2011 Horex VR6 motorcycle

The Horex V6 Concept we reported on mid-year was just that, a concept. But the 2010 Cologne motorcycle show saw the German company unveil the production version, and it looks set to shred tyres at a rate of knots.

On paper, the 2011 Horex VR6 reads more like a car than a motorcycle, its 1200cc supercharged 15-degree V6 outputting around 200hp (147kW) at 8500rpm and a very bullish 150Nm of torque, which is routed to the rear wheel via a six-speed cog swapper and belt drive.

Do the Suzuki B-King and Yamaha VMAX have a new threat to worry about? Not really, because this intriguing motorcycle will be built in very small numbers and has only been confirmed for Germany, Austria and Switzerland when it launches in 2011.

And the price isn't very friendly, costing a cool €20,000, which converted to about $28,000 at the time writing.

Started in the early 1920s by a young 24-year-old Fritz Kleemann, Horex was a relatively successful motorcycle builder until after WWII, and in 1960 the company was bought out by Daimler-Benz who subsequently shut down the motorcycle manufacturing elements of the company.

Fast forward to 2008 and the Horex name has been resurrected, and in grand style with this impressively engineered V6 motorcycle.

The blown V6's hefty power output pushes a 239kg kerb mass, which should ensure the Horex VR6 is not only one of the most powerful road bikes, but also one of the fastest. To say that Horex will punish rear tyres would probably be an understatement.

Not a great deal has changed since we saw the concept version, which means the revolutionary triple overhead camshafts (TOHC) have been employed to work with the three-valve per cylinder setup (two intake, one exhaust valve).

Horex has gone with a Rotrex radial supercharger which is tooth belt-driven by the crankshaft and the German boffins have even managed to squeeze a compact intercooler into the powertrain, improving thermal dynamics and increasing the supercharger's effectiveness as a result.

Horex is very proud of its new engine, and claims the VR6 is the "only bike on the market equipped with a crankshaft-driven supercharger".

The company says that its combination of a compact, high-output V6 engine with a crankshaft-driven supercharger "gives the new Horex a level of raw performance that is unmatched in today's motorcycle world". Big torque across a wide rev range will be the hallmark of the new model.

Apart from 'that' engine, the Horex VR6 features an aluminium bridge frame, plus a nice looking single-sided swingarm and adjustable monoshock at the rear and fixed 50mm upside down forks.

The stoppers comprise radial-mount four-piston calipers on twin discs at the front, and a single rear disc with a twin-pot caliper at the rear, and ABS is standard.

The 2011 Horex VR6 has been speed limited to 250km/h, and will be on sale in Europe in 2011. At this stage it's unlikely the high power motorcycle will make its way to Australia.

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