Ridden: Horwin CR6 Pro - Fun, Nimble Electric Motorcycle That Puts a Smile on Your Face

Just last week, I parked my Suzuki SV650S in the garage, knowing that I wouldn't take it out for at least five or six months. And even though only a few days had passed since my last ride, I was already starting to become eager for the next season. Playing video games focused on the world of racing on two wheels will help alleviate that feeling, as will watching hours and hours of POV content on YouTube. But it won't come close to the real thing. As I was browsing through online stores looking at a new lid for 2023, there was a new message on my phone.

What you feel, you attract

It came from my fellow autoevolution writer, Cristian Curmei. And my eyes lit up once I read his text: "How would you like to test ride an electric motorcycle for the next few days?" I had been thinking about starting to perform these kinds of tests for some time, and it felt almost funny that this one fell right into my lap. The bike Cristian was talking about was the CR6 Pro from Horwin, a brand I had never interacted with before. I had no idea what to expect from it, but I knew the electric setup would be fun to experience either way.

The very next day, I was headed towards Smart Balance, which is my local Horwin Motorcycles dealer and the company that would entrust me with their product for a total of three days. Lid in hand, I arrived at their location and the CR6 Pro was already waiting for me outside. And it looked even better in real life. It had only 49.7 miles (80 km) on its odometer, and thankfully the State of Charge indicator was at 100%. Somehow I didn't realize that I would need to bring a backpack that day, so I decided to leave the bike's charger at the dealership.

Carrying it around may be a nuisance if you plan on going for a longer trip, but it shouldn't be a problem if you're going to stick to in-city commuting. Now, before going into my review of this motorcycle, I would like to clarify a few things about me. I'm just over six feet  (1.83 meters) tall, and I currently weigh about 198 lbs (90 kg). I've had my motorcycle rider's license since 2018, and I've probably racked up about 3,100 miles (4,988 km) on public roads on various motorcycles including my SV650S, an SV650, a '90s Honda Transalp, a Yamaha FZ6, a CFMOTO 700CL-X Heritage, and a Honda Hornet S.

Add to that some 310 miles (500 km) on the racetrack: with motorcycles such as the Yamaha R1 Big-Bang, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, a Rossi Edition Yamaha R6, a Yamaha R25, and a BMW G310R. I'm far from being the most experienced rider in the world, and I had never ridden an electric motorcycle before. Instead, I have driven quite a few EVs over the past 10 years and I'm always a big fan of watching other people reviewing various machines regardless of the number of wheels. With that out of the way, let's get to the topic at hand.

Two wheels move the soul

The moment I first laid eyes on the Horwin CR6 Pro, it sort of reminded me of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401. Now, I've been quite obsessed with sports bikes my entire life, but recently I've been looking at sport-touring models seeing that I'm also looking for a bit of comfort in life. If I could only have a three-bike garage, I wouldn't go out and buy a cafe racer. But I will give you a thumbs up if I see you riding one in traffic. The CR6 Pro may be built in China, but it was designed in Europe by an Austrian company. So that may explain why it reminded me of the Svartpilen.

It looks rather small from a distance, and that feeling was amplified the moment I got on it. But that's only natural because the CR6 Pro is a 125cc-equivalent electric bike. It only weighs about 304 lbs (138 kg), and that's about 68 lbs (30 kg) lighter than my old SV. Right off the bat, I could tell that this bike is meant to be user-friendly, especially for people with no prior riding experience. And that idea would be reinforced by what I learned next. The CR6 Pro comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, as opposed to its lesser sibling, the entry-level CR6.

While you need to use the clutch to change gears, it's not needed when waiting at a stop light for instance. You can't stall the engine here, as would be the case with an ICE setup. Once you see the "Ready" message on the screen you're good to go. It doesn't take long to realize how swift and fun the Horwin CR6 Pro is. Hardcore bikers will complain about the lack of an exhaust sound, but you've still got a cool buzz coming from the 10.1 kW (13.5 hp) engine. Even a gentle twist of the wrist will provide an instant response, which is quite fun to experience.

According to the manufacturer the CR6 Pro can hit 37 mph (60 kph) from a standstill in 6 seconds, and has a top speed of just over 62 mph (100 kph). Even with me on it, it still feels quite nimble up to 37 mph. I haven't tested the top speed as I didn't ride out of town, and I'd probably never go beyond the city limits if I owned one of these bikes. I got to grips with the manual gearbox right away, but I made a rookie mistake just minutes after riding away from the dealership. As I was approaching a stop light, I started downshifting from third while traveling at a relatively slow speed.

There is nothing permanent except change

Normally, I'd use rev-matching between shifts to avoid locking up the rear wheel, but for a moment there I forgot what I was riding. Once the second gear was engaged, my rear tire immediately locked up but the whole thing felt amusing rather than dangerous in any way. So once again this was a sign that anyone could ride the CR6 Pro with relative ease. I was surprised to notice multiple drivers and pedestrians checking out the bike. While some were admiring its design, others were confused as to why it was completely silent. And over the next few days, I had quite a few people stopping by to ask more questions about it all.

On the first day, I also decided to put some air into its tires, as they seem slightly deflated. I opted for 22 PSI (1.5 bar) up front and 28 PSI (1.9 bar) on the rear. Now, I've split my test with the CR6 Pro into four parts. On the first one, I rode it from the dealership to my house and then to the park where he had a photo shoot with it. After a total of 10.2 miles (16.4 km), I used up 25% of the battery. Also, the bike's range had dropped from 87 miles (140 km) to just 34.8 miles (56 km). I guess that's what happens when you plan of being the first one off the line at every stoplight, and also when you just don't care about the range at all.

It was in this first session that I came to appreciate the CBS braking system, which feels like it could handle even more power than the little Horwin currently provides. On the other hand, I did not expect to have such a rough ride with it, as it didn't handle bumps or potholes in the road quite well. I started thinking if this had to do with the tire pressure I had gone for, or if the lack of an exhaust note had sharpened all my other senses. I somehow expected that it would be slightly more comfortable to ride than my 20-year-old Suzuki. And for the most part, it was.

On my second leg of the journey, I rode back home from the park. My girlfriend wanted to go shopping, so I sat her in the passenger seat and we were off to the supermarket. With no need for a fuel tank, you get a small compartment that is good enough to transport enough ingredients for a satisfying breakfast. The CR6 Pro didn't mind the added weight at all, and I was further surprised after parking it at home. My girlfriend is normally intimidated by the seating position, exhaust note, and torque of the SV650S, but this time she was smiling all the way. "Now this is the kind of bike that's perfect for me" she noted, and I could easily picture her commuting to the office every day on two wheels.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes

By the time the CR6 Pro was parked, I had added 11.12 miles (17.9 km) to it. The SOC was now indicating 53%, and a remaining range of just 21.74 miles (35 km). On my last day with the bike, I wanted to go visit a friend at work, as I wanted to see how we felt about it too. But I was starting to get serious range anxiety as I calculated my route. So for once, I decided to switch my brain into eco-mode and be as careful as possible with my throttle inputs. And it all worked out better than expected. Once I reached my destination, I traveled 7.95 miles (12.8 km).

Using 14% of the battery, the estimated range had increased by 2.48 miles (4 km) compared to the start of the day! My friend was impressed by the design as I greeted him in the parking lot of his office, but was slightly dismissive of the concept at first. While he has a license, he hasn't bought a motorcycle yet. I gave him the keys, and after several minutes he just wouldn't stop going around the block. He looked like a young child that had just discovered a new toy, and that goes to show that you don't need 100 horsepower to have fun.

I waved goodbye as I would embark on the last leg of the journey, back to the dealership. With about 6.2 miles (10 km) to go, I forgot all about the range anxiety and continued to explore the joys of instant throttle response. I realized that if I was still 18 and slightly smaller in size, this would have probably felt like the best bike in the world to me. And it was also clear to me that it's just right for a different crowd of aspiring motorcycle riders, ones that aren't stubborn enough to think that EVs are just a fad.

By the end of my test, I had been with the Horwin CR6 Pro for 35.23 miles (56.7 km). I used up 74% of its battery, and it could still go for about 11.8 miles (19 km). The company's estimated range of 87 miles might be slightly optimistic, but the CR6 Pro will probably go up to at least 62 miles if you're even slightly sensible with your throttle inputs. The silent riding experience will allow you to pay more attention to what's going on around you, and to also listen to the wind instead. Not to mention the fact that you won't go deaf after hours of riding as you would on a motorcycle with an aftermarket exhaust.

The gearbox can feel slightly clunky at times, but it's not a deal breaker in any way. The only deterrent I would point out is the price: just under $8,000. That's just what you'd expect to pay for a brand new Suzuki SV650 with ABS, which the Horwin does not have. And the 125cc bikes are going to be even more affordable. But depending on where you live, there might be a government incentive to use to bring that price down. And with the CR6 Pro, you'll never have to worry about waking up your neighbors when going out for a ride ever again. In conclusion, we wouldn't mind having the little electric bike in our garage for a long-term test ride!