Click on image for the original post. A year ago I was fortunate to get a little saddle time on a Motus ST. I walked away impressed and maybe a little awestruck at its brute force. Impressed...but not a convert.
I mention this because I just read that, after a 10-year run, Motus has been forced to cease operations due to financial woes. Sad news, but not entirely surprising, considering the history of American motorcycle startups. Even with well-deep pockets, many American brands have floundered in this business, most recently Buell and Victory.
As an (admittedly) armchair critic, I came away from my test ride with the impression that the Motus was an unintentional "modern retro" creation. Here was a new design with an old-school pushrod V4 admittedly derived from the dinosaur Chevy small-block V8, with several high-end components added and a chain final drive. It's as if the Laverda Jota had been resurrected in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. No ABS, no drive-by-wire, no electronic drive modes, no traction control (which it really could use) — just a brute new/old machine with a $30K + price tag. Where is its market?
I really don't mean to sound like a Motus hater. I'd love to have one in the garage, I just wouldn't be willing to pay for it. The bike is uber-cool and the planned naked version would have been a special kind of beast. And I love a Chevy V8 as much as anyone — I came of age with my head stuck under the hood of Camaros and Chevelles. But if I want the riding experience that this bike provides, I'll check in on Craigslist for a $3500 17-year old Ducati ST-4. Just my 2-cents.
I mention this because I just read that, after a 10-year run, Motus has been forced to cease operations due to financial woes. Sad news, but not entirely surprising, considering the history of American motorcycle startups. Even with well-deep pockets, many American brands have floundered in this business, most recently Buell and Victory.
As an (admittedly) armchair critic, I came away from my test ride with the impression that the Motus was an unintentional "modern retro" creation. Here was a new design with an old-school pushrod V4 admittedly derived from the dinosaur Chevy small-block V8, with several high-end components added and a chain final drive. It's as if the Laverda Jota had been resurrected in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. No ABS, no drive-by-wire, no electronic drive modes, no traction control (which it really could use) — just a brute new/old machine with a $30K + price tag. Where is its market?
I really don't mean to sound like a Motus hater. I'd love to have one in the garage, I just wouldn't be willing to pay for it. The bike is uber-cool and the planned naked version would have been a special kind of beast. And I love a Chevy V8 as much as anyone — I came of age with my head stuck under the hood of Camaros and Chevelles. But if I want the riding experience that this bike provides, I'll check in on Craigslist for a $3500 17-year old Ducati ST-4. Just my 2-cents.
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