Horex
Encyclopedia
Horex is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufacturer. It was founded in 1920 by the Rex glassware company, which conflated Homburg and Rex to create the brand name. The headquarter was in Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel...
.
Horex built motorcycles with Columbus four-stroke engines from Oberursel
Oberursel
Oberursel is a town in Germany. It is located to the north west of Frankfurt, and is the second largest town in the county of Hochtaunuskreis and the 14th largest town in Hessen.-Extent of municipal area:...
. In 1925 Horex and Columbus merged. Horex developed a range of models with single-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
Columbus engines from 250cc to 600cc. In 1933 it added two Straight-two engine models: the 600cc S6 and 800cc S8. Both twins have chain-driven OHC
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
valvegear.
The World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
interrupted motorcycle production, but Horex resumed in 1948 with a 350cc single-cylinder model, the SB 35 Regina. This model was highly successful: in 1953 for example Horex sold 18,600 of them. In 1951 Horex added a 30 bhp 500cc OHC Straight-two engine called the Imperator. In 1954 it added a 400cc, 26 bhp version of this twin to its range. In 1955 the company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
replaced the Regina with the Resident.
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
took over the company in 1960 and motorcycle production was terminated.
On June 15, 2010, it was announced that the brand would be revived and that a Horex motorcycle with a narrow-angle, six-cylinder supercharged engine would be available for sale in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at the end of the year 2011, with international sales to follow. Besides the new VR6 supercharged engine
VR6 engine
The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
, an aluminum bridge frame with a steel steering head forms the chassis. A single swing arm controls the rear wheel, while the engine power is transferred by a belt drive system.
External links
- Official HOREX Website
- New HOREX Engine at the test stand 11.11.2010 on HOREX Homepage
- Swiss website about Horex motorcycles
- Horex 500cc Overview and images.