Kove 450 Rally vs Kove 800x Rally

[JohnnyBoxer]

Going to disagree with you massively over them needing A LOT of oil changes.
Unless you are doing them according to the factory manual which is set assuming it’s being raced(and KTM/HQ covering their arse) Which on TET/green laning if isn’t.
You can easily double or triple the change frequency - remember you aren’t on the limiter constantly like a race bike so the engine is miles away from the stress points.
My EXC-f 500 has nearly 400 hrs(of which I’ve added 300+) and it’s changed between 20-30 depending on conditions/distamces/type of ride.
Oil has always been clean and free of anything.

Thank you

I am gonna stretch it to 20-30 hours too, based on recent experience too

My 350 EXC-F holds 1.2l and is wet sump, whereas my XR400R has a massive (in size) air cooled engine which is dry sump and holds 1.8l, so only half a litre difference and not a lot considering the engine is 30% bigger in size

I had a reverse engine Yamaha WR250F, similar in engine physical size to the 350 Exc-F and the Yamaha only holds 800ml of oil, so 2/3rds of the KTM 1.2l

As you say these engines have a fair bit of strength and a decent oil capacity

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I think the general consensus is for the lighter of the two bikes that I mentioned, lots of alternatives mentioned and I had considered the AJP PR7 - however, i still have an XR650R (turned it into a supermoto but could easily chnage it back again), I have 525 EXC 2005 which I could spend oodles of cash on to make it more adv but as pointed out, needs quite regular oil changes (I used to change it after every weekend rideout on it) - knowing what alot of TET's are like in the UK, the 450 rally is the bike I would go for - I was just a little concerned about road work if I go to spain on the ferry and do the spanish/portugal TET's. However, I think that for 80% of the time, the 450 is the bike to go for (I will get the seat modded).



If you dm me your number, I would very much like to have a chat with you on your experience of your bike.

Cheers

Timolgra uses a modified 525 RFS KTM for his Iceland trips and as a travel bike - he doesn’t find it a hindrance and has fitted an extended oil cooler to increase oil capacity

 

[ChasF]

I’ve always found that with EXCs you’re always anxious about the pending oil change - it is obviously possible/sensible to stretch the interval out to 25 or so hours if you’re using it for trail riding but even so when you are at 18/19 hours and planning a trip you find yourself changing the oil ‘just to be sure’. Other bikes I just dont worry about it.

I’ve read up a bit on the AJP PR7 - never paid much attention before, also see they are quite well supported here in France.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Agree regarding stretching the oil changes to a sensible degree, but if you're doing multi week trips you're going to end up doing oil changes along the way on an EXC whereas on a bike with say a 3000 mile service interval you'd not need to do any