A LOT of bikes that turn heads and make headlines at shows never manage to fulfil their promise. Ambitious machines from start-up companies abound and yet they're inevitably surrounded by a sense of disbelief as seasoned hacks guffaw at yet another entrepreneur's attempt to create a motorcycle from scratch.
Horex's VR6 Roadster was, without doubt, the bike that engendered that feeling most of all at last year's shows. We wondered at the technology (in a good way) and then we wondered (in a less-good way) whether it would disappear as quickly as it appeared. The chances of the thing actually reaching production seemed slim despite the confident press releases and well-finished prototype.
So it's heartening to see that, nearly a year on from its first appearance, the project is still under way and looking like it might actually happen, with Horex penning a deal with engine makers Weber for a supply of the radical, narrow-angle, supercharged motors that will power the bikes.
Let's hope it can continued to defy all our expectations,
