The skeptics thought this day might never come but after a long process, Kove has finally gotten its 450 Rally model street-legal certification in all 50 US States. Those riders who put down a deposit (or plan to) are expected to start receiving their bikes in about 5-6 weeks. 

When Kove (pronounced Ko-veh)  first announced they’d be bringing a street version of the Rally Bike to the US with full lighting, rally bodywork, 8-gallons of fuel capacity, carbon fiber components, fully-adjustable suspension with 12 inches of travel, a 320-pound dry weight, and an MSRP of around $9k, more than a few pondered whether this might be the unicorn adventure bike everyone’s been yearning for. Then when 3 out of 3 of Kove’s riders who competed in the 2023 Dakar Rally finished the race on their 450 Rally Pro model, even as first time Dakar participants, it really sunk in that this bike should be taken seriously.

One major hurdle to overcome was the ‘off road-only model’ status though. While many who live in less restrictive states had no problems licensing the bike at their local DMV,  it’s essentially impossible to do it in places like California. However, the cost and time associated with homologating a new model are major challenges for any small start-up brand to overcome. 

We’ve heard other brands say in the past that they ‘plan’ to make their off road-only model 50-state street legal (AJP PR7 comes to mind), then certification never comes to fruition. Kudos to Kove for actually making it happen because even if you aren’t in the market for this bike, you can probably agree that it will spur other major brands to create similar models.

According to US Distributor GPX Moto, getting the DOT certification for lights, brakes, windscreen, and other components was a tedious process but not much has changed on the bike in that respect except for a few new labels. And although certification from the stringent California Air Resources Board (CARB) went smoothly, a more restrictive air intake system and ECU tune were required. As a result, horsepower is down from the original 51 to around 42ish for the new street-legal version. 

Anyone in less-restrictive states looking to boost power or those using the bike for racing, can look to the aftermarket to get the ECU reflashed, and replace the intake and exhaust with less restrictive units. The internals of the engine on the standard Rally model are the same as the race-tuned Rally Pro model, so the potential is there to make the same 54 horsepower and 31 ft-lbs of torque with a few simple mods.

Pricing for the new 50-state legal Kove 450 Rally is set currently at $9,299 or you can still buy one of the remaining off road-only Rally models that have some additional performance parts and less restrictive exhaust for $9,499. Then there’s also the race edition Kove 450 Rally Pro that was used in Dakar, which has more premium components like a carbon fiber rally tower, titanium exhaust, Tri-nitride fork coating, Scotts steering stabilizer, etc., and sells for $13,999.

The first batch of street-legal Kove 450 Rally models are on the water as of this writing. So if you’ve been waiting for that ever-so necessary license plate, you can put down a $500 deposit to snatch one of the units on the first shipment expected to arrive between the end of July and beginning of August. Certification for Canada is expected to be completed soon.

And for those waiting on the arrival of a street-legal Kove 800X, the homologation process is underway. Although, certification is still a ways off with an expected 6 to 8 months before the first street-legal models roll onto showroom floors. We’ll be getting our first test on one of these machines soon, so stay tuned for our analysis!

For more details on the street-legal 450 Rally, check out the Kove website.

Kove 450 Rally ‘Street-Legal’ Specs

Photos by Simon Cudby / Offroad Underground

Author: Rob Dabney

Rob Dabney started a lifelong obsession with motorcycles at the age of 15 when he purchased his first bike – a 1982 Honda MB5. Through his 20’s and 30’s he competed in off-road desert races, including the Baja 250, 500 and 1000. Eventually, his proclivity for exploration led him to dual sport and adventure riding. Rob’s never-ending quest to discover what’s around the next bend has taken him on Adventures in Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and throughout the American West. As a moto journalist, he enjoys inspiring others to seek adventure across horizons both near and far.