MOTUS: New Sport Tourer built in Alabama

Cross post from Pensacola riders thread.

Sweet! Maybe I'll get to see one when I visit home next fall.

I'm thinking it would be a great engine for a Caterham 7.

I have not read through all 130 plus pages of this thread so please excuse me if I'm making a stupid statement thats already been covered but I'm a little confused over the excitement of this new engine, we surly realise that the existing Vmax already has a slightly larger capacity V4 in a considerably more advanced design producing quite a lot more horsepower whilst still producing the same torque and my guess is that it is probably also a lighter engine gearbox unit than the Motus as well.
If on the other hand people are excited to see a large capacity V4 in a sports tourer then I agree entirely
In general I'm curious as to how people compare the V4 in the Motus to the V4 in the Vmax

Pretty sure it's mostly the whole, American Made thing..

Supposedly they are/or already acquired a larger building. And are going to be a Husky dealer as well.

Makes sense...BMW owns Husqvarna and many of the Husqvarna bikes are based on engines previously used in BMW's.

Thing is, you should be able to ride more than 80-100 miles on the Motus before stopping for fuel. Add to that long range hard panniers and more provisions for farkles.

It should also handle quite a bit better and be significantly lighter.

The fact that it's a "simple" pushrod motor should make service less costly and less frequent.

Also, chain drive, which some of us still prefer over shafts.

I could see it being able to replace both my bikes (a hooligan and a sport-tourer). There's a lot to like about the Motus concept for a lot of riders. Other than the price. And if you think about how many riders DO own both a "fun" bike and a touring rig (and buy new), if this one bike could replace two, you could possibly convince yourself it's not a bad deal.

Now all Motus has to do is convince buyers that ABS is not important. ABS seems to be a big deal these days.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=80c5f8f2088bf98bbbb1cd00b&id=a4ba604a2c&e=be8942abcd

I see great potential and sales for the 'baby block'.

Using V-max as a baseline- the Motus should handle WAY better, not feel like a brick, lighter, has actual range, comfortable for that range. Not sure how the v-max is considerably more advanced as it is based on 1985 cycle tech and not all that changed since that day. There are 'advancements' in engine tech since the pushrod days, but that doesn't mean the engine is low tech for the Motus.

The Vmax HP numbers are shy of the targets Motus has published by a lot, so I'm not sure about the 'a lot more horsepower' part.
I doubt the v-max mill is lighter than the Motus by much, but time will tell.
530 wet weight and 6 gal of fuel for the Motus, 630 wet weight, 4 gal of fuel for the v-max.
The v-max motor in a sports tour? That would be interesting, but I think the current I4 FJR is where Yamaha will stay.

Convince you maybe.


Having ABS as an option on the Motus for those who plan to ride in all weather conditions seems a reasonable request when you consider the premium price tag.

The new Vmax is 174 hp... motus is claiming 160(?) and we'll see what that number turns into after it in emissions certified. The chasis in non-comparable, but I think the point was that powerful V4's already exist. And the VFR1200 is supposed to be over 160 as well.

which is sorta the point of the MOTUS, no?

The MTS could get by on much less power and still be the performance king of the current sport-touring niche because it will have light weight and good handling in its corner.

It is the point of the motus, but, he person who mentioned the vmax was talking about the motor itself, but was countered by comparisons of the entire bike. I was just pointing out the person was just talking about the V4 not the bikes.

I am excited to see the motus in some shout-outs. Motus vs ZX14 vs VFR1200 vs Ninja 1000 vs Tiger Sport 1050 (if it comes stateside) vs BMW whatever... it would be interesting to see how it actually stacks up. I'm still betting a ZX14 with risers and the same Givi luggage bolted on, and a aftermarket seat would beat out the motus by most real world measures.

A Vmax powered sport tourer would be cool but would compete with the FJR, so Yamaha isn't likely to make one. The VMax motor originally came from the Venture touring bike.

. The VMax motor originally came from the Venture touring bike.[/QUOTE]

The older one from 25 years ago sure did, are you aware of the new one released in 2009, its a little bit different

I think you might be getting confused with the old 1200 Vmax the new one released in 2009 has no ties what so ever with the old engine it now has a 1670 V4 rated at 200hp. As far as being more advanced I was not just referring to the obvious DOHC with 4 valve heads but more things like variable inlet manifolds, alloy cylinder liners etc.
I agree the motus should make a great sports tourer, I just feel its engine is a little behind the times in comparison to whats already out there

Let me be the first to offer up a shout-out to Motus!

Whaddup MOTUS!

Not only is there the "new" V-Max (I liked the old one better) and the VFR1200, but the ST1100/ST1300 sport touring bike as well. For me pushrods, and chain drive would both be selling points, but ABS would not. I would also prefer a single carb, rather than FI (I know of 2 people with 4 cylinder Goldwings set up with single carbs, and they run great) At $20K the Motus would be a decent deal, that is if you could be pretty sure parts and support would be available well into the future, but over $30K, and close to $40K for the top of the line model puts it out of contention. I think the EBR 1190RS is also too expensive, but it is a very limited production model which is likely to become a collectors item, and actually appreciate in value. Buell at least has some history and heritage. Has anyone considered what the depreciation on the Motus will be? And for those hung up on the exhaust sound, it is easy to tell that the EPA will not allow a stock bike to make that much noise, so you will have to get an aftermarket exhaust to get the sound. I can't see the production model coming with an aftermarket pipe, they are all too loud for the guvment.