Motus Motorcycles Unveils MST Series of American Sportbikes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Against the backdrop of the world's most extensive motorcycle collection, Motus unveiled the stunning MST series of comfortable sportbikes, powered by the first gasoline direct injected V4 engine. The MST's were designed by Motus, and built by one of the world's most sophisticated engineering firms to help reshape the American motorcycle market with a machine that focuses squarely on performance, comfort and range.

The Motus MST's were developed quietly and revealed privately first at the facility of Motus's partner Pratt & Miller Engineering in New Hudson, Michigan and then at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in the hometown of Motus, Birmingham, Alabama. Next, Motus heads to BikeWeek in Daytona Beach, Florida, for a public launch at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show on Thursday, March 10th at 2:00 pm and various private showings with press and supporters.

"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 prototypes, including the base model MST and the premium MST-R, are scheduled to go into production in late 2011 but will complete extensive testing and refinement first. Along with a team of engineers, co-founders Lee Conn and Brian Case 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.

About Motus 

Motus is strategically located in Birmingham, Alabama, in the heart of the growing southern automotive corridor with Honda, Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai, and Volkswagen nearby. Birmingham is also home of the Barber Motorsports Park which houses a world class road course and the world's largest motorcycle museum. Founded in 2008, Motus is a privately held company preparing to enter the market with the first V4-powered American sport touring motorcycle. The MST series motorcycles and accessories will be sold internationally through a network of independent dealers and distributors. 

The Motus MST series of comfortable American sportbikes have been engineered from the ground up for performance, comfort, and range. The MST concept is a fresh take on what an American motorcycle can be, with optimum rider and passenger comfort for extended, spirited journeys, and quality components for responsive handling. The Motus MST series, including the MST and the premium MST-R, are powered by KMV4 gasoline direct injected V4 engines that feature proven durability and range extending technologies.

For more information about Motus, please visit the website at www.motusmotorcycles.com or email [email protected]

About Pratt & Miller

Pratt & Miller Engineering is one of the most sophisticated engineering companies in the world and a respected industry leader in the automotive, motorsports, military, and aerospace industries. Pratt & Miller's extensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and vehicle program management capabilities are well established through their numerous championships in the American Le Mans Series, Rolex Grand-Am series, NASCAR and six 24 hours of Le Mans victories in the GT1 category.  In addition to motorsports, Pratt & Miller Engineering has played a prominent role developing commercial, aerospace, and defense projects. 

For more information about Pratt & Miller Engineering, please visit the website at www.prattmiller.com or contact Brandon Widmer at 248-446-9800 or [email protected]

SOURCE Motus Motorcycles