Horex VR6 Raw99 2023 — Specifications

Ninety-nine years of existence, and Horex chooses to celebrate it not with a CEO’s speech or a sales brochure, but with 99 hand-built machines, laden with carbon fiber and priced at 49,500 euros apiece. The Raw99 is not a superficial anniversary motorcycle. It's a statement of intent signed by a German brand that stubbornly refuses to fall into line.

The engine is worth stopping for, because nothing comparable exists in current production. The 1,218 cc VR6, which Horex has made its signature since its return to the market, is a unique architecture. Six cylinders arranged in a very closed V configuration, a single cylinder head common to all cylinders, three overhead camshafts, eighteen valves, a bore of 68 mm for a stroke of 55 mm. The result? 163 horsepower and 127.5 Nm of torque in a surprisingly compact engine block for its displacement. Specific power is serious, the sound is unique, and the architecture remains compact enough not to transform the chassis into an aircraft carrier. Faced with such a unique engine, the Japanese inline four-cylinder engines seem almost conventional.

What distinguishes the Raw99 from other VR6 derivatives is the intensive use of carbon fiber, and it's important to understand that this is not a stylistic choice. Horex’s parent company specializes in the manufacture of composite parts, which explains why the carbon fiber is not limited to a few decorative covers. The steering column, the rear frame, the front and rear mudguards, the headlight surround, the footrest supports, the chain guard, the engine casings, the speedometer support: everything is included. The announced weight saving reaches five kilograms, bringing the dry weight to 215 kg. It's not a lightweight motorcycle, but for a six-cylinder engine of this displacement with such equipment, it's a real performance.

The Raw99 does not skimp on the technology on board. The suspension is entirely entrusted to Öhlins, with 43 mm inverted forks and a TTX36 GP rear shock absorber, the brakes are signed Brembo M50 monobloc at the front, the rear braking circuit also remains under the same Italian banner. The forged aluminum rims are manufactured in-house by Horex, which is rare and deserves to be emphasized. The headlight adopts an H light signature and integrates corner lighting. A large TFT screen completes the ensemble. It's far from the spartan feel evoked by the name "Raw".

Who is such a machine aimed at? Certainly not the Monday morning commuter, nor the novice looking for their first large displacement engine. The Raw99 targets the knowledgeable collector, the mechanical enthusiast who knows the difference between an Öhlins TTX36 and a standard shock absorber, the one who looks at MV Agusta Superveloce or Ducati Panigale V4 Superleggera and seeks something even more exclusive. At 49,500 euros, the price is high, but it is justified beyond that of a limited-edition Italian motorcycle inflated by marketing. Here, the limit of 99 units is not a communication strategy, it is the constraint of a handcrafted production that simply cannot do more.