By Ben Purvis and Robin Bradley

A-Z

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- should have performance equivalent to a 650 cc machine . Meanwhile , in typical mixed usage , running partly on electric power and using the petrol engine for economical cruising , the emissions and economy should be on a par with a 250 cc bike . Kawasaki ' s final news from EICMA was the showing

of its prototype hydrogen-powered engine . A supercharged four-cylinder based on the design from the H2 , it ' s intended to power a large , highperformance bike in the future , shown in illustrations at the event . It uses swappable hydrogen canisters in the panniers to sidestep problems with hydrogen

storage and refuelling - a solution that Toyota ( a partner in Kawasaki ' s hydrogen power project ) is already adopting in its model hydrogen-fuelled town , Woven City , that is under construction on a 708,000 sq m plot at the foot of Mount Fuji ( it will eventually house 2,000 residents ).

Unless you are a regular reader of IDN , Kove may still be an unfamiliar name , but it ' s one of China ' s fastestgrowing brands and chose EICMA in Milan to present its range in Europe alongside plans for international expansion . Previously known as Colove , Kove showed its full line-up in Milan , including its 321RR sports bike - a parallel twin reminiscent of Yamaha ' s R3 - and the Café-Racer-style 321F built on the same engine and chassis . Kove also showed the parallel twin 500X adventure bike and the hardcore 450 Rally , a 446 cc single with Dakar intentions ; Kove intends to compete in the 2023 event . Competition is a major element of Kove ' s plan - it intends to race its MX250 motocross bike and to enter the World Supersport 300 championship with the 321RR and a team of Chinese riders and mechanics . Kove ' s boss , Zhang Xue , is a former racer and wants to increase the country ' s presence

800X

on the global competition scene . However , the most impressive machines were the new 800X adventure bike and the 400RR sports bike . Both were officially unveiled just days before EICMA at the Covid-delayed CIMA show in China . The 800X features a compact , water-cooled 799 cc parallel twin that Kove says was developed in-house , although there are some clear similarities in the design and appearance to KTM ' s LC8c engine . Peak power is 71 kW ( 95 hp ) at 9,000 rpm , with 80 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm , and the steel-framed 800X weighs in at a very respectable 183 kg all-in .

The 400RR , meanwhile , is an even more radical design featuring a home-grown 399 cc four-cylinder engine . With Bosch fuel injection and a modern design , it ' s essentially a vision of how the Japanese sports fours of the 80s and 90s could have evolved if the class hadn ' t disappeared . Making 50 kW ( 67

400RR

hp ) at 13,500 rpm and 36 Nm at 12,000 rpm , and with a kerb weight of only 160 kg performance should be impressive for a bike in the 400 cc class . Kove is currently looking for distributors across the globe to bring its machines to markets in Europe and beyond .

Moto Morini might be a famous Italian name , but the current iteration of the brand is Chinese-owned and perhaps that ' s why the company made relatively little fuss about the EICMA show in Milan . But just because there was nothing new on display doesn ' t mean the company hasn ' t got big plans for the future - new design registrations show that the firm ' s Bialbero CorsaCorta V-twin engine is set to make a comeback in a new , big adventure bike . Morini ' s range is currently made up of 650 cc twins , the X-Cape adventure bike and Seiemmezzo roadster ( available in two forms in 2023 , the alloywheeled

STR and the scramblerinspired , wire-wheeled SCR ). However , the 1,187 cc V-twin engine that relaunched the Moto Morini

brand in 2003 looks set to be reborn in a new model , seen in these pictures . The engine is familiar , but the bike seen in these new designs isn ' t . Featuring a new chassis - part alloy , part steel tube frame - and bodywork sharing a family resemblance to the X-Cape , the next-generation Morini V-twin ticks all the right boxes for a large adventure tourer . It will be entering the toughest of markets , though . Sales of big adventure models might remain at an all-time high , but such is the domination of BMW ' s R1250GS - a bike that ' s set to be reinvented for 2024 as the R1300GS ( with an all-new chassis and reworked engine ) - any new challenger will have to work hard to earn a slice of the ADV space .