Kove 450SR wins the 2026 Alliance Motorcycle of the Year Award

The Alliance Motorcycle of the Year Award (MOTY) was recently held on the 2nd of April 2026. This event is an independent industry recognition platform that evaluates motorcycles available in the Malaysian market based on performance, innovation, value, and rider appeal. Organised by BikesRepublic.com, the event aims to provide a neutral and unbiased recognition platform for motorcycle manufacturers operating in Malaysia.

The awards are supported by Allianz Malaysia as the title sponsor, with additional collaboration from Castrol Malaysia, which hosted the public voting platform.

There was no participation or entry fee, ensuring neutrality, along with an independent judging panel.

This event was open to all motorcycle brands in the Malaysian market and exclusively focused on bikes launched in the year 2025.

The judging panel consisted of Keshy Dillon, founder of BikesRepublic.com, Piston.my, and MotoMalaya.net; Kevin Lee, a certified off-road trainer and highly experienced rider; along with Jehan Miskin, a well-experienced all-round rider.

The judges evaluated the motorcycles based on:

• Performance and engineering
  ● Innovation and technology
  ● Riding experience
  ● Market relevance
  ● Value proposition

2026 marks the second year of the Alliance Malaysia Motorcycle of the Year Awards, with 43 motorcycle entries—15 more than the 2025 MOTY. With the aid of Castrol, 3,000 votes were gathered within a short span of 30 days, and the organisers envision reaching 300,000 voters for the next MOTY.

Now let’s talk winners. The overall champion, Motorcycle of the Year, is the KOVE 450R, a lightweight 4-cylinder 450cc naked bike. What an unexpected outcome this was. Due to its high performance-to-weight ratio and competitive price of RM33,888, the KOVE 450R won the hearts of the judges. According to them, the motorcycle demonstrated a rare balance of agility, power delivery, handling precision, and rider control, standing out significantly during both road and performance testing sessions. All judges reached a unanimous decision, expressing strong fascination with the riding dynamics of the KOVE 450R. The motorcycle’s lightweight architecture and chassis balance allowed riders to confidently explore capabilities beyond what they typically expect from a bike in this segment.

Now, the Sportbike of the Year below 1000cc goes to the Honda CBR650R. A stylish and capable motorcycle, it will definitely make you look back after you park it. Another wonderful inline-4 engine, proven to be reliable and powerful when you need it.

Honda’s 650 platform takes another win with the Naked Bike of the Year under 800cc, awarded to the Honda CB650R E-Clutch. The new E-Clutch adds a strong “wow factor” on top of the already proven 650 lineup.

Kawasaki takes the Naked Bike of the Year above 800cc with their reputable Z900, known for being a reliable and powerful machine. The Z900 is a platform that has been refined and loved by riders around the world. It also has a beautiful exhaust note that, from what I’ve heard, is quite addictive—although Z900 neighbours usually don’t approve.

Kove continues making waves, winning again with the Adventure Bike of the Year. Their KOVE 800X GT takes first place. Its 799cc twin produces around 95 hp, which is more than enough for highway touring and spirited riding, while still being manageable off-road. On top of that, it weighs only 195 kg. The lightweight body, strong power delivery, and affordable price make it a very attractive package.

The Zontes 368G was chosen as the winner by anonymous voters. The People’s Choice Award represents the voice of Malaysians. The Zontes 368G is a new and extremely popular 368cc scooter, and definitely a strong contender against the likes of Honda’s X-ADV lineup.

Overall, the 2026 Alliance Motorcycle of the Year Awards highlight the rapid growth and competitiveness of the Malaysian motorcycle market. With a diverse range of winners from high-performance machines to practical everyday rides it’s clear that manufacturers are pushing boundaries in both innovation and value. The next MOTY is planned to have even more participants and bikes, listed below are all the overall winners of the 2026 MOTY :

Major Bike Category Winners