Woohoo426

Member
Apr 28, 2000
1
0
I haven't ridden one, but I've heard that the power is AWESOME. They're also supposed to be pretty light, but have typical (slow but stable) euro handling. If you want something that no one else has, it's the bike to get. I wouldn't get one unless you have a really good dealer as they are a very rare bike and I'd guess that parts support would be poor. They look really cool tho and have some interesting features (bolt together frame and forward leaning kickstarter)

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Yeah, I can do that, just not on purpose!  
 

weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
2
I've had one for a while now. Its been a pleasent surprise. I have a V-Cross 503..maybe one of the first. I found many of the popular opinions about these machines to be false. The Dirt Rider Test in product review is the closest to my experience. So I will review a little:

1) Price. email me for details but the bottom line is I spent LESS than it would take to buy Blue here in Colorado and get it built to work for me. Yamaha's are way too soft stock and the dealers add sur-charges cause they can.

2) Parts. Part of the dealer agreements is a pre-purchase of parts. I was in Utah and they have parts that can be over night delivered to dealers. Remember ATK now is the distributer. The parts guy there is excellent.

3) Hard too start. Mine is the easiest thing to start I have owned in years short of a 125. It took figuring out that the choke can hurt more than help. On warm days I don't need choke. Mine is usually a one kick started hot or cold. Sometimes two. And the forward kick starter WAS funny at first but now I prefer it.

4) Won't turn. Thats BS. It is a neutral handler. Its not like a RM but its not like a Husqvarna either. I can take any line I want with no for-thought. Just drive. It is stable. And in the open natural terrain stuff its awesome. It does like to turn with throttle better than trailing throttle.

Additional notes.

I don't like the stock handle bars...

I wish the tank had a larger cap.

The fit and finish is excellent.

Nice seat.

Spokes haven't loosened yet.

Clutch is awesome.

Front brake is just OK. I hear different pads will make a large difference. Its not to the point its worth changing but when I replace the pads I will use something else.

Tires stock are better than expected. Never was a Pirelli fan but mine stick well. Maybe a four stroke thing.

Love the rear brake.

Nice wide foot pegs.

That auto-compression release is a god send. I found all I have to do is kick.

The throttle is very light..almost too light. But after 60-70 miles of riding its just right.

If you go from a two stroke to a four stroke, get used to the engine braking! Also the throttle response is instantanious off the bottom. I like it but it take getting used to for some. All four stroke are that way.

Mine is much quieter than the Blue machines. The Enduro is even more so. The pipe looks like an after market thing. Looks great and is stainless steel as well. Don't need to buy any after market silencer as well.

Its VERY hard to stall ..I haven't yet but I also raised the idle a bit.

After a fall (yes I've had a few controled flops) it takes (oh my god!) TWO kicks. Just DON'T choke it and don't give it throttle.

The transmission is awesome. Easy to shift under power, trailing throttle, every condition. Also easy to find nuetral. I've actually shifted with no clutch under full throttle (Got excited) and it just shifted with no problem.

Its VERY easy to do standard maintainance like oil changes and cleaning filters. During break in I had a bit of "fuzz" on the two magnetic drain plugs, now they come out clean. Never had anything in the filter...which is a screen type and is re-usable. I've been using Bel-Ray synthetic gear oil.

The Air filter is under the seat on the frame and is very accessable to make certain things seal right. The hardest part is pulling the plastic air filter frame from the foam. It only goes out one end. Once that's figured out its simple. Certainly easier than my bikes with an air box. I have check the carb after long rides, no silt gets in.

My suspension was about right for me from tha factory. But I like things firm. Always have. With a couple of clicks it was to my liking. I didn't like the enduro's as much as it was soft for me. Like the Yamaha's.

I have had NO problem of any kind with my VOR. Nothing rattles off. Nothing broke yet. No leaks. No problems of any kind. This is a first for me as all the new bikes I ever owned had some little thing go wrong.

The V-Cross has the same motor as the MX versions. Its soft on the bottom and goes like hell on the top. Actually I like it better in the tight stuff than the Enduro version. I have ridden both. That softer off idle response helps me in the really tight stuff. My V-Cross runs crisp and clean at all RPM's. Just incredibly flexible. Best all around motor I ever experienced.

Conversely the chassis of the Enduro is much better in the tight stuff. Its shorter and settles down in the stroke more as well. Ends up being 3-4 inches shorter in the real world of riding. The Enduro motor has a very strong bottom end and incredible mid range. I would recommend a 400 for the really tight stuff (east coast stuff, not western ) The Enduro's suspension is what some call plush.

When things open up my V-Cross has the right chassis. It turns well for me and the high speed characteristics are excellent. Its no super cross machine but its just awesome for natural terrain MX, Hare Scrambles, and fast dessert and play riding.


I guess its obvious I like mine. Part is I didn't expect as good a machine as this has turned out to be. Another surprise is the way it was delivered, I wouldn't even consider doing the typical aftermarket stuff all the other guys need to do. This is a hidden cost savings. I didn't need to re-valve or re-spring the suspension. I won't need a fancy new pipe. All I changed was the handle bars. If you have a good dealer, the VOR is a good option. Just pick the model with an honest assessment of what you plan to do.

Oh yea, I did have one little thing when I changed bars. They like to route the cables through the cross bar, so I had to by a bar with a removable cross bar. Strange but true. Also when I put the brake control back on, I had the cable fitting touching the bar. This caused it to leak at that joint. By making CERTAIN the stainless steel brake hose fitting does not touch the bar solved that little mess.


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2001 VOR503 V-Cross
1982 husqvarna XC430
1974 Bultaco Frontera 360
6 Kids, Four Ride, 3 race. (cr125, yz80, 2 KX125's)
Case 780, INT 1066, Ford LTL9000...and a Percheron

[This message has been edited by weimedog (edited 04-20-2001).]
 

Dr.billZ

Member
May 15, 2000
194
0
My friend has an MX version 503 that he uses for woods use.

Bill's top five impressions of the VOR MX503.

1) POWER......yikes!!
2) Starting.... no-brainer. Easy to start.
3) Suspension. Too stiff for woods. Uh, Bill it's an MX bike. Oh. Nevermind.
4) POWER.
5) POWER.

Fit and finish is very good on parts...... almost art. Graphics look a little rough, however(this is a '99 model).

Overall it's been a good bike and my friend seems to like is a lot.
Parts availability should be your main concern.

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http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1254207&a=9273664&p=35044150&Sequence=0
 

tm-enduro

Member
Mar 7, 2001
254
0
Weimedog, I've read many positive post made by yourself regarding the VOR, the post above being very thorough. Had I been able to talk to folks such as yourself, I would probably be on a VOR right now. I have seen the bikes, but wasn't willing to buy a limited-production 4-stroke without knowing about the reliability (Vertemati/VOR is a young company). I had a '92 'berg fe501 and loved it, but felt that 'berg tried to hard to be like a 2-stroke. I prefer "old-world" slower steering and power like the VOR (and my TM).

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weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
2
Thanks TM, I think those TM's look pretty nice as well. Just trying to be straight as possible.....one thing, the Manual. If for no other reason, get one for the entertainment value of the manual, Its priceless!

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2001 VOR503 V-Cross
1982 husqvarna XC430
1974 Bultaco Frontera 360
6 Kids, Four Ride, 3 race. (cr125, yz80, 2 KX125's)
Case 780, INT 1066, Ford LTL9000...and a Percheron
 

VOR 492

Member
Feb 18, 2001
100
0
Josh,

I have owned a 99 503 enduro since Oct. of 99, the bike is awesome. No shortage of power! Have only made a couple of changes, 1 I installed a Biggun exhaust, even more power with a spark arrestor. Added a set of bark busters. And a set of S-12's great tires for midwest riding. Thats it.

Parts have never been a problem, order them from a dealer a few state away. Less than a week to get.

Brakes are great love the front, very powerful and easy to control. Clutch, has been abused in the last 1 1/2 years worth of riding with 10 enduro's and a few weekend rides. Just now needs replacing.

Air filter the best design I have ever seen, very easy to get to, mounted very high away from mud and water.

Got to go, Changing the oil for this weekends Enduro.

Good Luck
you wont be disapointed.

Bill

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1999 VOR 503cc
1999 F-550 4x4
 

HiG4s

~SPONSOR~
Mar 7, 2001
1,311
0
Hmmm, I was about to buy a Gas Gas, but after that review I don't know. Oh well the local Gas Gas dealer is also the VOR dealer. I'll have to talk to him.

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VintageDirt

Baked Spud
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 1, 2001
3,043
9
I wouldn't mind having a VOR powered bike. But only if I could get one of these...
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/01march01bultaco.html

I would lay down the cash in a heart beat.

Oh yeah, that little windshield doo dad would have to go in the trash.

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'00 Honda XR400
'81 Bultaco Sherpa T
'73 CZ 380
'70 Bultaco Sherpa T
WesBaca.com

[This message has been edited by VintageDirt (edited 04-22-2001).]
 

weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
2
Thats different! Kinda like that old Yamaha 500 single they sold a few years ago. Bet that Bultaco motors right along. Think you are going to see those VOR motors crop up in the most interesting places.

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2001 VOR503 V-Cross
1982 husqvarna XC430
1974 Bultaco Frontera 360
6 Kids, Four Ride, 3 race. (cr125, yz80, 2 KX125's)
Case 780, INT 1066, Ford LTL9000...and a Percheron
 

Josh Cook

Member
Oct 6, 2000
71
0
Has anyone had a "BAD" experience in dealing with VOR??
What about the Vermanotti brothers now?
What is the difference between the Vermanotti bike and the VOR??

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weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
2
No bad experiences yet. Remember that Up until the fall of last year, the distributer for VOR here in the USA was TWS out of California. VOR and TWS went their different ways and now the distributer for VOR is ATK out of Salt Lake City. Different people. Different attitude. Parts and customer support are a focus for ATK.

Part of what will happen is a transition of dealerships. The ATK dealers will have an incentive to move towards VOR and the old TWS dealer network will be incented to move away and towards TM, the bikes handled by TWS now. Its the natural order of changes in business. Not that thats a bad thing as those TM's look pretty nice as well. As those dealers change expect a million reasons why. But its all about the dealer-distributer relationships and trying to sell bikes.


Vertimatti Bros. were the guys who first put together the concept bike that is now the VOR. VOR, the company; was the finances and manufacturing know how to take the proof of concept and build a production ready motorcycle. VOR also was the company/attitude to have the motorcycle design change based on customer and race team feed back. This is what they have done over the past three years. The VOR has been refined and modified based on feed back. A 2001 model VOR 503MX is an evolution of the origional 1999 Vertimatti 492. The actual differences between the two are fairly significant. Everything from frame geometry to the motor's power band have been revised based on customer and race team feed back.

The Vertimatti Bros. have built yet another prototype machine. This is a completely different design. As far as I know, no manufacturing company has partnered with the Vertimatti Bros. to build the thing to a production level yet. As the Vertimatti 492 was before, this new machine has many inovations and is a show case of the Vertimatti Bros. view of the motocross/off road world.

I think the fundemental difference between the origional Vertimatti Bros. and the VOR company is attitude. The Vertimatti folks are looking for acceptance for their view of how a motorcycle should be designed. The VOR folks are trying to build a motorcycle based on how their customers and race team feel a motorcycle should work.

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2001 VOR503 V-Cross
1982 husqvarna XC430
1974 Bultaco Frontera 360
6 Kids, Four Ride, 3 race. (cr125, yz80, 2 KX125's)
Case 780, INT 1066, Ford LTL9000...and a Percheron

[This message has been edited by weimedog (edited 04-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by weimedog (edited 04-25-2001).]
 

TexKDX

~SPONSOR~
Aug 8, 1999
747
0
Weiemedog,

Could you please clarify one comment from your first post?

"I've been using Bel-Ray synthetic gear oil."

Does the VOR have separate gearbox oil and engine oil?

Thanks,

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TexKDX
 

tm-enduro

Member
Mar 7, 2001
254
0
1. I have had good luck with TWS (TM importer and former VOR importer) and wonder what effect the new importer (ATK)will have on VOR. The product is already quite good.
2. ATK has been a bad word in my part of the world (NW Washington state), I hope it doesn't prevent VOR sales from occuring.
3. I have not ridden a VOR yet (I want to), but in sitting on a display model I did notice the large layout (which I like being 6'1" w/ a 36" inseam), most bikes seem small and cramped to me. From what I've read, the "old-school" power and layout are right up my alley.
4. Info on the Vertemati can be seen at http://www.vertemati.it/ I understand Vertemati's are now being imported to the US (see Cycle News 4-25-01).
5. Anybody in western WA state got one that is willing to meet up so I can checkout and ride one? E-mail me if so (note: I've been a "A" enduro/HS rider for 15+ years and am not a crasher).

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weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
2
TexKDX I use the Bel Ray synthetic Four Stoke oil in the VOR, not the Gear Saver oil. I will probably change over to Mobil One 15w50 as the more I learn the less concerned I am about using decent synthetic automotive motor oil in the VOR.

The gear box and motor use the same oil supply on my VOR. I used to use Bel Ray Gear Saver in ALL my two strokes but listened to a moderator here and tried Mobil One..so far so good. VOR tech folks are less critical than I am. They basically recommend and good synthetic motoroil without EC ratings.

I hear Vertimati is trying to import as well. But who's building them? Is it a production facility or a model shop? Thats what I was alluding to. Think they are still hand built works of art. They had Trampas Parker for a little bit..don't know if he's still slated to ride them or not. Hope they do well. They certainly look pretty. Kinda puts a new slant to replacement parts. If everything is hogged outa billet, any machine shop with a good N/C mill, programming package and a good set of calipers can build Vertimatti parts! Reminds me of the old Military Aerospace/APT spline argument.

I have had no experience with TWS so have nothing intelligent to add for or against relative to them. I do like the way those TM's look and hope they do well here. ( Those TM125 enduro's look like a BLAST! I would love to try one. )( Also plan to buy chains, sprokets, and stuff through them so I HOPE they are good to work with.)

ATK has also gone through a change last fall as well. I can't give any perspective to the past as I was a Honda guy up until 2 years ago. I do know I used to make fun of some of ATK's descisions when I was Honda oriented. (Most of my concious life) So ATK is new to me as well. One thing I do know is my local dealer has been great and have had no trouble getting the stuff I needed weather is spare air filters or information. I can only speak from my experiences.

If you folks get out to my part of the world , I would be glad to let you try a VOR. I can lend my V-Cross or the dealer would love to demo the 503 Enduro he has. Just his way.

TM-enduro it wouldn't surprise me to find that the VOR folks out there would get you a demo...let me know. We have some awesome riding out here, maybe a road trip is in order!

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2001 VOR503 V-Cross
1982 husqvarna XC430
1974 Bultaco Frontera 360
6 Kids, Four Ride, 3 race. (cr125, yz80, 2 KX125's)
Case 780, INT 1066, Ford LTL9000...and a Percheron

[This message has been edited by weimedog (edited 04-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by weimedog (edited 04-25-2001).]
 

Josh Cook

Member
Oct 6, 2000
71
0
I have had past dealings with TWS. They are a great bunch of guys, but they also have several companies going at once all from the same office....
I think ATK has experienced a shrinking market for their product and are making an all-out effort to get the VOR bikes into the hands of all the POWER crazed americans....
I hope that's what their up to. I sure would like one..
Thanks for all the information..
I hope to hear more soon............

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VORRIDER

Member
Jul 11, 2008
7
0
Vor 503

I have a 99 one of the first imported into the states, and love it , the power is unmatched and has been trouble free. Have had no trouble getting parts , my local dealer is 45 min up the freeway. (Albany Or) If you like being unique the VOR always gets lots of attention. Mine is one of the few when Vor and Vertemati were still partners. Starting is a breeze , handling is typical Euro, but causes no problems , I raced for five years at our local MX track and did well on it. The announcer always called it a Vegamatic ( ha ha) I would buy a new one but no need mine just keeps thumping.
 

numpty

Member
Jul 13, 2008
1
0
vor 503

VORRIDER said:
I have a 99 one of the first imported into the states, and love it , the power is unmatched and has been trouble free. Have had no trouble getting parts , my local dealer is 45 min up the freeway. (Albany Or) If you like being unique the VOR always gets lots of attention. Mine is one of the few when Vor and Vertemati were still partners. Starting is a breeze , handling is typical Euro, but causes no problems , I raced for five years at our local MX track and did well on it. The announcer always called it a Vegamatic ( ha ha) I would buy a new one but no need mine just keeps thumping.


Hi I see you have a 503 too,
I have recently bought a 2001 503sm and am having a nightmare starting it. The electric starter will only crank over with the manual decompressor pulled in, and the kick just kicks the crap out of my shins. I have read on other forums about setting the auto decompressor of which I have done. I have also followed the click trick of kick starting, but the thing just starts when it wants to. I have a brand new battery fitted, and I cant see it being anything else setting wise as when it does run, it runs beautifully. Any Ideas?
 

VORRIDER

Member
Jul 11, 2008
7
0
Hello
Mine does not have the electric start so no comments on that, I would say if the kick starter is still getting your shins the decompressor is still not set correctly, Mine kicks very easily, keep adjusting it till it kicks easily. When the decompressor is correct you get a good full kick with no kick back. And no throttle when you try to start it. The only other issue i have had is when it sat for a long time and the needle was sticking no gas was getting down into the bowl , a light tap on the bowl always fixes this. Grand Prix cycles in Albany Or are experts with Vors they ride them as well as sell them, they love to talk VOR so you might give them a call.
 

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