Naked bike Horex VR6 Roadster in the driving test

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Premiere: Horex VR6 Roadster

Horex VR6 Roadster in the test

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Innovative and courageous, German engineers show what is possible in engine construction in 2012. Can the Horex Roadster sound more than just good with its unique VR6 engine??

With motorcycles it’s almost like with people – the first time you meet a split second is enough and you know whether your colleague will become a buddy or not. There is the Horex VR6 Roadster no exception.

I am fascinated by what the men from Augsburg have created with resourceful ideas and their impetuous zest for action. In front of me is a rough diamond, a real high-carat. And the whole press presentation is as pure and unadulterated as the motorcycle. You briefly point out that the injection mapping is not yet perfect, then I can go on a test drive.

I start the six-cylinder. Beguiling sound caresses my ear canals, my hands are massaged with a smooth tickling, as only a six-ender can generate. Gear in, clutch out! It’s amazing how engaging the Horex is from the first meter. Your balance is great, even when rolling at walking pace you can feel how harmoniously it lies. The VR6 engine is already pushing hard from the lower rev range, the six pistons, which run in cylinders that are interlocked with one another, each form 203 cubic cubic meters of small combustion chambers and do a great job. 18 valves and three instead of the usual four camshafts are consistent with them. The inlet ducts coming from above are arranged to optimize performance. I admire these details of the engine concept. This engine was not milled where it was cheap and easy. No, no effort has been spared here, an innovative one "State-of-the-art"-Building a power plant and implementing what is technically feasible at the highest level.

Horex

The engine of the Horex with its six cylinders leaves nothing to be desired.

The current 137 Nm at 6800 rpm and 161 hp at 8800 rpm are just the beginning. And the engine already leaves nothing to be desired. With a potent sound, the VR6 manifests that it is a true athlete’s heart. It harmoniously combines torque and maximum output, pushes off smoothly and without annoying load changes from 3000 rpm. The thrust peaks at around 10,000 tours in the limiter. Even well-known manufacturers often bite their teeth at such a practical and wide speed range.

Chance washes a playmate on our hands. The driver of the sports car made in Zuffenhausen and with a sonorous name calls for an intermediate sprint. Cock up and away, such hostilities leave the Horex cold! And that’s not enough, the gentleman in the Porsche 911 demands his revenge at the next traffic light. A nod of the head is enough, the pubertal sprint is sealed. Again the Horex is clearly ahead! When I stop there, I see the shining eyes of the Porsche driver and his clear one "Thumbs up" a clear buying interest. I quickly tell him that he has just been ironed by a Horex. Since the white-haired man certainly knows the name from his youth, the wrinkles on his forehead were funny to look at.

Horex

The stability of the Horex is convincing in long, fast arcs..

Away from the traffic lights, away from the duelist, the dance through the curves succeeds with flying colors. And that despite the love handles, because the VR6 Roadster weighs around 260 kilograms. The geometry of the frame, developed with the latest CAD technology, a symbiosis of steel lattice tube steering head and aluminum cast parts that result in a bridge frame, is extremely successful. The fully adjustable WP spring elements complete the torsion-resistant chassis and harmonize very well with the Metzeler Roadtec Z8 tires. The stability in long, fast turns is just as impressive as the willing turn-in behavior. The Horex follows every steering impulse directly and in sublime calm – the hustle and bustle doesn’t even bring bumpy stretches of road into the chassis. The WP dampers simply swallow bumps casually.
At a brisk pace, the chassis set-up was too soft for me. No problem, stop briefly and tighten the regulating screws further, and things are much more crisp. I start playing and smoking the rear tire. The result is a ruffle from the highest authority and a warning not to destroy the individual item.
Oops how could I forget The Roadster is a pre-series motorcycle and therefore actually still a one-off. But that will soon change, the start of delivery is scheduled for August 2012. There isn’t much left until then, but hopefully enough time to harmonize the mapping of the six-cylinder and make it as sensitive and efficient as the chassis.

Horex

The in-line V six-cylinder engine (VR6 for short) is very compact. The twisting of the cylinders can be clearly seen in the sectional view.

I hope that the Augsburg-based manufacturer can manage that, because the rest of the VR6 Roadster fits really well. By the rest I mean the front brakes, for example. Two radially attached four-piston fixed calipers bite into the stylistically correct 320 mm Braking Wave discs, not too poisonously, but vehemently. Unfortunately, the ABS is designed to be very touristy and regulates much too early for my sports driver’s taste. As the supplier of the system, Bosch has to do it again.

By rest, I also mean the right seating position for the roadster. You don’t sit too passively on the Horex and, above all, not uncomfortably. And even tall people like me will find enough space on the mighty big bike.

Speaking of powerful: When the planned compressor variant of the VR6 will roll off the assembly line is still open. I just know that then I have to be the first horsepower man to drive it. And I promise one thing: no complaint or not, there will be smoke rising – and powerful.


PS judgment
A fun bike in the dress of a retro naked – comfortable to ride and sporty at the same time. And then there is this wonderfully high-torque and at the same time easy-revving six-cylinder engine. Give the makers a few more days to eradicate the teething problems and add a wider handlebar. Then guys, you absolutely have to test drive the Horex in August.


PS data

Drive:
Six-cylinder VR engine, three valves / cylinder, 118 kW (161 hp) at 8800 / min *, 137 Nm at 6800 / min *, 1218 cm3, bore / stroke: 68.0 / 55.0 mm, compression: 12, 5: 1 , ignition / injection system, 34 mm throttle valves, hydraulically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, chain

Landing gear:
Light metal bridge frame with steering head made of steel lattice tube, steering head angle: 66.0 degrees, caster: 95 mm, wheelbase: 1500 mm, Ø fork inner tube: 48 mm, spring travel f / h: 120/120 mm

Wheels and brakes:
Forged light alloy wheels, 3.50 x 17 / 6.00 x 17, front tires: 120/70 ZR 17, rear: 190/55 ZR 17, 320 mm double disc brake with four-piston fixed calipers at the front, 264 mm single disc with two-piston fixed caliper at the rear, SECTION

Weight (dry):
249 kg *, tank capacity: 17 liters

Base price:
21700 Euro (including utilities) *

* Manufacturer information

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