Dancing the Polka

It costs £6,000 new. OK, yes, I know I have moral/ideological reservations about Chinese motorcycles, but this thing costs just £6,000. That’s thousands less than the price tag of a comparable Japanese or European bike. And when you look at the spec it’s clear that, actually, there isn’t a comparable Japanese or European bike.

Fact is, if you’re willing to overlook a few uncomfortable truths about this bike’s country of origin, the Voge DS625X thing is a hell of a deal.

Chinese brand Voge (owned by Loncin, who build all of BMW‘s F-series engines, as well as its C400 scooters) introduced the DS625X – not to be confused with the (probably outgoing) DS650 – to the UK market earlier this month. It’s pitched as a kind of little brother to the wildly popular DS900X that first arrived in the UK late last year, and a step up from the existing DS525X.

Like the 900, the DS625X is packed with technowhizzbangery and add-ons that would push a Japanese or European bike’s asking price through the roof. Because of this, and the success of the DS900X, dealerships I’ve spoken to are feeling optimistic in terms of sales.

Though, it seems one challenge the bike is facing right away is lack of word of mouth. I have spent a lot of time digging and have so far only found one actual review of the bike. Maybe it hasn’t been available long enough. It may also be that the DS625X suffers from the kind of naming inconsistency that has long afflicted Chinese bikes. For whatever reason, Chinese bikes have different names in different places.

The Voge brand name remains consistent. But the bike known in His Majesty’s United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as the DS625X may be known elsewhere as the DSX625, the 625DSX, the Valico 625 X, or the 625X Aura.

With only one review to go on, I wouldn’t say this is a proper, full review round-up. But I’m so interested in this motorcycle (and, more broadly, the Voge brand) that I’m going to write it up anyway. So, your reviewers this time around are YouTuber Mark Pulling and my own ability to guess at stuff.

SOME NUMBERS

Starting price: £5,999
Engine: 581cc liquid-cooled parallel twin
Power: 47 kW at 9000 rpm (63 hp)
Torque: 57 Nm at 6500 rpm (42 lb-ft)
Fuel capacity: 17.6 liters (4.6 US gallons)
Seat height: 835 mm (32.8 inches)
Weight: 206 kg wet (454 lbs)

SOME CONTEXT

When the Voge DS900X first came to the UK late last year it dramatically exceeded the expectations of importer MotoGB (which also serves as the UK importer for Aprilia, Benda Moto, Benelli, CFMoto, FB Mondial, Hanway, Husqvarna, Indian, ItalJet, Kawasaki, Keeway, KTM, Lambretta, MGB, Morbidelli, Moto Guzzi, Royal Alloy, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Sym, and Yamaha). They had originally only brought 400 units to UK shores. Those sold almost immediately, sending MotoGB scrambling to bring in another 2,000 bikes for 2025. 

Put those numbers within the context of Voge’s total sales last year: 860 bikes sold in 2024.

Meanwhile, if you look at the popularity of the Rally 300 – another model that dealers are struggling to keep in stock – it’s clear that Voge is on track to be one of China’s legitimate contenders, on par with CFMoto and Benelli.

Somewhat related to all of this, I recently spent some time working on a story for Bike magazine about Chinese bikes moving into the mainstream (I think it will be out next month; I don’t know for sure. Go subscribe to Bike so you won’t miss it). As part of that article, I learned that the perception of Chinese motorcycles as cheap crap is very much a past tense concept. It’s like the idea that Triumphs are unreliable or that Harleys leak oil; they were, but aren’t now. Chinese bikes definitely used to be awful but they are not now.

Well… I’m sure you can find some shitty Chinese bikes being made today. There are more than 200 individual companies in China producing motorcycles and motorcycle components. It’s a given that some of them will suck. But the brands with particular Western focus – CFMoto, Kove, Qianjiang (Benelli, Morbidelli), Voge, etc. – are producing good stuff, which is getting better every year.

Poole Moto, in Dorset, has sold dozens and dozens of Voge motorcycles since the brand arrived in the UK. They told me they’ve not seen a single warranty claim. Check the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for recall information and you won’t see Voge listed once. 

Admittedly, Voge hasn’t been in the UK market for very long. But, at present, it seems fair to say that quality issues are no more of a concern with Voge than they would be with a Japanese, European, or American bike. Related to this, the folks at Poole Moto tell me they’ve not had any issues getting parts. So, the advantage that Japanese/European/American manufacturers used to have seems to be slipping.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Aesthetically, the DS625X certainly looks the part. Which is to say, it looks like what you’d get if you asked an AI to create an image of an adventure bike. Most Chinese motorcycles have this kind of styling: not a blatant copy of another bike, but derivative. With the possible exception of the stuff you see Benda doing, Chinese manufacturers seem to be proving the old adage that the Chinese don’t innovate, they imitate.

That’s not to say the bike is ugly. I’d be perfectly happy to be seen on one of these. One thing to note for taller riders, though, is that the rider in press photos gives the impression that this bike is chunkier than it really is. It’s not small, but when I saw it in person I noted that, relative to my 6-foot-1 frame, it looked slimmer and more manageable than I’d have guessed from pictures.

“It’s extremely comfortable,” says Mark Pulling. “The whole bike feels nicely put together… It’s a bit taller than the 525, but once you’re aboard it feels really, really nice – like a mini GS.”

Facing forward, the rider is confronted with a left grip covered in buttons and a large, clear TFT screen offering up all the information you could ever want, including speedometer, tachometer, odometer, gear indicator, fuel gauge, average consumption, trip meter, ambient and engine temperature, voltmeter, date, clock, tire-pressure monitor, and integrated navigation. There is A LOT of stuff to get your head around. In fact, the guys at Poole Moto said this was the biggest issue that customers have faced so far: getting familiar with all the bike’s tech.

Beyond the TFT screen is a two-height adjustable windscreen that can be tweaked on the go. All the bits and bobs are of reasonably good quality and much of the hardware is from brands you know. Nissin brakes for example. KYB suspension. Metzeler tires. If you come at this bike with a microscope and unrealistic expectations (it costs £6,000, remember), you can probably find some blemishes here or there, but on the whole, the DS625X looks and feels like a solid, real motorcycle.

ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, BRAKES

The DS625X’s 581cc parallel twin seems to be unique. Or, at least, it is not an obvious copy of another engine. I can’t find any Japanese or European bike that has a 581cc parallel twin. But I’ll admit that I am not enough of an engine guy to really be able to look at a powerplant’s workings and see how it’s similar or dissimilar from another one. 

For its part, ADVRider assumes that the DS625X’s engine is simply a boosted-capacity version of the 494cc parallel twin that drives the DS525X. In its review of the 525, MCN suggests its engine is an original design. If the 625’s engine is just a bigger version of the 525’s that would make sense. There are also a lot of chassis and features similarities between the DS525X and DS625X.

Whatever the case, the engine has a 270° crank, which means that it has a V-twin feel and growl. Paired with a light clutch, the engine pulls well, offering a good amount of grunt from low in the revs. Claimed peak power output is 63 hp and 42 lb-ft of torque.

“It sounds really, really nice… Very throaty indeed,” says Mark. “This is a very smooth engine… It’s got a very lovely kind of throb to it, but no nasty vibrations whatsoever.”

He had nothing but praise for the transmission. Describing it as “very light, slick, and positive.” Brakes, too, were strong and reliable.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RIDE

“The riding position is typical adventure style,” offers Mark. “Lovely control… Nice, big, spacious seat… The way this bike rides is really superb.”

Again, this seems to align with the sort of praise that the DS525X has received. However, unlike that bike this larger-capacity machine is far more comfortable on the motorway. At 75 mph, the DS625X ticks at just under 5000 rpm, feeling relaxed, stable, and capable of delivering more when needed. Complimenting that, the bike’s adjustable windscreen offers a good amount of protection to 5-foot-7 Mark. For a taller rider, like me, I suspect you’d be looking to just keep the screen low and eat the wind – or invest in an aftermarket option (sadly, it does not appear that the Givi AirFlow is available for this bike).

In part because much of the bike’s size is really just large bits of fairing placed onto a manageable chassis, the bike is notably easy to navigate. Of course, the fully adjustable suspension also plays a big part in that.

“Overall, the suspension is very compliant,” says Mark. “It’s slightly sporty. Feels great in the corners… It’s a very plush, premium feel… It feels so sure-footed.”

Meanwhile, unlike some people’s experience with the bigger 900, the DS625X is also relaxed and smooth at slow speeds – happy to crawl through traffic without complaint.

At one point in his video, Mark takes the bike ‘off road’ and reports no issues. However, the track he rides in the video is a straight, flat dirt road, no different from the sort of thing Americans might encounter on a farm road. I’ve ridden an Indian Springfield down roads like that. They offer no actual insight as to a bike’s off-road ability. Personally, that doesn’t matter to me. I wouldn’t want to take this bike off road.

BELLS AND WHISTLES

The KYB suspension is fully adjustable. The Metzeler Tourance tires are tubeless. You get a centerstand, rear rack, hand guards, engine bars, skid plate, 12v socket, USB-C socket, and LED auxiliary lights – all standard. Really, the only thing you might want to add is heated grips. The bike also has phone connectivity via a phone app, which you will need to make use of the bike’s front dashcam. Yes, it has a dashcam. I suppose this is a useful feature.

There is a Wi-Fi unit under the seat and almost certainly that connectivity will feed your personal information to the Chinese Communist Party. As well as all your dashcam footage. But, hey, you’re a good person, right? You’re not a dissenter. And if you’ve done nothing wrong I’m sure you have nothing to worry about…

You get traction control and two riding modes – Eco and Sport. However, Mark says there is little difference between them. Both traction control and ABS can be turned off if that’s your thing.

CRITICISMS

Service intervals are surprisingly short: just 6,000 km (3,728 miles). With a bike this new there are obviously no Haynes manuals (I’m not sure there are Haynes manuals for any Voge bikes yet), so you’ll need to be pretty confident in your wrenching ability if you want to avoid big servicing bills. 

As noted above, dealerships are having no problems getting hold of parts and I’m willing to bet they cost less than, say, Ducati OEM parts. So, if you’re doing your own servicing, the short intervals probably won’t affect your pocketbook too negatively.

Related to maintenance, the bike does not come with a tool set (increasingly few bikes do, admittedly). And it’s hard to tell from the photos, but it looks as if you’d need to remove the bash plate to change the oil filter. That will be annoying. Equally, I don’t see any clever panels where an air filter might hide, so you’re probably looking at pulling the tank for that job.

Meanwhile, the TFT screen takes a solid 5 seconds to boot up when you first turn the bike on. 

COMPETITION

The DS625X exists in a pretty crowded space, which itself sits between the equally crowded spaces of A2-license bikes (ie, bikes with less than 47 hp) like the Voge DS525X, Honda NX500, or CFMoto 450MT, and powerful middleweights like the Voge DS900X, Suzuki V-Strom 800, or Honda XL750 Transalp.

Within its tiny niche, and based on power figures, I’d say the DS625X faces competition from the Honda NC750X, Kawasaki Versys 650, Benelli TRK 702X, Suzuki V-Strom 650, and CFMoto 700MT. This Philharmonicmoto link shows how each of those stacks up in terms of spec. The Honda is the least powerful on that list (58 hp), and the CFMoto most powerful (74 hp), but the difference in power output is so minimal that it probably doesn’t matter.

In terms of price, the Voge is top – even beating the other Chinese bikes. Only the CFMoto, at £6,299, comes close. And in terms of bells and whistles, the DS625X is the easy winner. CFMoto and Benelli offer plenty of bling for your buck, but still don’t touch the shockingly affordable Voge.

VERDICT

Mark Pulling: “The bike feels very well screwed together, much like its big brother, the DS900X… It punches above its weight… It’s pretty quick, actually, for its 60-or-so horsepower. But what I like about it is: it’s got that nice ‘relaxingness’ about it… No vibrations. It’s super smooth… This would be an ideal all-day tourer.”

MY TAKE

If you bury your moral compass in the sand a little, now is a great time to buy a Chinese motorcycle. Thanks to world events, the Chinese are flooding non-US markets with more cheap goods than ever before. For example, despite its popularity, the DS900X costs less this year than it did last year. That behavior could turn out to be very problematic for the world’s economies in the long run, but right now, with summer approaching, it’s hard to argue against the value of the DS625X. 

From all that we know about the Voge brand and this bike’s baby brother – the DS525X – there’s every reason to believe that it is a well-made and reliable motorcycle. It’s comfortable, it performs well, and, I think, it looks better than the CFMoto and all the Japanese competition.

It is absolutely loaded with tech and goodies that would cost you so, so, so much – or which simply wouldn’t be offered at all – on a Japanese bike. Thinking with both your heart and your wallet, it’s really hard to argue against this thing.

And yet…

I joke about not wanting my motorcycle to report my whereabouts to creepy authoritarian regimes, but, you know, I’m kinda also not kidding. It creeps me out. And even if it weren’t creepy, there’s a lot of tech here. I don’t want to sound like a luddite but lots of tech creates lots of potential issues.

But, can I really say that I wouldn’t buy this if I had £6,000 and need/want for a new motorcycle? I don’t know. The DS625X is so well-priced that it even beats a number of A2 bikes. For me, it would be a dilemma. I’m sure that for others it’s an opportunity worth jumping at.