In 2014, two Alabama entrepreneurs rode their handbuilt motorcycles to Bonneville Salt Flats and shattered land speed records—then rode them 1,900 miles home. It was the peak moment for Motus Motorcycles, a company that had achieved what no American manufacturer had done before: building the fastest production V4 motorcycle in the United States. Yet within four years, this engineering triumph would become a cautionary tale of American motorcycle manufacturing.
Half a Corvette Engine on Two Wheels
The heart of Motus’s achievement was their revolutionary “Baby Block” V4 engine—essentially half of a Corvette small-block V8 adapted for motorcycle use. This 1,650cc powerhouse delivered 180 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque, making it unlike anything else in the American motorcycle landscape. The engine featured pushrod technology borrowed directly from American muscle cars, complete with hydraulic roller lifters, forged steel connecting rods, and aluminum cylinder heads.
What made this engine special wasn’t just its automotive heritage, but its longitudinal mounting, with the crankshaft aligned fore-and-aft like a Moto Guzzi rather than across the frame like traditional motorcycles. This was the first V4 ever used in an American production motorcycle, developed in partnership with race car manufacturer Pratt & Miller Engineering.
Bonneville Vindication
The Motus MST-R’s moment of glory came at the 2014 Bonneville Speed Trials, where company founders Lee Conn and Brian Case set two official land speed records. The bikes reached speeds of 165.81 mph in the P-PP class and 168.69 mph in the P-PG class, making them the fastest production pushrod motorcycles in the world. Remarkably, these were stock production bikes with only mirrors, turn signals, and license plates removed.
After setting the records, the founders performed perhaps the most impressive feat of all: they bolted the mirrors and license plates back onto their record-breaking motorcycles and rode them 1,900 miles straight home to Alabama in a non-stop, Red Bull-fueled marathon. This demonstrated that these weren’t just one-off speed machines—they were genuine sport-touring motorcycles capable of real-world riding.
Premium Price & Appeal
Despite their record-breaking performance, Motus motorcycles faced a fundamental challenge: pricing. The MST started at $30,975, while the higher-performance MST-R commanded $36,975. These premium prices reflected the company’s commitment to top-shelf components including Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes, and Akrapovič exhausts.
However, the bikes notably lacked modern electronic features that had become standard on competing motorcycles. Unlike rivals from BMW and Ducati, Motus motorcycles initially shipped without ABS or traction control, a significant disadvantage for bikes costing more than many luxury cars. The company was hand-building only 250-300 motorcycles per year, which inherently drove up production costs and limited economies of scale.
When the Money Ran Out
On September 1, 2018, Motus Motorcycles abruptly ceased operations. The immediate cause was devastating: their financial backers unexpectedly withdrew funding, leaving the company unable to maintain operations. The timing was particularly cruel—Motus had been preparing for an October 2018 product launch that would have introduced a new streetfighter model and ABS-equipped versions of their existing lineup.
The closure came during a challenging period for American motorcycle manufacturing. The industry was still recovering from the 2008 recession, with declining sales making it particularly difficult for premium manufacturers to find customers willing to spend significant amounts on luxury motorcycles. Other American brands like Buell, Victory, and Erik Buell Racing had already fallen victim to similar market pressures.
The Collector Legacy Today
Today, Motus motorcycles have become sought-after collectibles. With only approximately 3,000 bikes ever produced during the company’s decade-long run, surviving examples represent a unique chapter in American motorcycle history. J.D. Power notes that due to the “limited resale market,” they’re unable to determine standard used values for these rare machines.
As the founders predicted in their farewell message, Motus motorcycles have indeed become “heirlooms, unlike any other motorcycles ever built”. They stand as a testament to American engineering ambition—and a reminder of how even record-breaking performance can’t always overcome the harsh realities of motorcycle manufacturing economics.
