He Ain't Heavy: Voge's Band of Brothers

Many people claim that the saying “Blood is thicker than water” is about the importance of family. Actually, that saying is incomplete. The full quote is “The Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”

What that means is that bonds forged out of trust and loyalty can be as important, if not more, than the bonds of birth.

Voge Philippines arranged a brand-organized Group ride for all the Voge 500R owners who were able to purchase a unit from their initial supply. After announcing their launch in December of last year, the 500Rs sold out well within the first two months of 2021, much to the praise of the motoring public. It is rare for a brand to get so much positive publicity in the first quarter of business, let alone sell out their stock.

This, however, proved to be something of a turning point for the company, because as the last few units were being bought up, Voge Philippines announced a price increase of their bikes, along with the prices of two new variants, the 500DS and the 650DS – two adventure touring bikes eagerly awaited on our shores.

This announcement did not go over very well with the brand’s “fans” as the uproar drowned out the voice of reason: “Ano ba yan, ang taas taas na, mas maganda na ang Brand X.” [Why did they do that? Now the price is too high, Brand X makes more sense.] “Siguro nakita nila tumaas demand, kaya tinaasan nila presyo.” [They probably saw the huge jump in demand and decided to take advantage of the demand by jacking up prices.]

Personally, I remember the team at Voge Philippines telling me that there was really nothing they could do – the factories were raising unit prices due to tariffs and duties on raw materials, and other things that are not only out of the control of Voge Philippines, but even the Voge Factory itself. They had no choice but to raise the prices, otherwise they would start losing money on every bike they made, and everyone knows that is not how you run a business.

Thankfully, though, many loyal customers and followers came to their defense, and while the issue has not died yet, it is no longer a source of friction in the community.

It is understandable then, if someone were to presume this ride was a show of solidarity and thanks from Voge Philippines, for those loyal to the brand and came to its defense. To be completely honest, I also thought that was the reason for the group ride – to build up a community of loyal riders. But after spending the day with them, riding with them and immersing myself in their dynamic, I realized that my assumption was unfounded. These riders did not need to come together, they already were.

A common train of thought among the riders that joined the ride was surprise – in particular, surprise that such a good bike could be had for not much money. For many of them, they could not have imagined a Chinese bike would easily do 15,000 kilometers and still be going strong. In fact, many of them see motorcycles from rival Chinese brands having problems and issues arise before the first 5,000. There was also a long list of skeptics who see the amount of work that goes into each bike and are quickly turned into believers. That durability and attention to detail speaks volumes of the brand’s pursuit of quality over quantity. And much like the brand, the local distributor’s efforts to reach out and befriend their customers speaks volumes about their commitment to servicing the community, scathing comments and trolls be damned.

Truthfully speaking, the ride taught me little about Voge’s offerings that I did not already know. I already knew the bikes were very capable, and the other journalists and vloggers who participated shared my own precepts of the bike – that they feel solid and well-built. But much like myself, they only know what their experience tells them, and that usually only means a few days, maybe a week max with the unit.

The people who bought the bikes have a different experience compared to us in media, specifically because they can find out everything about the bike. They know what the bike is like to live with, how often or seldomly it needs to be serviced, or how much consumables for the bike cost. They know the things that journalists often take for granted.

The people who came along for the ride are not just Voge’s customers anymore, though. They well and truly are part of Voge’s family now. They share jokes, laughs, and appear to have a genuine friendship with the company. The vibe you get from spending time with them is not the kind of vibe you get between a company and its patrons, but rather the vibe you get from friends old and new, going out for a drink at their favorite haunt. It is light, entertaining, and good.

And I think that is what the saying actually means. “The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the water of birth.” The bonds you forge with people, based on trust, respect, and loyalty are bonds that cannot be broken. These are the kinds of bonds that stand the test of time and overcome any obstacle. And this is the kind of relationship I see happening between Voge Philippines and its patrons. It is the kind of relationship that no amount of hate or trolling can destroy.

Voge Philippines may be one of the newest players on the market, but in the few months that they have been here, they have shown me that they are more than a simple brand distributor. They actively take care of their customers, and ensure that they are not being shortchanged, or misled. In short, the people at Voge are not here to take your money. They are here to earn your trust, and keep it, and that is something no one can put a price on.

More photos after the break

*This event took place during the Modified General Community Quarantine.

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