Horex press release

Press Information

New bike from a revived German brand

People, courage, legend: Introducing the new Horex The historic Horex brand is back – with a new bike that will be unveiled at a world premiere media event in Munich on June 15th 2010. One of the unique features of the new roadster is its powerful, 1200 cc supercharged VR6 engine – unprecedented in the motorcycle world. The engine's technology for motorcycles was developed and patented by Clemens Neese, CEO of the newly formed Horex GmbH based in Garching near Munich. The new Horex will be manufactured in Germany beginning at the end of 2011. It will initially be marketed as a premium segment bike in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

"Does the world need another motorcycle brand? Probably not," says Clemens Neese with a smile. "But riding a bike is more than a form of mobility on two wheels. It's raw emotion combined with a passion for technology and everything that's new and exciting!

I'm a bike enthusiast and I haven't seen anything like this on the market in years." Reason enough for Neese to create his own dream machine. An engineer with 20 years of professional and management experience in the IT industry, he has been thinking for a long time about a VR engine for a motorcycle. He developed this concept and, in April 2007, received the patent for a "VR engine in a powered two wheeler."

HOREX GmbH, Daimlerstrasse 11, 85748 Garching, Germany, www.horex.com, press@horex.com Press contact: c/o DIE WORTWERKSTATT GmbH, Arnd von de Fenn, Telephone +49 7071 15641, fenn@wortwerkstatt.de

Legend: Revival of a charismatic brand For the new VR bike project, Horex was the one and only brand seriously considered by Clemens Neese and his business partner Frank Fischer. From 1923 to 1956, the former Horex Automotive AG, a company based in Bad Homburg, Germany, introduced spectacular,

high-performance

motorcycles

to

the

market,

including the legendary models Regina and Imperator. The brand name changed hands several times after 1960. Compact-Bike Entwicklungs GmbH, the company founded by Neese and Fischer, negotiated for several years to secure the trademark rights. They signed a purchase option in 2007 and took over the Horex name and logo in 2009. "Horex is still today a very attractive, charismatic brand," says Neese. "From the very beginning, the company's founder, Fritz Kleemann, focused on intelligent drive concepts and built innovative, premium-quality bikes. This tradition matches our vision of the new Horex motorcycle perfectly – like the final piece of a puzzle. And we are committed to upholding the Horex legacy."

Machine: Unique, powerful, confident The heart of the new Horex is the VR six-cylinder engine. With a width of only 429 millimeters measured at the cylinder head cover, the VR6 is as narrow and compact as many four-cylinder engines. But that's not the only unique feature. Thanks to an exceptionally wide torque range and a direct drive radial supercharger, the power of the VR6 unfolds smoothly and evenly at low engine speeds. This configuration is new and unique in the motorcycle world. A long list of innovations and uncommon solutions, including the first belt-drive in this performance class, an advanced cooling system and an ergonomically contoured bridge frame with pressurized gas channel, underscore the bike's unique character. The new Horex also goes its own way when it

HOREX GmbH, Daimlerstrasse 11, 85748 Garching, Germany, www.horex.com, press@horex.com Press contact: c/o DIE WORTWERKSTATT GmbH, Arnd von de Fenn, Telephone +49 7071 15641, fenn@wortwerkstatt.de

comes to design. Based on classic motorcycle icons, the new German bike is interpreted in a modern design language with clean lines, premium quality materials, and close attention to brand-specific details.

People: Dedicated team and a powerful network The "new Horex" project is supported by a core team within Horex GmbH under the leadership of Clemens Neese. This group works closely with a carefully selected, continuously growing network of certified specialists and partners. "One of the things that unites us is the shared passion for our new motorcycle and the confidence that we will succeed," says Neese. The team's external collaborators range from prestigious companies in the motorcycle and car industries, including Bing, Bosch, HรถrmannRawema, Mahle, VW and Weber Motor, as well as research institutes such as Fraunhofer, the University of Munich and the Spiegel Institute.

Courage: Secure financing for market launch Armed

with

the

courage

to

tackle

the

project

along

with

management experience, a significant investment of personal funds, and a professional business plan, the initiators managed to convince a number of investors. "We're supported by the KfW Mittelstandsbank ERP start-up program. We also have several private investors along with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology," reports Horex CEO Neese.

All in all, the company has a double-digit million-euro budget to finance the project up until the market launch. This includes construction of a manufactory in Germany where the first series production models are scheduled for manufacturing starting in the first quarter of 2011. The location will be determined within the next few months. Sales will start with the market launch in

HOREX GmbH, Daimlerstrasse 11, 85748 Garching, Germany, www.horex.com, press@horex.com Press contact: c/o DIE WORTWERKSTATT GmbH, Arnd von de Fenn, Telephone +49 7071 15641, fenn@wortwerkstatt.de

Germany, Austria and Switzerland and then gradually spread to the rest of Europe, the USA and Japan.

A product with unique technology and a distinctive design, the manufactory idea, a lean company structure, an innovative marketing and retailing concept: With the new Horex motorcycle brand, a premium manufacturer that can be described as extraordinary in the motorcycle industry in many ways is ready for takeoff in Germany. "We work differently," says Neese. "And we're confident that this approach can lead to success!"

HOREX PR 15 June 2010

HOREX GmbH, Daimlerstrasse 11, 85748 Garching, Germany, www.horex.com, press@horex.com Press contact: c/o DIE WORTWERKSTATT GmbH, Arnd von de Fenn, Telephone +49 7071 15641, fenn@wortwerkstatt.de