CFMoto 450MT vs Voge 525DSX vs Benelli TRK 502X: The Mid-Size Chinese Twins Compared

CFMoto 450MT vs Voge 525DSX vs Benelli TRK 502X: The Mid-Size Chinese Twins Compared

ByMoto-Wild-Team

Updated First published Oct 23, 2026Sources

You have an A2 licence, or you have just passed your test, and you want one bike that commutes in the week and goes somewhere interesting at the weekend. The Japanese and Austrian options cost more than you want to spend. That leaves three Chinese-built parallel twins at roughly the same money: the CFMoto 450MT, the Voge 525DSX and the Benelli TRK 502X. On a spec sheet they look like the same bike three times. They are not.

The 450MT is the light one with a 21-inch front, built to leave the tarmac. The 525DSX is the one that comes fully dressed, with crash bars, hand guards and a centre stand already bolted on. The TRK 502X is the big, heavy tourer with the largest tank and the oldest design. The right one depends on where you ride, how tall you are and where you live. We have not ridden these bikes for this site. Riding impressions below come from the published tests and owner reports listed at the end. Prices are at the time of writing (October 2026).

Quick answer

  • Pick the CFMoto 450MT if trails matter, or if you want the lightest bike to pick up. It has a 21-inch front and 200 mm of travel. Budget for protection on top.
  • Pick the Voge 525DSX if you ride mostly tarmac and gravel and want a bike that is ready to tour on day one, with bars, hand guards, centre stand, rack and an adjustable screen as standard. Not sold in the US.
  • Pick the Benelli TRK 502X if range and road comfort matter more than weight. It has a 20-litre tank and comes with racks and guards, but it is the heaviest by a clear margin.
  • US readers: it is the 450MT (sold as the Ibex 450) or the TRK 502X. Voge does not sell the 525DSX there.

Head-to-head · MotoWild data

2026 CFMoto 450MT with side cases riding a desert track at sunset450MTCFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450Voge 525DSX parked in a pine forest525DSXVoge 525DSX / DS525XBenelli TRK 502X in white with panniers on a gravel trail502XBenelli TRK 502X
  • The lowest standard seats here are close: the Voge 525DSX / DS525X (810–830 mm) and the CFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450 (820 mm).
  • Ready to ride, the CFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450 is the lightest here, roughly 39 kg (86 lb) less than the Benelli TRK 502X. Makers weigh differently, so treat small gaps as a draw.
  • The Benelli TRK 502X carries the most fuel (20.0 L).

Seat height (standard)

CFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450820 mm · 800 mm low option
Voge 525DSX / DS525X810–830 mm
Benelli TRK 502X840 mm

A range means sources disagree. Lower is easier at a stop, but weight and seat width matter too.

Weight, ready to ride

CFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450196 kg · wet, weighed by Cycle News
Voge 525DSX / DS525X206 kg · kerb, 2025 spec
Benelli TRK 502X235 kg · kerb, Benelli

Figures as published, with their basis. Wet, kerb and full-tank weights are close but not identical, so a few kilos either way is a draw.

Fuel tank

CFMoto 450MT / Ibex 45017.5 L
Voge 525DSX / DS525X16.5–18.0 L
Benelli TRK 502X20.0 L
SpecCFMoto 450MT / Ibex 450Voge 525DSX / DS525XBenelli TRK 502X
Engine449 cc parallel twin494 cc parallel twin500 cc parallel twin
Power (claimed)About 44 hp47.6 hp (35 kW) at 8,500 rpm47.6 hp (35 kW) at 8,500 rpm
Weight175 kg dry (claimed); about 196 kg wet as tested by Cycle News190 kg dry (claimed, 2023 spec); 206 kg kerb (2025 spec)235 kg kerb (Benelli figure); 213 kg claimed dry in US spec
Seat height820 mm (800 mm low setting)810 mm (MCN); some spec sheets give 830 mmAbout 840 mm
Fuel tank17.5 L18 L (Voge); some 2025 spec sheets give 16.5 L20 L
Wheels21 / 18 in spoked, tubeless19 / 17 in spoked, tubeless19 / 17 in spoked
Suspension travel200 mm front and rear; fork fully adjustable, shock preload and reboundAbout 145 mm front, 155 mm rear (1000PS); KYB fork and shock140 mm front listed (sources vary); rear not stated consistently
US price$6,499 (Ibex 450)Not sold in the US (UK £6,199)$7,099 (2026 MSRP, listed)
Tyres90/90-21 / 140/70-18
Spoked 21/18 on tubeless rims. CST Ambro A4 as original equipment.		110/80-19 / 150/70-17
Spoked 19/17 on tubeless rims. Metzeler Tourance as original equipment, according to MCN.		110/80-19 / 150/70-17
Spoked 19/17. Metzeler Tourance on US test bikes. Our sources do not state tube or tubeless clearly for these bikes; the China and India updates added tubeless-capable spoked rims, so check yours before you plan on a plug kit.

Versions and model years

  • CFMoto 450MT: The 450MT is sold as the Ibex 450 in the US; it is the same bike. The 800MT and Ibex 800 are different, larger bikes.
  • Voge 525DSX: Voge sells this bike as the DS525X in the UK and the Valico 525 DSX in Italy and other EU markets; it is the same bike. The newer DS625X (Valico 625 DSX) is a different, larger bike. The 525DSX is not sold in the US.
  • Benelli TRK 502X: Three things to check: whether it is the TRK 502 X or the road-going TRK 502 (different exhaust and wheels); whether it is a 2018–2020 Euro 4 or a 2021-on Euro 5 model; and which market it was built for. China-market (2022) and India-market (2025) bikes have an aluminium swingarm and other changes that European, UK and US bikes do not.

Figures: bennetts.co.uk · 1000ps.com · rideapart.com · cyclenews.com · moto.it · 1000ps.com · 1000ps.com · motorcyclenews.com · vogeglobal.com · rideapart.com · cycleworld.com · benelli.co.uk · autocarindia.com · cyclenews.com · quotidianomotori.com · motorcycle.com.

21-inch or 19-inch: what it means on the ground

This is the biggest difference between the three, and it decides most of the rest. The 450MT runs a 90/90-21 front and 140/70-18 rear on spoked tubeless rims, with 200 mm of KYB travel at each end. The Voge and the Benelli both run a 110/80-19 front and 150/70-17 rear, with far less travel: about 145 mm front and 155 mm rear for the Voge according to 1000PS, and 140 mm listed at the front for the Benelli.

A tall, narrow front wheel rolls over ruts and rocks that a 19-inch front will bounce off. Cycle News took the Ibex 450 on a 350-mile desert rally. Nobody suggests that for the other two. Cycle News rated the TRK 502X’s off-road ability as light, and MCN said the TRK is terribly top-heavy off-road, with a tank shape that pushes your knees back when you stand. The Voge sits in between. Its 19-inch front is fine on fire roads and gravel lanes, and MSL’s long-term tester praised its adjustable KYB fork.

On tarmac the trade reverses. If your “off-road” is a farm track to a campsite, the 19-inch front costs you very little.

Weight, on the same basis

Weight figures for these bikes are quoted in different ways, so compare like with like. On makers’ claimed dry figures it is 175 kg for the 450MT, 190 kg for the 2023 Voge and 213 kg for the US-spec Benelli. On kerb (ready-to-ride) figures, 1000PS gives about 185 kg for the 450MT and 206 kg for the 2025 Voge, and Benelli quotes 235 kg for the TRK 502X. Autocar India even suspected the Benelli is heavier than its official figure.

So the Voge carries roughly 15–21 kg more than the CFMoto, depending on which basis you use, and the Benelli another 23–29 kg on top of the Voge. Between the lightest and the heaviest that is about 40–50 kg. Some of that is the bars, centre stand and racks they come with, which you would partly add to the 450MT anyway. Picture it on its side on a wet gravel lay-by, loaded with camping kit. A former owner in the ADVrider TRK 502 thread said the bike was hard to lift on muddy trails, and moved to something lighter.

If you are shorter

The 450MT is 820 mm, or 800 mm on its low setting (a linkage bolt moves). MCN gives 810 mm for the Voge, while other spec sheets say 830 mm. Cycle News measured the Benelli at 33.1 in, about 840 mm, and called that reasonably low. MCN’s view of the TRK was blunter: if you are short in the leg, it is best avoided.

Seat height is only half of it. At a fuel stop on a slope, a 235 kg bike on tiptoes is a very different thing from a 185 kg bike on tiptoes. A shorter rider who wants a 21-inch front has the 450MT at 800 mm. See 450MT seat height and lowering.

What comes in the box

Here the order flips. MCN lists crash protection, hand guards, a centre stand, a rear rack and an adjustable screen as standard on the 525DSX, and Voge UK’s 2026 bike adds a 7-inch LCD with Bluetooth navigation and a 1080p front camera. The TRK 502X comes with engine bars, a bash plate, hand guards, pannier racks and a centre stand, according to Rider Magazine, Cycle News and Benelli UK listings.

The 450MT comes with less. An owner preparing one for Morocco called the stock bash plate and hand guards weak and fitted extra protection. Before your first green lane, plan on crash bars, a stronger plate and better guards. Price the 450MT with those parts before you compare it with the other two.

Loaded for a trip

For a long weekend away, the Benelli’s 20-litre tank is the headline. Rider Magazine recorded 41.1 mpg (US) on its test bike, about 5.7 L/100 km, which works out at roughly 350 km from a full tank. The Voge’s tank is 18 litres according to Voge, though some 2025 sheets say 16.5. One owner logging fuel on Spritmonitor averaged about 4.0 L/100 km over nearly 4,900 km. For the 450MT, 1000PS recorded 4.7 L/100 km and expected more than 350 km per tank. Owners in the ADVrider 450MT thread report mid-50s mpg (US) and warn that the dash reads optimistic. These were not measured the same way, so treat them as a guide.

Two-up stretches all three: they make 44–47.6 hp, and the heavier bikes carry more of their own weight. 1000PS found a wide pillion seat and sturdy grab handles on the 450MT. We did not find a published two-up test for any of the three, so ride with your passenger before you buy.

On long road days, Adventure Motorcycling’s tester found the 450MT comfortable for up to 600 km in a day, though he did not rate the gearbox highly. On the ADVrider TRK thread, one owner reported comfortable 500-mile days on the Benelli. If you spend winters commuting on a UK A-road, the Voge’s standard guards and adjustable screen help. On the 450MT you will be buying them.

Owning one: what owners report

None of these bikes has a large, published reliability survey. Here is what we could find, with the sample size stated.

  • 450MT: Adventure Motorcycling’s long-term bike covered about 11,000 km in Morocco and the UK with no issues reported. Its original CST tyres lasted about 8,000 km. That is one bike. Owners on ADVrider say the stock gearing is short for motorway work, and some change sprockets.
  • 525DSX: on moto.it, 46 Italian owners give it an average of 9 out of 10. One owner reported failed steering-head bearings and loose bolts at about 2,300 km. MCN shows an owner reliability score of 4.7–4.8 out of 5, but from only three or four reviews.
  • TRK 502X: it has been on sale since 2018, so there is more history. A UKGSer member who owned one from 2021 to 2023 reported no problems. A Horizons Unlimited poster mentioned a bike at 32,000 km that was doing well. MCN’s owner score for the TRK 502 range is 4.2 out of 5 from 25 owners, with reliability rated lowest. Ireland’s consumer agency listed a recall of TRK 502X bikes built between September 2018 and April 2019 to replace a rear suspension strut.

These are small samples. MCN’s Voge group test put it well for all three: the bikes get decent reports, and the open questions are dealers, long-term durability and resale value.

Where you can buy one, and who services it

  • US: the 450MT is sold as the Ibex 450 at $6,499. The 2026 TRK 502X lists at $7,099; ADVrider reported that Benelli came to the US through SSR Motorsports. Voge does not sell the 525DSX in the US, according to Cycle World.
  • UK: the 450MT launched at £5,699. MCN reviewed the 525DSX at £6,199, and one Voge dealer shows the 2026 bike at £5,799 cash. Benelli UK showed the 2025 TRK 502X at £5,499 cash, and dealer listings for new 2025 bikes ranged from £4,699 to £5,199.
  • Australia: the 450MT launched at A$9,490 ride-away. The TRK 502X arrived in 2018 as a learner-approved (LAMS) bike at A$9,390 ride-away. Voge Australia lists the DS525X as a LAMS model; we did not find a price.

On dealers, we only have dated or partial figures. MCN reported in 2023 that KTM’s UK arm had taken over CFMoto and planned 20–30 new dealers. Bike magazine reported in 2021 that Voge UK was handled by the firm behind Lexmoto, with more than 130 dealers. We found no current count for any of the three. Check how far your nearest dealer is before you sign, and ask how quickly it can get parts.

Model-year and version traps

The Ibex 450 is the same bike as the 450MT. The 525DSX also goes by DS525X and Valico 525 DSX, and got a new dash for 2025. For the Benelli, make sure parts are for the X, not the road-going TRK 502, and check whether yours is a 2018–2020 Euro 4 or 2021-on Euro 5 bike, because the rack changed. Benelli has already shown the TRK 602 X as its successor.

Who should buy which

You are…Better fit
A2 rider who wants trails and green lanes450MT
Shorter rider who wants the lowest seat450MT on its 800 mm setting
Want everything fitted on day one525DSX, then TRK 502X
Mostly tarmac, long days, few fuel stopsTRK 502X
Mostly tarmac and gravel, want hard cases cheaply525DSX
Living in the US450MT (Ibex 450) or TRK 502X
Want the widest choice of parts450MT

Weighing up just the two road-biased twins? Read Benelli TRK 502X vs Voge 525DSX. Already settled on two of these three? See Voge 525DSX vs CFMoto 450MT, or line them up in the bike comparison tool.

Frequently asked questions

Which is lightest: the 450MT, the 525DSX or the TRK 502X?

The CFMoto 450MT. On kerb figures it is about 185 kg (1000PS), against 206 kg for the 2025 Voge 525DSX (1000PS) and 235 kg for the Benelli TRK 502X (Benelli).

Are all three A2 legal?

All three are sold as A2 bikes in the UK and Europe. The 525DSX and TRK 502X are rated at 35 kW (47.6 hp), the A2 limit; the 450MT claims about 44 hp. Check the registration documents of any used bike.

Which is best off-road?

The 450MT. It is the only one with a 21-inch front and 200 mm of travel, and it is the lightest. The 525DSX suits gravel roads, and reviewers rate the TRK 502X as a road bike with light off-road ability.

Can I buy a Voge 525DSX in the US?

No. Voge does not sell the 525DSX in the US. The 450MT (as the Ibex 450) and the TRK 502X are both sold there.

Which comes with the most equipment?

The 525DSX: crash bars, hand guards, centre stand, rack and adjustable screen, plus navigation and a front camera on the 2026 bike. The TRK 502X also has guards, racks and a centre stand. The 450MT needs protection added.

Sources

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