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Janus Motorcycles is an American manufacturer of small displacement motorcycles located in Goshen, Indiana.

The company was founded in 2011 by Richard Worsham and Devin Biek, and has been delivering motorcycles since 2013. The founders 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. Through their work, the founders developed a love for small, lightweight bikes and a network of local craftsmen capable of fabricating the necessary components. The founders have cited a strong appreciation of classic and vintage motorcycle design and engineering as an inspiration for both the motorcycle designs and company philosophy.

JANUS MOTORCYCLES WAS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF...

...that the spirit of motorcycling is best understood on a small, lightweight machine, and that honoring timeless styling cues from motorcycling history isn't antithetical to modern engineering and performance. Janus Motorcycles provide riders with a more powerful sensation of speed and a more direct connection with both the road and the passing landscape than is possible with many of today's motorcycle designs.

JANUS MOTORCYCLES ARE HAND-CRAFTED IN AMERICA.

The design and manufacturing process developed by Janus in northern Indiana is focused on the highest level of design, quality, and performance. This approach mandates a motorcycle different from any others made today and guarantees a fundamental simplicity of operation and maintenance, making possible a closer relationship between owner and machine. All fabricated parts of our motorcycles are made within about 20 miles of our facility, with specialty cast parts such as the engine & brakes sourced from the best suppliers we could find for our purposes.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

MOTORCYCLES ARE LIKE ARCHITECTURE: THEY MUST BE BEAUTIFUL, FUNCTIONAL AND MADE TO LAST. FORM AND FUNCTION ARE INEXTRICABLY PAIRED IN A WAY WE SELDOM SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.

What is it about motorcycles that is so captivating? That makes the experience of riding so wonderfully invigorating? We are convinced that motorcycles, in order to provide the perfect ride, must not only be functional, but also beautiful and well-made- perfectly fitted to their purpose. Motorcycles are not primarily about efficiency, but about an experience. Many manufacturers during the golden age of motoring took advantage of their small scale and flexibility to develop sophisticated, balanced machines and, at the same time, were able to acquire their power trains and transmissions from specialty manufacturers known for their quality and reliability. Like them, we find a great deal of satisfaction by bringing in proven specialty components and concentrating our attention on providing a superior chassis, a balanced riding position, and the highest levels of finish and quality. Apart from a few cast aluminum and electronic components, everything on the bike is manufactured within about 20 miles of our shop, allowing us to focus on the handling and high level of quality that are the hallmark of a Janus motorcycle.

THE PAST HAS A LOT MORE TO TELL US THAN THE FUTURE, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.

Our architectural interests have led us to look for inspiration in the traditions of classical design. We approach our work as a special challenge: to achieve the clarity of form fostered by the best of small-scale manufacturing and to recapture the drama powered by movement though the American landscape. We are interested in the great machines made by our predecessors as models of concise beauty and terse simplicity. The bikes made in our small American factory aren't replicas; they are contemporary, practical machines that celebrate the art of motorcycle design over the last century. The traditional and labor-intensive process of hand production permits Janus to recreate the endlessly rewarding connections between motorcycle form and rider experience.

The design and manufacturing process developed by Janus in northern Indiana involves small production runs focusing on the highest level of quality and performance. This approach mandates a motorcycle different from any others made today. The processes involved in the mass manufacture of most motorcycles dictate most aspects of their design. As a result, the industry is subservient to the lowest common denominator in marketing and cost. We aim, in contrast, to achieve the closest fit possible between the reality of manufacturing and the ideal of design. The result is a ever-approaching-perfect correspondence between form and function. Our manufacturing process also guarantees a fundamental simplicity of operation and maintenance, making possible a closer relationship between rider and machine.

A MOTORCYCLE THAT IS PERFECTLY THRILLING TO RIDE.

The spirit of motorcycling is best understood on a small, lightweight machine, like the majority of bikes produced over the course of the last century. The rider observes a more powerful sensation of speed and feels a more direct connection with both the road and the the passing landscape than the occupants of automobiles or many of the heavier and higher-powered motorcycles common today. The experience of the road- acceleration and terrain- cannot be more directly experienced in any other way. We are building machines for men and women who love the freedom, joy, and mobility that a motorcycle allows, especially if they can work on them themselves. Janus would like to encourage a younger, broader generation of American riders and to achieve this by producing beautiful and practical small-displacement motorcycles.

Models 

The company's first model, the Halcyon, is a hard-tail motorcycle with a long, low tank; sprung saddle seat; and wide handlebars. It is available with leather saddlebags and a number of upgrades. The bike is built around a TIG-welded, rigid double cradle tubular frame, based on the Norton "featherbed". The engine is a 6-speed, water-cooled 50 cc two-stroke based on the Derbi "Senda" engine, and puts out 10 hp (7.5 kW), with a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). It has front and rear drum brakes. Apart from the engine, forks, and hubs, everything on the bike is manufactured within about 20 miles of the Janus shop.

Janus has announced plans to launch its second model, the Phoenix, a sportier model built around the same frame and powertain, but including full suspension, a "Dunstall" style tank, and café racer seat.