Voxan VB1 1000 Evo 2004 — Specifications

When Thierry Henriette unveiled his beast at the Paris Motor Show in 1999, the French motorcycle world held its breath. Voxan, Boxer numéro 1, a tricolor sportbike born in the heart of the Auvergne region: the idea seemed crazy, it proved fascinating. Five years later, the 2004 VB1 Evo embodies the accomplished version of this industrial and stylistic gamble, corrected in its youthful shortcomings by a technical kit that gives it a bit more bite.

The first thing that strikes you is this gaze. Four headlights clustered under a low-slung bubble, carbon fiber fairings that sculpt the flanks, a tank with sharp edges and this twisted exhaust line that snakes to two silencers hidden under the seat, in the manner of a Ducati 996. The comparison stops there, but it says everything about the machine's aesthetic ambition. Voxan looked at what the Italians and Japanese were doing best, then designed something undeniably French, with that slightly haughty elegance that pleases as much as it irritates. At 16,500 euros at the time, you were paying as much for the style as for the mechanics.

Under the bodywork, the 72-degree V-twin engine with a displacement of 996 cm³ is a direct cousin of that of the Café Racer. It develops 100 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 95 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm, honest figures for a machine that weighs 185 kg dry. On paper, it looks like a sportbike. In reality, the engine suffers from a gear ratio that is too long and exhausts that restrict its character. The 6,500 to 8,000 rpm range remains exhilarating, the Auvergne twin expresses a true personality there, but you can feel that the restriction is short. The 2004 Evo kit attempts to correct the situation with an injection enlarged from 45 to 54 mm in diameter, new camshafts, reworked cylinder heads and a completely revised electronic management system. Reliability benefits as much as performance.

In the saddle, the tone is set from the first few minutes. The position is radical, clip-on handlebars under the fork legs, high and firm seat, weight shifted forward. The 41 mm inverted fork and the central mono-shock do their job, but the machine imposes a physical ride in the chain of curves. It demands that you accompany it with your body, that you direct it with conviction. The timid will pass their way. This is not a permissive or reassuring motorcycle, it is a motorcycle that judges its rider. On the open road, the top speed announced at 250 km/h remains accessible, but homologation constraints limit ardor to a muscular ride rather than a truly committed sporting practice.

The verdict of owners is unequivocal on one point: the VB1 is not made for everyday use. The heat given off by the silencers, the noise, the uncompromising riding position make it a weekend, track, collector's machine. It is a work of art that runs, and does not accept to be treated otherwise. The target audience is not the commuter, nor even the sporty rider in search of a stopwatch: it is the passionate enthusiast who wants something rare, unique, identity-defining. In a market dominated by Japanese and Italian displacements, the Voxan VB1 Evo attempted to forge its own path. It did not convert the crowds, but it marked those who crossed its path.