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Voge R125 Review (Baujahr 2023)

What can the cheap A1 naked bike from China do?

31.12.2023

Photos: Motorradtest.de

With the new Voge R125, the Chinese manufacturer is putting an exclamation mark on the A1/B196 naked bikes. Why? Because this light motorcycle costs only 3,199 euros and the competitors are significantly more expensive. Whether you have to do without anything because of this, Markus and Dietmar checked during an extensive test drive.

Chic and cheap

125cc bikes are often surprisingly expensive, at least that's how it often feels compared to larger bikes. The class leader KTM 125 Duke, for example, costs 5,350 euros, the Yamaha MT-125 even a whopping 5,749 euros! Since many buyers of these A1 machines are very young and have a correspondingly tight budget at their disposal, these prices are of course doubly painful. It's a good thing that Voge now offers the R125, a very respectable naked bike for only 3,199 euros. The three colours are blue, black and black-yellow.

The design of the Voge R125 reminds us of a mixture of Yamaha and Suzuki - in any case, the Voge is very sleek and has to hide from its competition, God knows. Beautiful swingarm, underfloor exhaust, pretty light elements front and rear, matt black painted tubular steel frame and, above all, a sporty design front - especially in the blue version we tested, the Voge really looks good (see also picture gallery above).

Dimensions and seat ergonomics

However, the machine turned out to be a bit too small for our taste. Less than 2 meters in length and a wheelbase of only 1.31 m are already a challenge for people from 1.85 m. It is correspondingly cramped for the driver and especially for the front passenger. However, it has to be said that this is the case with almost all 125cc machines - why? Do the manufacturers assume that A1 drivers are smaller than motorcyclists with a large driver's license? Presumably, many A1 and B196 test subjects are desperately looking for a bike that offers more space and, above all, is not immediately recognizable as an A1 machine, at least from a distance.

So, dear manufacturers: Why don't you build a big and yet light 125? It would probably be snatched out of your hands...

That's what it's like to sit on the Voge R125.

360 degree tour around the Voge R125

Technology of the Voge R125

The Voge R125 has an easy-to-read and colourful LCD cockpit with gear indicator, fuel level indicator, temperature gauge, on-board computer and, of course, speed and rev counter. Even the average consumption and battery voltage are displayed, not bad.

As usual, there are no technical helpers with the 125. But that doesn't bother you, because with 15 hp, who needs lean angle sensors, wheelie control or traction control? At least there is a 2-channel ABS on board and Voge has also thought of an easily accessible USB socket under the cockpit for the smartphone.

We find the lamp design of the Voge R125 particularly successful. From the front it reminds of an MT from Yamaha, from the back it could also be a small Ducati - really chic! All lamps are LED technology, including the daytime running lights and turn signals.

This is how it drives itself

Of course, the engine of the Voge R125 comes from the parent company Loncin, which also supplies the engines for the BMW F models, for example. Or to put it another way: they can build engines. Here it is a 1-cylinder 4-valve engine with 15 hp at 9,500 rpm and 12 Nm at 8,500 rpm. Of course, you should never expect an exciting performance from a 125, but at least the R125 doesn't fare worse than its competitors, which is probably also due to the low weight of only 134 kg.

If we had our problems getting to 100 km/h in one or the other test of a 125, this is not a problem with the Voge. It easily drives just under 120 km/h (according to the speedometer), the official top speed is 110 km/h. Presumably, this is not entirely unimportant for young drivers, because if you are allowed to scrub around with only a maximum of 15 hp, then it should at least be as fast as possible. And this is exactly the case with the Voge R125.

The other components such as suspension, gearbox and brakes did not disappoint either. You have to shift a lot to get around corners quickly, but the gearbox is really fun with simple and precise gear changes. Fortunately, the Voge R125 is not too softly tuned, even at 84 kilograms it is sporty and not spongy. It's fun and as a 16-year-old I definitely wouldn't have been relegated for days. By the way, my first "machine" was a Honda MTX 80 in 1982 with almost 10 hp - it was probably only half as fast as the Voge, even if I remember it differently...

The chassis consists of a non-adjustable, but very bulky upside-down fork and a central shock absorber, which is adjustable in the spring preload. The tyres come from the Chinese manufacturer "Helios", which is unknown to us so far. Since it was always raining during our tests and we never slipped, these tyres seem to be okay, at least they fit the R125 well.

Low cost of the Voge R125

Finally, I would like to say a few words about costs. The Voge R125 consumes just 2.3 litres per 100 kilometres. This contributes to a good range (435km) and, above all, is easy on the wallet at the gas station. The first service is due after 1,000 km, all other services after every 10,000 kilometers - i.e. roughly the usual cycles. The insurance costs 50 to 70 euros per year, the taxes are 0 euros (125cc bikes are tax-exempt as long as they have a maximum of 15 hp). In other words, driving a Voge R125 is really cheap, even if you treat yourself to a new vehicle! Here again the price and data comparison of the competitors:

>>> Comparing Voge R125 vs. 125cc Naked Bikes <<<

Conclusion - what sticks

The Voge R125 is a good and above all cheap naked bike for A1 and B196 riders. It looks sleek and is technically equipped in a class-standard manner. Thanks to its low weight and 15 hp engine, an A1 bike can move faster than expected. Other highlights are a coloured LCD cockpit with lots of information, a gritty-sounding underfloor exhaust as well as very nice LED lighting front and rear.

Whether the small dimensions are suitable for a taller driver can only be weighed up during a test drive or at least during a test drive. Like all other 125cc bikes, the Voge R125 is quite small. So - let's go to the dealer and just sit on the little fun rocket!

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