HORWIN CR6 PRO (2022 - on) Review

The Horwin CR6 Pro is an interesting ride to say the least. It’s the nearest you can come to what could be called a ‘traditional’ electric motorbike, as they claim it’s the world’s first full-production electric bike with a manual gearbox and clutch.

The equivalent of a 125cc and so suitable for anyone 17 years old or up with CBT, it’s based on the existing single-speed CR6 but costs two grand more, coming in at a pound shy of £7000.

And it’s unlike anything else you’ll ride. Although not strictly necessary, the five-speed gearbox adds a traditional spin on a very modern bike and gives it an air of familiarity. It handles like it should and when compared to other 125cc bikes the gears allow it to accelerate like something at Santa Pod. Well, almost.

Although the price is tea-spewing, it only costs pence to charge from flat, which means you can be better for the planet without paying an arm and a leg for fuel.

It won’t be for everyone, and its range means that it’s still really for urban riders, but if you want something different and modern – and aren’t on a tight budget – the Horwin CR6 Pro is undoubtedly worth a look.

The Horwin handles like a bike should, its steering giving a good balance of stability and comfortable, easy turning. It undoubtedly rides well, in both the tightly knitted streets of town and open country roads.

Its brisk acceleration is matched with equally cushty linked brakes, rather like Honda’s Combined Braking System, with the front operating the back and vice versa.

This allows for silky smooth control at low speed in town and at higher speed in the country, especially on bumpy roads. No ABS, though.

The belly of the beast is a ‘high torque’ 6200w motor supplied by a 72v 55Ah lithium-ion battery, and if like me you’re not sure what all this entails then it’s the equivalent of a 125cc petrol. For a tiddler the Horwin CR6 Pro has impressive acceleration, pulls up hills better than a typical 125 and has an indicated top speed of 68mph.

The five-speed gearbox is what brings this acceleration, and it works like a conventional bike with a clutch and foot shift. The electric motor takes a little while to spin up, but this doesn’t matter as there’s immediate drive from no revs and the Horwin jumps forward.

It’s not a fully authentic ride due to the stiffness of the gearbox, and there’s also huge engine braking that locks the rear wheel unless you slow right down before changing down gears. You can also pull away without the clutch – you can’t stall an electric bike – and the CR6-Pro can stop, start and ride comfortably all while in top gear. Which sort of defeats the object of the gearbox...

Realistic range is 50 miles, including town work and provided you’re not hammering like it’s MotoGP qualifying. With my nine stone and 5ft 11in, after a college run of 22 miles on A-roads there’s still 36% charge from full and just nine miles of range showing, while pottering around on country lanes the CR6-Pro does a comfortable 40 miles.

Purely riding in town this would increase again, though I think it’d still struggle to reach Horwin’s 65-mile ‘realistic’ range.

It’s a three-hour charge from flat. That’s time for plenty of cups of tea and perhaps not ideal for longer journeys, especially as the bike doesn’t have a built-in charger and you need the breezeblock-like external device.

Horwins are designed in Austria and built in China. The overall look of the gives off an electric feel; it may be the lack of exhaust and visible engine, but it appears futuristic when compared to my own retro inspired WK Scrambler.

The frame is made from an alloy of aluminium and magnesium. Its fancy headlight, display and built-in tank storage are good, and all the trimmings, nuts and bolts are to the relatively good standard that you would expect for any 125. After wet-weather riding and being kept outside some small parts start to show a small hint of fur but it could easily be prevented with ‘rust stuff’, as my dad calls it.

Of course, the Horwin is seven-grand, and some parts appear cheap given this. But while I believe there are parts of the Horwin that don’t reflect its price, I don’t really mind too much – it’s an excuse to rummage in the garage, apply products and tinker with the bike while it charges, like you would with any petrol bike.

In a way it strengthens the Pro’s position as the link between conventional bikes and electric. Things like the sticky gears, external charger and engine braking give the bike character bike in my opinion, and so you form a relationship. Where’s the fun in a bike that works perfectly all the time?

Horwin are still relatively new to the UK and long-term reliability is unknown. However, there are very few moving parts, the battery has a three-year warranty, and we’ve not herd anything negative from any CR6 owners.

There’s no denying that at £6999 the Horwin is quite expensive. You’ll have to do lots of miles for its 1p or 2p per mile running costs to offset the price difference between a frugal petrol 125 like the Honda CB125F at £2999.

There are also much cheaper electric motorcycles too, such as the Super Soco TC Max (£4399), and electric scooters like Lexmoto’s Yadea G5S. They don’t have the entertainment or performance supplied by the Horwin’s gearbox and clutch, but they’re a lot cheaper.

That’s not a fuel tank on the CR6-Pro but a handy lockable compartment. It’s a perfect stash for some biscuits or your gloves and there’s a port to charge your phone while you ride along. It’s a shame the charger won’t quite fit in, though.

Dash and LED lights are modern and slick, and the Horwin plays a little tune whenever you turn it on or off. You can start it using the key or ride it keyless and just carry the fob, and there’s a built-in alarm.

It also has an audible warning when the indicator is on. At 138kg it’s quite light given the weight of the batteries but would be lighter still if all the bodywork was actual carbon, rather than just looking like it. Accessories available include a flyscreen, headlight guard and top-box.