Voxan

Voxan was created in 1995 as France’s only modern-day motorcycle manufacturer. Ultimately an unsuccessful venture, the company was purchased by automaker Venturi in 2010.

Several different French engineers were involved in bring the first Voxan bike to life at the company’s inception. Three bikes models were presented in 1997 at Paris’ World Motor show, generating a flurry of excitement in the French press. The country was so enthusiastic about having its own motorbike manufacturer that the Dassault aeronautics company invested money in the product line, and the French president asked for a private viewing of the cycles in 1999.

So fervent was the demand for Voxan bikes that the models themselves were rushed into production before they had been fully tested for design flaws. As a result the company’s first bike, the ’99 Roadster, was a victim of a delayed release date and an improperly-executed marketing campaign.

Even under the best circumstances, Voxan would have faced stiff competition from popular Italian and Japanese bikes already on the market. As it stood, the Roadster suffered from poor sales that doomed the company from the start. By the time the Café Racer was released in 2000 and the Scrambler in 2001, Voxan was already having trouble paying its workers and was considering bankruptcy.

The company was saved by entrepreneur Didier Cazeaux and the Société de Développement et de Participation, who bought Voxan and ensured the company could continue producing motorbikes. The new influx of capital gave the company the ability to rehire Sacha Lakic, the designer of the ’99 Roadster. Lakic produced two more models for Voxan – 2004’s Black Magic and 2005’s Charade. These were minimalist naked bikes designed around an engine and chassis unique to Voxan.

The new models could not save Voxan from its financial troubles, and the company was one again on the brink by the end of the decade. This time, philanthropist Gildo Pallanca Pastor purchased the company and merged it with his Venturi automobile division, which he had saved from a similar fate in 2001. Pastor had worked with Sacha Lakic to transform Venturi into a specialty car company focused on electric and solar powered cars, and proposed a similar future for Voxon in 2010.

The remaining gas-powered Voxon bikes are already considered collector’s pieces, as the company abandons their previous models in favor of a new product line powered entirely by electricity. Voxan predicts a three-year wait for the first of this new generation of motorcycles.

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Voxan Black Classic 2010 V2 four stroke engine 54 mm injection fuel system Compression ratio of 10.5 :1		Voxan Black Magic 2009 V twin, 4 stroke engine Compression ratio of 10.5 : 1 Multi disc oil with hydraulic control clutch
Voxan Black Magic 2010 V2 four stroke engine Displacement of 996 cc Power of 100 HP @ 8000 rpm		Voxan Black Magixc2008 V2, four stroke engine Liquid cooling system 6 speed gear box
Voxan Caf Fuel tank capacity of 18.5 liters Speed of 240 km/h Maximum torque of 110 Nm @ 6500 rpm		Voxan Charade Racing 2008 Oil capacity of 3.5 liters Fuel tank capacity of 19.5 liters 4 piston, double disc Beringer front brakes
Voxan Charade Racing 2009 Dry weight of 185 kg Power / weight ratio of 0.5405 HP/ kg Adjustable seat height of 810 mm		Voxan Charade Racing 2010 Available in 3 colors - Black, Red and Grey Maximum power of 100 HP @ 8000 rpm Net torque of 97 Nm
Voxan Roadster Fuel capacity of 18.5 liters Power / weight ratio of 0.5263 HP/kg Single disc rear brakes