A New Honda NX500 Killer Is Coming From China

If you like adventure bikes, you must be loving life over the past few years. After all, the segment has properly boomed, and nearly all bikemakers have multiple offerings in the segment. It’s only growing larger with time, too, as new bikemakers whip up machines to rival these industry giants.

One such new company is Kove, which has already given us the impressive 800X. Now, it’s working on a new middleweight adventure bike that seems capable enough to smoke bikes like the Honda NX500 and Moto Morini X-Cape.

The Kove 625X Will Feature A 580cc, Parallel-Twin Engine

The news comes straight from Kove’s home–China–where the bikemaker has type-approved a new 625X adventure bike. This filing reveals several details, chief among which is the engine. It is a 580cc, parallel-twin engine–a capacity that positions it between the 471cc NX500 and the 649cc X-Cape. The mill runs a 270-degree crankshaft and comes from Voge. So while we don’t know the exact figures, you can expect it to produce 63 horsepower and 42 pound-feet, the same as the Voge.

We also get a good look at the underpinnings. There is a steel tubular chassis, with a simple tubular swingarm and a bolt-on subframe. This is topped with USD forks and monoshock, both attached to cross-spoke wheels (19-inch front and 17-inch rear). Braking, meanwhile, is via triple-petal disc brakes with Chinese-made Taisco calipers. These should be enough to stop this 505-pound package.

Engine Specs

A Catchy Design Rounds Off The Kove 625X

Aside from the specs, the filing includes an image of the 625X. In typical fashion, it shows a catchy design, with an X-shaped DRL and projector headlamps. Complementing this are edgy fairings and radiator shrouds, followed by a petite tail section. You should also know the version shown in the image has hard panniers and robust crash protection. We think these are optional bits, and the base model will probably skip these inclusions.

There’s no word on the features yet, although we do expect the package to be similar to the on-sale 800X. So you can expect:

• TFT instrument cluster
• Traction control
• Switchable ABS
• Ride modes

The Kove 625X Could Make Its American Debut Next Year

With type-approval sorted, the 625X’s Chinese debut seems around the corner. Post that happens, we believe this middleweight will make its way to America as well. After all, Kove is expanding its presence in both Europe and America each year. If that happens, expect it to sell for a competitive MSRP of about $7,500-8,000. That would leave it right in the ballpark of the $7,399 Honda NX500 and $7,999 Moto Morini X-Cape.