Jay Leno Rides Alabama-made Motus Motorcycles

A lot of people in Birmingham may not know that Motus Motorcycles, the maker of America’s only premium sport-touring bike, is located here in the Magic City. 

But Motus is getting a big boost in awareness today – in Birmingham and elsewhere – thanks to a new video by a famous comedian, former “Tonight Show” host and devoted gear-head. 

Jay Leno, host of the TV series “Jay Leno's Garage” on CNBC, features Motus founders Lee Conn and Brian Case – and their MST motorcycle – in a new YouTube video that posted today. 

Leno’s popular web channel – an offshoot of the TV series – has 1.6 million subscribers and more than 245 million views. 

The founders went to Leno's Big Dog Garage in California earlier in July to tell the entertainer how they set out in the midst of the 2008 recession to make an American bike that would combine comfort, speed and great handling, according to a news release from Motus. 

Conn and Case began shipping their bike, which has received great notices from the motorsports press, in 2015. 

“Jay is without a doubt a very knowledgeable and down-to-earth gearhead,” said Case, Motus design director. “He applauded our effort, particularly with developing our own engine. He’s a huge fan of our V4 engine and has known about Motus for a while.” 

All Motus motorcycles – the MST and the premium MSTR – are powered by the new V4 Baby Block engine, combining high performance with low maintenance. 

“Jay has a deep understanding of the rich history of American motorcycles and he helped us take a step back and appreciate where Motus fits into that lineage,” said Lee Conn, Motus president. 

The half-hour episode features a discussion of the creation of the bike with Leno, Case and Conn. The three also take to the streets of L.A. to ride the MST, with Leno supplying commentary during his ride. “It was pretty surreal to be chasing Jay Leno through the L.A. canyons, all on motorcycles that we developed from scratch,” said Case. 

For more information about Motus or to see the video, go to www.motusmotorcycles.com.