The Flying Z

By Joe Berk

Janus Motorcycles issued this press release recently.  “The Flying Z” is a good-looking motorcycle with an interesting story.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
###############################
July 6th, 2024
Goshen, Indiana

This spring, 66 year-old Mark Zweig—a lifelong motorcyclist, Janus Motorcycles partner, and part-time CFO for the firm, commissioned a new one-off bike for himself—a custom-built Janus Halcyon 250 dubbed “The Flying Z.”

Zweig has been a restorer, customizer, and collector of a wide range of motorcycles from the 60s and 70s for many of his years, sometimes having as many as twenty bikes at a time. And while he has always had a soft spot for smaller, lighter weight bikes, an accident in 2016 where he totalled his brand new Triumph Thruxton 1200, combined with a divorce and resulting downsizing, got him to eventually sell all of his larger bikes and narrow down his rides to a small group of small-displacement bikes including a new Janus Halcyon 250 in the year 2000.

“I just don’t ride as much as I used to, and certainly don’t need to go that far or that fast. Our founder, Richard Worsham, has dubbed that kind of riding as ‘rambling.’ Most of my riding is to and from campus (Zweig is the ‘Entrepreneur in-Residence’ at The Sam M Walton College of Business at The University of Arkansas), or on short trips in and around town. The Janus to me represents everything I want in a motorcycle. It’s incredibly beautiful, simple, reliable, ultra lightweight, and fun to ride. That’s why when I decided to have a new bike built for myself—where we could test out some new design ideas—I opted for another Halcyon 250 instead of one of our larger displacement bikes. It’s such a wonderful basic design.”

In fact, this bike is the second of Zweig’s “Flying Z’s.” The first Flying Z was a custom car—a boattailed speedster he built together with his friend and master fabricator, Mike McPherson—featuring a unique handbuilt chassis, hand-formed steel body, rumble seat, sand cast 18” wheels with knockoffs, and a straight-8 Buick engine with triple carbs. “That thing looked like it came from the same era as our Halcyon,” Zweig said.

Janus Motorcycles has made its marque and established a cult like following in the motorcycle world by building unique bikes to customer order, one at a time. Their bikes come in a huge range of colors and styles, with all kinds of options for hand pinstriping, leather seats and bags, and much, much more. But Zweig’s Halcyon Flying Z takes things a step farther and has some unique features not found on any other factory-direct Halcyon 250s.

“Our basic Halcyon 250 looks like a bike that could have come out of the 1920s,” Zweig said. “So I wanted to see what we could do by creating a bike that looked like the natural evolution of that one and that would have been built in the 1930s or 40s,” he added.

“One of the coolest aspects of The Flying Z is its set of uniquely flared and deeply skirted fenders making it more aerodynamic. I have been wanting to see what one of our bikes would look like with some fenders like these for the last couple years, and our master fender builder Brent Lehman, along with the design guidance from our founder and design lead, Richard Worsham, made it happen.”

The bike also has a one-off color scheme, with the frame and most other parts color-matched to the RAL 5024 powder-coated “Cavalry Blue” body work. The large “Janus” script on the tank sides was laid out by the design team and painted by lead pinstriper, Kelly Borden, as well as the cream-colored “Flying Z” script and logo on the bike’s black airbox. It has hand-painted dual silver pinstripes on the tank and fenders, along with silver pinstriped black wheel rims.

The bike also features a sandcast Flying Z fender ornament, based on the original Flying Z hood ornament, created by Zweig’s friend—famed Arkansas sculptor, Eugene Sargent. “Sargent made the fender ornament so it bridges the front fender brace and didn’t require any special mounting hardware,” Zweig said. The bike also features other bespoke polished components.

Topping off the build is a custom engraved fuel cap for its hand formed aluminum tank, replete with a “Flying Z” logo.

“I cannot wait to see the public reaction to the new Janus Flying Z,” Zweig said. “My old Janus draws a crowd every time I park it, and I expect this one will be even more attention-grabbing,” he added with a smile.

For more info, contact Grant Longenbaugh – grant@janusmotorcycles.com


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This Just In From Janus Motorcycles

By Joe Berk

This press release just came in last week and I wanted to share it with our ExNotes readers.  I’ve been traveling or I would have posted it sooner.


TWO MIDWEST BRANDS HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

DULUTH PACK + JANUS MOTORCYCLES TO DEBUT LIMITED EDITION MOTORCYCLES AND RIDING BAGS


To celebrate the partnership and collaboration, the brands are co-hosting a launch party at the Duluth Pack flagship retail store in Duluth, Minnesota.

DULUTH, MINN –– Wed May 1st, 2024 – Two Midwest companies focusing on old-school techniques, Duluth Pack and Janus Motorcycles have teamed up to create a collection of expertly crafted riding bags and a one-of-a-kind motorcycle called, “The Rambler Edition”. The collaboration embodies the same ethos of rooted appreciation for the outdoors, and both preserving history with traditional and historic manufacturing techniques. American-Made gear and equipment that is built with purpose for the long-haul. Now the best of both have emerged with “The Rambler Edition”. To kick-off the highly anticipated collection, both brands are co-hosting a launch party on Friday, May 3rd at Duluth Pack’s flagship retail store in Canal Park, Duluth, MN.

The event will be from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM CST with raffles and giveaways provided by Duluth Pack and Janus Motorcycles every hour during the event. Attendees will be able to be the first to shop the exclusive and limited-edition styles of Duluth Pack bags and the vintage crafted Janus Motorcycle. The collection focuses on both brand’s DNA including colors of the original olive drab colorway and a partnership logo. Families, friends, locals, visitors, and motorcycle enthusiasts are all encouraged to come to the store to celebrate at the launch party.

“Our priority has always been and will always be on our quality and meeting our customer’s needs. The focus of the Rambler Edition collaboration between Duluth Pack and Janus Motorcycles is providing the aesthetic and functionally our customers want and expect from both of our companies,” said Tom Sega, Duluth Pack’s President and CEO. “Both of our company’s products are built for a lifetime of adventures. Between Duluth Pack and Janus Motorcycles, we have a combined 154 years of American-Made history and that is something we are profoundly proud of.”

“This has been a project both Duluth Pack and Janus Motorcycles have been working on since 2021,” added Andrea Johnson, Duluth Pack’s Public Relations Contact. “The DNA of both brands breathes within this exclusive line and our entire team is very much looking forward to celebrating with our customers on Friday.” 

“The heritage of classic style and durable quality at Duluth Pack is an ideal fit for Janus’ classic motorcycles and we’re pleased to offer such a well-made product to our riders and customers. – Richard Worsham, Janus Motorcycles CEO

The Rambler Edition line will be exclusively available on Janus’ ecommerce site at janusmotorcycles.com.

For more information regarding the Rambler Edition Launch Party event at the Duluth Pack flagship store, please visit Duluth Pack’s social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), visit DuluthPack.com or call the Duluth Pack Headquarters at (218) 722-3898.


So there you have it.  This program sounds like a winner from two of the heartland’s iconic brands.  For more on our ExNotes experiences with Janus Motorcycles, including a plant visit and a Baja blast, check out our Epic Rides page.


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This just in: Janus Announces Origin Line!

By Joe Berk

This just came in:  A press release from Janus Motorcycles!   Janus has a special place in my heart.  I rode with those guys in Baja on Janus Motorcycles and I visited the plant (and wrote about their new 450 in Motorcycle Classics magazine) a year or so ago.  They’re good folks and they make great motorcycles.  The latest Janus press release follows.


Happy New Year!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Janus Motorcycles announces new “Origins” line with lower entry price

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new edition of both the 250 and 450 Janus models: the Janus “Origin” model line. The basic idea of the “Origin” line is to provide a blank slate version of our existing models paired down to the essence of what defines each model. This serves to provide both a more affordable option AND the opportunity to build your own Janus just as you would like. To this end, we have removed all but the most vital elements of each model.

For example, the Halcyon 250 Origin edition includes everything that you need to be initiated into the Janus experience: a beautiful handmade motorcycle ready to ride, but without many of the options and upgrades that have always been standard on our production models such as fender pinstripe, air box graphics, and number plate (Origin edition Halcyons come with fenders pr-drilled and capped should you wish to add a number plate), a limited palette of available options for primary color, a single gold option for pinstriping, a standard seat, limited leather color options, a 1-year warranty, and no polished options.

By reducing the number of features and options, this helps us to hold appropriate stock and streamline production efficiency all of which allows us to offer the Origin line at a significantly lower entry price. Should you wish to add additional options or upgrades, these are all available for an additional cost. Add-ons will be shipped separately with instructions for installation by the customer. Get in on the Janus rambling experience and add almost any of our upgrades or extended warranties down the road! Book racks, fishtail exhausts, saddlebags, or headlight visors also make great birthday or Christmas gifts!

The details
Get the Halcyon 250 Origin for a $6995 base price. That includes choice of two colors, gold tank pinstripe, and 1 year warranty. Build one here.

Get the Gryffin 250 Origin for a $7495 base price. That includes choice of two colors, gold tank pinstripe, and 1 year warranty. Build one here.

Get the Halcyon 450 Origin for a $13,495 base price. That includes choice of two colors, gold tank pinstripe, simplified feather graphic/emblem, and 1 year warranty. Build one here.

How? 
So much of what we do is hands on. By giving you control over how much of that “hands on” you start with on your bike, we can help reduce the upfront price for these packages.

The value of our main model lines and their THOUSANDS of configurations, handcrafted quality, industry-leading warranties, and show-stopping looks doesn’t change. If you still want to “choose everything” it’s still the best value to go with the fully-customizable standard build up front (you can do the math on the website).

Background

At Janus, we pride ourselves on our design, hand-craftsmanship, and hyper-local supply chain—all things that also contribute to the higher cost of our models compared to the mass-produced offerings from the mainstream motorcycle industry. Especially over the past three years material costs, and inflation have meant that our prices have had to climb to stay abreast of our costs. Our goal with the Origin line is to find a way to offer an introductory option to the Janus experience with the potential to add options and upgrades over time.

One of the highest costs we face is also one of our greatest benefits: the numerous and complex menu of potential finishes and upgrades. By reducing these and standardizing the process, we have been able to find just the right balance that allows us to offer the Origin line. We chose to offer a “line” of existing models because, although paired down, the Halcyon “Origin” is still completely a Halcyon. What it lacks in options and upgrades, it makes up for in potential! We have never offered a “kit” bike, but this might be the closest we will ever come…

We chose the name Origin for its associations with just this idea of potential and beginnings (a big theme here with Janus the god who presides over them!) and because it conveys the idea that these are not so much different from the stock models in nature as in degree.

Please contact us with any questions you may have about the new Janus “Origin” line, what is or is not included, and how you can build it out over time!

Richard discusses the Origin line:

Thanks,

Grant

Grant Longenbaugh

President
Janus Motorcycles


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So Many Bikes, So Little Time

By Rob Morel

I have been following this column ever since it hit the blogosphere, and I noticed that nearly all of our ExNotes writers have written about motorcycles they previously owned.  This story is about some of the motorcycles and scooters I’ve had.  It’s good to look back and cherish the things that have made life fun, and for me, motorcycles and motor scooters have certainly been a big part of that.  Since I was a wee lad out on the farm, motorcycles have been my comfort, sanity and spare time hobby.  They kept me out of the drinking and drugs my friends were getting into during high school.  I opted instead for racing motocross in the mid 1970s when I was in high school. I was a Suzuki mechanic during high school and I loved it (despite all the teenage hormones interfering with my mind).

My very first bike was a Motobecane moped, which was also known as our barnyard speedway bike.   With a little rain on the manure we could slide that baby around like Mert and the boys at the San Jose mile.

My next bike was a 1969 Hodaka Ace 100, and it was my first love.  I spent many hours riding this motorcycle around the farm.  I learned how to work on bikes on this motorcycle.  They were great bikes.

This next one is a 1969 Maico MC125 motocrosser.  I never got to ride or race it. A personal shortcoming is that I like to take things apart to see how they work. I took the rotary carb the off the engine to see how it worked.  I then put it back together not realizing the rotary valve needed to go on in a certain way to time it with the piston going up and down. It never ran after that and burned up in the chicken house fire. Now, 50 years later, I know how to fix it.  They say we get smart too late.  This bike, for me, is one of many things that proves it.

This 1974 Suzuki TM125 was my elixir through high school.  I raced it at Puyallup International Raceway’s high school challenge.

The 1974 Suzuki TM250 was my other elixir through puberty. In my first race I looped it over backwards and they wouldn’t let me race again at the Starbuck track in Washington.

Here’s my 1976 Suzuki TS250.  It was my first adventure travel bike and I loved it.  I remember its two-stroke motor smoking down Interstate 5.  Yeah, baby!

Then it was a series of bikes for which I have the memories but no photos. I had a Honda MT250 enduro that I traded for a Skidoo snowmobile.   I should have kept the bike.  Then it was a Suzuki GN400 thumper road bike.  It was old school cool.  Next up was a 1978 Husqvarna OR250 enduro.  I broke a rib on crashing that bike going less than 10 miles an hour and I suppose that makes me lucky (that rib was the only bone I ever broke, and I’ve been riding a lot of years).  I next had a GY200 Chinese enduro with a Honda-based engine.  That was followed by a 1998 DR650 Suzuki, a nice big thumper.  I had a Kinlon 150 road bike prototype that I later donated to the Barbour Museum.   They resold it at a Mecum auction a few years ago.

Here’s my 1974 Honda MT125 Elsinore project bike. I rode to the Badrock Reunion at Hodaka Days with it a few years back.

My 1986 Husqvarna WR400 was a wonderful bike, but it was too tall and too hard for me to kick start with a bad hip. I think I was over-compensating for something. But the price was good so I bought it.

I had a 1988 Honda NX250, another one that left me fond memories but no photos.  It was a nice little enduro with a water-cooled engine and a 6-speed transmission.  It was kind of like a CSC RX3.

This was my 2006 Suzuki DR650.  If it’s a yellow motorcycle, I’m a goner.

I had a 2008 Kawasaki Versys 650 (another one with no photos).  That was my first long distance traveling big boy bike and I rode it to the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, and Yellowstone.  It’s the only bike I’ve ever crashed on the road.  I spun out going about 35 mph in Yellowstone on the geyser snot on the road. Who would have thought that was even possible?  I smelled like rotten eggs the rest of that day after landing in a ditch filled with geyser water.  (Editor’s Note:  Better that than crashing the manure-drifting moped you mentioned at the start of this blog!)

I was one of the first to buy the new 2015 CSC RX3 250 and it was a fabulous motorcycle.  It’s the motorcycle you I covered 17,500 miles with it and had tons of camping fun on rides to Baja, Hells Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Canada, Death Valley, the ExtraTerrestrial Highway, the Columbia River Gorge, and Moab. I rode an Iron Butt (baby butt) ride on the RX3, and I rode on the original CSC Western America Adventure Ride and the Destinations Deal ride.   I called it Donkey Hotey, and mounted a hood ornament on it.

Those RX3s were fabulous motorcycles.  It’s hard to believe that they came out 8 years ago.

Other bikes I’ve owned that I don’t have photos of that I owned around this time included a 2008 Yamaha XT250, a 2009 Yamaha XT250, a 2006 GY200 Chinese enduro project R&R motor that I worked on with my son.

Here’s a photo of my 2002 MZ 125SM.  It was a cool little water-cooled motard bike.  I had a lot of fun on it.

I bought a 1982 Kawasaki KZ440 basket case bike and put a Harbor Freight 312cc motor in it.  It had a constant velocity belt drive. I really wanted a Rokon RT340.  I got one of those later, and I’ll cover it below.  I then had a 1999 Suzuki DS80.  That was one I fixed to resell for a neighbor’s kid.  I had a 1982 Suzuki PE175Z.  I got it running and sold it.  It was a very nice enduro motorcycle.

I owned a 2009 BMW F650GS twin.  The BMW was a very nice bike for traveling across America.  I rode it from Oregon to Alabama and back.

This was my 2009 Aprilia Scarabeo 200 scooter.  I bought it to run in the 2020 Scooter Cannonball ride, but Covid canceled that run and I sold it.

Here’s  a 1975 Rokon RT340.  I had one just like the one in the photo below.  It had a Sachs 340 snowmobile motor with a CVT belt drive. I was a twist and go setup that could reach 90 mph.  Well, not with me on it, but it could.

I had a 1985 Honda Elite CH150 scooter that had been stolen, recovered, and then sat for years out in the weather.  I got it running and it became my daily driver.  I affectionately called it “Tetanus Shot,” because I felt like I needed a tetanus shot just by looking at it.

This is my 2008 Suzuki Burgman 400 Maxi scooter that has become my traveling bike now.  I guess that makes me a Burg Man, too.

Here’s my 2012 Honda NC700X.  I did a 7000-mile Alaska trip on it. It ran like a sewing machine all the way up and all the way back.

Here’s a 2019 Genuine G400c Chinese thumper road bike.  I bought it used for a good price.  It’s a fun little nostalgic bike that has a 1970s look.  The  same company that imports Genuine scooters imports this bike from China.  It’s made by Shineray (they pronounce it Shin You Way in China).  The engine is based on an old Honda design that Shineray picked up, and that engine is used as the basis for the Janus 450cc.   Joe Berk rode one of the Genuine motorcycles out of Barry Gwin’s San Francisco Scooter Company about three years ago and he liked it, too.

This blog may be getting too long with all my old bikes and photos, so I will stop for now.  Thinking about my former bikes has been fun, though, and if you have a bike you have fond memories of, please leave a comment below and tell us about it.  And watch for a future blog about me going over to the dark side and becoming primarily a scooter rider.




Live on Amazon!

A Cup O’ Joes is available now on Amazon.  Every bathroom in every motorcycle shop and every motorcyclist’s home needs this book.  They make great gifts.  Check out the blurb:

Joe Gresh and Joe Berk bring you a collection of their favorite articles and stories from the ExhaustNotes.us website, Motorcycle Classics magazine, Rider magazine, Motorcyclist magazine, ADVMoto magazine, and other publications.  Ride with the Joes in China, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, the former Soviet Union, and the United States.  Read their opinions on motorcycles, accessories, and more.  Humor, wit, insight, and great reading…this collection of motoliterature belongs in your library.  Published in black and white.

You could wait for the movie, but the movie deal fell through.  You know the story…I wanted Leonardo di Caprio to play me or Gresh, the studio countered with Danny DeVito, and things fell apart after that.

Seriously, though, you need this book.  It will make you taller, skinnier, more attractive, and a faster rider.  Trust us on this.


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A Janus Halcyon 450 Teaser

Boy oh boy, I get to do some cool things.  Today’s blog is a quick teaser for an upcoming story on the new Janus Halcyon 450.  I won’t spoil the fun other than to say my last stop during a recent trip to Indiana was Janus Motorcycles, where I had an awesome plant tour and a ride on the new Halcyon 450 motorcycle.  It was great.  The motorcycle was impressive; the company even more so.  I’m a big time Janus fan, having ridden their 250 Gryffin model through southern California and northern Baja with a couple of Janus big wheels (you can read that story here).   I was pretty sure the 450 would be a wonderful motorcycle, and I was right.

Stay tuned, folks.  There’s a lot more to this story.


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Halcyon 450 Riding Footage

You will recall our recent post on the new Janus 450.  Those Janus boys are not sitting still….here’s some exciting footage of the new Janus feeling its oats in the great American Southwest:

This is definitely cool. I can’t wait to ride one. 360 lbs. That’s amazing.

Check out our earlier Janus posts here and here!


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Janus Halcyon 450 Announced

Janus, the Roman God of Transitions, symbolizes looking to the past and the future.  It is a fitting name for Janus Motorcycles, a company building ultra-high quality modern motorcycles with classic styling from the 1920s and 1930s.

The Roman god Janus on display in the Vatican.

You may remember a couple of years ago I rode northern Baja with the Janus guys.  It was a great ride (any ride in Baja is) and the Janus is a great motorcycle…a gem of a bike handcrafted in Goshen, Indiana.  I had a wonderful time and I loved riding the Janus Gryffin.

The Janus Gryffin on Baja’s Rumarosa Grade.

Well, those boys in Goshen don’t sit still.  The bike I rode was powered by a 250cc CG Honda clone engine and it was a hoot, but the Goshen guys had bigger plans.  Janus announced today that they are introducing a new Halcyon with a 450cc engine.   I’ll let the press release below, the Janus videos, and the brochure do the talking.  Watch both videos; you’ll enjoy them.


Janus Motorcycles Releases New Halcyon 450 Model

Goshen, Indiana (March 8, 2021) — After 18 months of confidential development, Janus Motorcycles of Goshen, Indiana is unveiling their newest model, the Halcyon 450. Building off the best of what they offered in their 250 line, the Halcyon 450 features a higher top speed, a rear suspension, performance brakes, and several new hand-crafted details.

“Our 250 series owners love the light weight, hand-built features, and classic lines of the 250 series. With the Halcyon 450, we’ve worked to refine those features while improving the top speed and ride comfort. We’re extremely proud of the result,” says General Manager Grant Longenbaugh.

The Halcyon 450 features an SWM 445cc single-cylinder four valve engine with EFI, Brembo brakes, Sargent seat, and a new proprietary cantilever rear suspension.

Production is slated to begin in early June, with several units completed weekly.

Co-founder Richard Worsham says, “Like the 250, the 450 is a manifestation of what we believe is the spirit of motorcycling: the connection between the rider, machine, and landscape.” “We’re very excited to share that spirit with more and more riders,” he continued.

Janus Motorcycles uses a network of craftsmen in the Northern Indiana area (many of whom are Amish) to manufacture nearly all of their body work including the frame, fuel tanks, leather storage, and stainless steel exhausts. They are made to order and can be personalized with various paint, pinstripe, and finish options.

Janus was recently featured on Jay Leno’s Garage and the New York Times.

The 2021 Halcyon 450 starts at $13,500, and customers may reserve their bike with a deposit.




There you have it, folks.  I like this new Halcyon, and the spec that stands out for me is the weight:  Just 360 lbs!  Watch the ExNotes blog; we’ll have more info on Janus and the new 450 in future posts.


If you would like to read about our Janus Baja ride on the 250cc Gryffin and Halcyon motorcycles, you can do so here!


For more info on Janus Motorcycles, click here.


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More than a machine: A Janus Motorcycle

Sometimes a motorcycle is so beautiful, so perfect, it just stops you in your tracks.  The red Janus Gryffin in these photos does that for me.

Our good buddies at Janus Motorcycles make stunning motorcycles.  I rode their olive green Gryffin across northern Baja and it was a perfect machine, one I thought could not be topped.  Then I saw this red Gryffin that my good friend Richard posted on Facebook.  Folks, this is how a motorcycle is supposed to look.  This machine is more than a motorcycle. It evokes emotion. It’s art.

The motorcycle you see here is Gryffin No. 69 and it is magnificent.  Janus GM Richard tells us that “No special detail was left untouched…from the red painted side panels, red wheel pinstripes, and black handlebars, this Gryffin just hits different.”  Indeed it does.

For more information on Janus Motorcycles, check them out at JanusMotorcycles.com.  If you’d like to read about our Baja ride with the Janus boys, give a click here.


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Janus Motorcycles’ Virtual Discovery Day

This Saturday at 10:00 a.m. EDT Janus Motorcycles is hosting a Virtual Discovery Day that you can sign up for here.  Hey, if you’re under house arrest (as most of us are these days) this is a much better alternative than watching Netflix or TV reruns.  The Janus bikes are beyond cool, and in the Virtual Discovery Day you’ll get to meet Devin Biek and Richard Worsham, the two guys who founded Janus.  I rode with Devin and Jordan (another key Janus guy) in Baja (you can read about that ride here) and it was a hoot.

So it’s this Saturday at 10 Eastern.  I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there, too!