Motus merged threadfest

[redbirds]

I prefer shaft drive but find many advantages to chain drive as well. The new dry wax lubes have eased chain maintenance and the ease of changing drive ratios is a real plus. Changing sprockets and chains every 15-20 thousand miles is a bit pricey but is easily done at home with the right tools and you save the labor costs.

As for Motus, I think that going to a chain drive on a premium priced bike was a mistake. All of the large sport-touring bikes today have shaft drive and with the Motus engine oriented as it is seems a natural for a shaft. Chain drive may prove a tough selling point for such an expensive motorcycle.

[dilligaf]

The chain on my ST2 has over 23K and appears to be doing OK.  Based upon its current condition I expect 30K at least.  What an I doing wrong?  Could just using Gl-5 as a lubricant be the problem or should I switch to chain wax?
Matt

[kevdog3019]

Didn't mean to make this a shaft vs chain thread, but looks like from what some others have witnessed that Motus is stuck in the mud at the moment. Sure they may be working out EPA stuff etc. but that doesn't mean they need to hide during the most prominent time of the year and riding season. They can still put it out there as before!  Something's up and it's not just their price-point. Maybe they're going through it piece by piece and replacing all the metal bits with plastic to bring down the price.  :P
Kevin

[Mark West]

When a company that has been doing tons of promotion to launch a new product suddenly goes silent, it's a bad sign. Maybe they have run out of money or discovered a serious design flaw. If they had something positive to say, I suspect they'd be saying it.

[gearman]

Just looked at the site. Some ugly bike. Why are the saddlebags so high up? I would need a step ladder to swing my leg over them.

[FGO]

They did have some fueling problems, I suspect they got worse trying to pass EPA standards and they have an ill running machine with a high price tag to sort out, and perhaps non enough funding.  Saw em at the Rock Store, looked good in person, sat on one, was comfortable and not heavy if you're used to a guzzi

[Arizona Wayne]

The chain on my ST2 has over 23K and appears to be doing OK.  Based upon its current condition I expect 30K at least.  What an I doing wrong?  Could just using Gl-5 as a lubricant be the problem or should I switch to chain wax?
Matt

Are you saying you don't lube your chain?  I use chain wax on mine.

[AJ Huff]

I love the Motus. And the price doesn't bother me. It could be $17K and I still could not afford one. My only niggle with it is the exhaust system. It looks redneck built to me. Not pretty and refined.

-AJ

[dilligaf]

Are you saying you don't lube your chain?  I use chain wax on mine.

I use the same oil I use in the transmission and final drive on mine and with something over 23K and going strong.  I have used Chain Wax and got 17K on my BMW F650GS.  I use both bikes the same way, be seen at Starbucks and 1000 mile trips from time to time but mostly to be seen at Starbucks.  GL-5 can be abit ofa mess compared to chain wax.
Matt

[Rotten Ralph]

Well I've used virgin olive oil on my BSA chain and have had 200 trouble free miles! :BEER: :BEER: :BEER:

[iamz]

I use the same oil I use in the transmission and final drive on mine and with something over 23K and going strong.  I have used Chain Wax and got 17K on my BMW F650GS.  I use both bikes the same way, be seen at Starbucks and 1000 mile trips from time to time but mostly to be seen at Starbucks.  GL-5 can be abit ofa mess compared to chain wax.
Matt

I use 80/90 weight gear oil on mine. I dump a little on the end of an old toothbrush and scrub it in to the chain. Takes about 5 minutes to do the whole thing. Just over 27k miles on the DR's and it's still going strong. Sprockets look factory new.

[custimguitarman]

Not a chain vs. shaft debate at all! The very first time I saw this bike I got into the argument with a good friend of mine " why chain?" I said. He said som crap about efficiency. I say BS!
Like has already been said, you want to sell a bike Priced alongside beemers, hogs, guzzi, etc., you better show up with something better than a 520 o-ringer. I mean come on. This is what really gets me about engineers! Your sitting at the drafting table with sOmething new and you do THAT!

[rocker59]

A dozen Motus threads now at your fingertips in one convenient place...  Motus merged threadfest.

[tazio]

A dozen Motus threads now at your fingertips in one convenient place...  Motus merged threadfest.

Mr.Rocker :bow

[Cheese]

GE Capital's Commercial Distribution Finance (CDF) business has agreed to provide Motus Motorcycles with inventory financing to support the expansion of its dealer network in the U.S.

The Birmingham, AL-based manufacturer was founded four years ago to produce premium American-made sport-touring motorcycles. Recently, Motus launched production plans for the 2013 line, its first model year.

CDF provides inventory financing for numerous brands of motorsports products, both established and emerging. This type of arrangement, also known as floorplan financing, allows dealers to stock, market and sell a wide variety of motorcycles and related products from manufacturers. It's an important element of a successful manufacturer-dealer business model.

Motus is extremely proud to announce our financing relationship with GE Capital, said Lee Conn, founder and president of Motus Motorcycles. We believe stable floorplan financing will encourage more high-caliber motorcycle dealers to add Motus to their current product mix.

Our deep expertise in the motorcycle sector allows us to support both existing and new products in the marketplace, said Neeraj Mehta, president and CEO of CDF. We're glad to work with Motus to encourage innovation and drive adoption of leading-edge technologies in the growing motorsports industry.

[Lannis]

One more hurdle they've crossed.

Hope they make a go of it!

Lannis

[cruzziguzzi]

Now to present a quality product that establishes a customer support/passion base strong enough to keep the maker around long enough to get past the inevitable "editor's" torpedoing and following lack of enthusiasm. I foresee having to overcome aggressive literary gestures oriented to prove a lack of American bias when/if it hits the streets.

I hope they find a way to piggy-back dealerships with a complimenting maker like Polaris/Victory or Can Am or the like.

I know I want one and intend to buy one as the "Buell" that never got built for me.

[AJ Huff]

Or Guzzi dealer.  ;D

-AJ

[guzzisteve]

The motor is capable of some real good HP, past 200 is what I was told by mfg. 

[Rotten Ralph]

Or Guzzi dealer.  ;D

-AJ

Not funny! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[AJ Huff]

Not funny! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

But true.

-AJ

[Red Dog]

See what a V4 Guzzi could have been: http://www.motusmotorcycles.com/mst-01.html

[rocker59]

See what a V4 Guzzi could have been: http://www.motusmotorcycles.com/mst-01.html

merged into the threadfest.

remember the search function.

[NoVector]

So, now that these bikes are (almost) real, have there been any ride reports on them?  I'm looking at that V4, and assume there is a BIG radiator just behind the front forks, and a big gap between the cylinders for all that hot air to go......where?  Chestnuts roasting on the open fire?   :o   ???

Re. someone asking about ABS, TSC, etc., I assume the Motus dev team is happy as pigs in slop just to get the basic bike out the door.  That stuff could add months if not years to the dev cycle and I'm guessing their investors wanted to see some bikes for sale sooner vs. later (which also was the likely reason DI bit the dust).  Maybe that stuff will show up in a few years, assuming they're still around then.....

-NV

[tazio]

I love the Motus.  My only niggle with it is the exhaust system. It looks redneck built to me. Not pretty and refined.

-AJ

Park her next to a Buell ;D :BEER:

[Ambogal]

Isn't Motus now in a building formally used by Mr. Barber of Barbers Motorsports in downtown Birmingham?

[tazio]

Taken @ barbers Saturday.

and a few pic's taken @ same place last year...



          Here's to hoping these things are being sold @ dealerships between now and Barber's Vintage Days NEXT year!!!

[Kentktk]

Here`s an email response from Motus yesterday where I voiced concerns most of us have on their pricing.

Hi Ken, thanks for the inspiring email. We appreciate your support, even if it'd be tough for you to justify the price of the first MST's.

As a historical reference, the 1908 Model T was $850, but got down to $260 by 1924 as Ford increased their volume and enjoyed some economies of scale. Our goal is to build the most exciting and desirable American motorcycles possible, so we selected the finest materials and components available to build the MST's (carbon fiber bodywork, Sargent saddles, ultra lightweight 4130 chromoly chassis, Ohlins, Brembo, Akropovic, National Cycle, digital LCD/TFT gauges, 20,000 mile chain, lifetime warranty sprocket, forged aluminum OZ wheels, etc).

And, there is an incredible amount of craftsmanship that goes into each bike- by actual humans! You likely won't need to replace things like the seat, controls, windscreen, pipes, etc because we haven't cut corners and the maintenance costs are very low with our use of hydraulic valvetrain (100,000 mile inspection recommended).

So, while the MST's are more expensive than mass produced Asian or European bikes, in the same way hand made hardwood cabinets are much more expensive than pre-fab Lowe's cabinets, we hope that some riders will appreciate the value we've tried to build into the machines from the factory. Plus, they sound like the files attached.....

Anyway, thanks for reaching out. Stay in touch and feel free to come by our facility if you are ever in our area.

Ride safely!

Lee Conn president

Latest Motus news on   Facebook

[stormshearon]

So, we intend to be a small supplier of hand-built motorcycles, made of the finest materials, and sell small numbers for the forseeable future. sigh.


I wish them success, but would really like to see them make an affordable US made motorcycle that folks od reasonable means can afford..
...

[youcanrunnaked]

The problem is that their starting price is at least $10K off the mark.  So, if their plan is to get a few out the door and then start lowering prices, who is going to volunteer to be the early adopters, knowing that they are going to take at least a $10,000 depreciation hit?  As a rule, people with stupid money are not stupid.