Small screamer | Four-cylinder Kove 450RR sportsbike to produce 69.7bhp at 13,000rpm

Last month’s EICMA trade show in Milan saw the arrival of a new Kove 450RR sportsbike, powered by a Kawasaki ZX-4RR rivalling 442.9cc inline four-cylinder engine.

Conversations with representatives for the brand during the show suggest we could see the bike come to the UK in 2025 as a race-only package, with the firm already selling various models in our market – including a 799cc parallel twin 800X adventure bike family.

There are currently five Kove dealers across the UK, however the plan is to double this in the next 12 months. Kawasaki’s A2 licence friendly 399cc four-cylinder ZX-4RR is the only natural rival to the 450RR and can also be purchased as a race only package to compete in the British Superteen Championship.

Unlike the 76bhp Japanese machine, which costs £8699 in road-legal trim, the Kove produces a smaller claimed 69.7bhp at 13,000rpm, and 28.8lb.ft of torque at 9000rpm.

It’s also fed by a 14-litre fuel tank and is said to be capable of a top speed of 136.6mph – hauling a suggested kerb weight of 165kg in the process.

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As you’d expect from a track-biased sportsbike, you get racy looks, clip-ons under the top yoke, and 17in rims at both ends. The Italian display bike was also shod with tubeless Maxxis tyres, which could be replaced with alternatives from most mainstream brands, if preferred.

The 41mm upside down forks are said to offer full adjustment – with 110mm of travel available. These lead down to a pair of floating front discs with four-piston radial calipers, and ABS.

At the back end, there’s just 49mm of movement, with the monoshock again being fully adjustable. Here, there’s a 220mm single disc, and one-piston caliper, again equipped with ABS functionality. Seat height is adjustable between 780 and 795mm.