Honda CB500X vs Benelli TRK 502X vs Voge 500DSX Review
Honda CB500X vs Benelli TRK 502X vs Voge 500DSX Review
Let’s compare 500cc Adventure motorcycles: Benelli TRK 502 X, Honda CB500X, Voge 500 DSX, QJ Motor SRT 550, Macbor Montana XR5, Kove 500X, Jawa RVM 500, RVM Tekken 500, Colove 500X, Daytona Maverick 500, KL Raticosa 500X, Bristol Venturi 500.
00:00 What is the thrill of 500cc motorcycles
02:27 Weight
07:50 Honda CB500X vs Benelli TRK502 engines
11:05 Honda CB500X vs Voge 500 DS engines
12:54 500cc adventure suspensions
19:29 Adventure vs naked 500cc bikes?
24:31 Honda CB500X suspension
25:09 Honda CB500X ergo \u0026 package
25:55 Why is the Honda CB500X better?
27:20 Benelli TRK 502X
29:00 Benelli TRK502 vs TRK502X
32:34 Benelli TRK502 vs TRK502X brakes
38:26 Terrible Benelli TRK502
41:32 Benelli TRK502X off-road
43:20 Why Benelli TRK502 is better?
44:47 Benelli TRK502 engine
49:43 What’s wrong with a exhaust?
51:56 Benelli TRK502 conclusion
53:06 QJ Motor SRT550 \u0026 Lucky Explorer 5.5
58:30 Voge 500 DSX
1:01:11 Kove 500X, Macbor Montana XR5, Jawa RVM 500
1:09:33 Should you buy a 500cc motorcycle?
Adventure motorcycle comparison table: https://motosmotos.ru
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If you want to provide adventure bike for a test in european countries - write to [email protected]
Content
0 -> I travel a lot on different adventure motorcycles
and this is the time I took my friends and 3 of the most
7.08 -> wished-for 500cc adventure touring bikes:
Honda CB500X, Voge 500 DSX and Benelli TRK 502X,
17.88 -> to see which one is the best. And besides
that let’s see which of the motorcycles
24.24 -> is the best. In the first half of the video
I’ll try to bust myths about the 500 class.
30.06 -> Their biggest advantage is value. They’re
technically in the small capacity price-range.
35.94 -> To compare to the prices to KTM 390 Adventure
or BMW 310 GS, the difference is minor,
43.8 -> while Voge 500 is even cheaper. But the devil
is in the details. For example, CF Moto 650 MT,
52.2 -> GT or Moto Morini X-Cape have price tags of 500cc bikes,
they have mid-sized motorcycle performance.
60.72 -> The second advantage is all 500ccs are twins
having enough power to ride at a 110 kmph and have
68.46 -> a margin of power to overtake. Or they can keep
130-140 on highways. Smaller motorcycles are
76.14 -> firstly taking too long to reach 130 kmph and
any overtake just becomes dangerous. Secondly,
82.44 -> 90% of sub 500cc bikes are singles,
so even if they reach that highway speed,
88.68 -> the revs are too high so they vibrate too hard.
You get the same speed, but on a
95.52 -> 300cc you want to take a break every hour,
while covering 1000 kms in a day or 4000
101.94 -> in a week is not a challenge for a 500.
Vibrations are not a problem on 500cc twins,
108.54 -> they’re smoother and might provide the
same engine smoothness as some liter bikes.
113.58 -> The next feature is that all the
500cc crossovers have decent ergos.
118.98 -> For example KTM 390 might have a tolerable
performance, it’s far better than other 300s,
126 -> but the ergos just don't fit taller people.
While the deal breaker for any 300 is that none of them
132.6 -> has enough room for a tall person. Meanwhile
500s are suitable for traveling even if you’re
138.42 -> 180-190 cm. On some of them you can even stand.
Small capacity bikes don’t have that luxury.
147.3 -> On the other side, the only killer feature of
a 500 is the price. If you can afford better
153.6 -> and want to get a light-weight motorcycle to
travel and ride dirt-roads having comfort,
158.88 -> a 500cc is a big NO. I would be the first guy in a
line to buy a 500cc adventure made from aluminum,
167.7 -> having carbon parts and high end suspension,
even with a two times bigger price tag.
175.14 -> But you cannot sell them in quantities,
so all the 500s are getting heavy steel
179.82 -> frames and protection bars, no one cares about
lightening pistons, nano coverings and so on.
186.3 -> The biggest luck is to get an aluminum
swingarm. Plus they have two cylinders,
191.7 -> these engines are heavier and thirstier than
singles so the motorcycles need bigger tanks.
197.58 -> So as result a 500 is not much lighter than
a mid-sized motorcycle if you compare it not
204.3 -> with the heavier ones in mid-sized class
but with a Tuareg or Tenere or a Transalp,
210.6 -> noting they have bigger wheels and suspensions.
While talking about the Benelli TRK 502,
216.96 -> it’s just a big-ass elephant, its weight and
center of gravity is worse than some liter bikes,
224.22 -> and it’s only 5 kg lighter than the most
powerful adventure motorcycles for today,
229.98 -> the Multistrada V4. True, the Multistrada comes
with no protection bars, but the original ones
236.58 -> from Ducati’s catalog make 3-4 kg. There’s data
that the Benelli engine is 65 kg without throttle
244.98 -> valves which would get it another 1500 grams,
which is the exact weight of the Multistrada’s V4
252.72 -> engine. The first one has 48 hp and 2 cylinders,
the second one has a 170 and has 4 cylinders,
260.64 -> having that extra cam head. That’s all you need
to know about small capacity motorcycles.
267.54 -> So if you consider the weight that allows you
to get stuck and then escape a dirt rut,
272.88 -> you should take a look at the time priced
CRF300L or any dual-sport, Voge 300 Rally
280.8 -> or even a 390 Adventure or 310 GS,
because all of them are much lighter than any 500s.
290.88 -> So as a result you shouldn’t expect any off-road
abilities or technologies from a 500cc.
297.9 -> It’s like a top-end of small-capacity motorcycles so any
500s is a result of cutting corners. They’re not
305.64 -> made in Japan or Europe, they’re built in China
or India. Hondas build theirs in Thailand.
312.72 -> The bikes are built from budget components,
they don’t get quick-shifters, cruise-controls or
317.94 -> traction-controls, no dynamic cam controls.
And even if you don’t need any electronic aids,
323.46 -> the biggest budgeting you see is on suspensions.
Most of the bikes don’t even get a single adjustment,
331.62 -> which might be very handy in long trips,
because they never adjust a motorcycle for a rider
338.34 -> with luggage or a passenger. Even the 390 has a
little better suspension and got techs like IMU,
345.24 -> a quick-shifter and a screen capable of showing a
simple navigation. We’ll discuss it later, but from
352.08 -> the trinity of the Honda, the Voge and the Benelli
there’s no one having a suspension that I might
358.44 -> call an adventure one. They have road short travel
suspension with a very limited working range
365.28 -> that might be enough for a pavement or a smooth dirt-road,
but as soon as you start riding quicker,
372.18 -> it starts to bottom out. Again, there are
better dirt-oriented options for the price:
378 -> the CRF 300 L, Voge 300 Rally, DRZ or
any dual-sport. 500s are enough for bad
386.58 -> pavements, but please don’t delude oneself
they’re not real adventure motorcycles.
393.18 -> Let’s start our diving from the OG, the Honda CB500X.
We took a 17” front wheel version to the trip.
400.8 -> Later Honda swapped it with a 19” one
and in 2022 they’ve installed an inverted
407.04 -> fork so the CB500X can compete with Chinese
bikes that already had the features. You would
413.76 -> hate it if I had the only older version so I
have tested the brand new 2022 model as well.
419.4 -> The engine delivers 47.6 hp. All the competitors
have the same power because of the European limits
427.5 -> of 35 kW for new riders, who are the target
audience of the bikes. Technically there are
433.92 -> many powerful motorcycles who can be restricted
down to 35 kW. As an example, even a Versys 1000
440.88 -> can be officially certified for the A2 category,
so after a couple years when you get the A,
447.18 -> a dealer will be able to unrestrict it back.
But the thing is you’re buying an expensive heavy
453.12 -> motorcycle using it for like 30% and then
selling it in a few years because you want
459.48 -> something new. So people prefer getting twice
cheaper 500cc, riding it for two or three years,
465.24 -> it’s far cheaper to drop, and buying
something more powerful after that.
469.5 -> The next thing is that the class of 500cc
is a battle of two engine types.
475.32 -> Look, here in Spain you can get a CB500X, a Voge 500DS
and DSX, and a Macbor XR5 - these are models sharing
484.8 -> the same engine designed by Honda, or copied from
Honda, or whatever. The second group of models are
490.98 -> Benelli TRK 502, 502X, and QJ Motor SRT 550.
The specs kind of say these are two separate models,
500.94 -> but there’s a thing. Days ago there was a
model QJ Motor SRT 500 for the Chinese market,
507.96 -> and it was equipped with a very similar engine
to the one Benelli TRK 502X has. QJ Motor and
515.76 -> Benelli Q.J. are in the same motorcycle holding,
it’s like KTMs and Husqvarnas are
522.12 -> kind of two sides of the same coin. There’s
already an opinion on the internet that a
527.22 -> SRT 550 is what a TRK 502 is going to become
after the next update, except the fairing.
533.88 -> The new 550 got extra capacity but still has
the same dated solutions I’ll describe soon.
540.227 -> But there’s one thing.
Many people are waiting for adventure motorcycle
544.92 -> Lucky Explorer 5.5 by MV Agusta. And it’s going
to get the same engine from SRT 550. They have
552.9 -> almost exactly the same specs as on an SRT550X.
Also, the 500cc Lucky Explorer weighs like a liter
561 -> bike and has 135mm of suspension travel. The same
numbers you can see on a first gen Yamaha R1 data sheet.
568.92 -> Now they call these rally motorcycles.
The only good feature it might get, besides I highly
576.12 -> doubt it will, is comfort and electronic aids
keeping the price lower than mid-sized class.
582.36 -> When the engines compared we’re clearly
witnessing the Honda’s one is better even having
588 -> smaller displacement. It has more low-revs grunt
maintaining the torque curve being flat till the
594.54 -> rev-limiter, which is uncommon for small-capacity
bikes. It’s even more obvious when compared to the
600.12 -> baby GS or a KTM that have twisted charts giving
the ride a typical small-engine sluggishness.
606.9 -> The Benelli has a smoother line compared to the
300s but its bottom-end is still not as good as
612.6 -> Honda’s. Especially when you remember the Benelli
has 40 more kg than Honda and needs more power
619.26 -> to push its fat ass forward. When there’s not
enough power, weight is a huge factor affecting
625.38 -> performance. Simplifying the point we can say
the charts show us how smoothly the motorcycle
630.72 -> is pulling off and how linear it delivers
the acceleration through the revs increase.
636.12 -> Somewhere in the mountains or on the highway
is not a huge difference, but in the city the
642.36 -> Honda engine is much more comfortable.
In addition, the fuel consumption of the Honda
647.4 -> engine is a little bit lower - both according to
official claims, as well as my tests. Of course,
653.64 -> it depends on conditions, sometimes it’s the
same, sometimes Benelli drinks half a liter more,
659.1 -> but with smaller tanks, the CB and the Voge
actually have approximately the same range.
665.46 -> I’ve ridden two CB500X and two Chinese bikes
equipped with kind of same engines.
673.08 -> But on real Hondas the engines were just better.
Firstly, only Honda has that Honda gearbox magic.
680.76 -> Shifts on the newer CB500X are a benchmark for any twins,
I’m not kidding. Everything is nice and smooth,
688.86 -> what a joy. The Chinese ones are getting you
might think the same engines, but they’re a
696 -> little more rough. Usually because of different
injection and sparking systems which is typical
701.82 -> problems with Chinese engines. You feel you
got just a decent gearbox. On the Hondas you
709.26 -> don’t notice the shift itself. You feel
the lever, you feel you’re pushing it,
714.36 -> but the gears just change each other
themselves like it’s done by electronics.
719.46 -> Plus the same engine on Honda has less buzz.
While on a Voge you feel some minor shiver that goes
727.44 -> bigger after 4000 RPM, on the Honda it happens
about 1500-2000 RPM later. It’s very smooth
736.02 -> until 120 kmph on the sixth gear, at 130 kmph it starts
tickling a little, but doesn’t cause an issue
743.4 -> and your hands are not dried up in the evening.
The Voge is comfy enough, but you feel the engine more.
750.06 -> But both the old and later models have
awful aerodynamics. The wind is just everywhere.
756.84 -> You have a direct flow to your legs, your hands
are pushed to the grips, it blows to the helmet,
763.5 -> while the motorcycle shakes when riding
behind trucks. Talking about the windscreen,
768.6 -> it’s probably the shortest in class and it
has the least amount of room for improvement.
773.76 -> To understand what to expect from the suspensions,
both the older and newer CBs, firstly you should
781.02 -> accept these are not adventures. Just think
about it, the model is almost 10 years old,
787.38 -> but Honda still uses short-travel suspensions and
only cast wheels, while there are Africa Twin and
794.76 -> CRF 300 Rally who get 250-300 mm traveled
spoke wheels. If it was the same class,
802.32 -> why would they have a two times travel difference?
Or look at their new Transalp,
808.68 -> it has 21 and 18" spoke wheels and
suspensions with far bigger travel.
815.34 -> People also often try to compare which one is
a better off-roader, an NC or a CB.
822.9 -> It's like thinking which is a better Formula 1 race car,
a Corolla or a Prius. There is a psychological catch
830.22 -> with adventure bikes for those who haven't
ridden off-road. A guy is buying his first
835.2 -> adventure motorcycle and trying some dirt roads
or maybe participating in some classes.
841.14 -> And then you hear "there are new horizons".
I totally support the idea, but the thing is he just
847.92 -> didn't try to ride his old naked bike this
way. For example a 200 Duke is far lighter,
855.24 -> it has as capable suspensions as 500s have,
as well as enough clearance, the seat is lower,
862.14 -> so it's difficult to drop the bike. The tiny Duke
will destroy beginner adventure riders on dirt.
870.42 -> I just wanna say, when you watch those adventure
promos, just keep a question in your head:
875.76 -> is there a place you cannot ride on a Duke?
On some journeys you might need to have a fast
882.6 -> ride on dirt roads or broken pavement, and there
you might feel a difference between an adventure
888.96 -> bike and a naked bike. But this difference
is not present on the 500cc adventure class.
895.74 -> It's difficult to explain their suspensions
in one word, is it soft or stiff,
901.8 -> is it good or bad. They're comfy enough to
travel on a broken pavement, occasional dirt
908.16 -> roads and so on. It's more than enough,
but you should remember that, if you look for its
914.7 -> limit you will quickly find it. If you treat
these motorcycles like real adventure bikes.
921.18 -> The half liter class is also strictly limited
by its costs. If you make it more expensive,
927.12 -> it won’t have any advantages over mid-sized bikes
while not having some pros of 300s such as lighter weight.
934.92 -> All the small capacity motorcycles have
cheap ass suspensions, that’s a thing you just
941.34 -> have to accept. The most noticeable difference
between cheap and expensive suspensions is
947.28 -> that the dampening on expensive ones is more even
under any load, it doesn’t matter if you ride bumps,
955.02 -> potholes, accelerating, braking, what speed it
is, the motorcycle should be more or less stable,
962.22 -> it should jump or wobble less as the suspension
travel makes it possible. For the last 10 years
969.3 -> expensive suspensions have become so advanced
so high-end adventures from KTM and Ducati
975.96 -> can have 200 mm of travel and not handling
like a jellyfish on pavement, ride 250 kmph,
983.88 -> smooth away front dives thanks to the electronics
and still swallow potholes and bumps.
991.08 -> Motorcycles like that just didn’t exist 15 years ago.
I’m wondering how different the directions
996.36 -> of high-end and budget adventure motorcycles are
today. Smaller ones got more pavement oriented
1003.8 -> suspensions while the look is being influenced
by Dakar bikes. While expensive ones have an
1010.1 -> opposite vector, a Ducati might look like a giant
supersport, but have suspensions that can handle
1016.28 -> anything. Cheap motorcycles cannot even dream
about even dampening in different conditions.
1024.02 -> Simplifying it we can say that their manufacturers
can just adjust the dampening curve. They can do
1030.56 -> it softer and then it’ll smooth smaller
things like pavement junctions or gravel,
1036.08 -> but it’ll waggle on acceleration and braking and
it’ll be easier to bottom it out. Or they can make
1042.74 -> it stiffer, then all the gravel roughness will
be transmitted to the handlebar and the seat,
1048.02 -> but the bike will be more stable and be more
bottoming-out proof. What makes things even
1054.74 -> worse is the fact cheap suspensions usually get
only shock preload adjustment at best.
1062 -> Replacing a suspension to a good one costs around 1000
or 2000 €. So of course I didn’t hear anybody
1068.84 -> bother to swap it on this class of bike,
it just doesn’t make sense, other parts except
1074.84 -> the suspension are also not that great. I know
there are a few CB500 fans ready to invest some
1082.64 -> ridiculous amounts of money in their bikes,
but it’s more an exception rather than a rule.
1088.94 -> So manufacturers, to make their suspension feel a
little better on pavement, just make them shorter,
1094.7 -> not longer than 180 mm, otherwise it will either
dive or feel too rough. But there are some cheap
1103.34 -> modern dual-sports like CRF 300 L or Rally that
get suspensions both cheap and long-travel at the
1111.26 -> same time. But the CRF has a low-power engine
and it doesn’t need much pavement handling,
1117.26 -> no one cares if it's a jellyfish, at least
it smoothes woods and rocks, so handling is
1123.86 -> not a priority. I believe the 500s are made to be
beginners friendly and shorter stiffer suspensions
1132.482 -> let them have more control of 99% of their riding,
because they mostly ride in towns. In this class
1140.48 -> the Voge has a little softer suspension and it
already starts diving. And while experienced
1146.9 -> riders don’t feel it that much, my beginner friend
immediately felt that Voge makes him feel more
1153.56 -> nervous in the mountains. And these are nothing
compared to the dives on bikes from the 1990s.
1161.06 -> And there is one more reason that 500s don’t get
at least some crossover suspension that sometimes
1168.2 -> might be pretty balanced. The 500cc platform itself
is usually designed for naked bikes or something
1175.76 -> like that. Manufacturers don’t spend as much
time tweaking geometries or engines as they do
1182.66 -> for high-end mid-sized adventures that are made
from the ground up with bigger clearance and
1189.32 -> specific ergos in mind. Usually they get the
same engines as well as the same frames that
1195.62 -> might get the only minor changes to adopt higher
weight load. When we put a taller suspension,
1201.5 -> I mean increase vertical wheel travel,
the motorcycle becomes taller as well.
1207.8 -> The beginners being the main target audience of the 500cc
class have one of their requirements so the bike lets
1214.28 -> them put both feet to the ground so manufacturers
are forced to not to make the seats taller.
1221.48 -> They also cannot put the frame down, because the
ground clearance should be at least 1 cm
1227 -> taller than vertical wheel travel. So a market
manager just comes to an engineer and says:
1233.06 -> “Hey, Johnny, we have a naked bike, right?
Let’s use its noodle frame to make a new race-ready
1238.88 -> super mega charged and shiny rally motorcycle,
but let’s make it 830mm tall coz otherwise it won’t sell”.
1247.34 -> So Johnny has the only option,
put a 19” spoke wheel, dirt-like beak and
1254.24 -> put a sport-bike suspension on it,
picking an oil hole in it so it feels softer when a
1259.22 -> new buyer tries to jump on it for first time in the dealership
and it feels like he’s going to buy a dirt bike.
1265.22 -> So at the end of the day any 500cc adventure from
these 3 gets a similarly designed suspension.
1273.08 -> From one side, they swallow small pavement roughnesses,
from the other, don’t dive that hard while braking on it.
1278.18 -> It’s a nice compromise for a budget
touring bike, you get more comfort on a bad
1284.06 -> pavement than with a naked bike with shorter
suspensions, while being able to lean it fine on
1289.34 -> twisties or roundabouts. That’s exactly what most
beginners need, a handy bike that looks slick.
1297.2 -> But if we treat it as an adventure motorcycle,
500ccs have a hidden problem. When you travel
1305 -> scraped roads or smooth dirt-roads,
which happens no matter if you planned it or not,
1310.88 -> you’re quickly used to it and start riding faster.
The suspension handles it fine,
1316.46 -> that’s true, but on these types of roads there
are always some waves or holes that you notice
1323.54 -> too late. So you hit the thing, but the suspension
was tuned to handle some smoother environments and
1330.32 -> there is not enough travel to swallow the hit.
The bike starts jumping and tries to toss the rider,
1336.38 -> while the suspension loses its mind and starts
to wobble, because it was designed to give you
1342.62 -> handling on road junctions and gravel.
You saw those videos 100 times, when a guy on a
1349.7 -> trail tried to ride faster than his suspension
lets him to. Even if a rider rode the road for
1355.4 -> a thousand times on the same bike at 40 kmph,
it doesn't mean the suspension will handle 60 kmph.
1362.6 -> Yes, you can ride it anywhere. But slowly. Each time
you get a thought that this youtuber is wrong and
1370.7 -> one of these motorcycles is a dirt-bike,
just look at the specs, it sobers down.
1376.16 -> So don’t these bikes have any differences from
road bikes? Firstly, you should understand the
1383 -> class. If we compare it to full-sized road
motorcycles, their suspensions swallow the
1388.16 -> stuff even better while not diving on braking.
But if we come back to the limited budgets and
1393.98 -> compare these to cheap naked bikes,
the nakeds have even stiffer and shorter ones.
1400.34 -> The biggest difference between small sized naked
and adventure bikes that share the same engines
1405.68 -> are adventures have bigger ground clearance.
They usually have 2-3 cm taller seats,
1413.3 -> that is the exact ground clearance difference.
Honda has the smallest in the class 180 mm, but it’s still
1421.22 -> enough to not to be scared to hit a rock with the
crankcase. But another huge difference is that
1427.1 -> no one is talking about is that besides they
share the same platforms, adventures get more
1432.86 -> relaxed ergo having more space in the pegs,
seat, handlebar triangle. A ground clearance,
1439.58 -> being increased on adventures, lets the designers
put the pegs lower. So the taller you are,
1446.3 -> the better you feel the difference. If you are 175
and taller it makes sense to just get an adventure version,
1453.86 -> even if you’re going to ride it in a city.
The price difference between CB500F and CB500X is
1462.62 -> 8%, so there are no reasons to get a small capacity
naked bike, if you’re average height or taller.
1471.68 -> Speaking of the CB500X, the new suspension is better.
While the older one felt older than dirt,
1479.3 -> the new one is more refined on small
bumps, but it’s still not an adventure level.
1484.46 -> Its limit lies on a broken road and
called “I’m just riding a bad pavement”,
1490.34 -> it jumps and bottoms out on bigger bumps and holes.
If there is a bad road without holes,
1496.46 -> both the new and the old CBs ride fine.
CBs can ride twisties as much as the
1502.94 -> performance in the class lets you do.
There is no difference to smaller capacity naked bikes.
1509.18 -> And it is the least fitted bike for taller
riders in the 500cc class. Knees bent too
1515.9 -> much and the handlebar is too low.
You start sore while sitting and have to reach to your
1522.02 -> knees to hold the handlebar while standing.
And the dashboard is very low plus the new model got
1528.44 -> a low-contrast screen. If you ride in sunglasses
you cannot clearly see even the speed.
1536.54 -> And Honda has a typical for them poor man's package.
Limited suspension adjustments, no hand guards,
1542.72 -> bars and cases from the dealership,
no charging sockets and the harders seat.
1548.48 -> At least they put another brake disk,
the old one also had the worst brakes in the class.
1555.14 -> But there are things it’s good at.
It’s the lightest and has the closest seat in the class,
1561.68 -> making it suitable for short and medium legged riders.
The before 2019 model had its seat even lower.
1569.12 -> It’s also the narrowest bike having good handling,
so it’s very agile in a town.
1577.31 -> I'm not sure if it’s the sharpest bike in the class,
because I didn’t test the 17” front wheel versions
1582.56 -> of the Voge, but compared to 19” versions,
Honda is hands down the bad ass.
1591.74 -> Remember it has a strong and smooth engine so
it’s going to be enough for the first few riding seasons.
1598.52 -> And even if the Honda was made in Thailand,
it has the best built quality in the class. Even the old one
1605.36 -> was as good as new. The paint wasn’t peeling off,
no chattering, no failures. It felt like a quality product.
1613.4 -> The Chinese bikes felt nothing like that.
They had hard plastic, cheapo fasteners,
1620.42 -> the build process is not refined, so many of
them start squealing in a year or two after the
1626.6 -> purchase, they might hurtling on speed bumps even
if everything works fine. And unlike naked bikes,
1633.38 -> the X might be taken on a trip,
it won’t give you any pain and you can rely on it.
1641.18 -> Benelli TRK 502X.
1644.48 -> I can say this model is very popular.
Not everywhere and not always, but as an example,
1650.72 -> this is Italy's most sold motorcycle of 2021 & 2022.
From any class. And in my opinion
1659.18 -> this is just not fair, it more predends than
it really is good. But it’s not that simple.
1666.02 -> I got a bike from a rental company who
bought it used, which is uncommon.
1671.54 -> A common case is a buyer buy this type of bike,
threw many extras in it, some cases, heaters,
1677.12 -> fog lights, prepared the thing for around
the world trip and then sold it with
1683.66 -> 10 000 km on the dash. Small motorcycles should be
bought only when you understand it’s a toy to
1689.9 -> play for a couple years, but not a motorcycle for
a life-time. And please don’t tell me about a few
1696.38 -> adventurers who rode Asia or Latin America,
their tasks are to get a cheap common bike,
1702.68 -> ride it for a couple months and fly back home.
Or are you talking about a CRF 300 Rally,
1708.68 -> that is different league in terms of
offroadworthiness. 300 Rally weights
1714.26 -> 82 kg less than the Benelli, 300 L is 93 kg lighter.
You can literally put a Honda Montesa
1723.74 -> 4Ride on a 300L and they together weight less,
than a TRK502X! They’re just incomparable.
1734.6 -> Benelli is not the worst city bike, but anyone
from the competition is better. There are TRK502
1742.46 -> with 17” cast wheels and TRK502X with spokes
and 19” front. The basic version has a lower seat height,
1751.28 -> but no one knows exactly how much it is,
because specs depend on country to country.
1756.8 -> The biggest clarification is needed to understand,
what suspension the basic version is equipped with.
1762.68 -> From the beginning they said X has
a 30 mm longer fork, but I kinda doubt it,
1769.52 -> because I saw and touched both versions and I
just feel there's something wrong with them.
1776.9 -> Benelli is a showcase when the Chinese don’t care
about accuracy so much, so on French versions of
1783.68 -> benelli.com it’s said 145 mm, on German and
Spanish ones it’s 140 mm, on English one
1792.68 -> it’s said 135 mm. The shock absorber has length
from 45 to 115 mm. Claimed fuel consumption is
1803.18 -> from 3.9 to 4.4 l/100 km. Some websites also confuse you
calling wet weight dry weight and vice versa,
1812.12 -> or just forget to mention the wet one at all.
Seat height is also different in official claims.
1819.02 -> The official website says it’s 800 mm for a basic TRK502,
while in a dealer brochure it’s said 835 mm,
1826.34 -> 502X has 840 mm and 860 mm respectively.
Wheelbase also depends on the source.
1834.44 -> I was just pissed off and I went to a dealership
with a tape-measure. The conclusion was the most
1840.62 -> accurate info was described in the user's manual,
all the websites have been billed by
1845.66 -> cats walking keyboards. And while I measured the
motorcycles I saw a few curious things.
1853.4 -> First, both models have exactly the same 140 mm
long forks with no adjustments whatsoever,
1859.82 -> there’s no even a preload one. I don’t expect too
much from the class because I understand the math
1867.14 -> and it doesn’t do miracles, but what surprised
me is that they have different shocks. Cast wheel
1874.4 -> version has 45 mm of travel and the manual claims
it’s a wheel travel that is a little unbelievable,
1881.06 -> while the X version has 55 mm.
There is no progression. Not a good start
1888.08 -> but there’s more. The X has a separate gas
reservoir, but the regular version doesn’t.
1894.44 -> In theory on an adventure bike a dedicated
reservoir might separate gas from the oil,
1901.88 -> so it doesn’t become foam when you ride it hard,
so you get pretty much the same dampening
1906.44 -> behavior in any conditions. Additionally the
reservoir version has an adjustment knob,
1912.44 -> but it’s not a preload as it usually is,
but a three positions compression selector.
1918.5 -> The shock is comfier on the X. I wouldn’t call
the absorber on the 17” version a stiff one,
1924.68 -> it’s just less predictable, sometimes it’s
too rough, other times it wants to waggle.
1930.5 -> The 500X is always just softer when you
ride broken pavement. I don’t know why they
1936.98 -> overengineered the rear that much,
having a good old piece of wood on the front but
1942.02 -> it’s at least something. A separate reservoir
costs money and to build and we might explain
1947.12 -> it by calling the X a more premium version of
TRK502 but let’s take a look at the brakes.
1954.38 -> Besides having different disks,
the X also has axial two piston calipers while
1960.98 -> the regular one has 4 piston radials.
1963.553 -> Even premium mid-sized bikes like 850 GS
still use two piston axial mounted calipers,
1970.82 -> even mentioning cheaper motorcycles,
so I don’t even blame the manufacturers for it,
1976.76 -> because they really make sense on performance
motorcycles. Long story short so we don’t dive
1982.34 -> into another topic. Radial brakes let the
manufacturers set the caliper in a perfect
1987.44 -> parallel to the disk and make the caliper more rigid,
so the caliper mount doesn’t twist under
1994.28 -> braking and you get more clear and predictable
feedback. When you have an axial mount,
1999.74 -> the caliper might misalign a little because of
multiple reasons, such as a few grains of sand,
2005.56 -> a metal being slightly bent and so on.
Under braking the caliper is trying to flex or move away.
2012.76 -> Manufacturers also have their advantages,
for example a radial caliper mount lets them more
2019.54 -> easily change size of brake discs,
but it is more important for supersports.
2025.54 -> Calipers are called 4 piston ones when the brake pads
are being pressured to the disk from both sides with
2031.96 -> the same amount of force, so the pressure is
even from both sides on every braking which
2037.54 -> makes it predictable and tactile. Two piston
calipers technically are not all the same,
2043.42 -> but for the last 15 years you can meet only
floating ones, also known as sliding calipers,
2049.54 -> so let’s talk about them. Oh, and I almost forgot
to tell you: 4 piston calipers don’t brake
2055.36 -> twice better than 2 piston ones, it doesn’t scale
like that. Most cars these days still use single
2062.32 -> piston calipers even mid-priced models,
while cars are 7 times heavier than motorcycles.
2069.46 -> 2 piston calipers have both pistons pushing the
pad from one side, and from the internal side
2075.52 -> of the disk the pad is pushed by movement of the
caliper itself. This movement is called floating,
2081.7 -> that’s why it’s called floating brake caliper.
In real life brakes maintenance means changing brake
2087.28 -> pads and once in 2-3 years changing brake fluid.
If the caliper moves let’s say the check is done too.
2093.76 -> There are a few enthusiasts who completely
rebuild the calipers at least once in two years,
2100.66 -> but usually people don’t touch them as long as
nothing is stuck. 4 piston calipers live their
2107.32 -> lives in those conditions for a long time and
work well unless the piston itself starts to
2112.96 -> leak or is stuck, which doesn’t happen every
two years. While floating pistons might brake
2119.68 -> fine, but the guideway has friction and their
movement direction is not perfectly parallel to
2125.68 -> pistons movement direction. And there’s more,
we have 2 disks upfront and each one has its caliper,
2132.22 -> so there’s 4 guideways in total each of which
might have it own life. From these two, the 3
2140.5 -> years old motorcycle with 4 piston calipers will
work crystal clear with perfectly tactile feedback
2146.14 -> back to your fingers, while 2 pistons deliver
simplified and rougher experience with lesser of
2152.92 -> the predictions. And besides it is good by itself,
I’m not sure why it’s needed on a motorcycle that
2159.94 -> doesn’t have any performance anyway.
Being honest, having that level of performance on any
2165.94 -> of these motorcycles has enough feedback,
and I would get any of them for myself,
2171.52 -> this factor would be last and the least.
The four piston version wasn’t great, it just works,
2178.84 -> almost like any other one. If I didn’t know it
has those aberrant calipers, I wouldn’t feel
2184.84 -> anything is going on. To understand the absurdity,
Benelli has a bigger brake disks than BMW 1250
2193.36 -> GS Adventure, which is almost 40 kg heavier and
goes over 200 kmph. And this is all extra weight,
2201.82 -> by the way, without any practical value. And this
by the way that exact unsprung mass that scares
2209.14 -> any beginners as soon as they take any look at
non upside down forks. Which sounds like a joke
2216.04 -> for me talking about small capacity bikes because
old CB with conventional fork handles flawlessly.
2223.78 -> To understand why they did that I rode to the QJ
Motor dealership to take a closer look at an SRT 550
2231.07 -> as a model from the future. And yes, the
works are still with no adjustments, the shock
2237.94 -> doesn’t have a reservoir but the 4 calipers
brakes are there, it was an informed decision.
2244.72 -> I cannot say a bad word about braking or handling
of the bikes in the class. Here’s what I think.
2252.04 -> The 500s feel good in twisties or even U-turns.
Not because they have perfect suspensions or
2259.72 -> geometries, but because of moderate power.
It’s just enough. I might pull apart a Multistrada,
2266.56 -> because sometimes you wish to accelerate
faster to feel that all-mighty engine,
2271.54 -> brake harder using its premium brakes,
and while doing that you might notice
2277.24 -> some unwanted dives that are not present on
some of its competitors or even sport-touring
2283.36 -> motorcycles. So there might be a point to
discussing some minor shades and feelings.
2289.24 -> But when you’re riding the half liter bike,
you ride evenly, you don’t accelerate hard
2295.12 -> between corners so there are no cases,
when the front dive pisses you off.
2300.22 -> Yes, technically in curves I liked the Benelli
less than others but it’s not a night and day thing.
2307.54 -> As I see in the comments people talk
about the 502X, so let’s take a closer look
2312.7 -> at this version. If we compare its 19” front
wheel competitors, it is the tallest motorcycle
2318.28 -> in the subclass and also has the widest seat.
But it can be fixed a little, you can lower
2325.18 -> it down thanks to its thick padding. You can even
order a 3 cm lowered seat from Aliexpress to make
2331.78 -> the motorcycle stand not too high compared to the
competition. The seat width still will cause some
2337.42 -> issues but it’s better than nothing. But what you
cannot fix: it is the heaviest bike in the class.
2344.5 -> And not just that, it’s heavier than mid-sized
adventure motorcycles and even some liter bikes,
2350.68 -> while maintaining a high center of gravity.
As a result, my friend, a beginner rider,
2356.74 -> dropped it 4 times during the trip and all
the 4 times happened on the pavement at almost
2363.94 -> standstill speed because he pushed the brakes on
a sloping road having the handlebar turned and
2370.3 -> just couldn’t hold the bike upright.
Other bikes
2373.42 -> haven’t been dropped. To balance them we
put the lightest backpack to the Benelli’s
2377.8 -> case and Honda got the heaviest one, it was
more than 10 kg heavier. That didn’t work.
2384.04 -> You might say the Benelli has heavier specs,
because it carries protection bars from the factory.
2388.6 -> But I might answer that we had the
same equipment on all the bikes including
2393.4 -> the bonus model that I rode and in real life
conditions the 502X feels a tier heavier than
2400.6 -> other competitors. The Voge 500DSX is also
far lighter even having protection bars too,
2406.66 -> while Kove 500X was almost 30 kg lighter
having not just bars, but central stand
2413.32 -> and metal bash plate which for sure doesn’t
count, when they claim Benelli’s weight.
2418.48 -> Plus, Benelli claim the same weight of 235 kg for both,
the basic model on smaller cast wheels,
2425.74 -> as well as on the X. Taking into consideration the
cast model was released earlier, I’m sure they got
2433.18 -> the 235 kg from it, the X is even heavier.
Again, even if we forget the specs, it's a very
2441.22 -> heavy thing in real life. Even when I just moved
the motorcycle in the dealership, the Benelli felt
2447.34 -> like a liter-sized big boy.
2448.967 -> And the engine would ask about some extra
low torque, you have to rev it up like a 300cc,
2456.34 -> which doesn’t feel like the best thing in a
town, especially if you had any better.
2462.22 -> And it turns pretty lazily, each rider in the trip
feels the motorcycle is a slug. I’m not sure what
2470.56 -> caused that, was it its long trail, it's front to
rear weight ratio, or some other geometry specs,
2477.76 -> but it’s a fact, it’s the least agile from the
tested motorcycles. Btw, the 17” version should
2485.44 -> be road oriented, but it also didn’t like to turn,
it felt like you’re riding under water.
2492.4 -> So let’s get back to the 502X, it’s taller and has
more ground clearance, but they’re useless,
2499.24 -> this is not an offroader because of two reasons:
its too short and too soft suspension has all
2506.5 -> the other cheap suspension problems, and the
motorcycle is also front-heavy. So here’s what
2513.1 -> happens when you’re hitting a hole: the bike
just dives, fully compresses its soft fork
2519.76 -> and when the hole is over and you’re hitting
its outer border, you’re getting a hit in your
2525.88 -> handlebar because of the compressed fork,
and the ultra-short shock bottoms out the rear later on.
2532 -> Here I’m talking about minor holes. It’s just too
dangerous to cross ruts perpendicularly.
2539.2 -> Also, the heavy front of the motorcycle combined
with lack of low-end torque don’t let you
2544.18 -> unload the front with your throttle to smooth
the impact. It’s the same thing with bumps,
2548.98 -> you feel like you’re almost losing
your control, unlike other competitors.
2553.84 -> The next thing is it is one of the least
comfortable motorcycles to ride standing.
2559.18 -> And I’m not talking about the handlebar,
it is ok. The problem is that the tank has sharp
2564.88 -> wing-like-things on its sides. It’s a common
feature for both the TRK502 and the SRT550.
2573.16 -> Again, It’s not always that bad across the competition.
Let’s take a look at the Voge,
2579.16 -> it also has a sharp tank, but the issue on
the TRK is that its pegs are moved forward
2585.52 -> compared to the default sitting position on
adventure motorcycles. You can make yourself
2590.68 -> more comfortable, if you straight up
your hands and move yourself back,
2594.52 -> but when you want to stand properly,
you just push your legs in to the wide tank.
2600.58 -> But I cannot say it’s a bad motorcycle,
in some situations it’s the best one in the class.
2607.18 -> If Honda is a no go for taller people,
the Benelli is your choice to travel on,
2613.3 -> if you’re tall. I felt pretty relaxed on it
being 188 cm. The best fit in the class.
2621.34 -> The TRK also has the best wind protection and the most
comfortable seat among the competition.
2627.4 -> The seat is decent mostly thanks to its thick foam.
Yes, it makes the seat taller, but it’s the comfiest
2633.64 -> seat from any small capacity bikes. And the bike
is even comfier than some of the 650 or 750cc class.
2640.3 -> It didn’t force me to take a break every
couple hours of riding, unlike other small motorcycles.
2645.94 -> And it is the only one in class who
has at least any amount of leg wind protection,
2652.72 -> others just blow straight to your knees. Its wind
screen might be used on a full sized adventure
2658.72 -> motorcycle, you can ride it with an open visor and
just sun-glasses at 120 kmph. You can even travel
2665.8 -> with it. But if you put an additional spoiler
on it, it will just be flawless. Even more,
2672.34 -> it’s a heavy slow turning bike, but again,
it’s a plus when you’re on a highway,
2677.14 -> while it’s comfortable enough when riding
small roughness thanks to the soft suspension,
2681.76 -> the spoked wheels and its weight.
It also is not blown away by semi trucks.
2687.16 -> Benelli’s engine tuning is pretty uncommon.
A standard two pistons engine made during the last
2692.86 -> 5 years usually has 180 degrees crank offset, like
Honda’s CB500, or 270 degrees, like any other
2700.9 -> modern bike, but Benelli have 360. It distincts it
in terms of sound and character. On a 180 degrees
2709.78 -> crankshaft, pistons are in opposite dead centers.
When one piston is in its top dead center, another
2715.9 -> one is in the bottom. It balances out the first
level vibrations, but creates secondary rotating
2721.3 -> vibrations. But in 360 degree engines the pistons
stop at the same dead centers, while having
2729.28 -> different timing order. Plus they accelerate
and decelerate at the same time, which causes
2735.1 -> the biggest primary and secondary imbalance,
almost like on a single. The 360 degrees system
2741.94 -> was abandoned and now it lives only in retro
motorcycles. And even there, some manufacturers
2748.36 -> prefer 270 offset, Triumph is an example of making
everyone happy. The 360 layout was efficient in
2755.86 -> ancient times because time-gaps between ignitions
were the same and you could use a single
2761.38 -> carburetor for both cylinders without worrying one
cylinder will get a leaner mixture than another
2767.14 -> one. In the injector times the layout doesn’t
have any advantages while keeping its downsides.
2773.02 -> Benelli explains their choice by talking
about “special sound” but it’s just another
2778.84 -> shit manufacturers say. They just took their small
engine and scaled it up in Photoshop with no major
2785.5 -> changes. For users, the difference between 500cc
engines is not that big, both Honda and Benelli
2792.94 -> engines use balancers inside and Benelli is
still smoother on a highway than any thumper I’ve ridden.
2799.78 -> But what you should know about balance shafts,
they never make buzz disappear, whatever
2805.72 -> said in their promos. They just remove the highest
amplitudes while leaving the rest which don’t have
2811.84 -> a major impact on the engine’s lifespan,
and not to overengineer the engine, that’s why any
2818.68 -> internal combustion engine will have vibrations,
some more, some less. It’s easier to handle
2825.4 -> lower amplitudes, that’s why the 360 layout was
abandoned. In other words, there are always some
2831.58 -> vibrations that are proportional to the square
to the engine speed. Motorcycle engines turn
2837.46 -> very fast so you always feel their geometry
features. And here we come to the difference,
2843.28 -> the Honda engine delivers mostly second-order
vibrations, it’s a high frequency buzz.
2850.24 -> They can be identified because the frequency is twice
higher, but they’re lighter. While the Benelli
2856.24 -> has first-order imbalance, the vibrations match
the revs so they’re not as frequent but stronger.
2862.96 -> The vibes feel more like a single cylinder ones.
In general it’s not that big of an issue,
2869.38 -> because all the 500s are comfortable enough to travel on
them, but the difference can be distinguished.
2875.62 -> The Benelli’s vibrations also don’t bother you
much on a trip. From 5000 and above you feel the
2882.16 -> buzz on the handlebar is getting stronger, but you
feel it only when riding canyons and the wind is
2887.5 -> calm. There are wind, surface imperfections etc.
on a highway, so you can easily handle even 150 kmph.
2894.58 -> Again, the weight of the motorcycle damps
the vibrations of the small engine pretty well.
2901.6 -> Btw, even having a few extra CCs, the Benelli
doesn’t have that much bottom torque,
2908.68 -> so you won’t get much speed or performance. If you ask
a direct question, who is faster - the Honda always
2915.82 -> accelerates faster. But talking to an accountant
the huge weight difference I would bet a KTM 390
2923.02 -> Adventure is faster. There are a few drag-racing
videos of this engine on Youtube, there are
2928.72 -> TRK502s and Leoncino 500 which is 45 kg lighter
than the TRK, both are beaten by a Dominar.
2939.04 -> While the engine by Honda delivers over
the whole rev range up to the limiter,
2943.78 -> the Benelli has only the mids and then it just doesn’t,
which is a common thing for 360 degrees
2950.8 -> motors. It accelerates up to 150 and then every
extra kmph comes very slowly and only unless it
2959.26 -> doesn’t go uphill. Again, the motorcycle is not
just heavy, it’s also wide for the class.
2965.98 -> When you’re seeing a TRK in your rear view mirror
you have a feeling you’re seeing a thicc GS.
2971.68 -> But the GS is wide because it has to carry a
boxer engine and a telelever, while Benelli
2977.26 -> just pretends it’s a big bike sacrificing
its aerodynamics but many people buy it.
2983.56 -> The next more of an issue is that while the Voge’s
designers understand that even if the motorcycle
2990.4 -> is the best in the class on the dirt roads, no one
is going to cross rivers on it and both, the base
2997.66 -> one and the X versions have lower exhausts,
and while the basic version of Benelli keeps its pipe
3005.46 -> very low, the X version has it moved up, like it’s
ready to swim rivers every day. Benelli say they
3012.84 -> did it to increase ground clearance but they don’t
explain why they put it so high. Not that many
3019.14 -> people think about it, but there is an important
thing. The Honda and the Voge will have side cases
3025.5 -> set very close to the motorcycle, so if all the 3
get the cases of equal width, the Benelli will be
3031.86 -> the widest one. There are 4 major downsides:
First, it’s harder to filter traffic
3038.22 -> with the cases on. You don’t have that luxury
to be stuck in traffic when you travel,
3043.5 -> you’re leaving a city in the morning so you’re stuck
in traffic, and you arrive in the next city
3048.3 -> in evening, again, being stuck in the traffic.
Second, it affects the motorcycle balance.
3055.26 -> Third, side cases make the aerodynamics worse on
highways. So if you have some wide aluminum
3061.56 -> boxes instead of round ones, the motorcycle often
starts being wobbly at high speeds, and it also
3068.34 -> increases fuel consumption. Fourth, the exhaust
pipe will warm up the case and whatever inside so
3076.5 -> you get one more task to solve, what can you put
in the left side case and what can you put in
3083.64 -> the right. And some extra issues like having
a low exhaust you can use soft bags without frame
3090 -> mounts and it makes the motorcycle COG lower,
while Benelli requires the mounts to be installed.
3096.78 -> Interestingly enough, on almost every
bike of the 500 class the speedo lies hard.
3102.78 -> The Voge’s one is relatively fair,
the Benelli’s one is the worst. So don’t be
3109.32 -> inspired when their owners write they ride 170 kmph,
in real life 155 is an achievement.
3116.16 -> To summarize the Benelli, it’s a weird motorcycle,
but it’s the best small capacity bike for tall
3124.5 -> people and sometimes it’s even better than 650s in
terms of comfort. I wouldn’t say I recommend it,
3131.94 -> but if you find yourself in a position when
you have a limited budget and because of some
3137.82 -> reason you need a brand new bike, go ahead.
It’s the most comfy option to travel on the
3143.46 -> pavement for tall people for its price.
What a case, I don’t like the motorcycle at all,
3150.18 -> but if I had to choose a sup 9000 €
motorcycle to ride 10 000 km on the pavement on,
3157.74 -> I would get the Benelli TRK 502. I would
cringe at how weird everything is on it,
3164.7 -> but I would ride it with better comfort than on
its competitors. Btw, the dash is located not too low,
3172.14 -> it’s also handy. I didn’t say a word about
its stupid mirrors, but it’s not relevant anymore,
3180.6 -> they have been recently updated,
and the bike got a new hand protection too.
3186.06 -> As you understand, I also rode a QJ Motor SRT550.
The suspension and ergo are the same as on the
3193.8 -> Benelli, except for one thing. SRT550 are mainly
the Asian market oriented and someone there
3201.42 -> noticed the Benelli’s seat height issue. From the
factory they make the seat lower at the front,
3207.48 -> so at its lower point it is about 3 cm lower
than the one on TRK502. I still don’t find the
3213.78 -> bike to be too low because of the seat width,
but it’s better than nothing. I cannot tell
3219 -> how comfy it is on a long trip, because I rode
the bike in a town and I wouldn’t call it bad,
3225.18 -> as well as the Benelli’s. The screen is different.
It was the best in the class which
3230.52 -> wasn’t a difficult achievement looking at the
competitors, but here I’m protecting old school
3235.92 -> values, readability-shmeadability. What do
young people need? They need fashion.
3242.34 -> It has the color of a blue ball pen with a shade
of purple. They like these colors in China,
3248.28 -> it might be their lucky color. You see it in
Chinese car screens like Cherry or Geely.
3254.22 -> Btw, QJ Motor and Benelli as parts of Geely holding.
So it’s a requirement for Chinese cars to have
3260.88 -> that junky blue lights and screens, no one
except them would like to put these screens
3266.88 -> on motorcycles. Oh, wait, except the Honda
Africa Twin 1000. And the screen also glares
3273.66 -> because of the glass quality and its angle.
You almost always see sun reflections in it.
3279.3 -> Buttons for turn indicators as well as others
are cheap and rough. Try to imagine you ordered
3285.84 -> the cheapest buttons from Aliexpress,
because this is exactly what you expect.
3290.82 -> But I have tested the SRT not for talking
about these minor things. The thing here
3297.24 -> is it has a bigger engine. Now it has 554 cc.
This is exactly the same engine that
3306.36 -> is going to be used in Lucky Explorer
- I can see the future. So here I can
3312.06 -> say the updated engine feels like it
got bored cylinders and nothing more.
3317.1 -> But there is a thing. The Lucky Explorer specs
mention a 270 degrees crankshaft. The Chinese
3324.54 -> don’t disclose anything and even dealers don’t
know if it’s true. I didn’t see this engine
3330.42 -> disassembled and have spent much time with the bike.
In theory the QJ could equip the Lucky
3336.78 -> Explorer with a dedicated engine specced with
a different crankshaft, but it’s very unlikely.
3342.54 -> What is more likely is the new QJ also has a 270
degrees engine - it would explain why I feel the
3349.74 -> 550 less buzzy on mid-revs. Experts and unique
360 degree engine sound fanboys can try to hear
3358.8 -> which cranks are in the QJ. Or just accept that
the story about the divine sounds is bullshit.
3365.7 -> The character is the same, still weak at high revs,
still doesn’t spoil you with fat bottom end,
3372.66 -> it just got some extra torque, around 10 or 15 percent.
At least there is some life on low revs,
3380.1 -> from a traffic light it accelerates better.
The TRK502 has a problem because it’s weak engine
3386.76 -> wasn’t able to move the fat bike forward from a standstill.
It always feels like you’re carrying
3393.06 -> a passenger. Now it’s better, at least when I rode
it in almost perfect road conditions, without cases,
3400.26 -> luggage and with the Low Fuel Warning Light.
It still has to make an effort to accelerate,
3406.26 -> but it’s better than it was before. It’s better
when you ride solo in a city, but it won’t be
3412.2 -> enough of the engine if you have full cases.
It’s still not refined, it often riches the mixture
3418.74 -> so you should rev it a little higher than you’d
wished to. Here I’ve stuttered in first gear.
3424.68 -> Here it almost stuttered at the second when I slightly
moved the throttle. You can learn to live with it
3430.5 -> but it’s a telling example. In my experience I can
let my engine stall on one motorcycle from twenty.
3436.8 -> Here It happened one and a half time and not right
after I got the bike, but after I got used to it
3443.52 -> and rode to give it back. It’s a common feature of
Chinese motorcycles, they have unrefined injection
3450 -> and firing systems compared to their European
and Japanese rivals. And it’s a thirsty bike,
3456.06 -> it has a sticker with fuel consumption on its
tank. There are many jokes coming to mind,
3462.54 -> but let’s move forward. 4.3 l for a 100 km.
Just for a reference, the big 1250 GS drinks
3471.96 -> 4.75 according to WMTC. CB500X gets 3.6 WMTC.
In general it’s a nice engine tweak. Especially
3482.88 -> considering the SRT550 and the TRK502 have exactly
the same price, I think I should take an SRT from
3490.62 -> the beginning, they’re exactly the same, except
the engine difference. Also the bike has a 6 years
3497.7 -> warranty in Europe, the competition doesn’t
offer that. But again, it’s the same case,
3503.76 -> a cheap motorcycle to ride on a pavement for
tall people. It’s still a mediocre city bike.
3511.2 -> Voge 500 DSX. The biggest advantage here
is it’s cheaper than the competitions,
3517.74 -> its basic version is even cheaper than KTM 390
Adventure and BMW 310 GS. While the DSX version
3525.96 -> with spoked wheels and full set of cases is 500 €
cheaper than stock Honda. And the Voge is
3532.8 -> the only bike that has a color screen and tire
pressure monitors. Also, one more interesting thing,
3538.92 -> both Voge’s and Benelli’s X versions
have center stands while their cast wheel
3544.74 -> versions don’t. And the motorcycle doesn’t
have downsides compared to the competitions,
3550.02 -> the engine and the gearbox are designed by
Honda or copied from Honda, but not the same,
3556.32 -> and besides it vibrates earlier and stronger while
still on some acceptable level, the motorcycle
3563.04 -> doesn’t have any weird issues. Btw, Voge is a
Loncin’s brand. You can see these 500cc engines
3571.2 -> on other bikes, such as Kovi ADV 500, Dahaidai
ADV 500 and so on.
3579.48 -> It’s the same Voge 500 engine. And don’t forget that
Loncin manufactures mid-sized BMW engines.
3587.34 -> Compared to Benelli and Honda, the Voge has a
little more smoothening suspension, but it also
3593.28 -> dives a little more. You can ride dirt roads on
it while it weighs almost as the Honda, but not as
3599.16 -> the Benelli, and the seat height is lower too.
You can have a nice comfort riding dirt roads thanks
3605.58 -> to the spoked wheels and a decent suspension.
The suspension travel is still a limiting factor and
3611.88 -> if you hit a hole or a bump the bike will jump,
but if you just ride a bad pavement the Voge is
3618.24 -> more comfortable than the Honda or the Benelli
and here you won’t be shamed for calling it a crossover.
3622.98 -> When standing, again, it’s nothing special,
but it’s better from the trinity.
3628.56 -> The ergo is better than on the Hondas,
both old and new, the position is more relaxed,
3634.86 -> the wind protection is better. The screen is
also colored, at the beginning it was painful to
3641.58 -> look at and it was difficult to read anything
except the speed value. The competition has
3646.74 -> better readability. But when you only have the one
motorcycle you’ll get used to any shiny shit.
3652.8 -> These were all my complaints about the motorcycle.
It’s a decent beginner bike without outstanding
3659.22 -> features and a nice-enough comfort. It would be a
good value even if it wouldn't be the cheapest in
3665.46 -> the class. And I don’t have any idea if it has
any technical problems, but forums might help.
3671.76 -> And a bonus. There is a Spanish brand called
Macbor and it has an XR5 model. I haven’t
3679.26 -> mentioned it in the title because according
to their website they sell motorcycles only
3683.88 -> in Spain. Later I found out than you can find
the same motorcycle in China called Kove 500X
3690.36 -> or Colove 500X, in Czech Republic it’s called
Jawa RVM 500, in Argentina it’s RVM Tekken 500,
3699.84 -> in Greece it’s known as Daytone Maverick 500,
in Italy it’s named KL Raticosa 500X.
3708.84 -> And my personal favorite, the English Aristocrat
Bristol Venturi 500 in the Philippines.
3716.16 -> I love the Chinese!
All the bikes are the
3719.52 -> same motorcycle and the only difference is colors,
so by default I’ll call them Kove,
3726.3 -> because the manufacturer Tibet New Summit Motor Company
call themselves Kove on the western markets.
3731.76 -> The model is based on the same CB500X engine,
which feels exactly like the one on the Voge,
3738.66 -> the gearbox is a little more rough and it
has some minor buzz. But here you feel the
3744.06 -> vibrations more on the pegs rather than on the
handlebar, they probably found better bar weights.
3749.46 -> I wasn’t interested in reviewing the motorcycle at all.
It’s just another Chinese bike. And it’s
3756.24 -> priced exactly the same as the Honda CB500X.
I just took a test ride in a dealership to
3762.18 -> see if I am right. And as soon as I reached
my ground track I was amazed how good the
3768 -> motorcycle was on dirt. It fully deserves an
Adventure tag. Yes, a big impact is made by
3775.56 -> its longer suspension but it’s not just that.
You can see they have refined the ergonomics.
3780.78 -> Which is pretty expected after you learn their lineup.
They try to make balanced bikes for
3786.48 -> dirt instead of just copying popular models like
other Chinese brands do. Did you know the Kove
3792.96 -> take part in Dakar on their 450 Rally bike?
Both sitting and standing you feel you have
3799.98 -> full control of the motorcycle, which you
mostly feel on KTM adventure motorcycles,
3805.14 -> even when the rear is blocked and sliding
you’re having the control. And the suspension
3811.92 -> is tuned like on a hard enduro rather than
on a soft enduro (dual-sport). It’s stiff, but you keep
3819.24 -> the control on the motorcycle, I’ve never seen
that good on cheap motorcycles. But even more,
3824.94 -> both compression and rebound damping of the fork
are adjustable, which you just don’t expect from the class.
3831.84 -> Of course the suspension is still budget,
but on a section that I usually ride 35-40 kmph
3839.52 -> on all motorcycles, it’s too boring for the
Kove as well as for adventure bikes by KTM,
3846.3 -> so sometimes I rode even faster on the third.
It’s a funny bike with a decent dirt performance.
3853.56 -> Do you remember I said that a manufacturer
can choose where to move the damping curve,
3858.12 -> if they cannot have a decent handling everywhere?
In this case, even if it has bigger travel
3864.3 -> from the competitions, the suspension is stiffer.
It’s a harder bike on a pavement, you feel all the
3871.62 -> imperfections and it’s not as comfortable as the
competition. I think beginners haven't learned one
3877.74 -> important thing yet. The thing is sacrificing the
comfort on smaller roughness, we make the handling
3884.28 -> better as well as mid-sized bumps, which lets us
ride faster. That time when the suspension loses
3891.12 -> its control over the roads happens far later.
When the suspension price is limited,
3896.7 -> it is the best solution for those who understand it,
the budget KTMs and Husqvarnas have the same approach.
3903 -> The Kove has plenty of small not-noticed features
that are handy offroad and that the competitors
3909.24 -> don’t have. Spoked wheels and protection from the
factory are ok, but here you get, for example,
3915.54 -> a full bash plate, a folding gear shift lever,
adjustable brake lever of a good adventish shape
3922.2 -> that you don’t press when you don’t want to.
Or for example it has 2 riding modes.
3928.26 -> It’s not about power, you just can make 1 for a road
having both ABS on, while in the second mode you
3934.8 -> can disable the read or both ABS if you want.
So you leave the pavement, just press a button
3940.5 -> and you have a dedicated riding mode, then you
go back to pavement, press a button and you’re
3945.84 -> ready to go. The Kove has the widest handlebar in
the low capacity class and I won’t be surprised
3952.08 -> if it turns out to be the tallest one as well.
Because thanks to the handlebar the bike handles
3957 -> perfectly by a person of 188. And it also has
tall mirrors that don’t show you your elbows.
3964.26 -> Long story short, I liked the bike and I
got it for the second time in Barcelona
3969.78 -> for a full-length test ride to understand if it’s
good for touring. It has a nice touring feature,
3975.96 -> a 20 liters tank. Yes, the Benelli has an as big
tank too, but it also consumes more petrol.
3982.86 -> Even when you have a dynamic ride it has more than
400 km of range, and if you ride slower roads,
3990.24 -> this is the only modern popular small bike,
that can reach 500 km on a tank.
3996.18 -> The Kove is a good example of the Benelli’s
poor design. The 500X is 30 kgs lighter while
4003.5 -> having more iron on it, such as protection bars,
the center stand, the metal bash plate, the hand
4008.66 -> guards, the spokes, the biggest range as well as
the longer suspension. The seat on the Kove is
4015.2 -> lower while it maintains full length adventure
suspensions and the same ground clearance.
4021.44 -> On a long trip I didn’t like two things:
first, the knees are a little too bent if you’re tall.
4028.94 -> It’s better than many others and it’s ok for
1-2 days of riding, but after a week of riding
4035.24 -> your legs will want to have a rest. From the other
side, the motorcycle has enough ground clearance,
4040.76 -> so you can install some adjustable pegs,
so it’s not a big issue. And the seat is poor,
4046.46 -> it’s wide enough, but they could use more foam.
Again, not a big problem, you can add some gel.
4053.36 -> I rode it a lot in twisties and it was good
just because of its stiffer suspension.
4059.3 -> Most motorcycles with 200 mm suspensions are usually
too soft for canyons, but not this one.
4066.86 -> The worst thing about the model considering how good it is,
is that I cannot recommend it even for those who
4073.28 -> live in Spain, because it is just too rare,
even if it has a close relative in every country.
4081.56 -> Let’s start with something simple, the motorcycle has
a pretty windscreen standard for its class.
4087.2 -> Of course you want to get a different one for road touring.
And if we open a Givi’s or Puig’s website
4093.26 -> we can see taller screens or other extras for any
of the competition, especially Honda or Benelli,
4099.56 -> but you don’t see Kove brand even in the
manufacturers list. The user community is too small
4107 -> and separated by different countries to be able to
find any decent problems solutions. You won’t get
4113.96 -> any quality aftermarket parts, you’re stuck with
what you can find on Aliexpress. So for example
4120.2 -> if you want not to make it cheaper, but upgrade
your brakes, you won’t get options.
4127.76 -> Used Kove motorcycles as well as any of its clone brands
also don’t have that much of demand, so if you
4134 -> decide to sell it in a couple years it might be
stuck. Also, the rental company owner, who has like
4141.26 -> 3 dozen more motorcycles of different brands complains
about minor electrical issues you don’t get if
4149.06 -> you get a Honda. The bike has a 3 years warranty,
sounds fine, but Voge has a 5 years one, Benelli
4156.5 -> has a 5 years one, and QJ Motor offer a 6,
while Honda has an extended 4 year warranty in Europe.
4163.22 -> Oh, and Honda doesn’t even need warranties.
In other words, there is a gem in the class, but...
4173.9 -> To summarize the class of 500cc for Europe…
My thought might not be relevant for Latin America
4181.46 -> or Asia which have completely different roads
and traffic and 300cc might be enough.
4188.78 -> But in Europe and the US beginners also look at their top
speeds. It’s like if I’m going to ride 110 kmph,
4196.16 -> a 300cc will be enough for me, or liter bike
riders use only 30% of the power and other shit
4203.54 -> people say. It doesn’t work like that. The biggest
issue with small capacity bikes is you have to
4209.72 -> rev them up all the time to get a half-decent
performance, not forgetting to shift gears just
4215.66 -> to keep the speed of the traffic. It often happens
that you start moving and the next traffic light
4221.18 -> is in 200 meters. On a small bike you should
change gear like 10 times for the time,
4227.42 -> also working the throttle. On a bigger displacement bike
each gear usually has a wider use range with
4233.84 -> enough torque. So there you would be able to
filter all the traffic on the second-third and
4239.6 -> not have to fully twist the throttle each time you
need an acceleration. Or riding canyons you rarely
4246.5 -> keep the same speed, usually you have a range,
let’s say from 40 to 80 kmph. An average mid-sized
4253.52 -> motorcycle covers this range in its third or
the fourth gear having a decent acceleration and
4260 -> it’ll forgive you, if you choose a wrong gear,
for example if the uphill after the turn was
4265.52 -> steeper than you expected. On the small-capacity
one you have to squeeze the shit out of the clutch
4272.42 -> lever and the throttle, so you change gears
more than you actually ride the motorcycle,
4277.7 -> you don’t even have time to release the lever.
It’s not that bad with a 500cc, which makes city
4285.08 -> rides comfier. If you live in a big city, it’s a
decent solo bike, it’s a step higher than a 300cc in
4292.4 -> terms of riding experience. The extra displacement
just gives you extra fun and performance.
4298.76 -> Those who are just beginning riding
have a clue a small bike will be enough.
4303.56 -> And at the very beginning it might be.
You get decent fun from a
4308.66 -> small bike the first couple weeks.
And if the person is inspired with riding,
4313.4 -> the little bike will last a month or maybe two.
Things become complicated after a few years and
4319.52 -> many guys just feel their average speed goes down.
You know how to ride, stop showing off,
4325.46 -> people move from sportbikes to Harleys
or to standard bikes and so on.
4331.46 -> Or for example they use a utility bike in a city and
let off steam on weekends with dual-sports,
4336.98 -> or on racetracks, or traveling, or wrenching
the bikes, it depends on the person.
4343.46 -> I just want to say that a performance bike is usually
needed for the second half of the first year,
4349.4 -> or the second or the third when any ride builds
your skills and you master riding, so if you have
4359.06 -> the budget, don’t buy small capacity motorcycles.
Only if you’re a girl or a short legged and subtle
4366.98 -> boy and you’re physically uncomfortable with
larger bikes. In my opinion a 500cc
4374.42 -> is the smallest displacement you should
start riding, and not be disappointed in a month.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKA5R8fTGz0