Motus merged threadfest

[Seagondollar]

From Autoblog, info about the Motus engine:  160 HP half a Corvette engine designed by Pratt & Miller.  But why did they decide to go with a chain drive?

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/12/motus-motorcycles-v4-engine-impresses-puts-out-over-160-horsepo/

Video included with dyno run.


(NGC icon added)  R59

[lti_57]

Nice video that dyno pull was great .
I wish them luck.
Of course the basic lay out aint new.
 

[bigbikerrick]

Thats really Cool! I love v 4's,  I like where they mention that the V is finally facing in the correct direction! Yeah Baby! ;-T   thanks for sharing, Rick

[Yad]

From Autoblog, info about the Motus engine:  160 HP half a Corvette engine designed by Pratt & Miller.  But why did they decide to go with a chain drive?

Look at how far that motor is slanted forward. It would need to be canted back quite a bit or would take an impressive u-joint or bevel box to make that a shaft drive - any of which would change the whole design dramatically. And they would be giving up a big chunk of rear-wheel power to do it. Needless to say this doesn't look like it's aimed for the high-mileage crowd.

[Amboman]

"Large" displacement V4 without a balance shaft, used as a stressed member of the chassis? Hmmm. Looks like the flywheel and clutch will spin the same direction as the engine too - might have the torque reaction of a Guzzi or Airhead BMW only worse. Should give it "character", but will the target market like that?    

[Sack]

My first thought was..

[Matteo]

 

[Matteo]

[Amboman]

If Aprilia hadn't blown off the VA10/DM10, MG would've had this same layout 6 years ago to run alongside with the traditional lump.

The VA10/DM10 was a V4?   ??? ;)

[guzzisteve]

Supposed to be made over in AL, maybe worth a ride over to see in person, if allowable.

[Amboman]

If Aprilia hadn't blown off the VA10/DM10, MG would've had this same layout 6 years ago to run alongside with the traditional lump.

The VA10/DM10 was a V4?   ??? ;)

Uh, no, you got me there. The VA10 had twin exhausts on each cylinder and externally looks similar and I wound up deceiving myself. The VA10 was canted downward in front and was 75˚ like the Motus. Kinda looked the same.

This would have been a little closer to the Motus design.  ;)

[Travman]

As much as I love this Motus concept, they really should have taken the time to design a valve train that didn't use push rods.  Also take a look at the GM alternator behind the engine.  I think they should find something a little lighter than a car alternator. 

[MOTO-NEXUS]

I'm not much of a fan of the way they have the engine mounted to the frame.  In a bike like this the engine should function as a stressed member of the frame.  In these pictures it appears that the engine is just hanging below the main frame and would provide only minor stiffness to the chassis.   Granted it looks pretty cool, but functionally I question the design. 

[Amboman]

As much as I love this Motus concept, they really should have taken the time to design a valve train that didn't use push rods.  Also take a look at the GM alternator behind the engine.  I think they should find something a little lighter than a car alternator.  

What's so wrong with pushrods? Yes, it's "old tech", but so is the LS7 Corvette engine it's based on. I don't hear any complaints about the LS7 not getting the job done. Given the type of bike it's propelling and where it's being built (the heart of NASCAR country), pushrods and all the off-the-shelf parts Motus has to choose from seems like a smart move to me.

The same basic Nippon Denso unit that is on CARC Guzzis was used on the Suzuki Samurai & Swift, Chevy Sprint and forklift trucks, tractors and more. The Motus unit looks to be only slightly (if any) larger.  

[ROBOTMAN]

That exhaust is just wrong.   It looks like nephew-art.

[Skeeve]

Also take a look at the GM alternator behind the engine.  I think they should find something a little lighter than a car alternator. 

No, the car alternator was an integral part of the design process: one of the biggest complaints touring riders have is inadequate output of their motorcycle's electrical systems. Motorcycles also tend to have not only brand specific, but model specific alternators (ie, $$$.)

By using a common car alternator in the design, the Motus folks can keep production costs down, provide FAR more output than most competing touring bike designs, have an integrated VR that is less failure-prone than what we see in recent motorcycle design history [by virtue of largely corrosion-immune connections btw the VR & alternator] and to top it off, your argument that the alternator is too heavy is completely spurious, since the physics is all known, unchanging stuff: it will take more or less the same mass of materials to provide the same output, regardless of form factor. Copper, laminated soft iron & aluminum pretty much have the same density, no matter where they're used in a car or bike alternator...  ;)

I feel bad for the Motus folks only because in these days & times, it makes almost no sense whatsoever to attempt a start-up new motorcycle brand. Victory made it because they've got the whole Polaris company backing them, and went for the low-hanging fruit [cruisers, the biggest selling segment.]

Touring motorcycles are just too narrow a segment to jump into & try to duke it out w/ the big players like Honda, Harley and now Victory, along w/ any other manufacturer who feels like they've got an adequate power unit to build a tourer around. I wish'em luck, but my forecast isn't sanguine...  ::)

[Travman]

I found a couple of more Motus prototype pictures.  Nice looking swingarm.

[Travman]

More on Motus:

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/motus-mst-dyno-video/

[azguzzirep]

More on Motus:

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/motus-mst-dyno-video/

I want one, ?Who do I hafta kill to get one?

Tom

[Aaron D.]

There are so many good reasons to build a pushrod engine, especially for a street bike.

But judging from the comments there, and here, marketing isn't one of them.  I think folks need to track down Ilmor's reasons for building the "Mercedes" Indy special, besides the rulebook loophole.

[kevdog3019]

Dyno:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2011/02/11/motus-mst-motorcycle-on-the-dyno-and-in-the-cold/#more-14265

[troyhamilton]

when I was a kid I saw a fiat that had a v4?

[Guido Valvole]

Lancia. Now owned by Fiat (the four-wheel equivalent of Piaggio…)

Ford also had a V4, from its German branch. Saab used that engine when their two-stroke needed to be replaced because of emissions laws.
cr

[kevdog3019]

Here's the latest on the Motus guys. 
http://thekneeslider.com/

[Sack]

That's really matured. I find I have more interest than at first. Thanks.

[Seagondollar]

Damn fools - What are they thinking?  Those rocker covers will be right in front of the rider's knees!  They'll never sell any of those things!
 ::) :o **C ;)

[alanp]

Wow!  ;-T  That looks brilliant.  I wish them well. 

[ohiorider]

Interesting clutch location.  Looks like the Motus is coming together nicely.

Bob

[Aaron D.]

Love the mechanicals. I don't care for the styling, but if Honda can sell ugly, then this shoould be fine.

[rdbandkab]

Couple of pics.  I like it. It's just naked enough.
Wonder where they're going to sell'em....service'em...and so on....