Motorcycle specifications MacborXR5 500 Montana 2023 Trail à la catalane

With a name like that, it's easy to imagine a trail bike with false Italian accents, produced by an English or Scottish brand.... But not at all. The Macbor XR5 500 Montana is a motorcycle designed for riding in Spain. A choice motivated by the Bordoy parent company, our equivalent of SIMA .

Let's take a trip down memory lane. Catalan importer Bordoy decided to create Macbor in 1999, but it wasn't until 2017 that its motorcycles arrived on the market. Above all, Macbor is one of the identities of Kove, a Chinese manufacturer with a big appetite. There's nothing European about the XR5, apart from its Bosch fuel injection and tires. The bike is produced in Asia before being rebadged with the Spanish label.

This is nothing out of the ordinary, and in fact it's becoming increasingly common. It's much faster, cheaper and simpler than developing a new bike. Whether it's called the KY500X on the other side of the world, the 510 X Adventure at home or the XR5 on the Iberian peninsula, it's the same machine with a few different color nuances.

This little adventurer has arrived at Macbor with a design drawn unabashedly from BMW. A miniature 1250 GS, but with a much more modest engine. In other words, a more accessible block, both in terms of price and target audience. The flagship engine for expatriating around the world from China is the twin-cylinder 500. With a displacement of 471 cm3, 4 valves per cylinder, 2 ACT, liquid cooling and a 6-speed gearbox, it produces 35 kW / 47 hp, just the right amount for an A2 license. Torque is rated at 4.5 mkg. Two driving modes, or rather two ways of delivering power, accompany engine management.

The XR5 weighs 178 kg dry. Between its dimensions and its mechanical specifications, it is in the tradition of the Honda CB 500 X (THE technical reference model for the Chinese). Beneath the cladding, you'll find a steel frame combined with tried-and-tested components: Nissins brakes, inverted forks and Kayaba monoshock, both adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping, ABS with levels + disconnectable, Metzeler tires. The Macbor seems to be only half Chinese.

there's also plenty of evidence to confirm the Sino-generous tradition of equipment. The XR5 Montana is fitted as standard with tubeless spoked wheels, high crash bars, an aluminum hoof, a pack holder, hand guards, a 2-position adjustable windscreen, a center stand and a USB port.

The Macbor 500 XR5 Montana doesn't revolutionize the market. It wants a slice of the A2 trail bike pie, with universal solutions, a comprehensive range of equipment and an affordable price tag. But, like all other motorcycles in this segment from China, it needs to establish its legitimacy in the face of the Japanese benchmarks.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos