Source: Bike Bound
Red-Hot Milestone: The 1000th Janus Halcyon 250…
Janus Motorcycles is a small-batch motorcycle manufacturer based out of Goshen, Indiana, which builds three models of small-displacement bikes: the Gryffin 250, Halcyon 250, and Halcyon 450. Several years ago, we had the opportunity to speak with the company’s founders and learn more about the brand at an official Janus Test Ride.
What impressed us most was the way they’d leveraged the expertise of local Amish and Mennonite craftspeople — carriage-makers, leatherworkers, etc. — to build the majority of each bike within 20 miles of their headquarters in northeastern Indiana.
“Janus Motorcycles feature durable materials, hand-crafted details, and serviceable, simple powertrains. Janus builds about 300 units a year (and growing), and employs many local craftspeople, fabricators, machinists, and motorcycle experts to design, manufacture, and build their motorcycles…” -Janus
Meanwhile, the single-cylinder, air-cooled engines they use are manufactured overseas, based on time-honored, bulletproof designs like the Honda CG250 or the SWM “Classic 440” — a redesign of the beloved Honda XR400 enduro engine. These may not be high-torque twins or howling inline fours, but they are tough, practical designs that will take a licking and keep on ticking for years and years to come.
Recently, we heard directly from Janus that they were proud to announce the delivery of their 1000th Halcyon 250 — a custom bike built in collaboration with the bike’s owner, Tom Neel. Neel, a long-time motorcyclist and Janus customer, had a Halcyon 250 that he put nearly 14,000 miles on in two years of ownership — that’s a lot of miles on a 250! In fact, he loved the bike so much that he reserved Halcyon 250 serial number 1000 for himself over a year ago.
Neel and a Janus team led by Richard Worsham, the firm’s founder and lead designer, worked to create a unique motorcycle built with the 50s “Hot Rod” look that Neel desired.
“A bright red color was chosen by Neel — and the bodywork and frame, fork, kickstand and other items were all finished to match (a standard Janus, while available with bodywork in many colors, would normally have a black frame, fork, kickstand and other mechanical parts).”
Polished aluminum fenders were also crafted for the one-off build, and Neel specified that the airbox — normally painted to match the bodywork — be polished to show off its all-alloy construction. Various engine parts were removed, bead blasted, and polished, as was the fork’s triple crown.
The fuel tank was polished and hand-painted with gold and black pinstripes, along with the Janus feather logo and medallion from the firm’s Halcyon 450 model. There’s also a special engraved fuel cap with Tom’s name and the bike’s #1000 serial number designation, as well as a unique #1000 polished aluminum number plate on the front of the bike mounted just over the headlight.
When he’s not riding his new custom creation in the new year, Tom is planning to enter the bike in some shows.
“We’re excited to share this unique build for Tom, who wanted something more ‘red-hot’ for this milestone bike. We’re also proud of our team of builders who work hard every single day to make beautiful, functional art.” -Grant Longenbaugh, Janus President
Founder and lead designer Richard Worsham noted how great it was to work with a long-time customer like Tom:
“Janus is known for making hand-built bikes with more customization options than any other motorcycle manufacturer. We love seeing what we can do with these bikes along with our repeat customers like Tom.”
We can attest from talking to other Janus owners how friendly and tight-knit the Janus ownership community is. Few small-batch motorcycles are affordable enough for the regular rider to afford — base price for the Halcyon 250 is $6995 — and most bikes in that price are built entirely overseas.
Add to that the rarity of these bikes, the classic design that recalls the American-made motorcycles of a century ago, and the ease and practicality of a simple, proven engine design, and we wouldn’t mind having a Halcyon in in the BikeBound stable.
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Web: janusmotorcycles.com
Instagram: @janusmotorcycle
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