Chinese motorcycle giant Loncin has recently unveiled the updated version of its popular naked streetfighter, the Voge 500AC. At present, the Chinese-made retro-styled naked bike is present in multiple markets across Asia and Europe under varying naming conventions and trim options. The updated version of the Voge 500AC bears sleek, neo-retro styling, similar to that of popular bikes like the new Triumph Trident and Yamaha XSR700.
As is the case with most Chinese-made
motorcycles, we can expect the new Voge 500AC to begin trickling into the
international sphere in the coming months. For now, however, the bike has
debuted in China, and is priced at CNY 34,980, which loosely translates to US$ 5,400. At this price point, it's expected that the new Voge 500AC comes
with quite a bit of tech, so let's take a closer look at what Loncin has done
to update one of its most popular naked bikes.
For starters, the Loncin Voge 500AC
retains its 471cc parallel-twin engine which bears rather similar architecture
as that of Honda's parallel-twin found on the likes of the CB500F and Rebel
500. Equipped with a 180-degree crankshaft, it produces the same
lawnmower-esque exhaust note as most parallel-twin equipped beginner bikes out
there. It does, however, crank out a healthy 48 horsepower—putting it in the
same ballpark, performance-wise, as the likes of the Benelli Leoncino 500 and
the aforementioned Honda CB500F.
Setting itself apart, the Loncin has
contracted KYB to outfit the Voge 500AC with a set of premium, fully-adjustable
inverted forks, mated to a rear monoshock which features preload and damping
adjustability. The brakes have been supplied by Nissin, and consist of a pair
of dual-piston calipers which clamp down on two 298mm rotors up front. A
single-piston, 240mm rotor setup handles braking duties outback. Another thing
to note is the full-color TFT display which comes as standard equipment on the
Voge 500AC—a feature yet to be adopted by other bikes of this class and price
bracket.
