Janus Motorcycles, First Impressions & Experiences... Are They Worth The $7000+ Price? 

For those asking about the 450 Halcyon, i just recently made a video on that bike. As well as revisited the 250's. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-McbqnOzMypw.html

Not that anyone is going to care but you also have to weigh that more of the money is going to a relatively small locally owned business with American employees. That simply isn't available anywhere else. I wish them the best of luck and hope to see more from them!

I own a Janus and love it. However, I agree with a lot of what you’ve said, especially on the brakes. I’ve spoken with, and have visited the guys in Goshen several times and they are fine folks. That being said, I can assure you if they could source a small displacement American motor they would. Knowing these gentlemen it would not surprise me in the least that they may be developing their own, but of course that is going to take years. They are aware of the brake issues and I’m sure are addressing them as well as other issues that may have come up with failures of parts. They have always been quick to send me upgrades or replacements for anything that has failed. There business model and target market is probably not one aimed at folks looking for every day riding or touring, but those who do quick commutes or weekend rides. They are made for people wanting old school technology, nostalgia and who appreciate a small handmade bike. I think it would be impossible to make a handmade mostly American motorcycle for any cheaper and expect them to pay their employees any decent wage. It’s definitely a niche market and not designed for those who want super fast cookie cutter stamped metal bikes. After you own one for a while and spend time with it, you really appreciate the elegance of the frame, metal work, and suspension design. My advice, and from what I see on the Janus riders forum is that most of the people buy these as a secondary bike to their other motorcycles or for short rides, although there are guys riding the shit out of them. As far as the transmission and other things, my bike got smoother after the break in service and putting more miles on her. Those bikes you compared them to, while I’m sure are better performers are absolutely hideous. You would have to spend a lot more or around the same to compare in my opinion.

For the people who are concerned about the engine and transmission you have to consider the break-in period. If you buy a Royal Enfield its vibration and you not suppose to go over 40 miles an hour for the first 300 miles and they don't really smoth out until around 600. Just wanted to put that out there. Good day everyone.

I am a MC enthusiast. I have bikes to just ride around on, and I have bikes that have a story. My Janus Halcyon is both. It is a blast to just cruise around town on (and starts a lot of conversations), but it also has a great story. For most, buying a Janus means that you have it built to order, you pick out the styling details. Next, you get updates from the shop floor as they build YOUR bike, with pictures. I have the entire build of my bike in my MC garage as a collage hanging on the wall. After delivery, any questions and you just call or email and you get immediate attention. This bike is teaching me how to wrench (love the simplicity and the carburetor) and I use it to teach my boys how to ride. It is confidence inspiring and pure joy to ride. Yes the rear brakes are a bit soft, but the front are solid....and by the way, going above 45mph is really goosing it. Riding around town I feel like I am rolling back time, the joy is what motorcycling is all about. Janus is a great story, and I am tempted to get another because they are as much fun to look at as they are to ride

Regarding the value: you acknowledge the unique looks and style. Here's something else to consider: $4,500 to $5,000 I and I think most people would most definitely be interested. What you're gaining for the extra money is 1 a bike that will depreciate much much slower. 2 very simple maintenance and over the years you would probably save one or two grand easily in maintenance. 3 probably lower insurance rates. And 4 pride of a USA handmade bike from a couple of guys with nothing but passion and a small Garage in Indiana. You simply can't find a motor company that passes EPA standards in 50 states like that anymore and probably never will again. Yes I think it's worth the money. And money well spent.

I have Halcyon 289 and I’ve never had any issue with the transmission or clutch. I don’t ride aggressively so the brakes are fine for me. I’m a Boomer and my previous toy was a Beck Speedster replica of a 1957 Porsche. The value to me of the Janus is in its unique retro design and hand built in America quality. Chinese engine? Not so happy with that, but there really wasn’t a low-displacement alternative for Janus. There are lots of mainstream bikes for similar money, but Janus buyers are attracted to the attributes of the bikes that can’t be quantified in dollars.

Thanks for the honest review. I hope Janus responds to the transmission and brake criticism. As to price, IMO, you and others making that argument miss the point. These bikes shouldn't be compared to a Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW . . . fuel-injected 300cc, sport, street, or cruiser. They're not that thing. As you note, they're a hand-built semi-custom 1920s / 30s styled low cc (by American standards) bike with relatively modern engineering and the accompanying reliability built by a small business that is trying a new sales approach, while empowering their users with all sorts of detailed how-to videos. If one is first getting into motorcycling or is focused on value / performance - looking for a practical extremely reliable daily commuter with enough umph to manage an interstate for moderate periods, one should absolutely buy one of the name-brand bikes above. (I did when I got back into motorcycling.) But that's not the market Janus is targeting. If one (is probably a little older,) has the money, and wants a luxury item that will be fun as heck for weekend rides on back roads or to work if one's situation allows it, that will turn the head of everyone who sees it, even if they know nothing about motorcycles, start a conversation at every stop, and that you can work on yourself, then treat yourself to one of these. No one buys a Polaris Slingshot because they are a practical bang for the buck. They're bought because they turn heads and look like fun, cool toys. I'm not sure Janus would appreciate that analogy, but the point is these Janus bikes are just plain cool in a niche market hand-built retro way! They are priced where they are because they're a small manufacturing run, semi-custom labor-intensive product built in the U.S. (engine aside). I'm really rooting for Janus. They seem like a neat small company that was doing everything right to create a market, get noticed and grow. I hope they weather the economic downturn and are around for decades to come. And, if the images of the Halcion are still chewing away at the back of my mind in a couple years who knows, there may even be another bike in my garage.

Great review! I have loved the look and styling from the beginning. However I have not pulled the trigger because of the price which gets well over $7000 with a couple options. You hit the nail on the head if these were around $5000 there would be a least one if not two in my garage. Again honest and well done review thanks.

Bikes produced in such small numbers will always be relatively expensive wherever you make them, there are however small numbers of potential customers that are willing to pay extra for something a little out of the ordinary. I hope their business model continues to work and that they keep on making such lovely looking machines.

If I had the extra money laying around, I’d definitely buy one of these. They look fun and look great. Nice for some in town cruising.

You have to consider that these little 4 stroke singles don't have a rear hub cushion drive, the gearing is a little tall, the clutches on most of these Lifan Honda Clone engines are a little grabby until broken in. If you can find a friend with a slightly used Lifan 200 cc engined bike and ride it you will probably find the engine and cush hub make for a much smoother takeoff. I notice a lot of big bikes in your list of owned bikes, these little engines don't have a lot of torque for taking off at low rpms.

I hope you got nothing but support for this video. Your candid impressions with Janus is a welcome addition to all of the positive reviews. I'm goo-goo for Janus but only you have given an alternative point of view and it's invaluable. Thank you.

GREAT ANALYSIS. THANK YOU!

Thanks for being objective & honest. I love what Janus is doing. Clearly there's a lot of investment in marketing videos. Hopefully some of that success translates back into addressing some of the shortcomings that you and other commenters are talking about.

I may end up doing a follow up video on the subject of Janus motorcycles and whether or not they are worth it. I did not address a popular comment regarding how they are a small business producing small numbers resulting in them being more expensive. Which is a valid argument. There are other comments about how they aren't exactly a daily rider compared to being more of a weekend warrior type bike more for fun. I don't really get this comment whatsoever but i would love to talk about that possibly in that follow up video. I do need to bring up that I in no fucking possible way mean any harm to Janus as a company or their bikes. The entire purpose of this video was to give off my real opinions objective and subjective on their bikes. I love their bikes even with the complaints i had about them. Everyone has a different meaning to the word VALUE... Something that has a MSRP of 7500 may be cheap to one person and stupid expensive to another. I saw that this video was getting tons of comments and the views (for my channel) have been raising more and more each day. So i wanted to throw this out there before more people comment the same thing. An opinion in the grand scheme of things is just that... you do not have to agree with me and that's cool. At the end of the day if everyone had the same exact opinions on something life would be boring as all hell. UPDATE: here is the follow up video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-crVhqN3caLc.html

I love your review!! Very upfront and honest. I was considering one of these bikes, but it just doesn’t seem realistic to purchase one for the price that they are asking. Thank you again and keep up the great work!!

When you go after them for the Chinese engines you need to bear in mind that both Harleys and Indians are made with 35-40% outsourced parts.

Great video. Thanks for the information

I enjoyed your review, with one exception. A Ducati Paso is actually a gorgeous bike. I own a Ducati 907i e. (Paso) and in its day it was considered the Ferrari Testarossa of the motorcycle world. With this one snall but important exception, the rest of the video was great!

One has to take into consideration the ride feel as well. What I mean by that is the difference between riding down in a motorcycle and riding on top of one. While top-riding may not be for everyone, it is for a lot of riders who seek that traditional ‘feel’. I guess how you could compare it in a more modern way would be to ride a 1975 Honda 750, then ride a 1985 Honda 750. The ride feel is entirely different and some will gravitate to that old style of riding. Unless you’ve done both, it’s difficult to compare.

I almost pulled the trigger on buying a Janus, the cost was the deciding factor. For the money I was thinking I could buy a 500 Royal Enfield with fuel injection for less. I found a used Janus for $5,000 but the seller must have thought I was trying to scam him or something and said he wouldn't sell the bike to me! Oh well, your lose Peter. I'd be a buyer if the price was at the right price. I enjoyed your honest review Foxxy,

This video, for anyone looking for an honest opinion, is worth watching. The author is completely honest, his opinion is not biased, and pretty thorough. Please watch this video if you want a really honesty review on the Janus bike. To Foxy, I say: thanks, buddy!

You using Bramble Breeze in this video brings out the kid in me.

They look terrific

Hope you can review the halcyon 450 when its available 👍

Janus should have tried using a Buell Blast motor as Harley needs the money and it will be no competition to HD

I remember these guys from a few years back. I even looked into the company that makes the clone motor (lifan) to see if I could do something cool and put a 450cc powerplant In one to no avail. Neat for the aesthetic factor, but I agree with you on literally everything.

I love the look of the bike, but There is no possible way I could spend $8000 on a bike with a Chinese engine. I ended up buying a Royal Enfield Classic 350 for half the price. At least it has an Indian engine on it.

I've been riding since the mid 60s, started on mini bikes then to a Honda 125 trail then a Yamaha 125 Enduro. From the 80s until last year, I rode Harley's. Then I got the rocket 3r. Sold the Harley's. These days I live in a very small community in the mountains. Don't even have a traffic light. I like the idea of a bike that weighs 260 lbs for around town. No need to go over 50 mph. I know that's not common, when I lived in the AV the cars pushed 70-80 on back roads.

From your video, the BEST thing about these bikes IS that they are carbureted and air cooled. I have been riding on the street for 46 years (since age 16) and have owned more than 50 bikes. In fact I currently own seven bikes. Every single one of them is carbureted. I would not even consider owning an EFI bike. To me motorcycles are MACHINES, not computers on wheels. I spent 40 years as an auto mechanic, and working on computerized cars is what made me finally give it up. What a nightmare. I like to tinker with my bikes as well as ride them. As for the brakes, I have one bike, a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 that had REALLY bad front brakes when I bought it new. But not the way you describe. Just the slightest touch on the brake lever would almost lock up the brakes. The brake lever was like a light switch, either on or off with nothing in between. Pretty much impossible to modulate. I almost crashed it a few times. It had dual front discs. I solved the problem by removing one of the discs and caliper and connecting a single line from the master cylinder to the remaining front brake. Now the front brake worked perfectly. A hard squeeze would still lock the front wheel, a light squeeze would start slowing it down, with plenty of room between the two. I have put 119K miles on that bike with the brakes set up like that without a single issue. My biggest negative issues with these bikes are, number one, the Chinese engine. I had a Chinese dual sport once, and the engine blew up in 3500 miles. Yes, I only paid $1400 for it, including shipping, delivered in a crate. But I assembled and set it up right. IMO, a Chinese engine is still a Chinese engine. And besides that, I'm not sure I want to financially support the CCP, our country's greatest enemy. Number two is the tube type tires. I didn't see a centerstand on those bikes, though one may be available as an accessory. Without a centerstand, it is impossible to repair a flat out on the road, and even with on it requires more parts and tools than you would probably be able to carry on such a small bike. I have been stranded many times by flats on bikes with tubeless tires. I almost died once when I had a flat in a remote place, in 112 degree heat, before the advent of cell phones. I have a couple of bikes with tube type tires, but never get far from home on them, carry a cell phone, and have a road service plan. Number three is the small size of the bike. At 6' 240 pounds I am too big for a bike that small. The only 250 I own is a dual sport. And then there is that crazy price. About 4 years ago, I bought a beautiful, carbureted '06 Harley Sportster 1200L with 5200 miles on it for $4500. It has cast wheels and tubeless tires. A $12K bike in almost new condition with super low miles for $4500. It now has over 14K trouble free miles, mostly trouble free. There really aren't any new name brand bikes out there anymore that I want. Everything has EFI, ABS, rider modes, and all kinds of garbage I want nothing to do with. I am 62, and my current collection of bikes will easily last me the rest of my riding life. If that bike were $4K instead of $7K, I might consider one, since it IS carbureted. But that Chinese engine would still worry me. It would likely fail right after the warranty ended.

If i remember right, the engine's are only cast in China, it's still an American design and mold pattern. I first saw them on Jay Leno's Garage RU-vid channel.

Checkout the royal Enfield motorcycles.... They are retro , they are eye-catching, they are actually good and they are little less priced

Uphill battle with the likes of Royal Enfield around.

90% of the reason for myself and probably others who would buy this bike is for it's truly unique retro style bike. The other comparable bike that you listed (except for the Grom) I wouldn't take unless they were free but even than they may not be worth the space in my garage.

Prices of all other bikes that you compare are internet prices ( Like Honda Rebel etc.) and does not include dealer fees and assembly fees. Just recently I was trying to Buy Honda Rebel and Can Am Ryker. Ryker is advertised on Can Am website for $8,700 . When I arrived at the dealership - $12,000 - same thing with Honda Rebel. Janus Bikes are really cool but I agree with you that they are too expensive for what you getting especially with 250 cc engine. I purchased on line KPM Bike with 250 engine for $3000 and another one Adventure Bike CSC RX4 ( both Chinese Bikes) for little bit over $5,000 with 450 CC and with ABS, TFT Display LED lights etc. I still like Janus Bikes and still will consider to get one in the future. For now I will enjoy what I just recently purchased. I like your video - you have some great points that everyone should take under consideration.

Love the simple retro look ,hate the black wheels. If they offer the shiny wheels that were on the 50 , I'd buy one.

I think Kohler still makes some engines in the USA & might be a good choice? I have seen Kohler engines put on Cushman scooters as a replacement engine. Briggs & Stratton might be an alternative too?

Not saying anything to bad about JANUS MOTORCYCLE or the two young Men who started it. They used American Made Part's thru almost all of their Motorcycles except the engines. From what I know they tried but could not find anything close to a small bore American Made engine because other than Briggs & Stratton, The USA doesn't make them anymore. So yeah, Either they give up or use an overseas solution. But I honestly wish they had spent a little extra upping the performance. That swm 229 cc engine is a Honda Clone, Easy to bump displacement to 319 cc then throw on a few performance parts. Currently I believe you get between 14.5 - 17 hp, But bored out and hoped up an east 30-40 hp can be made with no loss of reliability. Sorry but I know how much SWM engines cost $350 - $400, With the add on's for performance you are going to pay tops $550 - $600 but get over DOUBLE the HP. Come on guy's your Motorcycles cost $7000 atleast give us something with atleast 30 hp. I would buy one if they just bumped up that Horse Power to something less like a Go-cart and more like a Street Bike.

RIP Motus. Engine cost had to be one of the limiting factors for keeping the price down. They used top notch components and their own engines. aaaaannndd they cost 35K. To that end I can 'reasonably' understand using the clone. As others have stated, it's a global economy, and has been for over 20 years. Just takes a while for people to really grasp that concept. I ride a different style, and can appreciate the crowd this bike appeals to, but it's not for me. I do wish Janus well! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Most videos I searched were actually by Janus, hard to drink the cool aid.

Sounds like the brakes and transmission issues just need some engineering up grades. With Ethanol blended fuel carbs are a problem.

California Scooter Companies SG250, which I own is basically the same bike in a different frame which is robotically welded in China. I have the same problem with the clutch, trans, and brakes. The clutch engagement point is extremely small and leads to some funky shaking in first gear and while braking and down shifting.

It would be a great bug out bike. Easy to maintenance and no electronics and probably fuel efficient.

I bought a suzuki van van 200...fuel injected goes great off road, suzuki Japanese motor has a retro look super reliable and paid 3900 brand new

what motor and transmission are they using ? a lot of the Chinese transmissions are usually crappy the motors being a Honda Clone might be okay especially if Honda parts will be a direct swap ? the Predator engines from Harbor Freight turned out to be pretty good but i do agree with you on the prices not being good for that price i will buy a used Honda or something else the janus is a good looking bike but imo that transmission is going to be trouble especially if they feel like they do from new i have a 55 year old Honda motorcycle who’s original transmission works like a brand new bike i’m rebuilding/refreshing the motor due to long term storage and mostly to perform a buffing and polish with all new gaskets as part of a restoration as this Motorcycle was owned by mt Father for most of my life

You can get a similar bike on Alibaba for around one grand at similar quality and same or similar parts. Partially assembled in the US would qualify it as made in the US. If they were to manufacture half of the main parts here, it wouldn't be profitable. If one could go and visit the claimed "manufacturing facility"... I bet they get large crates from abroad (with the bikes built at their own specs with their logo on the parts), un-crate them, do some minor assembly and do a test run in the parking lot before shipping them to dealership.

Thanks so much for this video. I was really blown away by the looks of the bike, but not too sure about the price. I'm glad you didn't just give it thumbs up. Knowing about the brakes & the clutch really made me realize that looks aren't everything. A Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha or Honda would probably be a better value. Thanks again!!!

I hope you get to ride the new Janus 450, which is fuel injected, and has Brembo brakes, to get a new opinion on the new and improved Janus bikes. They are indeed beautiful bikes.

I rode carbureted bikes for years. They were made in Japan not china, maybe there is a difference in quality. I'm not a fan of anything from China. Except massage women. For 4k I got a 1600 cc Yamaha road star. Not a scratch on it with less than 5k miles, sure it was 18 years old but its more than hwy worthy and very reliable, so far. Now it's got 18k miles and just now broke in. Love the retro look of the Janus, but 7k! How much for the 450? I also bought the Kawasaki verses, 5k out the door, brand new,

If they were cheaper, they'd be a great college town bike. Couple of roads around Fayetteville might test those brakes.

The Ducati Paso/907 is a Tamburini masterpiece on the level of his MV F4 and 916. Park a bright red 907ie anywhere and watch bikers and non-motorcyclists alike approach it with delight, taking pics, and constantly describing it as stunning, gorgeous and beautiful. Artists have described it as fine sculpture. When first released, a friend, a FL Ducati dealer, had to hold off selling his first Paso because of constant daily rentals by world class photographers using it in Miami top modeling shoots. What exactly are you talking about, my friend?

A 5k model be nice

Are they making the engine? Is it from a Chinese supplier ?

Love all 3 of the Janis 250 models. And I would be very inclined to own one if it were more along the lines of $5,000.

I am happy with my 80 honda cb 400 rigid , with a 1972 Harley sportster front rake, and my 1987 Honda Shadow rigid bobber .

Thing is lot of people buy based on looks, for most people it is a luxury item not an item of necessity, so many people base their decision on looks rather than value, just ask HD.

I recently bought a new Brigs and Stratton crate motor for my lawn mower. Surprised to see “Made in China” on it. Really, any small displacement engine in made in China anymore. It sucks, but come to grips with it. They ALL do it.

Yeah, for me I love the styling, but considering that I can buy a Chinese 250 dual sport that has all the same drive parts for less than $2,000, I have a hard time seeing $7,000 in this bike. A Royale Enfield Himalayan has similar styling, way more powerful engine, and even ABS for less than $5,000. A Suzuki DRZ400 is a way better buy than this bike. The Janus machine seems twice as much as it's worth.

Looking at a light weight motorcycle for a hitch rack on the back of a van, my KLR650 is too heavy. Honestly a new Kawasaki 300, Honda, Yamaha all are way less cash, also light weight and super dependable. Like the Griffin look, just not $7000 like.

I do agree the price of the bike is way outside the ball park , and for the cc rang of the bike is above the competition of that style of bike, that engine is used in other off brand bikes that are cheaper but. The whole of it though is product. This bike is custom it not a factory built hundreds at a time built , it is hand built which no company really does for a bike of it size ,pluse u can't go get a completely 100 American bike any where they all including harley Indian have some foreign made part , the transmission slippage may be the oil they use. Honda motors have a wet clutch alot of synthetic oil i learned will cause a slipping in the clutch. I do like carbs mor then injection, simply for the less computer ran machine and the more mechanical ran machine , the price is high but when u weigh out the time and the fact it not machine built but mostly hand built the price is reasonable and one day these style like other may not be around and become a collection you wish u had

I don't know how many miles from the bike may have been having break in oil/ Greece getting the Clutch causing it to slip

Nice honest review. I like the looks too, but the price turns me off. By the way, you have not rode bikes. You have ridden bikes.

I own a royal Enfield 350 classic I'll take it any ole day of the week over janus

The clutch thing is tipical the manifacturer of the engine. The engines are Chinese Shineray build. I have a mash tt40 with the honda xr400r cloned engine that's sold in the USA as genuine motorcycles and the clutch must be regularely tuned. Mine would not go to neutral running. Bit of adjusting and done.. known thing, mass production. And quality? The Chinese have done more on quality control in two years than HD in their existence. Give it another 5 years and they are better than your average "American" build.

The Honda clone engine is actually an Italian co. The engine is just manufactured in China much the same way most if not all Chevy 4 cylinders are made in Korea

You have to ask the typical garden variety millenntard, “Would you like this bike or the latest Apple I-phone ?” I’m sure they’d look down at their feet while playing a round of pocket pool, then suddenly look up and say, “ I-phone please.”

I think the price for the bike is extremly cheap. Hand made in low quantities but with a good quality cannot made for nothing, not in US or Asia. The engine is a good choice, it is low cost and known for its outstading robustness. Spare parts are cheap and available for the next decades. That really counts a lot. Also the design of the engine is retro enough to look organic in the bike.

Great job with the review. It’s rare to see an honest review anymore.

A Segway electric motorcycle that size is $7k. I think I'd rather have one of these.

You are right.neither honda or yamaha would ever sell janus their motor.however,a chinese single cylinder 250?🤦‍♂️.koreans are eons above the chinese,and they have plenty v-twins,even a 650cc that shares frames with suzuki!.for $7,000 is a tough bike to market.i wish them good luck but they better put more content into these(acceptable brakes,fuel inyection,better gauges etc.)

I've not looked as close as I could. This video is two years old. All I see new for sale are horrendous looking black blobs.

Fair review. Try a new 450. I am sure they're not getting rich, and they are sacrificing everything they have in life to make their ideas a reality 😊

Hyosung 250

Who else is here to listen to the Donkey Kong Country 2 10 minutes in?

News for you honda does have Chinese bikes, as does bmw, ktm, and several other manufacturers.

I think that it would be very interesting knowing what people are thinking ! When they look at the motorcycle and ask me how much it cost? 7.000 $ What ? Boy you must have money to burn 🔥 ! And what will you get if you had to sell the bike used !

The people there do a excellent job , their bikes look nice , but price is to high , lower your price to four thousand, make them fully loaded and sell on volume , that simple. To the owners , look at VW Bug !!! That way , you will have a solid bike company for years down the road , and not go out of business due to price cost. Remember Packard & Hudson ??? I know what , I am speaking about. Hope you will heed the message take care. Kevin Phoenix ✝️

I think Mutt motorcycles look better and they are fuel injected.I don’t think there available in the USA though.

NO THANKS , 7 K BUYS A LOT OF USED SPORTSTER OR TRIUMPH.

Harley Davidson makes a small 250 for a lot less than Janice

I feel like you did give it a fair analysis and review but I think you totally missed the point. This is a niche type of motorcycle and it's a niche that no one else has filled. Many people miss the old school motorcycles where the rider is actually at one with the bike and can feel everything and work on everything. There are still Pros to carburetors and disadvantages to fuel injection that apparently you are not aware of. Chunky Transmissions are not a bad thing. They are usually a sign of being strong Hardy Transmissions unless you introduce a lot of Technology and complexity in order to get it to feel smooth. Feeling smooth is just a psychological illusion equality. Same thing goes with brakes. If the brakes can stop you in the same distance as other bikes give or take a couple feet it is all Just an Illusion. I don't care if I have to pull a little harder on it. It's part of the old school bikes that I like. Regarding the engine: sure it would be nice if it was American made but as you pointed out, it would be virtually impossible for a small company to do at this point of the game. If anyone has ever watched documentaries or video of someone in India or China or South America riding small displacement bikes carrying loads of firewood or grain or five people in third world countries and wondered how the heck the motor can take all of that abuse! And still keep running. Well this is the motor that is the Workhorse of third-world Nations and is probably one of the hardiest motors in the world. Many of us would have loved to have a antique bike or bike from the 30s but they are unachievable at the price range. And if you ever did get one of those old bikes it is not really Rider friendly. You have to rebuild them every couple hundred miles, manually pump your own oil and monitor it, and shifters and the complexity goes on and on. This is a unique bike that gives you the best of both worlds. Old school feeling and looks but reliability and easy maintenance. And it's the type of bike you buy once and keep for the rest of your life unlike the others you mentioned.

I had a chance to ride one of these briefly and came away unimpressed. These are more for hipsters who chase after ultra-boutique IPAs than actual motorcyclists. On one hand, who doesn't like a nice lightweight bike? I have ridden 500-600 lb. liter-ish sports tourers for years. I was recently on holiday in Asia and I rented a (modern/FI'd/faired/monoshocked) 225 and found that I loved every second on it. But the Janus rigs are just so limiting. Seriously, what are you and a pillion going to do with 14hp? Also, a pedestrian slicer isn't cool or imaginatively retro -- it's just foppish and affected

No damn way

There are many Japanese bikes with good efi engines and good brakes for much less.

Briggs n Stratton and Tecumseh both have better motors id use them first show them these and tell them you want a similar motor they would be on it ! Or an even better idea have them build a 250cc v twin ! Think about it what symbol is on a Tecumseh ? These need to come down in price to about 4 or 5000 and even 2 or 3000 for a kit bike you can build at home like a flyrite chopper which i could build with a v twin for about what this cost they definitely need a different motor they will not survive with a chineese motor I could literally build one in my shop like this fairly easy I wouldn't waste my time unless I had an American motor in it !

No damn way a 250 with a Chinese engine can buy a Really nice used bike for 3 to 4 grand a spend a few more grand to make it youre own with cash left

It's the same spirit as choppers and today's Starbucks-poseurs (hipsters call them café-racers, but they are quite the opposite of the original,café-racers where aesthetics were sacrificed to performance and handling in twisties): everything is sacrificed to the looks. While my touring bike is gorgeous and special, a Victory Vision, I just did the opposite choice with my Duke 690: hurting and garish off-road looks, but the spirit of a real café of yore with its wild thumper revving at unhealthy piston speeds giving very healthy torque and power, a plume weight, extremely rigid frame, good brakes, and so on. If I cannot stand looking at it, I ride it and problem solved. :-)

My Chinese bike has the same engine lol

Not really an apples to apples comparison to more mainstream bikes. Of course a Honda is going to ride better but really nobody else is really making anything with this style anymore. If I wanted a practical vehicle I'd go with a car anyways.

Now they start close to $9000.

Almost 8k and brakes aren't evwn great. Its closer to a high end motorized bike board track racer than a 8k motorcycle. Not a 8k motorcycle. Way too expensive

They look nice but I think they are overpriced and not to mention lots of Chinese parts including a Chinese engine not only that if you buy a 450 hycion and get upgrades 13k or more is that bike worth that price? For me I own royal enfield that's where it's at if your looking for vintage motorcycle .

Not with a ChiCom motor their not. Give me a break.

I love the looks, but the price is just crazy. The only reason I would buy one (and I did lean that way awhile back) is for the looks. These may be well built, but they are not well engineered, unless you consider 1950's technology well engineered. Yeah, I know, in 1950 it probably was.:) They are also too small for the price. I used to have a Honda 250cc Rebel, and the only time it felt ok in traffic was in the middle of town where the traffic was 45 mph or less. Everywhere else, like trying to get to the middle of town, it was struggling. Even on secondary roads, where the speed limit is 45, the cars are going 60. And forget the highway. Yes, the Honda could do 60, maybe 70, but it couldn't get there fast enough, and you are riding with your engine wound out. You outgrow 250cc really fast and I realized I needed at least 500cc, which is probably why they added the Halcyon 450, but $13,500? I ended up getting an Indian Scout Sixty (1000cc) for $10,300 (after fees and taxes $12,000). It has looks, water cooled, fuel injected, ABS brakes, etc. And I can drive it anywhere I would drive my car. I could have gotten a Honda shadow (750cc)for $9k, or a modern 500cc bike for $6k. I hope they stick around, I think their bikes look cool, but you aren't buying these things to get a "good" motorcycle. They don't compare well, technology wise or power wise, to any bike from a major manufacturer in the last 50 years. Maybe there are places left that still go at 1950's speeds, and the lack of power is not an issue. But the price is still very high.

It is beautiful but price point not worth it. For 5000 maybe but the absolute beauty of the bike is for people with money to burn. Enfield best for the money and looks.

Taiwan and China have been building knockoff Yamaha & Honda engines for years. And have proved to be reliable. Also, Harley Davidson uses their Indian facility & Chinese partners to supply a large component of their bikes. Janus’ real competitor is Royal Enfield when it comes to retro looks & price.

merican auto manufactoring is sub standard im sure a chinese motor would be equal or better if only cheaper

I'd pay $7000 for their new 450 but def not for the 250. Good thing is, if the chinese engine blows, pull a 250 off a Honda Nighthawk and plop it in there. Similar architecture but with one more cylinder

$9000 now in 2022.

A Royal Enfield meteor is a lot more bike for half the price.