Horex VR6 Classic HL driving report

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Horex VR6 Classic HL in the PS driving report

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A bearish, rumbling, powerful six-cylinder, neatly tuned in such a chassis – that would be a force! Should Horex actually have done this?

Gas on! The Horex storms immediately VR6 Classic HL goes, even slightly lifts the front wheel and plays a Symphonica Feroce – on the other hand, every 911 sounds like a dump even with the flap open. That was the first impression out on the country road, and I was amazed to see the huge, fully digital display. "Horex – it really says it!"

Horex VR6 Classic HL in the PS driving report

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Horex was still building near Augsburg, soon buried the widely announced idea of ​​a supercharged engine, then a half-baked model with six cylinders, but presented a number of more weaknesses and finally closed the whole company again, if I hadn’t given the once glorious brand a bit more. Not even when 3C-Carbon bought the traditional brand with impressive sales through special parts from Formula 1 to aviation in the background and great enthusiasm for racing and mastermind Karsten Jerschke promised to finally set up the project sensibly. Indeed, Horex was quiet. Even the presentation of the Silver Edition a good year ago under 3C aegis was only a brief public flare-up – even if you could already see that improvements were being made on a large scale. For a long time, there was again little to be heard from Landsberg / Lech, where the Horex is built today. Suddenly the PS phone rings and Jerschke happily invites you to the test: "Series production is now running, you can drive the Horex VR6 Classic HL exclusively!"

Two Horex a day

The first junction from the main road onto a small Allgau country road: accelerate, shift down, turn in, put gas back on… "Horex – incredible!" The six-cylinder takes on the gas as if it had been programmed by Japanese racing engineers. Nice and direct, but without any jerking. And that with the short-stroke VR engine concept and the 1200 cubic meters. The engine turns upwards swiftly and greedily. One reason the Horex VR6 Classic HL does its job so well is now swirling around the first corners of our test ride right in front of me. Martin Bauer, three-time IDM Superbike champion and brilliantly smart engineer, did a lot of development work on the VR6. And he was not the only specialist 3C-Carbon was able to afford for this project. Top companies such as HWA, Conti and Bosch helped develop and build. Time and again, Jerschke assures us how much development time and money he has invested in the new Horex.

During the morning tour of the production hall, in which around two Horexs are made by hand in a noble factory, Jerschke showed us the dismantled heart of the Horex. No stone remained in the drive on the other. Since the company was taken over in 2015, only the concept of a tightly built six-cylinder V remains of the original engine. Injection, throttle valve unit, cylinder head, connecting rods, pistons, the three overhead camshafts and the crankshaft including housing, the larger airbox with other intake funnels, etc. – all new. Then there was the ride by wire, a much more extensive cable harness that integrates new sensors, ABS…

Horex VR6 Classic HL weighs 242 kilos (ready to drive)

Then the chassis of the Horex VR6 Classic HL: the finest Ohlins technology – everything is fully adjustable. In addition, great milled parts such as the fork bridges. Thanks to new lightweight components such as the new carbon fiber rear frame, the Horex is said to have shed a total of 30 kilos. You will believe it straight away, because the massive roadster is extremely sporty when you wander through the tightly curved Allgau mountains. The VR6 angles jaggedly. Sure, that makes a 600 super sports car more agile, but for a bike that weighs 242 kilos (ready to drive) the handling is simply amazing. "Among other things, we have significantly lowered the center of gravity", explains Bauer, and the geometry has also changed noticeably.

Despite its amazing agility, the Horex VR6 Classic HL is stable in the radius. Nothing oscillates, nothing defends itself, not even when braking or applying the gas at the top – the Horex actually thirsts for corners, the faster the better. Another hit is the braking system. The delay, the initial cock, the controllability are at an absolute athlete level. No wonder, because Jerschke and his team make no compromises with the Brembo M50 calipers. In addition, the high-quality radial pump, also from Italy, then the mighty six-pack can be captured again accordingly. And the chassis provides the necessary stability.

Visually it could be even sportier

Technically, this Horex VR6 Classic is now really fun. That doesn’t tarnish anything either "massive" Transmission that has long shift travel and the gears with clear "Clone" inserts. The vibrations from the power pack do not interfere either. Rather, they underline the robust character of the engine, which you can really only experience in the Horex. Again and again, the sound and the smooth acceleration encourages the Classic Roadster to really kick off. 163 hp is in the data sheet. You might believe it, especially with the extra kick of around 7,000 rpm. At the top, towards five digits, the drive is a little milder, but the Horex is also sealed off at 260 km / h. The gap between sporty performance and a rather classy outfit is no longer that wide. But Jerschke has other plans with the six. We were allowed to take a look at the design department, and what we got to see – especially from a sporting perspective – would be a blast. However, this power vision shouldn’t get any cheaper.

Those who can afford it can already expect a real blissful bike from the Horex VR6 Classic for just under 39,000 euros and even have a say in the styling in many details. The Horex will probably not become a mass phenomenon, and 3C has no plans to do so, but with this performance it can hold its own more than the market. "Horex – wow, it can go on like this."

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