Janus Motorcycles
 |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motor vehicle design and manufacturing |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Devin Biek and Richard Worsham |
| Headquarters | , USA |
Area served | USA, Netherlands, Great Britain, Brazil, Russia |
| Products | Motorcycles, motorcycle parts |
Number of employees | 9 |
| Website | janusmotorcycles |
Janus Motorcycles is an American manufacturer of small-displacement motorcycles in Goshen, Indiana. The company was founded in 2011 by Richard Worsham and Devin Biek, and has been delivering motorcycles since 2013. Worsham and Biek got started repairing, restoring, and tuning vintage, pedal-type mopeds through Biek's company, Motion Left Mopeds, a manufacturer of aftermarket performance parts for vintage two-strokes.[1] The moped business led to their interest in small, lightweight bikes, and helped develop business relationships with local component vendors.[better source needed][2]
Models
The company's first model, the Halcyon 50, was a hard-tail motorcycle with a long, low tank, sprung seat, and wide handlebars, and 6-speed gearbox. Optional leather saddlebags and other upgrades were sold with the bike. It had a TIG-welded, rigid, double-cradle tubular steel frame, based on the Norton Featherbed. The engine was a water-cooled 50cc two-stroke based on the Derbi Senda engine, which Janus said had 10 hp (7.5 kW), allowing a claimed top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h).[better source needed][3] It had front and rear drum brakes. Apart from the engine, forks, and hubs, everything on the bike was manufactured within 20 miles of the Janus shop.[citation needed]
In 2015 Janus introduced two new models built around a new 250cc four-stroke power plant. The Halcyon 250 was an update on the original Halcyon 50 with a completely redesigned frame, wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, but a similar aesthetic looking back to early motorcycles from the 1920s and 1930s. The second model, called the Phoenix 250, was a sportier model featuring grand-prix inspired lines and full suspension, a long "Dunstall" style fuel tank with knee slots and a café racer seat.[4] In April 2017 Janus introduced the Gryffin 250, a scrambler-inspired motorcycle with off-road capability.[5] All three models share the same "featherbed" style double-cradle frame, and proprietary leading-link front suspension.
The difficulty of meeting pollution limits with two-stroke engines led to replacing the 50cc Derbi engines with a 250cc four-stroke single-cylinder engine imported from China.[6] Janus said the two models reach a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) with the 14 hp (10 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 11.6 ft⋅lb (15.7 J) @ 5,500 rpm engine. The company says the bikes' curb weights are about 260 lb (120 kg) for the Halcyon and 265 lb (120 kg) for the Phoenix .[6] Janus claims an EPA-calculated fuel economy of 77 miles per gallon.
In January 2018, Janus announced that it had received 49-state EPA emissions certification for all models, followed be the announcement of California ARB certification in May of the same year.[7][8]
Notes
- ^ "Meet Your Maker Spotlight On Janus Motorcycles - Part One". Cycle World. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- ^ Edge, Dirk. "Janus Halcyon 50 – An American Original". Motorcycle Daily. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ Jones, Andrew. "Halcyon 50 Deluxe – Janus Motorcycles". Pipeburn. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Janus Motorcycles Halcyon and Phoenix 250 first ride reviews". Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- ^ Buchanan, Jeff (2018-03-03). "Simply Sublime: Janus Motorcycles Builds Bikes for a New Brand of Rider". Robb Report. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- ^ a b Wilson, Byron (April 7, 2015), "A 250 Dream: Janus Motorcycles", Motorcycle Daily
- ^ Motorcycle.com (2018-01-23). "Janus Motorcycles Receives Full EPA Certification for 250 Model Line - Motorcycle.com News". Motorcycle.com News. Retrieved 2018-03-05.
- ^ "Janus Takes California!". Janus Motorcycles. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
References
- Garcia, Wes. "Janus Motorcycles: Interview with Richard Worsham". Megadeluxe. Retrieved 26 June 2014.[better source needed]