Colove, also styled as Kove, launched a new twin-cylinder sportbike about a week ago. We’re used to seeing a lot of bikes from China be outright copies of Western and Eastern-origin models. 

Kawasaki is among the many brands that get copied all too often, from the Z1000 to the Ninja, there are quite a few fake Kawis out there being sold in the Chinese market. Though, one could argue that it took some inspiration from the Ducati Superleggera in a way, or is that just me? 

That being said, the Colove 321RR doesn’t look too similar to another bike in its class, or so we thought after a bit of digging. Specifications-wise, it’s not all that original. 

Cycleworld reported that the brand will be shipping the model with a 322cc parallel-twin engine that will produce about 39 horsepower. Colove also has a naked offering in the market that utilizes the same powerplant, and the motor sits in the same trellis frame chassis as its naked counterpart. If you’re familiar with the 300cc class, you might know that the Yamaha R3 shares a similar set of specs for its engine. 

Colove 321RR Sportbike
Colove 321RR Sportbike

Now, Yamaha’s 321cc parallel-twin makes about the same power figures, with one less cubic centimeter of displacement. Again, Cycleworld pointed out that “the castings and the layout of components are similar, but not identical,” although Colove is in charge of manufacturing its own engines. 

This puts the bike on par with other rivals in the category such as the Honda CB250RR, or the aforementioned Yamaha R3. In its home country, you can expect that it’ll go up against the likes of the CFMoto 300 SR

So, is it a clone? Honestly, it’s very similar in concept to the R3, but what really makes a clone? Either way, I’m appreciative that Colove didn’t outright copy the design of the R3 in a one-to-one fashion. Cycleworld did state that it is similar but not identical. If Yamaha spare parts could be used in its engine, however, that might be a different story altogether. 

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@rideapart.com