ACT Portugal 2026: Voge DS625X Preparation & Ride Hub

ACT Portugal is the next major Almost Enduro trip after LEJOG: a multi-day ride from the UK to Portugal, roughly five days on the ACT itself, then the ride back north for the ferry home. This page is the permanent hub for the build-up, the ride and the lessons afterwards.

The plan is deliberately simple: take the Voge DS625X I already own, improve the areas that genuinely need improving, keep the setup practical and affordable, and find out how well a middleweight adventure bike like this copes with a proper European off-road trip.

ACT Portugal 2026 at a glance

• Outbound ferry: Portsmouth to Santander on 2 October 2026, arriving in Spain on 4 October.

• ACT riding: around five days of off-road and mixed-surface riding through Portugal.

• Bike: my Voge DS625X, chosen after a channel poll rather than swapping to something lighter or more expensive.

• Accommodation: a mixture of camping and selected hotel nights, depending on the route and how the trip develops.

• Return: north through Spain for the Bilbao ferry on 13 October.

Why take the Voge DS625X?

The obvious answer would be to take a lighter enduro-style bike. That would probably make some sections easier, but it would miss the point of this trip. The DS625X is the bike I actually use for long-distance riding, commuting to trails, motorway work and off-road days. ACT Portugal is a chance to see where its real limits are rather than judging it from a spec sheet.

The bike has already covered around 6,000 miles in my ownership and completed LEJOG, so I have a much better idea of what needs attention than I did when it was new. I am documenting that longer-term build in the Voge DS625X ownership and modifications hub.

Bike preparation: fix the weak points first

The preparation is not about bolting on every accessory I can find. It is about dealing with the things that have already shown themselves to matter. Two cast footrest hangers have broken on my bike, which led to a 3D scan, CAD work and CNC-machined aluminium replacements. The aim is a stronger, more predictable part that is better suited to the type of riding I am doing.

I have also removed roughly 7 kg from the bike, fitted a longer folding-tip gear lever to work better with enduro boots, and I am continuing to work through servicing and suspension setup before departure. None of those changes turns the Voge into an enduro bike, but together they make it more practical for the job I am asking it to do.

Luggage and camping

LEJOG exposed one of the weakest parts of my previous setup: luggage that worked, but only just. For Portugal I have moved to a softer, more compact Rhinowalk rackless setup with a tail bag. The goal is less movement, less bulk and fewer hard points on the bike when the surface gets rough.

I have documented that change separately in the Voge DS625X Rhinowalk luggage upgrade article. That setup is being tested before the trip rather than being treated as proven simply because it fitted in the garage.

Camping is part of the plan because it keeps costs under control and makes the trip feel more like a genuine adventure rather than a chain of hotel stops. I am still keeping some flexibility in the itinerary, because after a long or difficult day there is value in being able to change the plan rather than forcing it.

Tyres: Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ Dakar

The bike will be running Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ Dakar tyres. I used the same tyre model around LEJOG and was impressed by how confidence-inspiring they felt off road while still behaving far better on wet and dry tarmac than I expected from such an aggressive tread.

That is personal experience rather than a claim that they are the right tyre for every rider. Portugal will be a much more meaningful test because the bike will be loaded, the surfaces will vary and the tyres will have to cope with both the off-road sections and the long road miles through Spain.

Navigation, power and filming

A trip like this is as much a power-management exercise as a riding one when you are filming it. I will be carrying action cameras, 360 equipment and a drone, with the bike doing as much charging as possible while I ride. Navigation will be phone-based through a motorcycle CarPlay display, backed up by the GPX route rather than relying on one device alone.

The footage plan is to treat each day as its own unit and back it up to an external SSD. LEJOG showed that a 1 TB drive was enough for roughly a week of my normal filming, so the priority this time is not simply more storage; it is making the backup process reliable when camping, tired and away from mains power.

Security on the road

The bike will be carrying physical security as well as a tracker. My current setup includes Hiplok locks and a Monimoto tracker. As with the rest of the build, the aim is layered, practical security without turning every overnight stop into a major operation.

What I am testing, not just fitting

• Whether the CNC footrest hanger solution holds up under sustained rough-road use.

• Whether the Rhinowalk luggage stays stable and keeps its contents protected over multiple days.

• How the Mitas tyres cope with loaded road miles and the ACT terrain.

• Whether the navigation and charging setup is simple enough to use every day without becoming a distraction.

• How comfortable and manageable the DS625X feels after consecutive long days, rather than during a single local test ride.

This page will continue after the trip

This is intentionally not a finished 'guide to ACT Portugal' written before I have ridden it. Before departure, this page will collect the preparation and decisions. After the ride, I will update it with what actually worked, what failed, what I would change, the final setup and links to the ride episodes.

That is the useful part for Almost Enduro: not presenting a perfect build before the bike has been tested, but documenting the decisions and then comparing them with reality afterwards.

Last updated: September 2026, before departure for ACT Portugal.