KOVE puts the brakes on Motocross: no official plan, rumors of an imminent debut denied

No official commitment from KOVE Moto in MX: the Chinese brand’s official statement on the matter.

Is KOVE entering Motocross? No, not yet—at least for now there are no official plans. After weeks of rumors and statements suggesting that the KOVE Factory Racing project was ready to launch its MX program, here comes the official denial from the Chinese brand. A direct contradiction of what was stated by Tom Steensels (source GateDrop), former team manager in the MXGP World Championship, who had spoken of a return to the paddock as early as next year. So, it’s a discipline that is not part of the plans for the moment, unlike what we’ve seen in Dakar, Supersport 300, Sportbike, Africa Eco Race, and Motorally.

This is the official statement: "KOVE appreciates the passion and support of teams and riders around the world. For clarity, 'KOVE Factory Racing' refers only to official, factory-supported programs. KOVE currently has no official plans or projects for Motocross racing." Thus, all previous statements are denied, including talk of initial tests this year, then targeting the European 250 in 2027 and the following year the World Championship in the same class. No competitions, even though KOVE’s motocross models do exist: with the MX250 and MX450, the Chinese brand immediately set itself up against the historic off-road marques as well as the newcomers. But indeed, we’re not talking about Motocross racing—for now. Who knows if the program will change later on...

For the moment, KOVE is making its mark in other areas, as mentioned above. In the Dakar, where it debuted in 2023, it claimed three historic stage wins this year. Also in 2023 came its debut in the Supersport 300 World Championship, where the first world title arrived at the end of 2025 thanks to Benat Fernandez, who has been fully confirmed by the brand for the challenge in the new Sportbike class, where he set the new category lap record at the Assen round. Not to forget the two consecutive titles in the European Motorally Championship with Matteo Bottino, who also represents the brand in the Africa Eco Race.