Janus Motorcycles merged threadfest .

[Arizona Wayne]

Isn't Ridley out of business ?

 Dusty

Far as I know Ridley went tits  up in about `08.  Maybe they are still in business making these motorized bicycles? 

[fossil]

"I'm waiting for somebody with experience to highlight the merits of the German Schempp-Hirth Janus sailplane..."

Oh yes! We had a Janus CM in our club! I loved idling through Northern Germany in this thing with a friend. It flew as agile as a railway waggon, was fast and - flown well - capable. Not the sportiest plane, but somehow I got addicted to that thing.

[Aaron D.]

So who has lookd at the Benelli Imperiale 400?

[Murray]

????

The term lead sled comes to mind actually thats what it was referred too as and you didn't need to put it into a spin to get weirdness out of the all flying tail plane, descending whilst thermalling for no apparent reason? Your tail plane has probably stalled and the rear seat has paid off a few chiropractors Merc's in their time, not their finest work and if you've come from a diet of Polish built trainers and cross country machines kinda boring (for those who haven't had anything to do with sailplanes the Polish really really like their aerobatics even on the most basic trainers).

[JohninVT]

Count me as another person who doesn't get the J-Anus bikes.  It's a $6k+ kit bike with a Chinese clone engine.  I also think the top frame rail is way too high.  It looks like the frame was initially designed for a taller cylinder. 

The Suzuki TU250 is an incredible little bike for $2k less and outperforms the J-Anus in every way.  The Van Van has a great vintage vibe while being reliable and modern.  There's a rumor the Kawasaki W250 might appear in the US(I hope Bob/Ohiorider doesn't read this because he might go into palpatations ).     

There are plenty of CB200's, Jawa's and other used bikes out there to scratch the small displacement, vintage itch.

[Sheepdog]

Before there was an English language, Janus was the Roman god of beginnings. He had two faces which looked toward the future and the past...

[ohiorider]

Count me as another person who doesn't get the J-Anus bikes.  It's a $6k+ kit bike with a Chinese clone engine.  I also think the top frame rail is way too high.  It looks like the frame was initially designed for a taller cylinder. 

The Suzuki TU250 is an incredible little bike for $2k less and outperforms the J-Anus in every way.  The Van Van has a great vintage vibe while being reliable and modern.  There's a rumor the Kawasaki W250 might appear in the US(I hope Bob/Ohiorider doesn't read this because he might go into palpatations ).     

There are plenty of CB200's, Jawa's and other used bikes out there to scratch the small displacement, vintage itch.

W200?  Gotta check this out.

John, are you sure about a W200?  EDIT I misread ..... you typed 250 I read 200.

Here's a little Kaw that has been around in Asia and several European countries since 1992.  Nice looking thumper.  It's the Estrella 250.  This web site has some nice pics of these bikes over the past 20+ years.

http://www.bj250.de/html/i-modelle.html



Bob

[Lannis]

So who has lookd at the Benelli Imperiale 400?

I did, after you mentioned it.    Unlikely that I'll see one 'round these parts though ... no Benelli dealers here.   

Be interesting to see what it sells for, as it looks like a direct RE 350 competitor.      They had a video but I couldn't tell much because the spokesman didn't speak understandable English.     Maybe we're not the "Target Market", though ....

Lannis

[JohninVT]

W200?  Gotta check this out.

John, are you sure about a W200?  EDIT I misread ..... you typed 250 I read 200.

Here's a little Kaw that has been around in Asia and several European countries since 1992.  Nice looking thumper.  It's the Estrella 250.  This web site has some nice pics of these bikes over the past 20+ years.

http://www.bj250.de/html/i-modelle.html



Bob

The W250 is an updated and renamed Estrella.  I've read rumors Kawasaki is considering selling it outside the Asian market but nothing concrete.  I absolutely love the TU250 but the ergos don't work for me longer than an hour.  I nearly bought a VanVan this summer but that doesn't really work for me either.  I can make a TW200 work after a modded seat, risers and bars but TW's don't have the same 70's style that I love about the TU and VanVan.  If the W250 fit I'd seriously consider one.
 

[ohiorider]

Found info on the W250.  Won't meet Euro4 so probably won't be available in Europe or here in the USA, but Kaw plans to expand their Asian market, and the little W will show up there.  John, appears it IS an upgraded Estrella.  Here's a pic.

[JeffOlson]

I like it! One of my sons and I were looking into them a couple for years ago. I definitely could see riding a Halcyon 250 around town:

[Lannis]

It's cute and a bit interesting, but I can't imagine that anyone with $7000 burning a hole in his pocket hasn't got better motorcycle itches to scratch than that one!

Lannis

[Turin]

It's cute and a bit interesting, but I can't imagine that anyone with $7000 burning a hole in his pocket hasn't got better motorcycle itches to scratch than that one!

That about sums it up. There are a bunch of other new starter bikes that can be for much less.

[Huzo]

The term lead sled comes to mind actually thats what it was referred too as and you didn't need to put it into a spin to get weirdness out of the all flying tail plane, descending whilst thermalling for no apparent reason? Your tail plane has probably stalled and the rear seat has paid off a few chiropractors Merc's in their time, not their finest work and if you've come from a diet of Polish built trainers and cross country machines kinda boring (for those who haven't had anything to do with sailplanes the Polish really really like their aerobatics even on the most basic trainers).

yeah mate, if your tailplane had "stalled", the natural tendency to pitch nose down would prevail and airspeed would be restored, remember the tailplane exerts DOWNWARD force and a reduction in control authority will result in the a/c resuming it's trimmed condition.
Best to talk to that Kirby bloke, his opinion will carry more weight on this forum than mine.
The most likely cause that you'd be descending in a thermal for "no apparent reason" will be that you have incorrectly set the flap, or more likely flying with slip or skid and that will render your variometer useless.
Probably a good time to talk to someone about aerodynamics.

[Muzz]

If I ever got one the rear suspension would be an absolute upgrade!

[twowheeladdict]

Count me as another person who doesn't get the J-Anus bikes.  It's a $6k+ kit bike with a Chinese clone engine.  I also think the top frame rail is way too high.  It looks like the frame was initially designed for a taller cylinder. 

The Suzuki TU250 is an incredible little bike for $2k less and outperforms the J-Anus in every way.  The Van Van has a great vintage vibe while being reliable and modern.  There's a rumor the Kawasaki W250 might appear in the US(I hope Bob/Ohiorider doesn't read this because he might go into palpatations ).     

There are plenty of CB200's, Jawa's and other used bikes out there to scratch the small displacement, vintage itch.

The same could be said of Moto Guzzi according to every Moto Journalist Shootout I have read. 

If I lived in a sprawling suburban area where most of the roads were 35 MPH or slower I could see having one.  For me there is the aspect of appreciating the look of the bike even more than the function. 

From a function standpoint my FZ07 is so much more bike than my V7 cafe classic,  but the classic has the cool factor.

[Yukonica]

I think twowheeladdict has it. The bike isn't about being a motorcycle in the context we, enthusiasts, think of bike.
It is about being a head turning bit of furniture art. It is the look not the function that is prime.
As for price, again we enthusiasts see $7K as outrageous for a motorcycle of that simple design and low function. Colleagues of mine own bicycles that cost as much. Caveat emptor.

[mtiberio]

these are based on a Chinese crate motor. A knockoff of a pushrod Honda never imported into this country. Originally a 125, punched out to 230cc now. The reason Honda built it? 3rd world owners did no maintenance and the OHC motors were fragging. There a number of 230cc dirt bikes available based on this motor. The cheapest is about $1400 (https://www.killermotorsports.com/rps-hawk-250cc-dirt-bike.html). I had one of the $2000 CSC versions (TT250). You get what you pay for... Maybe. That bike at $7K would need to have the worlds best running gear. The motors are stone reliable however.

"They continued to use oil even after it had turned into goo," Inagaki said, "and the paper filter elements in the air cleaners would become solid as a dirt wall from all the dust. The drive chains would be stretched out to their maximum adjustable lengths, and were worn and torn from hitting the chain case. The examples of such abuse went on and on. One after another, we saw spectacles we'd never even imagined possible from our home base in Japan."

http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1975cg125/index.html

[Lannis]

I think twowheeladdict has it. The bike isn't about being a motorcycle in the context we, enthusiasts, think of bike.
It is about being a head turning bit of furniture art. It is the look not the function that is prime.
As for price, again we enthusiasts see $7K as outrageous for a motorcycle of that simple design and low function. Colleagues of mine own bicycles that cost as much. Caveat emptor.

The bicycle analogy doesn't work very well.   Seven thousand dollar bicycles generally cost that much because they are lighter, get more power to the road, and more functional than a cheaper bicycle.   

They generally don't cost more than "common or garden" $2000 bicycles because they are heavier, less functional, and harder to ride.

Not to say that there might not be posers in the bicycle world that would buy a fancy bike that they aren't capable of exploiting, but that would be like a wobbly newbie motorcyclist buying a Ducati superbike-class semi-racer.   

In the bicycle world, this thing would be a big old Schwinn copy that weighed 50 pounds ....

Lannis

[Yukonica]

Lannis,  I agree with the Schwinn copy functionality. But it is the form that this bike is sold upon. Probably to beard waxing hipsters.

[Lannis]

Lannis,  I agree with the Schwinn copy functionality. But it is the form that this bike is sold upon. Probably to beard waxing hipsters.

Hey, more power to 'em all.   The makers for selling something someone wants to buy, and in the meantime employing people in useful work, and to the hipsters for sending them their hard-earned cash for something that they enjoy showing around, whether it's in the living room or on the street!

Lannis

[bad Chad]

We talked about these assembled in USA bikes a while back.  I’m just curious if anyone has ridden one?  Looks like they start at 7k.   Just my opinion, but they seem like a question few would ask.
Www.janusmotorcycle s.com

[JJ]

We talked about these assembled in USA bikes a while back.  I’m just curious if anyone has ridden one?  Looks like they start at 7k.   Just my opinion, but they seem like a question few would ask.
Www.janusmotorcycle s.com

Never rode a JANUS...but my neighbor, "Triumph-Bill" has one of these!!  MotoPed!

 50cc stock, but his has a 90cc upgrade kit on it.  It goes pretty good around "Da Hood!!"

[Chuck in Indiana]

I haven't ridden one, Chad.. but I think they are.. uh.. cute. Not 7 large cute, though. A used one cruised through the ads in the local paper for 5K but I wasn't interested at 5 either. Not when you can buy a Royal Enfield for that kind of money, and they're a *real* motorcycle.

[Aaron D.]

My friend is thinking about one for a city bike. Also chasing a Brough so that gives context.

If you like it it is a nice thing.

[britman]

My Son-in-Law ordered one and yes I have ridden it.  The good points would have to be the styling, one of the best vintage looking machines out there.  Where ever it is parked it draws a crowd.  It is a perfect "go get ice cream and run to the hardware store bike".  The final cosmetics is decided by the buyer down to the size and color of the paint stripe size and color.  My only complaint would be the number of cc's, the engine though allegedly bullet proof is too small in my opinion.   

[Denis]

Funny how people are different. For me, styling is a not a good point about them. I think they look awkward, tall and odd.

[JJ]

My other neighbor, Bruce, aka "Mr. Green-Planet", just bought one of these...the electric all-terrain bicycle.... for HALF the money ($1500) of a MotoPed and certainly much cheaper than a $7K JANUS!!

[ozarquebus]

The Janus appears to be an excellent motorcycle.
It uses a lot of in house produced tin and domestic components.
 The engine of course is a Sino version of a Honda, but no engine I can see has had as much development or real life testing as this one.
It was originally a Honda CB125 engine and proved itself in the herculean motorcycle performance work we see in asia where they transport everything from a family of 5 to a waterbuffalo on a daily basis an then get handed down for generations of more toil.
 Then the Honda engineers improved it and made it more reliable for later CB125s.
Then China decide to remanufacture it, increased size to 229cc, improving the design again and adding a balancing shaft.
This gave  birth to the RATO CG250 which is what appears to be on the Januses (Jani?)



It is no heavyweight or even middle weight touring bike, but a 250 will get you down the freeway at 70 for short runs if you get a good run at it.
There are 500cc water cooled twins waiting in the wings with good reliability.
 If they could find a good twin engine around 500cc it might turn into a US assembled Enfield Eater, but then, you might as well get a KTM if you are going to that much trouble.

[kingoffleece]

I like them.  Good on Janus for trying something different.  Handmade in essence, and if anyone is looking at "performance" they best look elsewhere.  Looks like a blast for a nice Sunday ride with no place to go and all day to get there.  An expensive day to be sure, but in this world not EVERYTHING need be value.  We heard for one rider who absolutely loves his and thinks it was a barging for the smiles per mile.