Motus MST & MST-R

Motus is a new American motorcycle company that I've been following for the last few years as they publicized their design process and began testing prototypes.  They just announced their production design, pricing and availability at Daytona Bike Week.  From Asphalt and Rubber:

Motus MST-R

Officially debuted last night to the masses of the Daytona Bike Week, the 2013 Motus MST broke cover in its production trim (the 2013 Motus MST-R is shown above), along with details about the bike’s final specs, pricing, and availability. As we reported earlier, the Motus MST will come without its originally planned gasoline direct injection (GDI), with the Motus team instead opting for direct port injection. 

With the Motus MST priced at $30,975 and the Motus MST-R getting a price tag of $36,975, our earlier reports of a $30,000 price tag appear to be spot on as well. A “comfortable sportbike” as the American company is calling it, the Motus MST will initially be available at seven premium dealerships nationwide, though sadly none of them are west of the Rockies.

First, let's look at the positive aspects of this development.

Motus-powered Dune Buggy

1. A new American motorcycle company is always welcome.  The engine, chassis and bodywork are all designed and built in the US, although some parts (suspension, brakes, exhaust, headlights and luggage, among others) are sourced from high-quality foreign suppliers.
2. An American motorcycle company that builds something other than Harley-wanabes is even more welcome.
3. The chassis is designed by Pratt & Miller, who build chassis for  the Corvettes that have dominated GT-1 endurance racing for years
4. The engine is designed and built by Katech, who build engines for those same Corvettes.  That bodes well for the engine's durability and reliability.  The 1.6L V-4 is basically a shrunken down, Chevy small block cut in half.  That means its design should be very familiar to tuners and aftermarket suppliers.  Motus actually encourages future owners to tinker with the engine.  Katech even offers crate engines for those who want to use them in other applications, like small race cars.  Hot Rod Magazine is already on it. 
5. At 1,650cc and 165hp (185hp for the MST-R), the engine is - true to its American muscle car roots - under-stressed compared with other modern motorcycle engines.  Again, great news for tuners.
6. As one would expect from an engine based on a Chevy small block, it sounds divine.  

Now the negatives:

Motus MST-R (left) and MST (right)

1. The price.  This is the single greatest negative.  Motus is a tiny start-up.  They don't have the economies of scale to make a motorcycle that is affordable for the majority of us.  Hopefully they will in the coming years.  Those who buy these bikes will essentially fund Motus's growth and benefit the rest of us who'd like to buy one eventually, so thanks!
2. Related to the price, all parts are of high quality, as far as I can see, but the headlights are from KTM and the saddle bags are Givis.  Both are great manufacturers, but if I spent $36,000 on a bike I'd want something far more unique.  I could buy Givi bags and slap them on any bike. 
3. It's only available at seven dealerships nationwide.  

Notice, however, that all the negatives should work themselves out as Motus grows, and the positives should keep getting better.  I'm very excited about this company and their bikes.