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Voge DS 900 X Review (Baujahr 2024)

Fully equipped adventure bike for less than 10,000 euros

21.04.2024

Photos: Motorradtest.de

The new DS 900 X is Voge's first big adventure bike. It takes over many parts from the also new BMW F 900 GS Adventure, but the Voge DS 900 X costs only 9,499 euros fully equipped. We have not yet come across a comparable machine at this price - but how does the Voge DS 900 X drive?

Who or what is "Voge"?

The Chinese two-wheeler manufacturer Voge is not yet so well known to many bikers in Germany. Voge's range ranges from scooters to naked and adventure bikes as well as a few classic and enduro bikes. So far, these have been rather smaller bikes up to 650 cc, so the new DS 900 X is the first large adventure bike from Voge. Voge is the premium brand of Loncin, one of China's largest motorcycle manufacturers. Loncin, on the other hand, cooperates with BMW Motorrad and builds not only the two C 400 scooters, but also the in-line twin engines of BMW's F-models.

In this respect, it is hardly surprising that the new Voge DS 900 X has many similarities with the BMW F 900 GS Adventure. By the way, we had already spotted a pre-model of this bike - the Voge DS 850 - at Eicma 2022 and wondered why this beautiful bike didn't make its way onto German roads. Now we know why: Voge simply waited for the new expansion stage of the in-line twin. But more about the engine later, we want to try it out first.

The Voge DS 900 X is available in black and silver blue. We would definitely take the black one!

Dimensions Voge DS 900 X

Visually, the Voge DS 900 X is powerful. It is slightly larger and longer than the BMW F 900 GSA, but slightly lighter at 238 kg. The wheelbase of 1.58 quickly makes it clear that this is a full-blown adventure bike with plenty of space for rider and passenger. The seat height of 850 mm is well chosen. It feels confident, but the bike is still easy to control and manoeuvrable even for normal-sized people.

Both pilots sit comfortably and upright and the wide handlebars are also mounted optimally high and almost automatically fall into the rider's hands. Long tours should be able to be completed without fatigue, especially since the permissible total weight of 443 kg also allows for a lot of luggage. A top case plate with lashing options and handles for the front passenger are conveniently mounted at the same time.

That's how comfortable it is for two to sit on the Voge DS 900 X.

360-degree tour around the Voge DS 900 X

Technology of the Voge DS 900 X

The DS 900 X is technically astonishingly fully equipped. There is a large and easy-to-read 7 inch TFT color display with all kinds of indications such as tire pressure, outside temperature and status of heated grips and seat heating. By the way, all the features mentioned here are on board as standard!

There is also mobile phone connectivity, unfortunately we were not able to test the navigation at the time of the test because the navigation app was not yet ready. The integrated HD front camera didn't really want to either, but that will certainly not be a problem soon thanks to fresh apps.

Of course, the Voge DS 900 X also offers traction control and 2-channel ABS. On the other hand, you have to do without lean-angle sensors, which is understandable at this price. The two usable USB sockets and an additional 12 volt connection in the cockpit below the two-way adjustable window are pleasing.

The lighting comes in full LED including the turn signals. There are hazard warning lights and even fog auxiliary lights are fitted. These offer a turning function: when flashing, the respective side illuminates the way into the curve at night. However, this does not work automatically, but only when flashing. The same applies to Blind Spot Assist, which is also standard on the Voge DS 900 X.

Phew, this extensive equipment is likely to make many competitors sweat. Want more examples? QuickShifter, handguards, center stand, crash bars, front camera with SD card recorder, cruise control, steering damper, keyless go, etc.

Beautiful stainless steel exhaust and Tyrolean-friendly 93 dbA stationary noise.

This is how it drives itself

Before we start, we'll do a little sound check. The machine sounds gritty without being obtrusive. The stationary noise is an environmentally friendly 93 dbA and that's how it sounds. Not too loud, but not too tame either. The DS 900 X has a beautiful stainless steel muffler with a cover for the passenger's legs in a carbon look.

On the road, the Voge DS 900 X is extremely confident. The 21" front wheel and long suspension travel bring stability and an enormously comfortable ride. By the way, the first tires consist of the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II, which is a really good tire. The Kayaba upside-down fork is gold anodized and fully adjustable. This also applies to the monoshock shock absorber (also Kayaba) at the rear. The suspension travel of 205 mm / 220 mm is neatly chosen, so potholes and bumps in the road surface can't harm the DS 900 X so quickly. It is really very balanced and the bike conveys an enormous amount of safety, especially in corners.

The new 900cc in-line twin with 95 hp and 95 Nm of torque.

The engine is mapped differently on the Voge than on BMW. Here it produces 95 hp at 8,250 rpm and 95 Nm at 6,000 rpm. For comparison, the BMW F 900 GS Adventure offers 105 hp at 8,500 rpm and 93 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm. So the Voge offers less power, but more torque at lower revs. Since the Voge also weighs a few kilograms less, the driving performance of the two machines should be roughly comparable, but without having checked this. In any case, the Voge goes forward with a lot of pressure and cuts a good figure both in the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h and in the pull from 60 to 100 km/h (see test video below).

In any case, we didn't miss any performance and the engine does its job very well overall. However, it gets a bit bumpy below 2,500 rpm, which the F 900 GS was able to do a little better. The QuickShifter didn't fully convince us either. It works, yes, but not as nice and soft as, for example, Ducati, Triumph or Yamaha. At the top it slips quite okay with enough throttle, but at the bottom you have to apply a little more pressure. But you get used to it quickly, so it's not really bad. But since we prefer to shift conventionally anyway, we prefer to be happy about the very smooth-running clutch (cable pull) with anti-hopping function. It's all right.

Brembo 4-piston calipers on 305 double discs - brakes well!

The brakes at the front deserve special praise. The Brembos are snappy and easy to control and decelerate the machine emphatically. Two discs with a diameter of 305 mm and an axially mounted 4-piston brake caliper with 2-channel ABS are installed. There is no corner-dependent ABS, okay. Clearly visible in the picture above: Beautiful wire-spoke rims with golden rim bed. The DS 900 X driver can also enjoy small things like the angled valves!

A word about the quality impression of the Voge DS 900 X. The matt black, butted handlebars including the milled triple clamp are chic and many other small details are also pleasing to the eye. In a few places, however, Voge blundered. The turn signal, for example, looks a bit wobbly and a few covers are not quite as finely solved as is the case with BMW, for example. The switches for the seat and handle heating could also have been installed a little more ergonomically. But that's complaining on a high level, basically the Voge DS 900 X is well made and the gap to the established providers has become smaller - but it can still be felt and seen at one point or another and we don't want to conceal that here.

Fork adjustable in compression and rebound by means of a screwdriver in the fork tubes.

The fuel tank capacity of the Voge DS 900 X is 17 litres. With a consumption of only 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers, this results in a range of 378 kilometers. The F 900 GSA with its 23-litre tank can do this a little better, although the range of the DS 900 X should be sufficient for 99 percent of the riders.

The wind protection of the Voge is good. The disc can be locked in two positions by hand, although we found the upper position to be more comfortable. The wind pressure is almost completely taken away from the upper body and shoulders and the turbulence on the helmet is kept within limits.

Warranty, Service and Competitors

The warranty for the Voge DS 900 X is two years. The service is due after 10,000 kilometers or once a year. these are quite common values. There are many competitors in this class (see the following link), but no machine except the CF-Moto 800 MT comes close to the price of the Voge DS 900 X. By the way, it is available with an aluminium suitcase set for as little as 10,800 euros - a real bargain.

>>> Voge DS 900 X vs. Mid-Range Adventure Bikes <<<

Conclusion on the Voge DS 900 X

The Voge DS 900 X is a well-made mid-range adventure bike at an unbeatable price. It is almost fully equipped and leaves nothing to be desired. A little fine-tuning is still missing here and there, but the gap to the bikes of the established manufacturers is already surprisingly small.

If you are actually flirting with GS Adventure or similar machines, you should definitely take a closer look at the Voge DS 900 X and take it for a test drive. A price advantage of about 50 percent compared to the competition is certainly a convincing argument for many motorcyclists in these times. It may well be that Voge has landed a real hit here, which we will then also see in the sales figures.

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