VOR EN530

Ostensibly it wasn't a 2003 model, but the electric-start VOR EN530 I spent a day aboard in Victoria's High Country was for all intents and purposes an '03 incarnation.

Graphics aside, the addition of a Keihin 39mm FCR carburettor - in place of the Italian-made Dell'Orto 38mm number - and Excel rims are the only differences between the old and new. And, as a taste of what is to come, Australian VOR importer Cross Country Action had already performed the carburettor upgrade for the AMCN outing. I'm glad it did, because the big thumper's specialities are hill-climbing and fire-trail blasting. And there's plenty of both in the High Country. Aboard a VOR, the sky's the limit...

WHAT'S UP, BRO?
VOR is, or rather was, founded by the legendary Vertemati brothers who, after earning their keep as the Italian importer of Husabergs, eventually decided they could make a fair fist of dirtbike manufacture themselves. Thus VOR was created.

But over time the siblings and their production staff began to drift apart. The Vertemati brothers were then bought out, and set about creating ultra exclusive (and expensive!) dirtbikes under the most prosaic of names - Vertemati. Meanwhile, VOR continued in its own direction, with the top-shelf EN530 now forming part of its five-bike range.

Like many European manufacturers, VOR sources some components from outside suppliers to service its production line; hence the Paioli suspension hanging from the trick CrMo perimeter frame, and the funky-looking Braking Wave discs. These components add to the VOR's unique look, as do the black plastics - there's a distinct element of Latin design inherent in the VOR's styling. It doesn't look like anything else.

And it's not just the look where the VOR has few peers. The five-speed gearbox is a slide-out, slide-in cassette-type, with first and fifth gear ratios replaceable. Additionally, there's a three-speed 'box available as a factory option.

Almost as trick is the engine - and that's even before a wheel is turned in anger! That's because the slab-sided barrel runs a small window offering an interesting view of the gear driving the camshaft at work.

HEAVY BREATHING
And work it does. The engine displaces 525cc, and produces its power like a runaway steam roller - progressively gaining momentum in a deceptive fashion while powering over anything that happens to get in the way.

Lazy riders will love the 530. Gear selection rarely becomes an issue (the three-speed option is more than feasible) and the clutch lever can be left alone in most situations. Just roll on the throttle at any revs and the bike responds cleanly, and with remarkably few vibes for such a big thumper.

The Keihin carb has a major role to play here, with its response crisper than the outgoing Dell'Orto, and it's claimed to be more reliable too.

Not surprisingly, the VOR simply tractors up even the gnarliest hill climbs, doing it so easily I often found myself with nothing to do in such situations except point it in roughly the right direction and enjoy the ride.

Fast, open fire trails are dispatched with similar disdain, the longish 1485mm wheelbase helping to stabilise proceedings as the bike thunders from one corner to the next. The only downside to this sort of behaviour is the amount of dirt I ingested thanks to the open-mouthed grin plastered across my dial!

In terrain such as this, the Paioli suspenders are accommodatingly compliant, yet I didn't bother the bump stops on anything other than the wildest of erosion jump landings.

Both ends glide through their stroke with fluid control, and are spot-on for the demands of a long-haul trail ride - absorbing decent-sized hits, without kicking the crap out of the pilot. Top marks.

TIGHTEN UP
When the trails turn to tight, first-gear single tracks, the engine's versatility is a bonus, but the bike feels a little tall and unwieldy when sitting in the saddle. At a claimed 930mm, the seat height isn't as tall as it feels in this kind of going - but the bike seems heavier than its claimed 114kg, which appears an otherwise valid claim.

It is a big-bore thumper after all, and I found standing on the 'pegs to make better use of the comfortable ride position helped me negotiate the tighter tracks with more success. But the fact remains that the bike's happier with the gearbox in third or fourth and a bit of room to move.

The Brembo brakes weren't as inspiring as I had hoped, but the testbike had some hard kilometres on it, and the pads were no longer at their best. They still do the job reliably enough, and those Wave rotors do look pretty smick... The electric start worked each time, every time, which is lucky for me because I struggled to master the arse-about kickstarter. While my fumblings amused onlookers no end, with a bit of time, I'm sure I would have got there. The good news of course, is that I didn't need to.

The electric leg is worth its weight in gold in the bush - literally. Stalling part way up a largish hill alongside a kickstart-only thumper proved the point.

While my fellow rider needed to return from whence he came, fire up the bike and start again, I just hit the button and used the engine's torque to hook up and drive to the summit. Easy.

A GOOD GIG
Easy to ride it may be, but the VOR ain't no easybeat - just ask Mika Ahola. The tough-as-nails Finn and his VOR won the last two International Six Days' Enduros (ISDE) outright - and there are few tougher tests of man and machine in the off-road racing arena.

Riders who lack the talent of the Mika Aholas of this world (most of us) will still feel at home trail riding a VOR with mates; it's just comforting to know you can then go out and win an ISDE on one...

The $12,600 VOR runs head-to-head with KTM's 525EXC ($12,100), Husaberg's $12,595 FE501E and Husqvarna's 570TE ($11,295), and holds its head high in such company.

One area I believe it loses ground to its competitors though concerns its girth, with each of the others feeling just a little slimmer - not such a major problem in light of its brilliant engine, but nevertheless still discernible.

The VOR does everything an enduro bike should, and does it well, too. It will appeal to a wide range of rider ability and tastes, and represents good value for money.

My lasting memory of the bike concerns effortlessly sailing up a third-gear hill climb, the big 530 barely ticking over, the front tyre airborne more often than not and me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Addictive stuff...

Thanks to Brett Lane at B&K High Country Motorcycle Adventures Australia (tel, 03 5777 5277) for the guided tour.