Series: Manufacturers
KOVE has won both opening stages of the 2026 China Dahaidao International Motorcycle Rally (DHD Rally) in China’s Xinjiang region. The manufacturer reports this in a press release dated 7 September 2026. Martin Michek won the first special stage (SS1) and Neels Theric the second (SS2). Both rode the KOVE 450 RALLY EX. Official results lists from the organiser were not available at the time of going to press; the times and positions are based on information from KOVE.
SS1: KOVE riders take the first three places
According to KOVE, the first stage was 405.20 kilometres long, of which 253.63 kilometres was timed special stage. Around 152 kilometres were liaison sections on which no time is taken. The manufacturer describes a mix of fast tracks, sharp-edged rock, soft sand, riverbeds and demanding navigation in the Gobi.
The SS1 results according to KOVE:
- Martin Michek, 3:22:57 hours
- Milan Engel, 3:24:51 hours (Gap (Min:Sec): +1:54)
- Neels Theric, 3:25:55 hours (Gap (Min:Sec): +2:58)
KOVE speaks of an all-KOVE podium in the motorcycle classification. The release does not make clear whether this refers to the overall classification of all motorcycles or to a single class.
According to the manufacturer, Theric had to stop about 15 kilometres before the finish because of a technical problem. KOVE does not say what the defect was. Team-mate Sunier turned back and helped him, so Theric reached the finish and kept third place. The release does not say how much time Sunier lost as a result or where he finished himself.
SS2: Theric wins the day after the breakdown
Theric won the second stage the following day. According to KOVE, its special stage was 296.34 kilometres long and led through yardang terrain, meaning wind-sculpted rock ridges, as well as over open Gobi tracks and through riverbeds. Michek finished second. The manufacturer gives no times and no total length for SS2. In all, KOVE counts five podium finishes for its riders in the first two stages.
The race as a testing ground
Together, the two special stages add up to just under 550 timed kilometres. KOVE explicitly presents the entries as part of its development work: the data gathered in the desert is meant to feed into the further development of the 450 RALLY EX and future rally models. That is the manufacturer’s intention. KOVE does not disclose which data this is or what changes will result.
Outcome of the rally according to a media report
The KOVE release covers only the first two stages. On the outcome, the Spanish portal Motosan reported on 15 September 2026. According to it, the DHD Rally ran from 4 to 11 September 2026. Theric is said to have won it after taking three of the six special stages. Only the last special stage decided the victory, it says. According to Motosan, Milan Engel finished third overall. The report does not name the runner-up.
According to Motosan, the rally covered just under 2,500 kilometres, of which about 1,300 were timed. Nineteen participants reportedly rode bikes from the KOVE 450 Rally series. Motosan evidently draws on information from KOVE’s circle and on a social media post by Theric. No overall classification from the organiser was available at the time of going to press, so the final result is not independently confirmed.
Motosan named the Rallye du Maroc as the next stop. There, according to KOVE information dated 4 October 2026, Theric finished 11th overall and 4th in the Rally2 class. The manufacturer names Dakar 2027 in Saudi Arabia as its next major goal.
Sources and photo credits
- KOVE Moto: “KOVE Claims Two Stage Wins at the 2026 DHD Rally”, 7 September 2026, kovemoto.com
- Motosan: “La KOVE 450 Rally demuestra su rendimiento y fiabilidad en 2.500 kilómetros por el desierto”, 15 September 2026, motosan.es
- KOVE Moto: “KOVE Completes Rallye du Maroc 2026 with Two Victories”, 4 October 2026, kovemoto.com
- KOVE Moto: “KOVE At Dakar 2026: A Historic Milestone”, 18 January 2026, kovemoto.com
- Photo 1: Sunier (#45) on the KOVE 450 Rally EX, Dakar Rally 2026 (archive photo). Rights holder: KOVE Moto, photographer not named. Original source: KOVE Moto Ireland, “DAKAR 2026 | SS1”, published on 7 January 2026. Manufacturer press photo, no licence information published.
- Photo 2: Neels Theric (#66) on the KOVE 450 Rally EX, Dakar Rally 2026 (archive photo). Rights holder: KOVE Moto, photographer not named. Original source: KOVE Moto Ireland, “DAKAR 2026 | SS1”, published on 7 January 2026. Manufacturer press photo, no licence information published.