[RideApart] - Motus Motorcycles Shuts Down After 10 Years

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Motus Motorcycles Shuts Down After 10 Years

An American motorcycle sweetheart*bites the dust

Whether you like the products or not, it's always a little sad to learn that a motorcycle shop has gone under. As of September 1, Alabama native Motus Motorcycles has now been added to the list of extinct species.

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The company*had built a decent fanbase through the years, a little bit because of its all-American roots, mostly for its "Corvette engine"—or half of one, the American V4. Its MST and MST-R tourers had all the flare of a European tourer with a very American heart. Motus' V4 was pretty much*a downsized*Corvette GT1 engine with the same 90-degree setup. The latest iteration of the 1,650cc V4 produced 180hp and 126 lb-ft of torque.

Back in 2010, the company claimed it had built the very first direct injection V4 engine that would make its way into the then-new MST tourer.*When the MST's evil sister, the Motus MST-R launched in 2014, it set a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, becoming the fastest production motorcycle in the world.

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Both the MST and MST-R made their*way into reviewers' and buyers' hearts. Last week, however, Motus' luck ran out. Its financial backers announced they*would no longer provide sufficient financing to allow the company to continue its activities. The call was unexpected, considering the team had been working on the launch of a new product for the fall.

The release read: "We were surprised and disappointed, especially because we have been working so hard preparing an October 2018 product launch into a new and exciting segment as well as new features on the MST series. This is very unfortunate timing and we will work to quickly find a new path forward for Motus Motorcycles and our American V4 powertrain division."

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Does this mean there is hope for the company to find new money to pursue its activities? We're not sure at this point. Quite frankly, the company's current model is a pill that's a little hard to swallow: as sexy as the V4 and the idea of a hand-built bike are, the audience for $30,000 motorcycles isn't a big one. Not even Ducati busts the 30k threshold with the Multistrada. One thing is sure, any potential buyer that waited just a little too long to make the move has missed out—at least until the company finds a new plan, which we kind of hope it does.

Sources: AL.com, Wired, MotoUSA.com



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