Motus Gone

Not sure if this was posted yet but here it is

https://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2018/09/birmingham-based_motus_motorcy.html

 

And check out this link

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/motus/motus-weighs-in-on-victory-motorcycles-closure.html

 

Sorry but, they lasted longer than I thought they would. Tough times in the motorcycle industry and it's getting worse.

I think we'll lose one of the "big four" inside the next 5 ~ 10 years (and I think it'll be the one that steeltoe won't want to hear).

 

I first saw these @ the Barber Motorsports Park grand opening and thought they were pretty cool for what they are. certainly no Morbidelli V8 but still pretty cool.

 

I am surprised they lasted this long. If I am not mistaken, they made bikes that didn't really specifically target anyone...and were WAY too damn expensive.

I don't know their full model lineup, and am just going by memory. But from what I remember, they made Sport Touring bikes that had Ohlins, Brembo, etc...and charged like $25-30k for them or some shit like that.

They weren't actually sportbikes and didn't target us, but they weren't really long distance touring bikes either. They didn't have the size and comfort necessary for frequent long range touring. But then they added a bunch of high spec, high dollar parts to their bikes that are not only unnecessary for that type of bike, but jacked the price up considerably.

So even if the capabilities of the bikes did apply to someone, the price didn't. Especially when you can get proven bikes, by trusted brands, with more features, for much less.

They just always seemed like a company that didn't really know what they were trying to sell or who they were trying to target. Which ultimately led to them not targeting or selling to much of anyone.

 

Yep, WAY overpriced and a little too oddball for me.

Seems like a startup company would want to start with small inexpensive bikes and build a customer base. Sorta like all of the Japanese manufacturers did.
JMO

 

Sad to hear. I thought they were interesting, but the "sport touring" niche is a tough one to crack. They had the advantage of having the bones to have some variants to broaden their appeal. That said, they really didn't have the corporate size to exploit this. I would have considered one, but it would have been a stretch financially, and there was just too much risk there with such small numbers of dealers and support.

I hope the engine will live on in a motorcycle somewhere. Seems like a great touring motor.

 

I did like the open wheeler they had at the Indy GP.

 

You think so? I doubt it. All of them are now just parts of much bigger companies, so short of some catastrophic global recession, I can’t see any of them going down.

 

Yeah but Suzuki just pulled their auto partnerships from China a few months back and left that market. Yeah, largest auto manufacturer in India but those are small cars with tighter margins.

Kawasaki is huge, Honda is hugher and Yamaha is diversified and make about everything. Suzuki is large but not all that diversified. Not to mention that VW really ass F@cked them.

I don't know, I'm probably just being a bit paranoid and I hope to hell I'm wrong.

 

The bike itself was sized between a VFR800 and a FJR1300. The motor was a pushrod 1650cc V-4. It had the ability to be a decent sport tourer that'd do some serious miles. It came with a Sargent seat. The bags were GIVI V35, a very good setup. The Ohlins suspension was a recognizable brand that many places could service. Brembo, again, a recognizable quality component. What really did them in for the touring crowd was no cruise control, and no traction control. That sunk their sales in the last few years.

 

...and then there is the almost $30,000 price tag.

You can get all of those features, and much more, from proven brands, for much less money.

I get the idea of using recognizable parts. However, as a company trying to make a dent into the market, trying to sell a bike that is worse than the competition, for more money, isn't going to get you very far.

The only thing they had going for them was the "Made in the USA" thing. They knew that, which is why they pushed it so much. There is no telling how many times they mentioned "USA" in their ads. They were hoping people's patriotism would make them spend more money for less bike.

It didn't work.

 

shocker......

 

They shoulda sold them as a you build it kit..,I would have liked an engine package...might be a fun project.

 

As I recall, they did sell the motor separate.

 

The whole made in the USA mantra nowadays is a farce. The sales gained from Patriotism are few and far between because people here in the US buy motorcycles with their disposable/fun income. Look to Harley Davidson for reference as it’s a convenient hobby lifestyle. They’re pulling up to the meet spot and riding in their packs with red, white, and blue attire yet pimping a Hyundai as their daily driver. Your high roller motorcycle enthusiast isn’t going to invest into something that the Multi, XR, and GT destroy in every category at almost half the cost and Motus paid the price.

 

They cost $30k because they had a bespoke V4 engine developed and produced for them and in small numbers.

 

This.

 

That's about as high tech as a half of a Chevy small block? Come on, even I'm not buying that's the full reason it cost that much.

 

Yeah, it wasn't reasonably priced best I can remember.