[cycleworld.com] - Colove 321F Models Revealed

[Ninjette Newsbot]

New images from Chinese firm Colove show it has two neo-retro styled 322cc parallel-twin-powered roadsters headed to the production line.


Both of Colove’s new 321F models show flashes of neo-retro styling, though the awkwardly shaped headlight does them no favors. (Colove/)While it doesn’t seem to be able to decide whether its name translates to Colove or Kove, the company behind these two retro twins is one of the more interesting of the recent spate of newcomers from China. Most recently, Kove (or Colove) made the news when it presented its upcoming 400cc four-cylinder sportbike engine earlier this year, proving it was a running prototype and insisting that it’s not copied from any other brand. That bike might still be some distance off, but in the meantime the company is on the verge of launching the neo-retro models seen here. Both go under the name “321F,” and are heading for production, as these images come from their type-approval applications in China.

Related: Colove’s Excelle 400RR Revives the 400cc Four


The sportier, fairing-equipped version of the 321F. Both are powered by a 322cc parallel-twin engine. (Colove/)The two bikes are mechanically identical, and share their engines and chassis with the existing Colove NK321R naked bike and NK321RR sportbike but wrap them in new styling that taps into the current trend for retro-inspired machines. Power comes from a 322cc parallel twin that echoes the engine used in Yamaha’s MT-03 and R3, although it’s far from a direct clone of that design. The castings are all quite different, even though the general layout and the internal dimensions match those of the Yamaha—a shortcut that would lead to a huge reduction in R&D costs, and one that’s long been common, particularly in the Chinese bike industry, though it’s worth noting that the Japanese motorcycle industry did much the same in its early days. That engine puts out 41 hp, just 1 hp less than the Yamaha R3, peaking at 10,500 rpm. Torque is 21 pound-feet at 9,000 rpm, again within a fraction of the R3.

The engine is mounted in a tubular steel trellis frame, identical to that of the 321RR sportbike, and sits ahead of a single-sided swingarm that gives the machines the sort of high-end style that’s usually lacking on bikes this size. Both models are commendably light, with the naked version tipping the scales at just 148 kilograms (326 pounds) wet while the faired version is just fractionally heavier at 149 kilograms (328 pounds). The wheelbase of both models is 1,390mm (54.7 inches). While they both use 110/70ZR-17 front and 150/60ZR-17 rubber, the faired model is seen here with wire-spoked wheels while the unfaired version uses cast alloys. Both have an unusual, forward-slanted, square headlight with a strip of LED running lights around its edge.

Related: Colove 321RR Details Emerge Ahead of Its Release


The company also announced a range of upcoming 800cc middleweights earlier this year. (Colove/)Although the company’s plans for exports aren’t yet clear, there is an English-language website (using the Colove name) at colovemoto.com. In China the brand tends to use the same logo but under the Kove brand name.

As well as earlier revealing the 400cc four-cylinder engine, Colove also announced plans for a range of 800cc parallel twins, believed to use a variation of the KTM LC8c engine, including the 800X adventure bike, 800R roadster, and 800RR sportbike.



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