Kove's 800X Hard launches in China for $6,343 with 95 hp from its 799cc twin

Kove, the Chinese maker that has raced the Dakar Rally since 2024, launched the 800X Hard on August 8. The company calls the bike 70 percent off-road, built for desert, forest and unpaved terrain rather than long highway miles.

The Dakar pedigree is real. Kove has fielded a factory team at the rally since 2024, when all four of its riders finished, and at this year's edition French factory rider Neels Theric took China's first stage win in the motorcycle R2 class. The 800X family has also proven itself in hard enduro, with all 11 entries completing the Red Bull Romaniacs.

Two color options are offered, iron black and glory white. Compared with the road-oriented 800X Touring, the Hard version puts more into suspension travel and ground clearance, while keeping the full electronics suite for highway cruising.

The chassis uses a twin-spar frame. Curb weight is 194 kg (428 lb), ground clearance is 265 mm (10.4 in), the seat sits at 875 mm (34.4 in) and the wheelbase is 1,540 mm (60.6 in). Kove says the lowered, centralized center of gravity cuts body sway on rough trails.

Suspension is where this bike earns its off-road credentials. Fully adjustable KYB units provide 240 mm (9.4 in) of travel up front and 230 mm (9.1 in) at the rear, wrapped around 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels. Metal bash plate, hand guards and an engine skid plate come standard, so owners do not have to buy protection parts.

Electronics get an upgrade too. A new ride-by-wire throttle enables five riding modes, rain, comfort, sport, off-road and custom. Also standard are a bidirectional quick shifter, cruise control, switchable ABS, traction control and tire pressure monitoring.

Comfort and tech extras include heated grips, a heated seat, a front 1080p dash cam, a TBOX connectivity unit with OTA updates and a 7-inch vertical TFT display.

Power comes from a 799cc liquid-cooled parallel twin making 71 kW (95 hp) and 80 N·m (59 lb-ft) of torque, with a claimed top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). Kove tuned the engine for smoother vibration and sound, and the 20-liter (5.3 gallon) tank supports long-distance adventure riding.

The price gap to its most obvious rival is striking. In China the Hard starts at 42,800 yuan (about $6,343),roughly 60 percen to the 10,999 MSRP of a 2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 in the US, while packing a larger 799 cc twin against Yamaha's 689 cc engine.