[cycleworld.com] - Voge-BMW Connection Getting Tighter

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Voge, a spinoff from Loncin, and BMW have had a manufacturing partnership since 2005. That partnership has spawned a new wave of upcoming bikes from China.

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Voge is already manufacturing the DS900X which is based on partner BMW’s F 900 GS. (Voge/)An image that appears to be from a future product presentation by Chinese brand Voge has emerged online showing ambitious expansion plans between now and 2026 that include the introduction of several BMW-based models, including derivatives of the K 1600 GT and S 1000 RR.

The photo shows six new models planned for introduction during 2024, another six with launches in 2025, and a final six due to be presented in 2026. The most intriguing machines will come toward the end of that three-year period. It indicates that the long-running connection between Voge’s parent company, Loncin, and BMW is to get deeper over the next couple of years.


Voge even has plans for a sportbike based on the BMW S 1000 RR superbike. (BMW/)Loncin and BMW have nearly two decades of history, with the Chinese company having signed its first agreement with the German brand in 2005 and started manufacturing engines on BMW’s behalf in 2007. A revised agreement in 2015 extended the cooperation, with Loncin manufacturing entire bikes for BMW like the C 400 X and C 400 GT scooters, as well as the parallel-twin engines used in F-series motorcycles. Loncin’s Voge brand is a more recent addition and a key part of the company’s international expansion plans. Voge already offers a growing range of bikes throughout Europe, as well as in parts of South America, Asia, and Africa.


Voge’s DS900X adventure model is powered by the same 895cc parallel twin from the BMW F 900 GS. (Voge/)Models due to be unveiled in 2024 include some that we’re already familiar with. Alongside a couple of 150cc scooters come the DS900X, which was unveiled at last year’s EICMA show (an adventure bike built around the 895cc twin from BMW’s F 900 models), and the RR660R, a four-cylinder sportbike that was previewed last year as the RR666S concept. Voge recently type-approved the RR660R in China, with documents including the first pictures and specs of the production version of the bike. That machine is powered by a 100-hp 663cc four-cylinder engine, has relatively high-end suspension, Brembo brakes, and styling that’s much the same as the RR666S concept.


Voge’s CU250 is powered by a 27-hp V-twin. (Voge/)Another as-yet-unlaunched 2024 model shown on the plan is the CU250, a 27-hp V-twin cruiser that was also leaked recently via Chinese type approvals ahead of its official unveiling, and a new 350RR sportbike that’s likely to supersede the existing Voge 300RR, using the 40-hp parallel-twin engine from the company’s newer 350AC roadster, instead of the existing 300cc model’s 28-hp design.

Moving ahead to launches planned in 2025, are the RR250 sportbike and an intriguing RR460R—the latter of which could be another parallel twin or perhaps a four-cylinder to compete with the likes of Kove’s 450RR and Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-4RR. There’s also an adventure bike, mysteriously titled “DSXXX” (to give no clues to its capacity), and another adventure model, the DS750 Rally, potentially using a smaller version of BMW’s parallel-twin engine. Finally, are the CU520V cruiser (featuring a V-twin engine) and the SR350 ADV scooter that’s likely to share its powertrain with BMW’s C 400 models (which actually use a 350cc engine despite their “400? names).


The Voge RR660 has an inline-four. (Voge/)It’s in 2026 that the most interesting elements of the BMW tie-in emerge. As well as homebrewed models including an R660-R naked bike based on the RR660R four-cylinder platform, the CU1000V V-twin cruiser and SR500 maxi-scooter, the list includes a 1600GT tourer—illustrated on Voge’s plan with a drawing of a bike that looks exactly like BMW’s K 1600 GT six-cylinder—and an RR1000 superbike that’s illustrated with a drawing of a BMW S 1000 RR. Those two machines show Voge’s intention to compete with rivals CFMoto and QJMotor both in China and internationally. CFMoto already has a BMW-like tourer in the form of its KTM-engined 1250TR-G in the Chinese market, and plans to launch its own V-4-powered, 200-hp 1,000cc superbike. Meanwhile, QJMotor has its own tourer—sold under the Benelli brand as the 1200GT and using a version of Benelli’s big three-cylinder engine—and is borrowing the 1,078cc four-cylinder engine from MV Agusta for its own future superbike.


Voge will build a BMW K 1600 GT–based model for 2026. (BMW/)While borrowing existing BMW designs, which will be showing their age by 2026 when the Voge versions are due, shows the brand will remain a step behind its European partner, it’s still a giant leap forward for the company itself, and should those bikes reach export markets with typical made-in-China price tags, then customers will face the decision between buying a used BMW or a brand-new machine with the same mechanical parts but a less familiar name.