| Author | Message | ||
     Midknyte |
I've been following Cleveland CycleWerks on facebook because I was in the mood for a Cafe/Standard had a thing for the Misfit, but I see very little action on them. Nearly all of the posts about the Heist, and quite frankly, quality issues. The Royal Enfield Continental-GT was the bike that really set me down this path. I ended up satisfying the urge with a Roadster, and after a season of riding and mental justification - I like it. A lot. A ton more money, but I have an affinity for the Sportster engine and admire its' low maintenance. I do however, really wish I'd discovered Triumph Street Cup first. It's a bit down on power compared to the Roadster, but far and above the Misfit, and it ticks all the boxes and is priced right in the middle. The guys I really want to talk about though are Janus Motorcycles. They are pulling together home grown (as in actually made in the US) bikes in a very admirable way. Instead of designing and sourcing a bike with third world parts and labor and minimal stateside assembly to call American [ref Cleveland] - these guys are pulling an against all odds, grassroots, start small & grow operation that just makes ya smile. Two guys that got together by chance over scooter mod'ing and got the bug to flesh out something original. I think I initially found them while "cafe" searching and hitting the Phoenix, but the Halcyon has me possibly wanting to add a lazy day old schooler to the fleet. Yeah, they're using Lifan engines, but that is just about the only foreign metal on these. The frames, tanks, fairings are all pounded out in-house or nearby utilizing Amish craftsmen. The wheels are even statesiders, coming from the state of Washington. Just damn neat little bikes. Probably of little interest to most of you here. But I wanted to draw some attention to an apparently succeeding US Manufacturer. Please check out the video on their About page - https://www.janusmotorcycles.com/team/  | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Will that subframe support a human? I ask because it looks small/thin and there are passenger pegs below it. Not my style, but good on them! | ||
| Court |
Cute . . . I'd actually do something like that just to have one in the barn to play with. My "competition" would be that at that price point I can buy the Honda CL77 305 Scrambler I am looking for . . . $7000 range puts you into a plethora of high end restorations of Honda, Norton and Triumph classics. But . . the Janus range is appealing and would certainly be less of a headache to maintain. They may be onto something. I'm in that group that has as much interest in 185RWHP as a kick in the shins . . . a 70MPH top speed would suit my needs, out here at the undisclosed location, perfectly. Have you ordered a Janus? | ||
| Pwnzor |
I know now what I must do. | ||
| Midknyte |
>Will that subframe support a human? If you are taking about the book rack over the rear fender. In the picture above, yes - it does, and there are passenger pegs there too. They make a padded seat that fits over it for that purpose. It's a hard tail though, so it'll be a bit rough. | ||
| Midknyte |
>Have you ordered a Janus? "Not yet..." but someday maybe. They open their shop at least once a month on the weekend during the riding season for Discovery Days, where you get a little tour of the operation, lunch, and test rides. A very engaging proposition that has to work better for them than any amount of advertising at their current tenure. I look forward to checking them out in the spring. | ||
| Mnscrounger |
That bike begs for a plunger rear like the early bikes of the era it evokes it couldn't add that much more to the already steep cost for what you get, and would go so far for rider comfort. Speaking of Royal Enfield, At the IMS last weekend, I spent a lot of time talking to their reps about the new 650 twin they are introducing this spring. IF I recall correctly it is a 270 degree crank with four valves per cylinder I have pulled up a few youtube videos and it seems to have a rather nice growl to it. I love the sound of the Triumph twin, but after riding a Buell, at 600 pounds they just seem to come up short in the power to weight category. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
If I were to have a retro bike, I think I would rather have a Kawasaki Estrella.  Not sold in USA though. | ||
| Hootowl |
My nearly 50 year old arse needs to stay away from any bike that has its rear suspension contained within the seat. | ||
| 86129squids |
Wow- so THAT'S what happened to the W650! Dang if I never understand why the manufacturers don't import some of the cooler bikes they make... There's got to be some kind of seat/pad that Janus uses to ride 2up- reminds me of me riding my Moto-Morini moped around with my best buddy on the rear cargo rack. Wonder if that bike would take some kind of parallel twin? | ||
| Greg_e |
I like the look, but the hardtail on NY roads is a no go. | ||
| Ltbuell |
..same out here in Nevada.....Pogostick ville... | ||
| Greg_e |
I am concerned about the steering damper, seems like it shouldn't be on a road bike with good geometry. | ||
| 2003xb9r |
I wish them well in a very tough market. Although the name choice leaves them open for some unfortunate jokes. Jarred Anus? | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I love these Janus bikes! They say little about the engine and nothing about it's origin. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Janus was a Roman god of time, usually depicted with 2 faces, gazing into the past and future. One of the rare Roman gods without a Greek counterpart. Taken from my memory and my memory-aide, Wiki.  Pretty noble name, I think. Cute little scooter, make a great pit bike if it was cheaper. Z | ||
| Midknyte |
>They say little about the engine... Lifan 250, it's mentioned in the video | ||
| Midknyte |
Janus Motorcycles Receives Full EPA Certification For 250 Model Line http://blog.motorcycle.com/2018/01/23/motorcycle-n ews/janus-motorcycles-receives-full-epa-certificat ion-250-model-line/ |
