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Custom Bikes

Roland Sands working on custom Ducati Desmosedici street tracker

13 Mar 2011

Roland Sands, champion motorcycle racer and founder of Roland Sands Design, is turning his wrenches and sketchpad loose on the Ducati Desmosedici RR – the very rare and expensive street version of the MotoGP racer.

At $72,500 apiece, Ducati's entire North American run of 500 bikes sold out in five hours. One of Sands' customers has three in his collection, and one of those is getting a flat-track makeover. Read On: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/12/roland-sands-working-on-custom-ducati-desmosedici-street-tracker/

Motus Motorcycles Unveils MST Series of American Sportbikes

09 Mar 2011

A new American motorcycle company is born

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.

Download full Press Kit with logos, pictures, FAQ's:


http://www.motusmotorcycles.com/press/presskit/2011/2011mar.zip





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  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SOURCE Motus Motorcycles

CONTACT: Lee Conn of Motus Motorcycles, +1-205-567-8080, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or Brandon Widmer of Pratt & Miller Engineering, +1-248-446-9800, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , for Motus Motorcycles

Web Site: http://www.prattmiller.com

The Bugatti of Motorbikes: Mansory Zapico Custom Carbon Fiber

08 Mar 2011
Here at Luxist we frequently feature the outrageously modified supercars from Mansory, including everything from tricked out Bugatti Veyrons to a Pepto Bismol pink Bentley. Now the German exotic auto tuner has turned their attention to a motorcycle, and of course it's anything but by the book. The Mansory Zapico superbike is a carbon fiber monster developed in collaboration with German motorbike customizer Thomas M. George. It features a 124 cubic inch V2 engine made by America's S&S capable of 160 hp and can do 0 – 62 mph in just 3.3 seconds.

Read On: http://www.luxist.com/2011/03/07/the-bugatti-of-motorbikes-mansory-zapico-custom-carbon-fiber/

Magnificent Luxury Motorcycles The Harley-Davidson Nascafe Racer is a Stylish One-Off Creation

07 Mar 2011

You might not expect a luxury watch manufacturer to team up with a motorcycle company to create a luxury ride, but that is exactly what Bell and Ross did to create the one-of-a-kind Harley-Davidson Nascafe Racer.

The collaboration comes right on the heels of the release of the Bell and Ross BR 01-92 Compass watch, which the Harley-Davidson Nascafe Racer was actually built around. Read on and see the pictures: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harley-davidson-nascafe-racer

Motus Moves Us Motus, America’s newest motorcycle maker, debuts its MST-01

05 Mar 2011
Pratt & Miller is an engineering powerhouse. Best known for its work with General Motors--the firm developed the LeMans-winning Corvette C5-R and C6.Rs, the SCCA champion Cadillac CTS-V, and so many more--the company also consults with, among others, the US Military, developing everything from “unmanned tactical wheeled vehicles” to ballistic missiles. With a remarkable amount of engineering talent and resources available--including the world’s most powerful privately owned supercomputer--Pratt & Miller is one of the most accomplished engineering companies anywhere. What are they doing partnering with tiny upstart American motorcycle manufacturer named Motus?
Read On: http://blogs.motorcyclistonline.com/6720952/industry-news/motus-america-s-newest-motorcycle-maker-debuts-its-mst-01/index.html

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