Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

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Richard Simpson Mark II
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Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Made in China, the VOGE 500 DS. Uses the old Kawasaki KLE 500 twin engine.
Nissin ABS brakes, Pirelli Angel tyres, KYB suspension, Bosch EFI.
Coming to the UK, but no price details yet. I'd think it would sell quite well for £4 or £5k
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DanielS
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by DanielS »

I's £5k and available now according to the adverts that keep popping up on my FB.

http://www.vogeuk.co.uk/models/LX500-J-E5
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daveuprite
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by daveuprite »

Wow, so that's got a KLE engine, which is basically a GPZ500 engine, which was designed in the mid 1980s. It's a 40 year old engine design !

Now does that mean that it's a time-served trusty reliable lump ? Or does it mean that absolutely no effort has gone into the motor and the bike is about as modern as a Ford Sierra?

But it is mighty cheap...
Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Years ago I did a paper comparison exercise on performance figures....and the much-derided Kawa 500 novice-friendly commuter twin did a standing 1/4 in about the same time as the 'fearsome' Kawa 750 two-stroke triple of the 1970s.
I seem to remember a KLE500 finishing very high up in the Dakar rally one year too.
So it would be interesting to see what that bike went like...I would think the boxes would slow it down a bit.
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by onslowe »

Might as well get the proven Honda CB500X or any other non Chinese bike, 2nd hand, as I think we are in enough trouble with Chinese imports as it is :o
daveuprite
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by daveuprite »

Richard Simpson Mark II wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:12 pm Years ago I did a paper comparison exercise on performance figures....and the much-derided Kawa 500 novice-friendly commuter twin did a standing 1/4 in about the same time as the 'fearsome' Kawa 750 two-stroke triple of the 1970s.
Yeah very good point. There's lots of rose-tinted spectacle wearing about older bikes and their performance. I like reading old editions of Which Bike or Motorcycle Mechanics where they were reviewing the brand new CB750 or whatever. The journos describe how their stomach turned to jelly and they struggled for breath such was the mind-bending acceleration on a bike whose top speed can be comfortably matched today by an R1 or a Panigale in 2nd gear!
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by Crossrutted »

onslowe wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:16 pm I think we are in enough trouble with Chinese imports as it is :o
Care to cite examples/facts to substantiate that opinion?
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by Crossrutted »

Richard Simpson Mark II wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:12 pm the 'fearsome' Kawa 750 two-stroke triple of the 1970s.
It wasn't the power that made Kawa triples fearsome... more the lack of brakes and handling to get around that (relatively) fast approaching corner!

(and don't forget the excellent grip of 1970's tyres :o )
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

I guess it's all relative...when I got my Morini 350 in the late 1970s, it could easily keep ahead of motorway traffic...which consisted mostly of reps in 1.6L Ford Cortinas...a situation which prevailed until they all got Vauxhall Cavaliers with (hushed breath) 5-speed gearboxes. Suddenly the reps all cruised at 80 mph, not 65 mph. And I struggled to keep up with the traffic.
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Re: Another entry to the cut-price mid-weight soft-road market

Post by onslowe »

Crossrutted wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:46 pm
onslowe wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 2:16 pm I think we are in enough trouble with Chinese imports as it is :o
Care to cite examples/facts to substantiate that opinion?
I was being facetious.........Covid 19 !
However my MOT tester always slags off Chinese bikes for failing their 1st MOT due to poor build quality so I will ask him for a list. Would anyone on here chose Chinese built over Japanese built if price was the same ? Lack of dealers would be the initial problem followed by worries about part supply as the model run might not last long.
Last edited by onslowe on Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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