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2013 Motus MST and MST-R Specifications, Pricing and Dealer Network

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2013 Motus MST-R

It’s been almost 3 years since The Kneeslider was the very first to break the story of Motus, a brand new American motorcycle company. It’s been a long haul with a lot of work for Lee Conn and Brian Case, working with Pratt and Miller Engineering, where the Motus MST and MST-R were first revealed to the public. Motus has finally announced production plans, specifications, pricing and dealers where you will be able to buy your own “comfortable sportbike” as they have called their creation, powered by the 165 horsepower (185 hp in the MST-R) Baby Block V4.

Who says you can’t start a company and introduce a brand new motorcycle, designed fresh from the ground up in this economy? Great job guys! Excellent work!

Motus press release follows:

ONE YEAR AFTER UNVEILING PROTOTYPES, MOTUS IS BACK AT DAYTONA WITH FULL PRODUCTION PLANS

Daytona Beach, Florida – After a year of extensive testing and development, Motus Motorcycles are back at Daytona BikeWeek with full 2012 production plans, including pricing, accessories, specifications, availability, and an initial list of Authorized Motus Dealers.

The 2011/2012 American Sport Tour led Motus through the laboratory, around racetracks, across the country, and back to Daytona for Bike Week. Both the MST and MST-R have been ridden from Alabama to California, up its coast and over its mountains, across the desert, through the Bonneville Salt Flats, over the Colorado Rockies, past purple mountains, and between fields of corn, cows, and amber waves of grain. In addition to the Big West leg of the Sport Tour, the MST’s also traveled to the Northeast from Birmingham to Boston and eventually covering a total of 29 states during this year of real-world dynamic testing. Motus is now preparing for Fall 2012 production of the initial 2013 model year of Motus.

2013 Motus MST-R and MST

Motus is displaying the MST and MST-R motorcycles during Bike Week at Daytona Ducati, BMW Triumph,March 15-17, and is on hand to answer questions and take reservations for a limited number of 2013 MST’s.

The MST and the premium MST-R are comfortable sportbikes designed for long-range canyon carving, solo or two-up. Both are exhilarating, charismatic machines powered by the mighty V4 Baby Block engines and both are offered with various accessories and upgrade options.

2013 Motus MST- starting at $30,975

2013 Motus MST Standard Equipment
• V4 Baby Block, 1650cc liquid cooled, 165 horsepower
• 6-Speed, dual-overdrive
• Electronic fuel injection
• Electronic throttle control
• 720w alternator
• Öhlins R&T adjustable front suspension
• Progressive mono-shock rear suspension with remote preload adjuster
• Brembo calipers
• Aluminum wheels with wave rotors
• Powerlet port
• Michelin tires
• Removable side cases by Givi
• Premium Sargent seat
• 20,000 mile XW-ring chain by RK
• Hybrid rear sprocket with lifetime warranty
• Centerstand

2013 Motus MST Optional Equipment
• 30 liter top case by Givi
• Adjustable windscreen
• Adjustable handlebars
• Dual rear Powerlet port
• Heated seat
• Heated grips
• Premium low seat by Sargent
• Rear storage rack
• Touring windscreen

2013 Motus MST Color Options
• Speed Silver Metallic
• Flame Red Metallic

2013 Motus MST Warranty
• 2 years, unlimited mileage

2013 Motus MST-R- starting at $36,975

2013 Motus MST-R Standard Equipment
• V4R Baby Block, 1650cc liquid cooled, 185 horsepower
• 6-Speed, dual-overdrive
• Electronic fuel injection
• Electronic throttle control
• 720w alternator
• Öhlins R&T NIX adjustable front suspension
• Öhlins TTX mono-shock rear suspension with remote preload adjuster
• Brembo M4 monoblock calipers
• Forged OZ aluminum wheels with wave rotors
• 3 Powerlet ports
• Michelin tires
• Removable side cases by Givi
• Premium Sargent seat
• 20,000 mile XW-ring chain by RK
• Hybrid rear sprocket with lifetime warranty
• Centerstand

2013 Motus MST-R Optional Equipment
• 30 liter top case by Givi
• Adjustable windscreen
• Adjustable handlebars
• BST carbon fiber wheels
• Heated seat
• Heated grips
• Premium low seat by Sargent
• Rear storage rack
• Touring windscreen

2013 Motus MST-R Color Options
• Strong White
• Carbon Black

2013 Motus MST-R Warranty
2 years, unlimited mileage

Motus Motorcycles

Dealers and Availability
Motus is proud to announce its initial list of Authorized Motus Dealers and will continue to build a network of the finest dealers in the country. These stores, and others that will be added in the upcoming months, will begin receive their first shipments of 2013 MST’s in the Fall.

AF1 Racing, 304 East Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX, 78701, 512-482-8377 www.af1racing.com, ed@af1racing.com

Battley Cycles, 7830 Airpark Road, Gaithersburg, MD, 20879, 301-948-4581 www.battley.com, info@battley.com

Cruisin’ 66, 1310 S Glenstone Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65804, 417-891-9998 www.cruisin66cycles.com, sales@cruisin66cycles.com

Moto Corse Performance, 11227 NE 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, 954-522-8047www.motocorseperformance.com, Contact@EuropeanMotorsportsInc.com

Redline Performance Motorsports, 7331 George Washington Memorial Parkway, Yorktown, VA, 23692, 757-989-5000
www.redlinemotors.com, david@redlinemotors.com

Riders Hill, 3003 Morrison Moore Parkway E, Dahlonega, GA, 30533, 706-864-7777
EuropeanMotorsportsInc.com, contact@europeanmotorsportsinc.com

RPM Cycles, 13700 N. Stemmons Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX, 75234, 972-620-3883 www.rpmcycletx.com, cliff@rpmcycletx.com

Link: Motus Motorcycles

Comments

  1. Kudos to the folks at Motus for bringing their dream to market! I wish them every success; they deserve to make it work if only so we can hear those fabulous V-4s running on roads across America. I’m afraid it’s out of my price range, but I’m sure enough well-heeled riders will sign up.

    Good job!

  2. Motus has an advantage many other companies don’t, and it’s the V4 that powers it. There’s a lot of hot rod potential lying dormant in that engine and many have already shown interest. Motus even promotes the idea of the engine as a separate item right on their home page.

    • Great about the motor, but the description “Baby Block” seems off.

      I’d be interested in the transmission. Is that available as a separate piece?

      Best wishes

      • I think Motus is verbally playing with the traditional auto slang terms of “big block” and “small block” V8s.

        • right. It’s still off for something with those hp and torque ratings on 2-wheels.
          Half-Block sounds better than Baby-block if you’re not going with Small Block.
          Half the wheels, half the cylinders, nothing baby about it though

          • I know, I had a giggle at that.
            The engine has more displacement than my toyota daily driver!
            Extra 60 horses though.

    • I was not set, but open to, trading in my 2010 VMax on a Motus. But, at $11K above the Vmax price and lacking the shaft and known reliability of the power plant will leave me riding the Yam for a while longer.

      Having rodded more than a few Ford and Checy small blocks, I am intriqued by the potential of the engine as well as the stock performance. But spending 50% more, just for the “potential” of rodding it and the ego trip of owning one of the first out of the box bikes is not my flavor of stew.

      I understand the cost basis approach to pricing the bike, and production capacity probably doesn’t measure up to creating a demand at a lower price point for which they aren’t prepared to match in numbers. But, if that price were just 5 grand above the Vmax I would probably look at it very seriously in a year’s time.

      With the overall motorcycle buying trends in place and the current economic reality still less than shiny and bright, my thought is that it will be a tough sell. I hope they are up for the challenge and wish I could be one to place an early order and help them along while enjoying a new American ride.

  3. You know the bike is brilliant looking . That motor sounds like a million . The overall design and engineering seems to be well thought out . But I’m afraid , especially in this miserably Economy that $31K – $37K price tag is going to be the death of Motus before it even has a chance to get off the ground .

    I hope I’m wrong . Really … I do . But …… I kind of doubt it … unfortunately

    ( this is one of those rare times that if I’m proven wrong I’ll be the happiest guy around )

    • I am kinda thinking along those lines too. I looks to be a fabulous bike, but is it worth more than twice the price of, say the Kawasaki Concours 14?

      More importantly, will they convince enough people who can afford to spend that kind of money?

      But then again, the same could be argued about a Lexus, BMW Rolex, any premium priced thing, so they could be on to something sweet.

    • I think that price was chosen to bring in enough money to cover the higher costs of short-run production. Could it be lower? Sure, if they knew they could move 2,000 units and somehow had the capital to pay for all of that up front.

      Also, the price isn’t quite as unreasonable as it first appears. New Goldwings are over $23k. The new BMW is $21k…before luggage and accessories.

      • You don`t think that an extra 9 to 16 grand $$$ is unreasonable for an as yet to be proven bike with limited dealerships ?. You`ve obviously got deeper pockets than most people.
        You`ve got to have more than a nice sounding motor, made in America, & nice enuff styling to substantiate that kinda money. Only Harley riders will go for that. Non religious people will find it hard to swallow.

  4. Really love the bike and the engine/Trans package. I would love to build a bike using Bill’s Giant 215cui Bad Dog Cycles Engine mounted Moto Guzzi style in front of The Motus Transmission.

    • torque reaction could be a deal-breaker on that estimated 300 ft/lb of torque from the Bad Dog engine.

  6. Actually, these are aimed at successful middle age riders who want something unique, and want them enough to spend their money. Compared to Porsches and BMW cars, and some motorcycles (OCC, etc.) they’re a bargain.

  7. I just got off the phone with Tim at Cruizin’ 66 in Springfield, MO.

    I was very happy to be the person that recommended Cruizin’ 66 to Motus last year, and they accepted.

    Cruizin’ will be a great fit with Motus, and I can’t wait to see it in person. Contrary to what everyone might think, there is an excellent market for bikes in this price range.

    I wish I was at liberty to discuss the entire conversation, but suffice to say, they sold a lot of Big Dog bikes for the same money, and they had nowhere near the curb appeal nor functionality of the Motus.

    I would guess that it will go far better than we all think. I also am impressed with the dealer selection, as in the case of Tim and Nan at Cruizin’ 66, they have selected Dealer/owners that actually ride more than to the corner bar.

    Also, coming from Roehr Motorcycles, I am aware of the marketplace, and think this will fly.

    Good luck to all involved!

    Mark L.

    • Well being just down the road a piece ( KC ) I truly hope you’re right . Both for Motus , Cruzin 66 and the US M/C scene in general . After all the debacles , false start ups , failing sales of late we’re in need of a bit of good news

      But I’m not sure using a Chopper ( Big Dog ) as an analogy to predict future sales of a Sport Tourer
      ( that’ll need to go head to head with everything BMW has on offer right now ) can be relied upon to be an accurate predictor . You’re using an Oranges and Bananas analogy to predict the sales of a Plum . No businessman would accept conclusions based on such an analogy .

      Having said that though , I repeat . I hope you’re right anyway . I’ll pay the folks at Cruzin 66 a visit when they take delivery . And we’ll se what the M/C World today will and will not buy into

      Fingers crossed , but skeptical !

    • Thanks Mark L.
      Springfield is a short 3 hours from where I live. I am excited to see a dealer so close. Can’t wait to see the bikes in person. Hope they take delivery by early fall. Nothing like a little ride down old Route 66, (the bits an pieces still left anyway) I’m thinking a picture of my pristine Bonneville next to a new Motus at the very minimum……test ride if I’m very lucky…..perhaps making room for another in the garage?? We’ll see. I really like this new Motus..you may have picked up on that……

  8. I ride a Boss Hoss. Torque reaction is a myth. It is only evident when the bike is standing still. At speed, there is none

    • The Motus is actually meant to be sporty, not just putter about. Ride a BMW boxer or a Moto Guzzi in some twisties and you’ll know the effect of torque reaction on a handling.

      • Guzzis handle the winding roads just fine and I’m speaking of thousands of miles of hard riding on those roads. Torque reaction does NOT affect handling in those conditions. Boss Hoss, not even close for more reasons than torque reaction.

        The healthy torque of a Guzzi is not an apple-to-apple comparison about the Bad Dog project mentioned above. And, I assumed Wicked TRX has riding in mind for his project, not the so-called “riding” done on a Boss Hoss in a straight line.

        • I totally agree. I wasn’t bemoaning a Guzzi’s handling but you can feel a little torque reaction if you goose the throttle, and it can have a weird feeling if you’re leaned over a little.

  9. One part of me says: Why is Öhlins standard? This isn’t a race bike and anywhere you can trim some cost you can put more butts on seats.

    The other part looks to the ridiculous Craigslist ads for custom choppers saying “$40k invested” and feels comforted that there apparently are people who can afford them decked out with the best. Let’s hope they have enough sense to do so.

  10. My hat is off to these guys!
    The bike is a really clean and solid piece of work.
    As for the market, that will be up to people with more money than me.

    Congrats to Motus!
    Best of luck!

  11. Unlike those overpriced custom choppers, the Motus is meant to be ridden, a lot. It’s a practical sport tourer — comfortable, smooth, relatively quiet, good handling and some storage space. You could climb on and ride across town or across the county on this bike, and I think we’ll see quite a few of them on the highways and back roads, being ridden as they were intended.

    • Problem is, the kind of people who do that kind of riding are not hung up on paying a premium for a bike, just `cos it`s made in America. The kind of people who have the $$ to buy this bike don`t do that sort of riding.

  12. Saw these bikes in Houston when the did the tour a few months back.

    They are the real deal. I believe there will be a market for them, just as there is a market for a true premium product in any field of manufacturing. If this were not true, I would not see the large #s of Mercedi and Porsche roaming the streets of Houston that I see every day of the week.

    These are not bar-hoppin’ man-jewelery like Big Dogs and similar monstrosities, they are well-engineered and premium-specced bikes for the riders who understand Ducatis and Aprillas but want to cover more ground without their knees and lower backs screaming in pain.

    Maybe they’ll be a Houston dealer eventually. Would love to get close to one of these machines again.

  13. O.K. you one percenters, get out there and buy.
    Remember how Malcolm Forbes found his bliss.
    This price is only too high for those of us who know what a great deal they will be when sold, lightly used, by the people who find these prices to be easy lifting.
    I can wait while the Motus is given a shake down by the early adopters. In due time we will see if the dream is real. My hopes are high.

  14. I have to agree with a lot of other people here. I think their price point is way too high, especially in this economy, and why, given the engine configuration, didn’t they make it shaft drive? There are a lot of sport tourers out there for much less money. For that money, you could even buy a BMW K1600 and walk away with over 10 grand still in your pocket. They are very cool, but they’re at least 10 grand too much.

  15. I love everything about the bike. That said, at those prices, I wont have one. Dang it!!

  16. Holy moly.
    V4

    Buy a Honda ST1300 and have 90,000 miles of trouble free zoom, zoom thru the mountains and on the straight bits.

  17. Oh yeah.
    How many of us are REALLY going to use 185 hp to the max???

    On the public highway?

    • In what un-reality are you riding…or on what breed of cloned moped?? Every ‘busa, ZX and FJ rider I know uses thoses horsy at every chance and opportunity, whether for a short passing burst or melting the faces off ‘Vette owners at the stoplights when Johnny Law isn’t in plain view. My own taste (as often stated here) is 2010 Vmax (200 hp at the crank, stock) being dosed with an additional 100 Hp NOS system. You’d be damn surprised how often you’d hit the go button …if you had one!

      And “to the max” ?? What’s that?? You don’t have to hit 180 mph or two wheel drift through a corner at 150 to be enjoying the power available.

      It’s Okay to be happy in the world with 60 Hp in a 500 lb mid cruizer frame or a 5 Hp scooter if that’s your thing. To parody another cliche~, if I have to ‘splain to you Lucy, ya ain’t neva gonna understand anyway.

      • But if your not going to do those things, why would you pay extra for a bike that could do them. That`s the reality of people with nothing to overcompensate for. You have the perfect mount for an underendowed person, & even you wouldn`t trade it in for one of these at the current price.

      • My big-bore scooter is topping-out over 12 hp (normally aspirated / no squeeze). There’s no replacement for displacement. Its a torque Monster…a Beast!!!

  18. I wish them well. Not my taste though, as they remind me of old-fashioned locomotives; the kind with all the works on the outside.

  19. saw this bike at Barber Vintage last Oct. the sound alone is worth the price of admission: the corvette of motorcycles. really really coooooooool !

  20. I’d totally buy one if I had the money. I think they’re just about right on the pricing for what they’re offering. Everything looks to be pretty much top of the line to start off with, and the bikes do look great.
    Having said that I think I’m more interested in the engine than the whole package. We’ll have to see how much the engines are once they become available separately. If they’re pushing 165 – 185 hp out of them reliably stock there’s a ton more potential that could come out of them. They’ve said you will be able to bore them out and put in bigger pistons. Adding a turbo shouldn’t be as difficult as on other motorcycle engines as well because of the direct fuel injection. After either of those mods you’d be talking big hp and torque.

    Just curious if anybody has heard any weight figures on these bikes yet?

    • The wet weight, as per their website, is 240kg that means 530 pounds, if you prefer…
      the R is the tourer I’d buy if I had that money…

  21. Interesting to compare the reactions here (a site which celebrates the buildig and creation of
    Motorcycles) with the comments over at A&R (more racing oriented, but not a consumerist as motorcycle-USA). Motus is getting no love over there, and tons of love over here. I think a major component is that many here love the hot-rod concept (lean, mean, bad ass engine with potential for wrenching), and fundamentally, motus is a hot rod. You can talk all day about how it’s not worth the
    Money, or has less features than a BMW and all I will hear is blah blah blah because I don’t gve a crap, I just want one. And by one I mean two.

  22. The price point is not bad for an exclusive machine, Harley has no trouble selling their CVO bikes for 30K and this is much more exclusive. There is still all kinds of money out there, the trick is to get the wealthy up off their wallets and spend some. My God a nice Corvette is now 65K, Ducati sells race replicas for 60K and Yamaha makes you pay in advance for a 20k V-Max. The problem will not be selling 200 Moti, it will be the transistion to a higher production lower priced model 2 Yrs from now. The same problem Erik Buell is facing right now.

  23. For the money I could buy a VW Jetta TDI (made in America) and a respectable sport bike. For me there is no contest.
    What I dont get is withthe increase in automation available for the “lower” end manufacturer, as covered here on TheKneeslider, shouldn’t te costs of one off and lower production leeks be going down?

    • For VW TDI money you could get a Toyota Yaris, and a respectable sportbike.

      And tea costs 365 Yuan in China.

      These comparisons of what you could buy with similar money are silly.

    • The initial tooling/set up cost for automation is probably a big part of the reason why lower-volume, higher-end bikes don’t get it.Even with their higher per unit cost, they can’t afford to pass along those set up fees without drastically increasing prices, which drives down volume, etc etc. Manufacturer’s of lower end motorcycles, a la cleveland cyclewerks, set up contracts with larger manufacturers who already have the tooling set up and then bank on a higher voume to reduce per-unit cost.

      And some people are also willing to pay more for a more boutique hand-built item like the Horex VR6, or Mercedes hand-built AMG engines, etc.

  25. Can’t use all 185 horsepower? I recall that when Motus first introduced the V-4, critics said it was underpowered for its displacement. How much is enough? Remember when Honda’s inline 6-cylinder reached 100 hp — it was like the Second Coming of horsepower, yet now that figure is downright paltry for anything larger than one liter. The Motus’ 185 horses also come equipped with bags of torque, which is what turns the wheel anyway. Twist the grip in any gear and it will make rapid tracks to the horizon. I can’t imagine what it will be like when some enterprising individual bolts on a turbo; enough power to drive a respectable sports car, much less a 600-pound bike.

    My current goal is to make a good bike out of a ’71 BSA Tunderbolt, so my aspirations are simple. I’ll never be able to afford Motus unless I sell my house, and the wife and cats would object to that. But I want one!

  26. 30.000 for a newly developed motorcycle with no history is stretching the limits of reason. you could have damn near any production bike for much less .if Motus wants to sell bikes dont blow away prospective buyers with the unrealistic high prices,it will send them some where else .sell them for 20.000 a unit and throw the fear to the other manufacturers ,you could sell quite a few .looking at 30.000 price tag makes me think of all the other motorcycles i could have with less cash .if cost wasn’t a concern i would love to have that bike! good luck selling your quota .

  27. It’s a very nice bike and I probably earn enough money to afford one. Instead I go and buy things like a pristine ’91 K75S for $3000. I can go wherever I want as fast as I want and still have nearly $30,000 left in my pocket to do all those other things I enjoy with my family.

    I wish them all the best of luck. Maybe I’ll pick a clean one up in a couple decades for $3000 if they’ve proven their merit.

    -todd

  28. Many here is thinking that the 1% apply the same analytical processes to their purchases as the 99%, and face it, the initial production run of Motuses (Moti?) are gonna go to the 1%. Mutus is not the Chinese builder that’s knocking out copies of 10 year old Honda designs.

    The current Bugatti (which has absolutely no connection to Ettore’s old company, VW just bought the name) company has no problem selling every Veyron they can crank out, including the convertibles.

    High end commodities like Bentleys, at al are not affected by the same market forces as Hondas and Toyotas.

    Tin Man 2, $65K doesn’t get you much above the base Corvette, the Z06 is $75K and the ZR1 is gonna be right around $120K this year; you can drop $55K on a Mustang, for gawds sake.

    One again, and IMHO, I think this bike is a killer design and that it will sell. I just hope it doesn’t end up a cult item like the Hesketh.

    • You have a very valid point.

      Thus far, however, the Motus marketing has been designed and aimed at the current sport bike market and buyer. The emphasis remains as a base platform for hot rodding, a comfortable sport bike chassis. Those are not bells and whistles for the likes of the motorcycle version of Veyron buyers.

      And ‘Vette buyers (the ones I know, at any rate) are very much like FLHR Hd buyers…they sink all their available dollars into a single ride and mortgage everything else to pay the tab. They are into a single image mentality at the limits of mass production pricing.

      My impression and take is that Motus will likely have a tough time selling the initial limited run at that price, which is too heavily based on recovering R&D and initial production costs. My pockets aren’t as deep, but a more prudent sales approach would be to have the financial backing to spread that recapture over a longer time frame and price the bike to actually compete head on with the stated market of the American sport bike buyer.

      No doubt there could be a response from the Big Four, IFFFF any market share was lost to Motus. Not likely anyone, not even the VMax buyers such as myself, will switch in any significant numbers for the reasons I posted earlier. Not early on, anyway. That response, however, wouldn’t truly affect the Motus target market if the price difference was close, and the margin on sport bikes is already pretty thin, so I wouldn’t foresee any radical 20 percent price drops. And again, it wouldn’t affect the potential Motus market, as cheap sport bikes are usually the gem of much younger and less affluent buyers.

      Bottom line…if Motus is going to approach branding the bikes in a similar fashion to Bugatti, they’ve already taken the wrong path. And $30K isn’t near as elite endearing as $80K for a Jesse James ride or a truly romped on HD (Start adding up costs on a supercharged/nitrous fed S&S motor, for example).

      nd as yet, there isn’t any source of performance parts, and none will be forthcoming if there isn’t a predictable voulme of bikes to modify.

      They might get it truly off the ground, but keeping it in the air beyond a limited initial production run will be tough.

      • I don’t know whether Motus will sell the iinitial run (but I’m pulling for them).

        I think the Bugatti comparison was just to show that people will and do pay more. I really don’t think Motus is or should pursue a Bugatti marketing/sales strategy.

        Consumers pay more for what they want. Always have and most likely always will. If Motus can tap into that “want” they’ll get a good start.

        Motus is something the Big Four could never be. A small U.S. based start up producing performance oriented motorcycles. I don’t have any numbers in front of me but I’m curious to HD’s share of the heavy cruiser market compared to the big 4.

        Sometimes being new, small, and different has its advantages. We’ll see if this is one of those times.

  29. I absolutely don’t get the price and feel its a killer. The overall envelope (excepting the engine) seems pretty common and conservative . I just don’t see a bike that is so completely different much less unique enough to justify a 50 % or more price bump over their direct competition. . Its just not there for me. How is their bike THAT much better or even different than their Japanese , Italian or German competitors ????

    • It’s more than just the bike itself. It’s the R&D costs that need to be recovered. It’s not having the economies of scale of their competitors. It’s not having the distribution network of other manufacturers.

      They didn’t pull this price out of their ass. There are plenty of factors at play.

      This is a new company, producing a new performance oriented motorcycle using a newly developed engine. That takes money.

  30. Saw it in Daytona today. Wow. Heard it run. WOW. Sat on it. WOOOOOW!

    Go Motus! It’ll be worth ever penny, if they aren’t all sold out. One of the spokesmodels they brought (insanely hot, btw) mentioned that Motus will be taking a small fleet of bikes around to all the dealers for private demo rides for those that have reservations, then to others on the list.

    I’ll be calling my dealer in Ft Lauderdale, Moto Corse, this week to get on that list….

  31. I admit, it’s a neat looking bike. I would like to ride one. I was surprised that they decided to go with chain final drive, even with a longitudinal crankshaft, like Henderson and Indian 4s. The hard part is that they’ve introduced a new bike into an already crowded market. If there were no V4 bikes (Honda, Yamaha and others have them ), no sport tourers (most of them make them), no bikes with that much HP (lots of them ), or something that makes it unique (like Lawrence of Arabia had one), then I think they might sell. Made in America is cool, but if you want Americans to buy them in numbers, price them equal to or even more affordable than the imported competition.

  32. I don’t see why everyone is so shocked at a price of $30k for a high-quality, low-volume piece of precision engineering. That’s really cheap! People pay ten times that for sports or luxury cars, so why can’t you sell premium motorcycles at $30k? That is a price that anyone with a decent full-time job can afford, if they want to. Good luck to Motus, I hope that they absolutely take off. The product looks really good, so I’m sure that they will sell.

    • I don’t understand it either. It’s a low volume machine with a newly developed engine manufactured by a new company.

  33. Oh, and in case you were interested, in Australia, the BMW K1600 GTL costs $36,990 plus on-road costs, which is over US$39,000. The American market is just spoiled by getting everything so cheap!

  34. So it’d weigh a bit lighter than my 82 Suzuki GS 1100, but with what would feel like double the power.

    I think what most people are missing is how much torque it has and how low in the rpm range it hits peak power. Most inline 4 engines peak above 10000 rpm, which is fine on the race track, but it’s nice to have it lower on the street.

    I also have a zx10. I hated riding it in the city, I’ve moved to the country so its a lot more fun to ride around now. You can’t even get into the fun part of the rpm range in first gear without breaking the speed limit in the city.

    530 lbs isn’t terrible. I don’t really see where they could loose much more weight off of it other than the plastics and luggage. I bet the engine is around 200 lbs

    • The wet weight of the Honda VFR1200, V4, the REAL competitor for this bike imho, is 590lbs with slightly less fuel capacity… so if 530lbs are real figures they’re pretty good figures…
      Anyway the Honda as much more high end technology and it’s less expensive… personally I don’t like it, however.

  35. Its a good looking rig and all and good luck to them, but for that kinda price I’d rather have the Wakan.

  36. Is Motus’ production facility in Birmingham, Alabama? There isn’t any information on their website as to where the motorcycles will be made.

    If $30,000.00 is what it takes for Motus to be able to pay skilled labor a living wage, then I wouldn’t mind, provided the quality is topnotch.

    Wouldn’t mind, that is, if I can find a job, and take a couple of years to rebuild my savings. Had to sell my ’09 Speed Triple last year to pay bills; frankly, if I find a job soon, I’ll look for another, (maybe a new R?) as touring doesn’t excite me anymore.

    Still, I wish them well, and hope the bike justifies the hype.

  37. Hey, here is an idea…

    What about an American company building a motorcycle that most motorcyclists could potentially afford?

    Seriously, even if I could afford $30,000+, I don’t think my sensibilities would let me!

    Seriously, Motus, think about adding a bike to your line that more than a few people can afford to buy, that way you’ll be around long enough for me to buy a bike from you in 3 years!

    • I’m sure they’d love to build something a bit cheaper but this is a new company, producing a new performance oriented motorcycle which includes a newly designed engine.

      Those factors, and others, make up the price of the bike. But look at it this way.

      How much is:
      a CVO Harley
      a Corvette ZO6/ZR1
      a Porsche 911
      a Porsche Cayman

  38. Sigh, Another boutique motorcycle. I understand this is not mass market but at those prices I’ll buy a cage, or three other makes bikes. As someone else here said, at least Leno could have one. This is the same reason I don’t own a Harley or any electric machine. Not what a motorcycle used to be that’s for sure. Maybe when they are 10 to 12 years old they’ll be in the price range of the average paid wage…maybe not.

  39. These comments about price are becoming more than a little silly. The prices shown above are what a Motus costs. If this bike is more than you can afford, look for something in your price range. If you can afford it but don’t like it, buy what you like. The Motus is affordable for many riders, and no, you don’t have to be Jay Leno.

  40. @B50 Jim,

    You’re comment about a ’71 BSA Thunderbolt really took me back. My very first bike was a ’67 BSA T-bolt … ah, the memories :^).

    As to the Motus, nice work, glad it’s done here, can’t afford it …

    ACE

  41. 1 Motus MTS-R or 30 second hand Honda Shadows? It’s an interesting dilema that neither I, my wallet or garage can afford to even think about.

    Cool bike, saddened to see no dealership Alabama (the home of Motus)

  42. There’s an ass for every seat and a seat for every ass. Grate job to the folks at Motus , there dream
    is rideable right now . For now I’ll just have to blur my eyes somewhat while I fill my 1994 Buell sT3
    at the pump . I”ll be dreaming to ……….. 75,874 and going strong Ride safe , Eddie

  43. anders —

    Wherever I ride my B50, guys of a certain age approach me with stories of the BSAs they rode “back in the day”. They have long ago forgotten the oil leaks, the dead electrics, pipe burns, vibration, cracked frames and fires — their BSA was part of the best times of their lives, when everything was ahead of them and all they needed was their Beeza, a leather jacket, a buck for gas and their best girl riding on the back, and life was perfect. That’s what motorcycles do for us!

  44. First run Moto costs are always high. After they sell the first batch, recoup and scale production, prices will drop dramatically. And there are always enough buyers eager to get their hands on the first batch. If they stick it out for a year or two, prices will drop to competitive levels.

  45. Ok, I would expect many opinions on an open forum. But to say that posts referring to price of 30K as silly is a bit weird, I have to be honest with you.

    It sounds like … “Post what you want as long as you like it, but pls don’t mention the price.”

    I understand that you are excited as someone who writes all the time about people who make things from scratch. It’s all nice and I get it, but if the same people fail to sell enough units to people who necessarily don’t appreciate craftsmanship the same way you do, they will disappear as quickly as they came to scene ….

    Bottom line is, the price is important and yes to many it will be too much. To others it will be quite OK. Will there be enough of the solvent ones to keep them in business. I guess we will see ….

    • Motus can ask any price they want–and the market will respond. I know I can’t buy one if its in the 30’s, or even the 20’s. I can’t even buy a Multistrada if I could find one for 18K. So, no Motus for me.

  46. The price talk sounds silly to me too. It’s not that it’s not a high price, it is. The silly part is that several people who have posted here seem to act like they can just pick a price, any price and do OK. Seems like many people here have no idea what it means to answer to investors and strategic partners. Motus does not have a huge industrial conglomerate behind it like BMW or Honda. Companies like that can amortize product development over the many models which will eventually benefit. They can draw upon their own massive resources to pay suppliers. They don’t have to worry about just a few investors or even a line of credit.

    Time will tell if $30k and $36k are a good idea, but you can always drop the price- pretty hard to raise it.

  47. @Mike, how do you draw the conclusion stated in your last sentence? I have a deposit on an MST-R and I do that type of riding…fast, long distance sport touring. I also do sport riding on my Aprilia RSV4 and take it to many track days. I also dirt ride on my Husqvarna 250 and commute regularly to work on my FJR (which will be replaced by the Motus). I am a long time motorcycle enthusiast (some would say nut). I don’t understand why financial success in your eyes automatically diminishes my commitment to the sport.

    • @Bruce

      I am not obviously Mike, but I can assure you that there’s nothing wrong with your financial success and thus ability to own so many nice bikes as you do.

      The question is, does the US market have enough people like you so they can keep the company afloat for long enough so the price eventually comes down for the majority of the motorcycle market to consider this fine looking machine.

      So the price talk is not silly, because to most people this is not what you call “affordable” territory. But I am glad there’s people like you so the company is rewarded for it’s efforts and investments.

      • @MXS

        No argument with your points at all. I understand that the price will have to come down for broader appeal. But that won’t happen without the initial purchases by early adopters who can afford it. I took issue with Mike because he stated that the type of people who could afford this bike don’t do the type of riding it was intended for…implying that if you have the money to afford this bike, then you must be a poser. That’s simply BS.

      • When I bought my Buell RS1200 back in 1989, Buell had 6 employees and no connection to Harley. The bike cost something like $13K, far more, maybe twice what a Honda or Kawasaki was at the time, which could easily beat it while being more reliable. I bought the Buell because I thought it was a cool bike and because it was made in the USA by a small company. If they had tried to compete with Honda on price they would have gone out of business that year, but instead they priced it properly and Buell went on for 25 years or so before Harley shut them down.

        Not everyone could afford those early Buells and not everyone can afford a Motus today, but in those days, a person might say, “It’s too expensive, I can’t afford it” while today they say “the company priced it wrong.” It’s funny how the perspective has reversed.

        There may be ten thousand riders, or more, who want a Motus, but wanting one doesn’t mean you’re a potential customer. Wanting one and having the money to buy one, does. To stay in business, a company has to focus on customers. That may be disappointing for all of those dreamers, but it is far more likely to lead to business success for Motus.

        • Interestingly, $13,000 in 1989 is about $24,000 today according to the CPI. That’s just a straight dollars to dollars conversion. When you add in added value for additional features and performance that is present now versus then, all of a sudden, $30,000+ now does not look too far off the mark for small production run, performance oriented bikes.

  49. Too many comments to read right now, but I agree with those that mention how much a custom cruiser, or CVO Harley, or Boss Hoss, or Ducati Desmosedici costs, let alone what people pay for supercars… Bugatti sells out it’s special editions for 2 million bucks. This bike is high end for a motorcycle, but that’s the point. People want different things and have different amounts to spend… that’s life.

    I love this bike, but can’t afford one. In the meantime I can drool over it on the internet. Maybe I’ll buy a t-shirt someday.

  50. Most things imported from USA to Europe costs in Euro the same as they cost in USD.
    A Motus @ 30.000 Euro would be unsellable here in germany. Not only because of the 30.000€, but because of the missing ABS and the chaindrive instead of a shaft drive.

  51. I am so impressed with the Motus team. Talk about put your money where your mouth is. And people, it’s worth the money. This is built in your country by your people. I know first hand what it costs to develop a bike from scratch and I’m doing mine using a ready made engine (Google Enigma 1050). $30,000 upwards is reasonable for such an unusual, low volume, high quality machine.
    Go Motus. I hope we’ll see some over here in the UK.

  52. Here’s an interesting article from outside the M/C World ( NYTimes ) that gives me more than a bit more hope that Motus may in fact do OK ;

    http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/motus-motorcycles-desirable-machines-with-dear-prices/?ref=automobiles

    I’m liking the ‘ limited production ‘ and realistic expectations of the company . Those two facts in and of themselves , beyond the quality and usability of the bikes makes for a possible positive outcome .

    Now of they can develop a larger dealer / or at least service network , which would give more confidence to a potential buyer wanting to use them for the long distance riding they’re designed for

    Gonna have to pay the MO dealer a visit once bikes are delivered .

  53. I have been following Motus for three long years and was being patient because I am a guy who is custom made for this bike–mature, no stunter, but I love lots of motor and handling.
    Now I see the pricetags and I am disappointed. at the mid-teens I would have found it hard to make the committment–there are so many great bikes in that price area. Now that I see sticker prices of thirty plus I can see it’s way out of my price bracket.
    Nuts. I was hoping I could swing a nice american made bike that interests me.

  54. Guys, I don’t ride motorcycles, but have been following the development of the Baby Block with interest for its potential use in experimental aircraft. I also have a background in research and marketing. Selling 200 of these at $30-37K will be a slam-dunk for Motus.

    Getting word-of-mouth going for the bike among us, the great unwashed, is part of the larger marketing plan. Look how much publicity Motus got without spending much (if any) actual ad money. Qualified prospects for these bikes are probably too busy to be hanging out on internet forums, but they will still feel support for their decision to buy based on all the positive comments from drooling dreamers who don’t have the money to play.

    The fact that so many people want one but can’t buy one may only add to the appeal of these bikes to people who CAN afford one.

  55. I think people who are defending this price point are ignoring the fact that none of us had even considered the possibility that it would come in over $25k, much less be pushing $40k out the door. It’s ridiculous. Not in the same way that a $40k chopper is ridiculous, because this bike presumably works in the real world. But it’s ridiculous in the way that you can own a beautifully crafted, reliable, powerful, comfortable rocketship with the BMW 1600 for almost $20k less.

    I don’t care if it cost that much to make it. I don’t care how “bespoke” it is. The question is “Does buying this bike at this price make any sense?” and the answer is not just “No” it’s “Hell, no!”

  56. The price is a deal breaker. If they can’t chop the price in half without losing any quality, then they are dead in the water as a motorcycle manufacturer. I have a feeling though, they aren’t a motorcycle manufacturer. I think they might be an engine manufacturer that is using this motorcycle as a PR stunt.

  58. I’ve been planning on buying a new bike this year, and was hoping that the Motus would become available before too long of a wait. But at this price I’m gonna have to look at other options. Too bad. I really like this bike and was hoping that I could get one. Maybe they can sell a few at this price but it’s going to have to come down if they want to sell any quantities.

  59. Comparing to Brough Superiors;

    The bikes ranged from £130 to £180 and average weekly income was £3. That comes to 43.3 – 60 weeks of salary for a Brough. George sold 3,048 of them in 21 years.

    The Motus ranges from $31,000 – $37,000, average weekly income in the US was $571 in 2010 (latest US census). That comes to 54.3 – 64.8 weeks of salary for a Motus, a little more dear.

    I don’t think the Brough or Motus is designed with the average salary earner in mind.

    -todd

  60. have to agree with price point sticking me right in the ribs. where i may actually be able to afford on this year, i don’t know if i would for the reason of tiny dealer network (none here in NC yet) and just the principle of it. an exclusive bike, but without the -ever-more-commonly found features such as ESA, ABS, TC, etc. not even available as options. so where i do feel the k1600gt is just a little toward the “tour” side of sport tour styling… i think i would have to go that route if it meant a nicely equipped bike for 10K less than the motus, and with an exponentially more expansive dealer and rider network.
    a shame, too, because i’ve been following the motus, and really love the “buell” spirit of the concept- the indie american bike. but at 36K? my final word on the topic is “ouch!”

  61. Are you the same guy always on the car blogs saying ‘I could get a V6 Mustang’ for that?

    The V-Max and this don’t really compete. Any more than a GT-R and an Ariel Atom do.

  62. The Ecosse Titanium is $275,000.

    The MV-Augusta F4CC is $120,000.

    The Confederate Wraitch is $90,000.

    Ugly ass unusable choppers can go $50,000.

    And all of them sell.

    With a totally original design and engine, they will sell. Just because you can’t afford it, doesn’t mean others can’t – it’s a big world and a big economy, with many millionaires and billionaires in it.

    Hopefully over time the price comes down. But I think they will sell at $37k, and I say Godspeed Motus.

    Every redblooded American motorcyclist should bless any 100% American motorcycle that breaks from the OHV V-Twin monotony!