive changes inside the engine. The bike's homologated performance backs up the claim, though, with a top speed that rises from 170 km/h for the 321RR to 190 km/h for the new version.
The chassis and styling are unaltered, although the type-approval shows that a Brembo radial brake caliper will be offered as an option alongside the standard, Chinese make equipment. There appear to be no alterations to the suspension or the wheels and tyres, which remain 150/60-17 at the back and 120/70-17 at the front.
Since Kove also makes an unfaired version of the original model, dubbed 321R, it's logical to expect the upsized engine will also reach that machine as well.
While the use of reverse-engineered engines is frowned upon from some quarters, it's a shortcut that plenty of Japanese companies took during their formative years and a strategy that appears to be serving Kove well.
The company's range is currently topped by the 800X adventure bike, with a 799 cc parallel twin that looks very much like KTM's similarly-sized power unit. But Kove's own engine development capabilities have been demonstrated with the brand's 450RR sports bike, which carries a home-grown 443 cc inline four-cylinder engine with an impressive 70 hp (52 kW) on tap.
