2025-on Voge DS800X Rally review: Great value adventure bike

Fully adjustable 43mm KYB forks adorn the front end, providing the DS800X with 200mm of travel, while a KYB shock with similar adjustability offers 190mm of travel at the rear. On a well-dressed road, it feels firm and focused without losing the kind of plushness required for distance work, and it will happily cope with well-weighted inputs for rapid changes of direction.

The OE Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber provides plenty of grip for swinging it about supermoto style on the twisties.

As the road surface deteriorates, the DS800X continues to feel at home, and on the bumpiest fen droves we could find, it was more than happy to batter across the peaks and troughs, flattening out the broken, twisted tarmac without any fuss at all.

Voge have fitted an adjustable Scotts-style rotary steering damper as standard equipment, which soaks up any deflections transmitted through the 21” front wheel and gives the platform an overall sensation of assurance.

Getting up on the pegs and onto the dirt feels like a natural transition, the stiff, double cradle frame giving it the strength and stability to cope with getting bashed about on hard-packed trails and ruts. Ground clearance is 220mm, and as a neutrally balanced package, the DS800X is well suited for general ‘big bike’ green laning.

Four-pot radially mounted Nissin calipers give the front stoppers plenty of bite, with a suitably progressive action for confident braking both on and off road. The twin-channel ABS is claimed to be tuned for unpaved roads, which seems unnecessary on a bike that will likely spend most of its life on paved ones, but there is no detectable trade-off in on-tarmac performance.

A button on the right switchgear disables the system entirely for riding on dirt, but despite having a good dig through the settings (only accessible on the TFT dash if you’ve got the third-party ‘Carbit Ride’ app connected) I couldn’t find a way of just disabling the rear.

Traction control is another area where Voge could do better. In ‘Normal’ mode, it’s far too keen to cut drive, hampering progress on dry roads under just a moderately enthusiastic throttle. ‘Sport’ is a little more forgiving, but there are still occasions when it’ll chime in seemingly uninvited to interrupt proceedings. Much like the ABS though, it’s just a button press away from turning it off altogether.

Voge say the 798cc KEL 800 motor is all new, and as a mid-sized parallel twin with a 270° firing order, it delivers the goods in a fun and friendly manner. 92.5bhp and 60Ib.ft of torque give it the pull and poke required for solo fun or two-up touring, and thanks to a relatively frugal 55mpg average fuel consumption (on test), it should enable the DS800X to cover 290 miles on its 24-litre tank.

Where it does fall down, however, is on the accuracy of the fuelling, and that’s no more apparent than at the bottom of the rev range. From a closed throttle, it’s almost impossible to make smooth, slow progress, as power is delivered in a scattergun fashion regardless of which of the two modes you’re in, ‘Normal’ or ‘Sport’.

It’s fine under committed acceleration and at higher engine speeds, but for slower, steady riding, especially on the trail, it can be incredibly frustrating.

The connection between twistgrip and intake system is via cables to a potentiometer, which may account for some of that jerkiness, or it could simply need a software upgrade. The fact that Voge specify E5 fuel only is another indication that the fuelling needs more development, and the fact that it’s not always readily available could be a factor in choosing the DS800X for touring.

While the engine is strong and has Ténéré beating performance (on paper at least), it’s let down by the poor fuelling, which, together with the basic traction control system, makes it feel that a substantial investment in advanced algorithms is needed.

As a result, the DS800X comes up short on rideability, so although it’s a lot of bike for the money, there’s still a question over value when compared with more expensive rivals. It is too soon to tell for overall reliability, but with the issue stated above, you would think that there will be improvements to come within the warranty period.

If it's just the fuelling issue that rears its head during its initial couple of years, and it can be solved with a software re-flash, then it will have performed okay. Similar fuelling notes have been made on the Rally's sibling Voge's DS900X, for which MCN currently have no owner reviews submitted; but time will tell for the new brand.

When you consider the overall package and the price point, the DS800X delivers remarkable value for money.

You get a potent machine with plenty of features at a fraction of the cost of its pricier competitors, making it an attractive choice for riders who want maximum bang for their buck—even if it still leaves some room for improvement in rideability. Other bikes that are worth considering are, of course, Yamaha's Ténéré 700, Honda's XL750 Transalp, and Suzuki's V-strom 800DE.

Rider aids aside, the DS800X is fairly well kitted out in terms of standard equipment. Engine guards, bash plate, centre stand and spot lights, not to mention heated grips and seat, plus an integrated dash cam, leaves little more to be desired. It doesn’t have cruise control, a quick shifter, or an easily adjustable screen, but full luggage is currently available at £699 (50% off RRP).

A 7in TFT dash gives the Voge a rally tower cockpit vibe. The display layout changes with each engine mode, but you need to link up with a smartphone via the ‘Carbit Ride’ app to get into options and connectivity for nav, music, and calls.

It lacks polish, but it works ok. The carbon-look plastics, generic switchgear, and dash are all a bit on the budget side, but overall, it feels well bolted together.

Voge have given the DS800X a distinctive, transformer-style face, with full LED lighting and a dashcam that records on a constant loop when activated. Wind protection is effective, but the screen needs to be unscrewed to switch between the upper and lower positions.

Comfort is excellent, with seat, bars, and footpegs agreeably spaced for munching tarmac miles or standing up on the trails. The firm, flat rider's seat is heated too, but although there’s ample room for a pillion, the rear pad lacks that luxury. Foot peg rubbers can quickly be removed with a Torx key.