Motus Shutting Down (NGC)

[kirb]

My Motus is the most unique, quick, comfortable, and just damn cool bike I have ever owned. The build quality is amazing, the sound incredible, and ride is beyond expectations. The bike needs little, so I'm not worried about parts. A lot of the wear items are sourced anyway.

I was in the middle of a long trip when I heard the news. Sad, for sure. I finished the 580 mile trip home in ~9 hours with 3 stops for fuel. It's all day comfortable. It also has a real-world power band- You don't need to do much to pass on 2-lane roads. Twist and go. I keep getting more impressed with the bike every day. 10k miles so far.

What don't I like? Helibars are comfortable, but not as solid as a standard 1-1/8" bar (I have that Motus option too). Wind protection is lacking a bit, windshield coverage could be better. Mirrors fold in at 90+ mph... need to look into that more. The 'growler' (what Motus calls it) is a torque damping flywheel... I hate explaining to people who have no idea what it is or why you would need one. The ram-air intakes suck up bugs at a high rate of speed...oiling the two K&N filters are more frequent than most bikes. I am searching for things I don't like and most are fairly minor.

What do I like? Thing is stupid easy to work on, doesn't need much, does SMART things- like use the same oil in the engine and trans with no valve adjustments. I can ride this thing all day, every day. I can sit in the garage with a cigar and admire the frame welds alone... Pitty that most may never get to experience a bike this good.

[steven c]

 Guzzi should pick it up!

[yellowheader]

Maybe Harley can pick up the engine to put into some of their future models.

[poorBob]

My Motus is the most unique, quick, comfortable, and just damn cool bike I have ever owned....Pitty that most may never get to experience a bike this good.

Agreed! 90 mph throttle wheelies are not for everyone

[Lannis]

Maybe Harley can pick up the engine to put into some of their future models.

Those Motus motors probably have more "Made in USA" content than Harley's current V-twins ... for those that care about that sort of thing!

Lannis

[Guzzistajohn]

Saw one @ The Springfield Mile the other day, quite possibly the best fit and finish of any bike I have ever seen. Talked to the owner for a while, nice dude. If I ever win the lottery............ ................... .........

[BrotherJim]

These bikes are awesome, but not every motorcycle enthusiast could justify owning one.  I don't think that the guys at Motus are calling it quits, necessarily.  I wish them the best.

[Toecutter]

  The Ducati dry clutch rattle is not a feature, it's poor engineering   

Is it somehow different than Guzzi dry clutch rattle?

[yellowheader]

  The Ducati dry clutch rattle is not a feature, it's poor Italian engineering   

Fixed it!

[guzzisteve]

Is it somehow different than Guzzi dry clutch rattle?

It's much louder cause they have more plates on a Duc.

I wonder what effect this will have on Motus's big bash coming up for Barber?

[alanp]

Is it somehow different than Guzzi dry clutch rattle?

Yes, the Motus clatter is a thing called the �growler�, that is a sort of torque limiter that protects the trans from too much torque.

[Unkept]

Yes, the Motus clatter is a thing called the �growler�, that is a sort of torque limiter that protects the trans from too much torque.

From what I've understood, their explanation and pictures, it sounds like a Dual Mass Flywheel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-mass_flywheel

My VW had one of those. The first owner had it explode and destroyed the transmission case.  The second DMF (and replacement transmission) went strong for at least another 125k~ miles.

[ITSec]

Dan:  I would not be concerned.  Since mechanically, the Indian and Victory are basically the same and since Polaris is a large, well funded entity, you should not have any problems.  Motus on the other hand, will not continue to be a going concern in any other motorcycle guise.  I expect that the parts that are out there are all that there are going to be.  Hopefully many of the maintenance parts are off the rack parts and filters you can get from the auto parts store.

Mechanically, the two bikes are NOT the same - they are very, very different in engine, tranny, frame and suspension.

I expect Polaris will keep a reasonable supply of parts available, but they have shown they are a fairly bloody-minded company when it comes to business decisions, and it remains to be seen how they will act when their legal obligation to maintain parts is over.

As for comments on extended warranty, almost all extended warranties are not supported by the manufacturer but by third-party companies (even if sold under the manufacturer's name). Get yours out and read the fine print carefully - it may or may not have an escape clause related to the manufacturer or brand ceasing operations. No other way to know what your situation is...

[Tusayan]

Maybe Harley can pick up the engine to put into some of their future models.

The low rev limit, self adjusting valve lash and emphasis on low end torque versus a wide rev range is similar.  Compared to even a relatively lov revving (but tall geared) 8000 rpm Guzzi, the Motus is incredibly easy to over rev (or in actuality hit the rev limiter unintentionally)

I found my $4500 used ST4 to be a much better bike than a Motus for the same sport touring duty, but to each his own.  Valve adjustments on the Ducati take infinitely longer!

[kirb]

I wonder what effect this will have on Motus's big bash coming up for Barber?

Well, the Motus MST series with ABS was going to be announced as well as an 'expected' naked version.
Pics of the ABS version exist. Nothing but a prototype of the naked has been seen.

Factory closing probably means the bash is off... you never know. The Motus owners who were going are still planning on something.