MOTUS: New Sport Tourer built in Alabama

anyone who heard that thing running via the youtube link a few pages back on the Barber track and states they didn't find that bike "interesting" (keeping in mind it's a V f'ing 4) is either lying, has an agenda, jealous, inept, or all of the above.

Hope they make it. I gave up waiting and got a k1600GT, almost as much as the MOTUS. May look at one in a year or two if I get tired of the the BMW. Yes I am one the the old retired guys who saved and can afford to pay cash for one if I like it.

Bill in STockton

If you really think about it, the Motus is in the reach of far more riders than given credit for. The comparison to Ferrari or Maserati whose entry level cars are in the $200,000 range doesn't wash. The average new car right now is in the $30,000 range so the exotic cars are 7-10 times the cost of an average car. Go up one level to BMW 3 series, Auid A4 or Mercedes C Class and those are around $50-60,000, the exotics are still 3-4 times that of these already upmarket cars.

Now look at Motus at $35,000. The average new bike is around $10,000 so a Motus is only 3 times the average new bike. Now go up market to BMW, Ducati etc and the average new bike is in the $15-20,000 range so stepping up to the Motus is only at most a little more than double and in the case of a top BMW1200RT wich is now in the $22-24,000 you are only paying about a 50% premium. Or about the same if you jump from an average $30,000 car to a Bimmer.

Now factor in that the Motus is being marketed as an up market and limited production alternative to BMW and their are quite a few folks out there that can afford to buy one in cash or be able to afford the payments.

How many guys do you know with a garage full of newer bikes? Or has a used $30,000 Porshce or Vette in their driveway? Or maybe a $40,000 boat in dry dock? I am not rich, but I know quite a few guys that fit that mold who live for thier passion and are willing to spend money on it even if they are just working class guys like the rest of us. They find a way to play.

I just don't get why so man think that a fairly reasonable $35K will be unsurmountable to so many when in fact it is just the opposite if you are being realistic. I am not saying that there are more who could afford than not, but there are enough to make a modest sales goal attainable.

Really, I think many of the bashers here really want one and are just pissed that they chose the wrong profession or didn't pay enough attention in school to learn how to get ahead in the world.

Rick G

Understood , affordable.

No, not really, but feel free to think so.

I did go out and buy a tractor this year at nearly $40,000. Not real glamorous I know , but I needed a tractor after the old one seized and there wasn't time to rebuild it.That will come later.
The thing is with the tractor, I use it for doing work. And it is finanaced at 0% for 5 years and fully tax deductable.
Motorcycles are toys/luxury items. I buy used and seldom spend more than $2000 on one.

I'd say on this forum (if you stay out of the KLR threads) you are in the distinct minority... 2,000 is what many ADV'ers guys spend on suspension alone...

Well said, Rick.

That's 'cause you live in STockton...

Aha! I was waiting for when you'd come in here and start shitting all over the place.

To be honest, I don't think I'd want to even consider riding something that expensive. Just the thought of a possible issue, be it a rock chip, someone hitting me from behind, and so on, would be enough to put me off a test ride, at that price point.

I am rooting for these guys, though, by all means. My thinking is, though, that companies who put all their eggs into one very expensive basket often do not survive very long.

Look at Fiat: the 500 is not selling well, at all. Smart is starting to see a decline in sales as well. These are a niche car product, so consider how low the volume is going to be with not just a motorcycle, but a sport-tourer to boot.

I love the idea of this bike, the very concept of it makes me fizz. Who knows, maybe this will be the bargain of the decade on the used market in a few years. I certainly hope so...

Now there are two companies that I'm really rooting for. I'd LOVE to have one of their bikes for commuting.

Shame I live in an apartment: no place to plug the fucker in...

Zero motorcycles are made in Scotts Valley CA, very near to where I live, see them often. I don't think you would have any problems riding their smaller DS model up tight stairs

I've been tempted! Had to carry an old airhead engine up to my 3rd floor apartment in my old building, was helping a friend re-ring it and do some other work. It'd be interesting to see if I could get an extension cord that's long enough...

Or I could just build a small solar array and hook it up to that.

I think this thread is going around in circles....

Yeah, we're right back to the "How dare they charge that much!" attitude. I suppose there should be a commission that decides what a new start up should be allowed to charge, or if their product is even appealing enough to be produced at all.

KLR's?

Yep , I have 3 all of them are '92 models . Less than $3000 in the bunch.

I imagine that a lot of you got the same email I received this morning, stating that the Motus received the "Best Dreambike" award from Motorcyclist. Financially, that's where the Motus sits for me ... out of my budget. But I like the bike and I hope the company succeeds.

One question: How many legs have been burned by the headers? I've never seen the bike in person, but those very hot pipes sure look like a ticket to painful burns.

Haven't heard anyone whose ridden it ever mention the headers.

I have really long legs ( flatfoot almost any bike) and the headers are way forward of them.

Pointless, maybe there will be a point when they start making and selling them.

I'm not concerned about burns while riding, but those accidental bumps when moving around a hot bike. I guess if it were a problem some moto journalist would have mentioned.

One last post on this bike, and I'll get out of here. Many will disagree, but that's ok, it's only my opinion. I consider this whole thing a joke. I hope the company fails, mostly because of their arrogant attitude. And I fully believe it will. Just like Excelsior-Henderson, and Indian. Oh, and don't forget about Ridley. And most of the tiny companies that were assembling Harley clones from aftermarket parts have also fallen by the wayside.Yes, Indian will fail again, even though it now belongs to Polaris. Indian seems doomed to fail 1000 times, unless someone finally realizes it won't work, and gives up. The main problem is the price, also the uncertainty of future support. In the first place, both with Indian, EH, and Motus, the bikes are simply not worth the price, or anywhere near it. Certainly not as motorcycles, and none of them have the heritage, history, or name to add on a surcharge, like Harley can get away with. And like Harley or hate them, they are getting away with it, and have been for a long time. For that matter, so do Ducati and BMW. Victory has been pretty successful, because they offer value for the money, and a reasonably priced alternative to Harley, just like the Japanese do, and from a long established company. I do think they would do better if they quit comparing themselves to Harley, and started selling their bikes on their own merits. The one Cinderella story in all this is Triumph, part of their success was just plain luck, but they were also started up and run as a business, by a businessman, who did not have to raise outside capitol. They built quality motorcycles at reasonable prices, and they started out with several models. And they did not start out with a retro model. Unlike Indian and EH, something about the Triumph name resonated with potential customers, and their bikes were not "exclusive" something which I consider to be a big part of their success. The magazines also liked them. I like them. I see them as a European alternative to Asian bikes, and a good one. They made it over the first hurdles, and are now firmly established.

So while I have no interest in Motus, their bike, their company, or their attitude, I do hope they don't wind up costing investors and a few customers a fortune, like EH and a multitude of companies that tried to bring back Indian did.

One more word about Indian. Both the Kawasaki Drifters, the 1500 and the 800, were far superior to a "real" fake Indian, and sold for reasonable prices, and even they failed. The "new" Indian still has a copy of the Harley EVO engine, with just a few minor changes, mostly cosmetic.