The appeal of many premium Chinese bikes is simple: a long list of gadgets and tech wrapped around a fundamentally competent motorcycle, all for less money than an equivalent European or Japanese machine. Trouble is, there are plenty of good bikes for around nine grand. For the DS900 X to stand out, its impressive spec sheet needs to translate into real-world advantages. So, does it?
I’m getting used to taming Sport mode, but it can feel too unrefined if I’m not super precise. Road mode, meanwhile, is excellent: smooth and free from snatchiness or hesitation and great for pillions. Because that works so well, I find Rain mode redundant. Enduro mode switches off the ABS and nannying TCS, but I’d rather leave the electronics fully active – especially the Brembo and Bosch braking system.
It’s well matched to the bike, and as brave as I’ve been with the cornering ABS, it does what it promises. Besides, despite its Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres I’m unlikely to take the Voge off-road.
More hassle than help. You still need the physical key to remove the seat and open the filler cap, and once detached from the fob, it’s small and fiddly to use. The luggage isn’t matched to the key either. When you’re regularly carrying and using two keys anyway, what’s the point?
Both work brilliantly. Three heat settings for the grips and seat, controlled by separate handlebar buttons. The one-piece seat means rider and pillion need to agree on the temperature, but the heating performance itself is excellent.
The flashing warning triangles often catch my peripheral vision. Effective, but it rarely warns me of something I wasn’t already aware of. The bike also flashes its rear light if a following vehicle is closing in too quickly, while both mirror warning lights flash to attract attention. On a recent group ride, those riding behind me found it confusing or thought it was broken.
Easy to set, adjust and cancel. Spot on.
Slightly gimmicky. After initially struggling to get it working, I succeeded, only for it to now stop working altogether.
Works well, although it rewards positive throttle inputs to deliver the slickest shifts.
Nav app is serviceable enough, but some graphics overlap with the Voge’s own info. And you can’t navigate phone options through the bike. Feels less useful than simply mounting a smartphone to the bars and allowing the otherwise excellent TFT dash do its job.
I’ve never had this on a bike before, but on a recent long ride, a concerning occasional ‘clonk’ from the front end was followed by seeing the headstock bolt unwind itself gradually from the vibrations of the road. Luckily I found a mechanic with the right-sized Allen key to tighten it; he was as surprised as I was that there was no thread lock applied. It’s not the first report of a Voge that’s done this. Worrying.
Group Art Director - Steve rejoined the MCN team in 2023 and has 20 years experience working in the publishing industry. He originally joined MCN as junior designer in 2003 after achieving a distinction level Higher National Diploma in Graphic design and Advertising. During his career, Steve has worked on numerous publications and projects including sister title RiDE, and launching Bike and Built magazine’s digital editions. Steve developed his passion for motorcycling on the job and passed his Direct Access in 2005. Since then he’s ridden hundreds of bikes thousands of miles including touring with his wife as pillion to MotoGP rounds in Spain and Austria. Whi…