So many things need to go right to succeed in the motorcycling world. Motus Motorcycles is an example of the truth that simply having a good idea is not enough. Motus was a Birmingham, Alabama, outfit that produced the unique MST and MSTR from 2016 to 2018.
The (arguably) good idea that Motus had was putting a powerful and snarling 1650cc V4 in a sport-touring platform. In its MST form, the longitudinally mounted 90-degree pushrod V4 was an absolute torque monster (123 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm) and produced a claimed peak power output of 165 horsepower at a street-friendly 7,700 rpm. Peak figures were marginally higher for the MSTR variant.
Reviewers at the time raved about this aspect of the bike.
“It goes like hell,” observed the inimitable Peter Jones in Cycle World. “This is the only sport-touring motorcycle that has ever made me laugh out loud for what it gave me viscerally.”
However, the good idea of the engine wasn’t enough to counter many other aspects of the MST. First and foremost, was its timing. The bike arrived at least 10 years too late. By 2016, the sport tourer craze was on the wane. The year before, Yamaha had given the FJR1300 its final update before allowing it to wither on the vine; Kawasaki’s GTR1400 (aka Concours 14) was in its penultimate year of production. Meanwhile, 2016 was the final year of production for the Triumph Sprint GT, Honda VFR1200F, and Suzuki GSX1250FA.
The styling of the bike felt generic at the time, like the sort of thing a Chinese manufacturer might produce (it looks a bit like this bike, a bit like that one, but lacks a character of its own). That’s especially true when the MST is wearing its saddlebags, which seem to be stolen from a 2012 Kawasaki Versys 650.
The MST was never offered in Europe, where it would have been better received. It had a starting price in excess of $30,000. And it lacked any of the rider aids – eg, ABS, traction control, riding modes – that came standard on bikes costing half as much.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Motus declared bankruptcy in 2018.
But time fixes a lot of things. At $14,999, this example is now priced closer to what it should have been eight years ago. Thanks to bikes like the Suzuki GSX-S1000GT (as well as the persistence of models from BMW and Kawasaki), the traditional sport tourer is experiencing a slight resurgence at the moment. And the generic-for-2016 styling means the bike’s not as aesthetically trapped in an era, like, say, a BMW K 1300 GT.
The MST still doesn’t have rider aids, but, hey, that’s less stuff to fix.
Indeed, that was Motus’ original justification for using pushrods: the company insisted a pushrod engine is easier to maintain. Feel free to debate the veracity of that claim, but if it is true, it’s arguably a plus when considering a motorcycle that now has zero manufacturer support.
With 15,520 miles on the clock, this MST is for sale in Rapid City, South Dakota (with free shipping anywhere in the lower 48) for $14,999 here at Mount Rushmore Motorsports.