The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Motus MST Rolls Out from Behind the Curtains

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Motus MST first showing at Pratt and Miller Engineering
Motus MST first showing at Pratt and Miller Engineering

Pencil sketches are good, CAD drawings an important step and 3D renders show what a project should look like, but there’s nothing like throwing your leg over a real motorcycle to see if all of the talk has amounted to anything, and that’s exactly what I had the chance to do yesterday as Motus rolled out their all new Motus MST at Pratt and Miller Engineering giving the world its first look at what Lee Conn and Brian Case are bringing to life.

To the applause of everyone, Brian Case rode in on the bike many of us have been hoping would become real, but given the obstacles any small team would face trying to build an entirely new American motorcycle in an uncooperative economy, more than a few doubted it would see the light of day. Well, it’s real, it runs, it looks and sounds great and it’s apparent Motus is more interested in building motorcycles than hyping what might be.

Motus had two bikes on hand, the MST and the R version, differentiated from the standard model by top of the line Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes. All of the bodywork, including the fuel tank, is carbon fiber. The top two gears of the six speed transmission actually serve as overdrive, keeping the Katech KMV4 gasoline direct injection engine in a relaxed rev range while cruising though still able to give great performance and acceleration due to loads of torque.

Motus MST R version engine mounting closeup
Motus MST R version engine closeup

The Katech KMV4 is very impressive up close. When people think half of a V8 they envision a cut down Chevy small block, however, this engine is compact, it’s a V4 that’s small and light, the engine itself weighs only 130 pounds and with the transmission attached not far over 200 pounds. Lee told me there has been a lot of interest from many quarters outside of motorcycling as potential applications for this little bruiser keep popping up in everyone’s mind. There have been a few comments about pushrods being old and low tech, a comment that’s particularly interesting when you see the bike surrounded by the winning Corvettes of Pratt and Miller Engineering that soundly thrashed some of those high tech engine designs from around the world at places like LeMans.

Motus MST first look
Motus MST first look

Brian also explained how the bike was designed with maintenance in mind, the six speed transmission is a cassette design that can be easily extracted from the left while the wet, multiplate clutch is directly under the cover on the right, no major disassembly necessary as might be expected when a V4 is placed with a longitudinal crank orientation. He also pointed out the multiple power plugs for all of the gear sport touring riders often take along. Overall, a very well thought out design.

It’s important to note that when Motus partnered with Pratt and Miller Engineering they were able to access engineering expertise unavailable to most any builders outside of the major manufacturers. The Pratt and Miller resources are second to none. I commented when leaving last night, walking around their operation is like browsing in a candy store, for gearheads, there’s just amazing stuff everywhere.

Lee Conn - President and Brian Case - VP and Design Director of Motus Motorcycles
Lee Conn - President and Brian Case - VP and Design Director of Motus Motorcycles
Part of the Motus and Pratt and Miller team responsible for the Motus MST
Part of the Motus and Pratt and Miller team responsible for the Motus MST

Lee and Brian will be at Daytona with the MST to give everyone a close up look. If you’re going to bike week, be sure to look them up.

We’ll be bringing you much more about the Motus MST very soon. Stay tuned.

Links:
Motus
Pratt and Miller
Katech

Previously on The Kneeslider:
Motus American Motorcycles – New American Motorcycle Company Breaks Cover
Motus Motorcycles V4 – the First GDI (gasoline direct injection) Motorcycle Engine

Comments

  1. Awesome. Congrats to the Motus team. Here’s hoping their efforts are thoroughly rewarded!

  2. There is sooo much to appreciate and applaud. I would love to say “if they build it I would buy it”, but they have and I can only drool and dream. Damn.

    • And I might add P.C., that you are one lucky individual to have actually been there.

    • They’re still negotiating with some suppliers so they haven’t nailed down price just yet and that will be influenced by orders. For those folks able to buy a high end BMW touring machine or the like, the Motus should be very affordable, and a lot more exclusive.

      • Looks good if a little backward compared to the Jap bikes..Pushrods…ugh..You spend all that money devloping a brand new engine and use pushrods..Which for starters means higher service intervals…Which mean higher costs as you have to go to the dealer more..not good!! I wonder how many miles have been put up on the bikes in devlopment and testing? Or is the coustomer going to be the devlopment rider? Highend BMWs i steer clear off as i cant afford there high service costs at low milage interval’s…No will stick with Hondas ST 1300 Pan European..

        • Since when to pushrods mean greater service intervals?

          It actually means less, if they are using hydraulic lifters. NO valve adjustments. EVER.

          Most Chevy V8s(which this engine is based on), have service intervals of 100,000 miles. And that is just for spark plugs.

        • I don’t know much about this bike but what I do know is that the more mechanical parts you have the more prone it is to failure. Why didn’t they opt for over head cams.

  6. Sweet! Nice to see this become real, not that I could afford one anyway, lol. Just out of curiosity, have they set a price? What is the distribution scheme?

    • Lee and Brian will be visiting a large number of dealers across the country very soon, not only testing and validating the bike along the way but looking for interested parties who would add the Motus to their lineup. According to Lee, there has already been a lot of interest, from some surprising directions and I spoke to one of those potential dealers in attendance at Pratt and Miller and he seemed very positive.

  8. I don’t find the fairing work very attractive. Those naked shots however are very sexy, I would love to see a naked motus!

    • Actually, I am particularly fond of the fairing and its design, as they resisted the temptation to put ‘style’ before simplicity and function. I absolutely HATE the current fashion of asymmetrical lights and unnecessary vents and flares on a fairing. Of course, that’s just me, but i suspect I am not the only one who feels this way.

      • You are absolutely right!
        Oder auf deutsch: Ich finde du hast so was von recht, und ich dachte die ganze Zeit, ich wäre der einzige der noch so denkt.
        Keiner braucht vents und flares, wenn er das richtige Feingefühl mitbringt.
        also was haben wir jetz hier?
        ein neues Gesicht in der Menge, unbedingt, sofort unverwechselbar, ein Charakterkopf, kein angepasster Streber.
        Very appealing, schon auf den ersten Blick.
        Ein Motorrad das endlich mal auf die richtigen Affekt-Knöpfe drückt.
        America, du hast es gut.

      • Und noch was zum Thema America, du hast es besser:
        What a Beauty im Vergleich zu dem armlichen Küchen-Mixer-Design neuen Horex, des neuster Motorrads aus good old Germany mit dem Charme eines Klapp-Rollstuhls.
        Danke das ich das mal sagen durfte 🙂

        • Ich bin nicht so hart in meiner Stellungnahme des Horex, aber mit so viel Macht aus ihrem VR6, hätte ich wahrscheinlich eine Verkleidung wollen. Auch dies ist nur mich, denn ich merke, dass die Spitze des Horex soll eine nackte Muscle Bike werden. Aber immer mit dem Wind jederzeit öffnen Sie die Drosselklappe auf der Horex Fahrrad würde alt werden ziemlich schnell für mich gehämmert.

  9. Imagine this engine in a super-light little sportscar along the lines of the Siata 208S, or the Beck Spyder.

  10. Great achievement, well done guys.
    But as Will says it looks great… naked. A little bit more work on the plastics and it could be a real winner.

  11. Love the idea.

    I was taken aback a bit by the styling, but hopefully it will grow on me.

  12. Glad to see this has made it to completion! It’s a very interesting and well thought out bike, it seems. I like it!

  13. Great work!
    I’m really happy to see these guys bring this ambitious project to fruition.
    There is a helluva lot of work in doing something like that.

    Congrats, Motus!

  15. This is fantastic news, im very jealous you were there.
    I love the plastics, i think they are slightly un conventional in comparison to todays “plastics”, but so is this engine. This whole bike shouts bad ass. If they can get order numbers up and parts suppliers in at low prices, this bike will be great competition with the BMW R and K lines.

    • You’re the second person to refer to the “plastics.” Those are all “carbon fibers,” even the silver bike is painted carbon fiber.

      • Interesting. I’m curious if you have any insight as to why they chose such an expensive route for a bike that isn’t a featherweight to start with. Is it partly to justify a higher MSRP and point to the high end components, or do they really think the (relatively minimal) weight savings are worth the cost?

        Or is that a feature that the “show-bike” will have that may be left off the production version?

        • Ah, didint realize that was painted carbon fiber. However, I’d be willing to gamble that there will be a plastics option or Sports option that has the carbon fiber. Making carbon fiber the only option will drastically change the price point for buyers.
          Also, they’ve already got a engine/trans package in at under 300 pounds. I think the weight to cost savings would allow a lot more people in the show room with plastic as an option.

        • Makes a lot more sense to use it actually. They really can’t compete on price with the big boys, regardless of what they do. Economies of scale and all that. So, they make it a premium bike, and that not only justifies what they have to charge to make a profit, but it also makes it superior to the lower cost competition. Heck, depending on a person’s tastes, this bike will be the prefered choice for a lot of people who are considering touring bikes.

        • Tooling for carbon composites can be much less costly than injection molding tooling. Piece price may be higher, but the initial capital outlay would be substantially less.

        • Bblix nailed it. CF looks sexy naked though the production process and tooling is pretty much identical to `plain Jane` S-glass. The fiber is certainly more expensive but it doesn`t need to be painted if laid-up nicely (I wonder if they are painting the `blems` ans selling them – that would be pretty clever).

          Very nice to see stuff still happens on home terf.

        • Paint is often used on carbon fiber pieces for a couple of reasons. While the fibers themselves are relatively unaffected by UV exposure, the epoxy can be damaged by it.

          Beyond that, if you’re going to show off a carbon fiber panel, it has to be pretty well made to look good. So it could be easier/cheaper to have a bit less worry in layup and to paint over it.

        • They could always use plastic on the production models to lower cost if needed. I’ve always thought the best root is a “cheap as possible” base model and a more reasonable trim in a higher end model. It’s important to get as many sold as possible so the model becomes known.

      • To be fair carbon fiber is just another term for cfrp. Probably a more accurate term is composite rather than plastic.

  16. I WANT ONE! I’m sure it will be out of my price range, but this is what an American bike should be — up-to-date but with pushrods in an engine that just flat runs. Pushrods might be old-tech, but they allow a very compact engine layout with the C of G nice and low. it might not rev to the stratosphere like an F1 car, but it doesn’t have to; designed to make power in a useable RPM range, it provides a great hot-rod sound with bushels of power right where it’s needed. As for the bodywork — most of today’s bikes’ bodywork doesn’t do much for me, but that’s my opinion. It’s better than a lot of what I see out there. What’s important is that it protects the rider, provides good aerodynamics and contains all the bits and gadgets a modern sport-touring bike needs. A naked Motus would be a bitchin’ machine, though! Can’t wait to hear one at red line in person!

  17. I love it! I think it looks great too. Most big tourers are a bit ungainly looking but I think this does a good job of still looking sleek. I see a bit of Triump Sprint, mixed with Ducati frame, and a tiny bit of KTM in the fairing, but smoother.

    I lust after this engine. I want it in everything. My brother has a Honda VF700 V4 with open baffles and that thing sounds like a monster. It’s quick too. I want this engine in a little Lotus 7 replica, or a Mazda Miata, or a Lotus Elise. I want it in a naked muscle bike with big knobby scrambler tires and dirtbike handlebars.

    I wish American carmakers would put V4’s in cars. They sound great. They add a little bit of complexity over an I4, just more parts, but they could be “our thing.”

    JR

  18. Very cool, but what happened to that spiffy sliding topbox that was in all the concept pictures?

    • I believe that’s still going to be available, not sure whether it will be standard or an option. Several things on the bike are still in pre-production form still to be finalized. The bike had, for instance, an adjustable swingarm pivot that is for testing, not a production item. There was evidently some discussion about whether to have the bags on at the intro at all, but they’re easily removable and will most likely be mounted by most riders.

      • Oh ok, great. That was one of the cooler features, was a little worried to see it not there.

  19. how is kneeslider the only blog covering this beauty? I guess you guys know a great off-the-beaten-path story when you see it.

    I think the bike looks awesome, but the composites just arent quite finished. Really close, but it just needs…. something. Maybe I just need to stare at it and it will grow on me. The head light arrangement looks alien, which is awesome, but something about the head shape isn’t quite right. Oh well, it probably looks great from the saddle 😀

    • This has just been picked up by MCN here in UK. Guess the press were just waiting to see a bike rather than an engine on a dyno. Now it will be ‘out there’ Kneeslider is still the place to see innovative new stuff first though.

  20. Stunning, stunning bike, if I had the money I’d get one right now to put next to my GS. What an awesome motorcycle!

  22. I find it interesting that in several of the videos that I seem to hear the distinct rattle of a dry clutch, yet the Motus is an enclosed wet clutch.

    The bike seems to be fantastic, and it would fit my actual needs perfectly.

    Would be great to ride this to Indy rather than my 97 S3 Thunderbolt!

    Mark L.

    • There is that one picture of it naked. Could be really cool, but something would have to be done with that radiator. Liquid cooled bikes always have that problem though.

  24. Though I don’t care for large, heavy bikes (my commute is only 64 miles through canyons round trip) I’d want to get one of these simply to support what Motus is doing. Maybe if I had one I’d end up riding across country once in a while.

    Great work. Here’s to hoping they can give Victory a run for their money at least. There’s a ripe market for an American touring bike that isn’t a cruiser and, though small, it may just be exactly the size market that Motus can cater to.

    Styling reminds me of a cross between a MZ 1000 and a KTM, not bad and certainly on par with what else is available.

    -todd

  25. Maybe with Paul’s endorsement Motus can call the naked version “The Kneeslider”.

    -todd

  26. On a liquid-cooeld bike the radiator is always an issue. A naked Motus might as well hang it out for all to see, just to demonstrate it has a major motor that needs serious cooling.

  28. I think in todays market, if they can bring the bike in at under 30K it would be a success. Paul mentioned pricing near a Top Line BMW so it sounds like they may have a winner on their hands. Once a person reaches a\certain age\ the price becomes less important, look how Harley owns the Big Bike market, less on product than Asperation.

  30. “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal” – Henry Ford

    Fantastic-looking accomplishment Brian, Lee, and Pratt & Miller.

    Class touch by inviting Paul

  31. Arghh!!! No dash view from the cockpit? I’d like to see if the instrument cluster compliments the styling and what sort of package they’ll come up with for the gauges. I like that it has Givi luggage. That shows they’re more interested in function than re-inventing the wheel. Personally, I think CF bodywork on a sports tourer is a terrible idea. I’d be especially leery of a CF gas tank and how it would perform over time with 10% ethanol everywhere and it being slated to possibly increase to 15% in the future.

    How was the fit and finish inside the fairing?

    • It’s not like plastic fairs all that well with ethanol. Look at the Ducati fuel tank problem.

  35. Amazing, stunning, American! Go Motus go!

    Can’t wait to see it in person at Bike Week next week in Daytona!

  37. I wish them luck and hope tha their venture succeeds. But the bike isn’t for me. I’m more of a traditional rider. I want my bike to look like a bike not a jedi fighter.

  40. This is going to be too high priced for me and too heavy for what I’d like, but it looks good and should find a good market niche. The engine sort of reminds me of the Guzzi, with a little of the oddball look I liked about the Honda CX, but nicer. It’s nice to see something like this working its way to market.

    BTW, re the remark about bulky Chevy V8s, back when I worked in a Silicone Valley Ferrari shop we stuck some Chevy 350s in Porsche 911s. I was surprised (being used to seeing Ferrari engines) how compact the Chevy was in the Porsche engine bay. I was even more surprised that according to our ace fabricator the iron Chevy installation was actually lighter than the aluminum Porsche.

  41. They did a great job I think. The first fourstroke production motorbike with direct petrol injection!
    I still wonder why they didn’t use shaft drive for the rear wheel drive. Especially as the engine has a longitudinally placed crankshaft.
    Hope to see it on our roads overhere in Europe soon,

  42. That noise makes me very, very happy. I like the styling as well. Very clean and not over-styled. Now bring on a naked muscle bike to show off that gorgeous motor and frame. Please. Like…now.

  43. I hope they are successful. If so they can move on to more bikes; naked, sport, and even dirt.

    I’d love to see a turbo’d KMV4 in a Datsun 240Z, Toyota MR2, Pontiac Fiero, or any other small, lightweight sportscar.

  44. I’m quite impressed with this bike. It’s attractive, powerful, and from the sound of things, thoughtfully designed. I’m looking forward to seeing them on the road.

  45. As for pushrod vs OHC motors, my 2000 Buick Regal has GM’s pushrod 3.8 which is an exceptionally good motor – torquey and smooth. I also think that this Pratt and Miller designed V4 will make it’s way into a lightweight car or two – another advantage of the lower RPM powerband. Cheers to Motus for getting this off the ground.

  48. The fairing is a refreshing change from the overdesigned/mouseclick gothic/scoop-vent-duct overkill/post Y2K era.

    • agree…proper restraint is apparently difficult with some decision-makers (Benelli & Fisher seem to be the extreme).

      A quick glance of the top photo, reminds me of the Norton Nemesis (the color combo. is the same so I’m sure that plays into it)

      • ah, scratch that Norton Nemesis bit. I searched for an image to refresh my memory and …nevermind.

  49. Lee Conn’s Father is a Guzzi fan and holds a land speed record on a vintage Guzzi.

    • He was pretty prominent in the hot air balloon business, too. Even took a lot of passengers up for balloon rides over Bonneville in a custom Moto Guzzi themed balloon.

      The other half of the Motus team, Brian Case, caught the motorcycle bug from his dad who took him to Bonneville on many occasions.

      Must be something about the salt …

  50. A top fuel pushrod equiped, production style V8 engine can go from 0 to 300 mph in 4 sec. not to shabby.

    HD, V rod excepted. only builds pushrod motors and they FAR FAR FAR out sell all the OHCammed motored cruisers combined.

    For low rev torque, pushrods are prefered.

    • push rods do not contribute to torque, they only limit RPM. There is no real benefit to push rods other than it being easier to fit hydraulic lifters.

      -todd

      • The main benefit of pushrod is weight. Chevy’s 7.0L V8(LS7) is the same weight as a Ferrari DOHC 4.8L V8.
        Chevy’s 6.3L V8 (LS3) is lighter than Ford’s new 5.0 V8.

        Not only is the pushrod lighter the weight is reduced from the top of the engine, effectively lowering the CG. The heads are also smaller making the engine more compact.

        At the end of the day you get a 1650cc engine that weighs similar to a 1000cc DOHC engine and has the potential to make 300hp with a turbo.

        So in the end, pushrod is more powerful for its weight and external size.

        • What about fuel consumption and hp per litre? If it’s so great why almost no one use it anymore.

  51. …and of course, pushrods are very American. (My vintage VW may argue about that). Not to hijack, but will the Gov. let them build/sell this bike on within shores? A discusion for another day I suppose.

  52. Unlikely, given our ADRs. It would just cost them too much for too small a market. You might be able to go the personal import route, however it would need to get on the \approved\ list. Do I hate all this rampant bureaucracy dressed up as \safety\.

  53. How about an elegant/mouseclick minimalist/no KTM headlighted/contemporary styled one?

  54. I’ve watched this from the outset (well, at least from when I first saw it on this website.)

    I thought the first bike, logically a tourer, might end up a styling cookie cutter, but I find this very impressive. They’ve managed to make a tourer not look like a tank. Very nice first effort for styling.

    The engine is very impressive, For many years, all I wanted to see was the latest, new tech innovations, but , as I put the years on, I wanted that, with simplicity – 2 things that many consider incompatible. This engine achieves this mix beautifully., and, from what I recall, stands up well when compared to BMs new six.

    And, as so many have said, that engine looks like a fantastic little unit for small performance cars, and racing.

    I’d love to see what the engine suppliers could do with a modern,single cylinder, push rod large capacity dirt engine – not a 450, something along the lines of a minimalist 600+cc, a modern torquer, to go up against modern , screaming , rev / top end oriented 450/500
    + engines. A 3spd for MX, 5 for Enduro usage – Buell have indicated that they are still thinking of the dirt market – they could do a lot worse than looking to Pratt and Miller. And I would be surprised if there wasn’t a market for that type of engines in small dirt track 4 wheelers.

  55. Love to see a US made bike that can compete in the sport and touring market. Very cool.

    One design bit I look at and wonder, and think that would scare some buyers away, is that mid section with all the exposed parts. visually crowded and draws your eyes away from an overall fantastic looking motorcycle. Also make it look more complicated than it probably is.

  56. Okay, since there are a number of “concerns” raised about the use of pushrods in this engine, vs the “perceived advantage” of OHC, let’s take a look at it.

    OHC.
    Typically lower-mass and more rigid type of valvetrain, allowing higher revving in engines which can make use of higher revs.
    Requires taller heads, and wider heads, needing more space. Less compact.
    Higher center of mass. Larger heads. More weight in the heads.

    Pushrod,
    Typically more mass and potentially less rigid valvetrain, with lower rev limits than OHC types..
    Can use shorter and narrower heads, needing less space than OHC. More compact.
    Lower center of mass with the cams in the block..

    Other things can come into play, but these are some of the bigger issues.

    Now, we look at the published redline of this Motus engine, which is stated to be 8000rpm.
    At 8000rpm, the valvetrain is not the limiting factor in revving, as it is known that pushrod valvetrains can be suitable for 9000rpm, and maybe more in certain applications.
    So, the valve train is not a limiting factor in this Motus engine application. Either pushrod or OHC could be used to reach the desired redline.

    Consequently, we then have to consider the other factors involved, which basically revolve around compactness and center of mass.
    In a longitudinal V4 layout such as this, with the heads angled to the outside, space is at a premium. Taller wider heads are going to impact the size of the mechanical area, where they may be considered too massive for a sleek application or to get behind fairings, possibly yielding a higher frontal area that impacts aerodynamics, and exposing the heads more to damage in a tip-over or crash.They could require larger and bulkier frame spar designs to clear the larger heads,exacerbating the frontal area issue, or adding more weight.. The center of mass issue would dictate keeping the COM as low as possible for good handling.

    So we have a situation here, where OHC design is not a requirement to get rpms higher, and the pushod design yields better overall results because of the other factors.

    There are common misconceptions about many engine designs, and OHC and 4-valve per cylinders are two very common ones, because people see these terms commonly used in conjunction with racing engines, and attribute these design factors with better performance. But, they only give better performance in engines which are designed to take advantage of them. And to briefly touch on the 4-valve issue, the 4-valve per cylinder designs generally only begin to exceed the 2-valve designs at engine speeds higher than about 4000 rpm. Below that rpm, the 2-valve designs generally flow better, unless there is some VVT system employed in the design.

    So, “buzzword” terminology is all fine and good, but if they don’t improve the design parameters, then they are relatively useless costs and complexities. And when you add in that there are some instances such as this, which would yield better overall results from a pushrod design, then it all makes sense.

    In an inline-4 which is going to see 13000 rpm or something, then DOHC and 4-valve design makes alot of sense.
    In a V4 with an 8000 rpm redline with heads angled to the sides, it really doesn’t make sense to go OHC 4-valve, and in fact the pushrod 2-valve system is a better choice for performance and for size and weight and complexity in a layout like this.

    For a moderate revving, moderate stroke-length street platform like this, which is designed to have a wide torque curve which is available to access at lower rpms around town, and at cruising rpms, this Motus V4 design is right in keeping with the target of the design.
    On this bike, not only is the pushrod 2-valve design just as good as the OHC 4-valve alternative, but it’s actually better overall for the intended use.

    • no bones with what you claim except the part about two valve flowing better than four at lower RPMs. This would be true if the total valve area was less than that of the 4-valve motor. A high performance 2-valve head is going to have valves as large as possible. At low revs, these large valves inhibit flow velocities and tend to cause problems of port turbulence and fuel dropping out of suspension – all leading to less power. A 4-valve head can have smaller diameter valves and ports that will promote high intake (and exhaust) velocities leading to better cylinder fill rates, often exceeding 100% efficiency. Added together, the two small ports equal a large intake that also allows greater flow rates at higher revs. 4-valves, other than the related weight, friction, complexity, and expense are pretty much a win-win when you have the space to use them.

      -todd

      • don’t get me wrong, of the bikes I own that actually have valves, an equal number of them are controlled by push rods (and my old VW’s as well – 14 second quarter mile). I typically don’t care what sort of valve train a bike has as long as I enjoy the bike. I think I would enjoy a Motus the same whether it had 2 or 4 valves, push rods or OHC. If they never told you people would never know the difference.

        -todd

      • Hi Todd,
        This is an interesting subject, because “better flow” doesn’t necessarily always mean “more flow”, or “faster flow”, although those are both very important characteristics..

        Now, to the meat of the subject here, “better flow” has characteristics other than speed and bulk. Mixture motion has a dramatic impact on torque production because of combustion efficiency. It has been observed and recognized that the inherent “swirl” produced in properly developed 2-valve heads with biased ports produces better torque in the 1000-4000rpm range, than the “tumble” mixture motion produced by 4-valve heads and ports which have no “swirl” to speak of.
        Please see David Vizard’s article on his “Polyquad” 4-valve design for information about this. He describes the issues in good depth.

        As engine speeds get progressively higher above 4000rpm, the 4-valve tumble mixture motion tends to get better than the swirl, and begins to provide better activity, and pulls ahead of the 2-valve system at those higher rpms.

        With relatively larger displacement engines with lower rpm limits that are targeted at “cruiser/touring” market segments, the low rpm torque production is perceived by the rider as more important in normal riding activity than more hp at high rpms. Most cruising riders ride at rpms below 4000 rpm with large displacement engines, and this is the “important range” for them.
        And so, that is where the 2-valve design shows its stuff with more instantaneous torque production available at low engine speeds for accelerating and passing and normal road maneuvering.

        It’s not so much what the engine can “peak” at, as much as where the “fat” area of the torque curve extends down lower, and gives “area under the curve” results, down in the lower rpms. The 2-valve may produce less at the top rpms, but in these cruising/touring applications, the lower rpms are more important to the riders in these segments of the market, where this bike is targeted.

        Vizard’s Polyquad 4-valve design is very interesting in this regard, because techniques are used to induce swirl into the 4-valve system, to overcome this issue, and provide greater torque production at lower rpms, which has previously been a weakness with 4-valve designs that don’t use VVT.. Manufacturers such as Ford have also made attempts to do things in this regard.

        Of course, the Motus engine is not a 4-valve or Polyquad design, but I would suspect that the engineers there know about these issues regardiing 2-valve vs 4-valve designs, and took that into consideration when they designed this engine for the target market intended.

        So, to sum up, we have a known issue here with 4-valve(without VVT) designs and their low-speed torque production, which is avoided in this Motus design, to give particular torque curve characteristics that suit the intended uses of the motorcycle.

        That is really what I was getting at with my comments.

        • On their website, they say that they looked into all types of engine designs and valvetrain possibilities and weighed the pros vs cons. The KMV4 is what they obviously felt would be best. It also looks like it wouldn’t be as complex or expensive to manufacture IMO

  57. Not a fan of it in silver, it makes it look bubbley…

    but I recon it’d look amazing In a non metalic/darker coler like midnight blue.

    Great job guys, I like supporting the underdog

  59. hopefully Motus will post the details of their road trip so we can meet them somewhere. Any chance you guys coming to the San Francisco Bay Area? I think Skyline Boulevard (hwy 35) and a stop at Alice’s Restaurant is appropriate.

    -todd

    • Todd, you read my mind! Alice’s would be the perfect place to have a meet and greet. And you thought the week-end traffic up there is bad NOW…

      I like this design very much. They had very distinct parameters defined, and I think they have done an excellent job of hitting the objectives. It’s not going to make sense to everybody, but it’s not intended to. I would prefer to see a shaft final drive, but the chain will not stop me from buying one. Alas, I have a hunch that the price tag will. I truly hope they can bring it in at a price point that is going to give normal guys like me a shot at ownership. I’m in the market and was looking at the FJR, but I have stopped looking until MSRP for the MST is finally revealed.

  60. I would assume this thing will be stone-reliable with Pratt and Miller/katech involved. With the engine so similar to corvettes/trucks that race, or propel heavy vehicles or tow, etc. it seems as though it would be under-stressed in this lightweight application. Torque down low means less need to rev it’s nuts off to get to the power as well…

    Personally, this is the bike I was wishing for when Honda started hyping-up the new VFR. It reminds me of the early VFR’s, before they continued to get bigger, heavier, and more complicated (or styled more and more juvenile and over the top like every bike from japan in recent years). I think Honda went the wrong direction, and I think these guys are right on. Oh, and I want this Engine in a 1 or 2 seat sandrail or off road race car. Busa engines just don’t sound right next to their V-8 big brothers 🙂

  61. just watched the youtube vid in john’s link above me and I think the bike looks really classy from the different angles. I wasn’t sure at first, but seeing it a few more times and from some new angles I think this is simply beautiful

  62. Oh this should be great. I see a lot of GM LS type tech in this engine and for me that’s great. May or may not use some GM components but there would be a big cost savings in doing so. After seeing a big GM poster on the wall and a Vette in the background, I am thinking it’s based off GM tech. I’d put an LS in any thing I own and to have a bike built from that idea would please me to no end. I would like to see a cruiser and touring bike eventually join the line up but for now I’m happy with my Yamaha Raider which is a big V twin using pushrods and 4 V heads. I would probably keep it along with getting one of these but a Motus touring bike could bounce my currenty touring bike from it’s slot. Good job folks, looking forward to another American built option. Probably wouldn’t take much to put a Magnacharger between those heads and the drive should be an easy fix. I like it!

    • Oh and I like the Arrowhead in your symbol. Reminds me of the Pontiac emblem. Hmmm Pontiac GTO…LS2=awesome.