by Mark
A direct injected V4 motorcycle engine is a thing of beauty, as you can see below, and now you can own one as Motus reveals the MST series of, what they describe as, comfortable sportsbikes.
Motus, which in Latin refers to movement of the mind and soul apparently, is a new V4 Detroit muscle American motorcycle.
The machine is aimed at reshaping the American motorcycle market with aims squarely on performance, comfort and range.
The bike has been revealed slowly over the last few months and now Motus heads to BikeWeek in Daytona Beach, Florida for a public launch at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show on Thursday, March 10th at 2pm.
“We are so proud to show the world the MST series,” said Motus president, Lee Conn. “We poured our hearts and souls into these motorcycles and hope that it shows in terms of the quality and character of the machines. The MST’s are exhilarating to ride- a very powerful experience unlike any other motorcycle I’ve ever ridden. There is usable power everywhere in rev-range, excellent feedback from the road, very responsive to inputs and….the sound of the KMV4 still gives me goose bumps every time one cranks,” said Conn. The MST and MST-R will go into production in late 2011 once testing and refinement has completed.
Alongside a team of engineers, co-founders Lee Conn, who grew up in his family’s aircraft manufacturing plant learning business operations and precision manufacturing techniques, and Brian Case, co-designer of the Confederate Wraith which has won numerous awards, are personally riding the MST’s on an American Sport Tour, around the US to make sure the pre-production machines are of the quality and durability they demand.
“There is just no better way to make sure the MST’s meet our standards of durability, comfort, and performance than to personally ride the machines and iterate them as we identify issues. Along the way, we are meeting with friends, supporters and high quality dealers that have inquired about carrying Motus in their area,” said Brian Case, vice president and director of design.
“We decided early on that no corners would be cut with the MST series. Motus is about precision, quality and attention to detail rather than speed to production,” said Brian Case, vice president and director of design. “We are more focused on building great bikes than rushing to meet artificial deadlines,” said Case. “Rather than hype the brand with computer renderings of a bike we hadn’t even built yet, we engineered the bikes to be functional and actually work first, and then show the world what we have done so far.”
Conceived and designed in Alabama and engineered in Michigan, the MST prototypes were built using a combination of sophisticated computer aided engineering tools as well as rapid prototyping processes.
The transmission, chassis, and bodywork are all purpose built at Pratt&Miller Engineering for high performance, durability, all day comfort, and long range.
“Motus came to Pratt & Miller with some very ambitious engineering and technical challenges and we felt we had the right tools and resources to exceed their expectations in terms of a high level of work in a shortened period of time,” said Brandon Widmer, director of business development at Pratt & Miller Engineering. “The MST project has been exciting and challenging allowing us to employ many of our core strengths including complex chassis engineering and optimization, gearbox design and testing, metal and carbon composite fabrication and vehicle validation that is taking place now.”
“The MST project has been an absolute blast for us at Pratt & Miller. The work ethic and intensity of the guys at Motus meshes well with our mindset and it has been gratifying to apply some of the skills and technologies we have developed from our endurance racing programs to this new American motorcycle” said Gary Pratt, co-founder of Pratt & Miller.
Features:
GDI -Gasoline Direct Injection
GDI increases power and reduces emissions by digitally atomizing fuel as it is sprayed directly into the engine cylinders. Using the engine management system, the air/fuel ratio is optimized hundreds of times per second, allowing instant adaptation to changing conditions. This dynamic adaptability, combined with ultra-precise low speed throttle control make GDI a perfect technology for a high performance, long distance touring motorcycle.
Trellis Space Frame
Inspired by legendary race cars and motorcycles, the MST frame is light and strong but not so stiff that it prevents the road from speaking to the rider. Motus use high carbon chromoly at strategic points to transmit dynamic road feel. The KMV4 engine is a stressed member of the chassis, making it rigid without bulk or added weight. The chassis and swing arm are matched and optimized for weight bias and balance.
KMV4 Engine
The heart and soul of the MOTUS MST is the KMV4 - the world’s first direct injected 4 stroke motorcycle engine. Massive torque in a wide, smooth powerband, low maintenance and easy service - with an exhaust note that only existed in our imagination until now. After careful consideration of all the various engine configurations, valve-train options, fuelling
technologies, and bore/stroke combinations, the KMV4 was born.
- Wheelbase 58 IN
- Seat height 31 IN
- Wet weight 550 LB
- 6-Speed precision gearbox
- Triple adjustable suspension w/remote pre-load adjuster
- Adjustable windscreen
- Fully adjustable controls
- Removable hard cases to fit full face helmets
- 750 Watt alternator & 2 power ports
- Lightweight aluminium wheels
- Michelin pilot power tires
- X-Ring chain final drive with aluminium/steel hybrid carrier
Engine type: 1645cc direct injection; liquid cooled; 90o V4; OHV Pushrod; chain-driven single cam; hydraulic lifters
Transmission: Motus 6-speed sequential gearbox; unit construction; wet multiplate clutch
Bore & Stroke: 86.5mm (3.41in) x 70mm (2.75in)
Compression: 11.5:1
Performance: Minimum 161bhp @7800rpm; 165Nm (122lb-ft) @4500rpm; 8000rpm redline
