More Motus

[GT-Rx]

If it doesn't get hit with a big ugly stick and a cause of "it's worth a lot more just because..." - they might have a contender;

[StormShearon]

Well, let's see..I'll take bets that they will pursue the 'premium' bike market and it will sell for well over $20K.

I hope they succeed, but I doubt I'll be able to afford one.

[NeroGuzzi]

[StormShearon]

Hm - looks like a cross between a Norge and a Multi-Strada. Looks pretty nice. How much?

[Allan]

I attended the Motus intro of their MST-01 in Birmingham earlier this month as I had placed a deposit on the higher-spec MST-R version. A bunch of great people are involved in the project. That being said I was disappointed in what I saw. The motorbike looks better in photos then in real life, and the bike looks (a lot) better naked. The frame was designed and built by Pratt & Miller, the same folks that did the motor. I love a trellis frame but not this one. It looks too much like a roll-cage. We got to listen to the motor and see the bike run and it does sound awesome, though I can't see those "Two-Brothers" cannister making it to the production version. And the price; I was told that the first series run of the 'R' version would be somewhat north of 25k. Some of the things on the bike looked clobbled together and out of place and I went away questioning their design goals. I for one would have paid a steep premium for the bike if the asethics had been appealing, and the performance quantified. Hitherto there is nothing beyond dyno runs and riding the bike on the Daytona Beach streets that even hints of what the bike may or may not be capable of. I wish them the best but I think they will have difficulty selling this to the sport-touring crowd as a sport-touring bike. If I were in their shoes I would sell a naked version because I think they could sell these near 20k bucks, and I would forget about the sport-tour-er until they do a redesign of the body, the frame and the seat.

[Mi_ka]

Looking once more to the photos after your post, I am thinking it looks too much like a "Multistradish" form shell forced to fit a gargantuan mechanical engine-frame system, with half-baked results.

It seems they either were afraid to go the extra step to provide the unique but unconventional whole approach needed for the project (sport tourers are a somewhat conservative target group) or they were unable to think beyond the given motorcycle forms.
In my eyes it is a pity and a lost chance to present a bike unique, to the full meaning of uniqueness as a sense.
At least I hope it rides well.

[gdp]

....likewise, saw the Motuses, (Moti)?...in Oct. in Nashville...and would be worried that I wouldn't be able to keep out of the throttle, the more they revved 'em, the better they sounded. But, in person, not as striking as the photos.

[Mark111]

Interesting comments from those that have seen them in the flesh.

I find the overall appearance quite pleasing albeit in generic sort of way but I am happy to defer to those that say the photos are better than the actual result seen in the flesh.
My main issue as an observer is the appearance of the engine.
Whilst this is the main feature of the bike and makes it unique, to my eye the auto style engine architecture looks just that and makes it look as though someone has grabbed an engine out of a car and shoehorned it in to a frame.

I think they may have missed a major point of motorcycle design in that the look of an engine is in many ways as important as its function. Motorcycle engines are a major stying point in any design and even the most effective bike is unlikely to be to successful if the engine looks crap, unless it is out of sight and totally covered up by bodywork.

This won’t be a major deal for me as I probably won’t ever have the money to be able to justify a premium price for an unknown quantity but who knows.
From my point of view the main thing this bike / brand offers is the chance to stand out from the crowd but by owning a Guzzi I already do that without the risks of doing the R&D for a new manufacturer.

Still I hope they have some success as anything that generates additional interest in motorcycles can only help to raise the profile of biking, which will benefit all of us.