Motorcycle specifications KeewayTX 450 R Rally 2024 Great raids within reach?

Since the trail bike has come back with a vengeance in a number of categories, all the manufacturers have been extolling the virtues of adventure, travel and wide-open spaces within reach of the handlebars. Even if very few will ever see the real scent of the dunes or the Agriates. A trend is slowly emerging in this microcosm: 450s with a real Dakar feel. To everyone's surprise, Keeway is launching a model to take part in this adventure on a specialized machine. That's what the TX 450 R is all about.

A true adventurer, cut in the KTM 450 Rally style. Enough to make most other trails look like tankers in the Suez Canal. Both appearance and function are directly inspired by rally-raid machines. The Chinese manufacturer, a subsidiary of Qianjiang, feels that there is a tactical operation at play in the market.

But the engine still has to meet demand. Keeway has installed a single-cylinder engine producing 43.5 hp at 8,000 rpm. Clearly an advantageous performance for an engine of this size and architecture, but still a long way from what a real rally engine (and its sophisticated maintenance) can offer. Austrian and Japanese machines produce around 60 hp. Or even a dozen more for official bikes. Torque peaks at just under 4 mkg at 7,000 rpm. The 449 cm3's 4 valves are actuated by a single ACT, and it can be started either electrically or by kick start (optional).

From the looks of things, it's clear that the Keeway TX 450 Rally doesn't intend to compete with the segment's benchmarks, but to offer pure off-road riding to a wider audience. The Fast Ace suspension features a generous 280 mm of travel and a number of adjustments: compression and rebound damping for the upside-down fork, and preload for the rear shock. Ground clearance takes advantage of the high suspension to come in at 255 mm, but this value, while substantial and useful in many circumstances, is barely higher than that of an Africa Twin. The seat height is 875 mm.

It's astonishing that Keeway should have specified the power of its enduro; hardly any manufacturer communicates on this subject. Such transparency can lead to surprises, such as a top speed of 125 km/h, surely due to a very short gear ratio. Other figures promise interesting trips, such as a fuel capacity of 28 liters via 3 tanks, and a weight almost identical to that of a Katoche: 142 kilos dry.

The rim dimensions are in keeping with the category, with 90/90-21 and 140/70-18 rims, an aluminum frame, 270 mm brake discs at the front and 240 mm at the rear, and Nissin calipers. As with all Chinese motorcycles, on-board equipment includes a 12V socket and a USB sibling, backlit controls, a 5-inch TFT color display, and.... plenty of carbon parts. Let's not forget that the TX presented here is not in its final version. Some equipment will certainly evolve. And to keep the price affordable, the carbon shoe and spider will certainly be released.

Keeway is taking on quite a challenge. More accustomed to small-displacement motorcycles, the brand is venturing (so to speak) into a demanding sector, with no experience and a very distinctive bike. As its parent company has several brands, including Pesaro, it's possible that this adventurous bike will come to us under the Benelli label. It's enough to get on the nerves of the new Kove 450 Rally. Especially if, like the Kove, it comes in at a third of the price of the KTM of the same name.