MOTUS MSTR 1650 (2014-2018) Specs, Performance & Photos

After a long ride in 2007, Brian Case and Lee Conn, motorcycle buddies turned business partners, had a casual conversation about their idea of the ultimate motorcycle for the long, spirited rides they preferred through the Appalachian mountains of the South. Both are diehard motorcycle enthusiasts who have owned several other motorcycles.

They quickly realized their ideal motorcycle didn't exist then, and neither was that style made by any American manufacturer. In 2012, Motus finished testing the prototypes MST-01 and MSTR-01 and applied what they learned from them to building production machines.

In July 2013, Motus revealed full production versions of the MST and MSTR at the MotoGP race in Monterey, California.

The Motus MST was a sport-touring motorcycle manufactured from 2014 to 2018 in Birmingham, Alabama. It was powered by a 90-degree pushrod V4 engine, the first V4 unit used on an American motorcycle.

The 2014 Motus MSTR 1650 had installed a 1,345cc four-stroke V4 liquid-cooled engine that boasted 180 hp at 7,800 rpm and 171 Nm (126 lb-ft) torque at 5,000 rpm. It was assisted by a six-speed manual transmission with a final chain drive.

The machine packed a 43 mm Ohlins NIX30 fork on the front and a progressive Ohlins PS shock on the rear for suspension. Two 320 mm discs on the front and a 200 mm rotor on the rear achieved the stopping power.