Motus MST and MSTR rear rack- UPDATE!

The Motus rear rack developed HERE and listed for sale HERE has an update!

The rear rack requires the factory 'rear deck' with 47L Givi top case option. This top case is called a Givi Monokey with a factory plastic mounting plate. The rack below replaces the Givi Monokey plate. Motus also sells a 30L Givi topcase called a 'Monolock'. This rack does not fit that option. Thank you Givi for making that so confusing.

The rack was modified slightly from the prototype by removing the rear rubber bumper holes. These were determined not to be needed and were only caused difficulty in mounting the top case.

The laser cutter that is used to make this plate has made other motorcycle parts to my design in the past for other brands of bikes. My Guzzi Stelvio rear rack and tool tube have been the most popular sold through AF1 Racing in Texas. Running a batch of Motus racks with a recent tool tube order has reduced the cost of the Motus rack significantly. This cost is only on the first five racks produced and may not continue with the next order.

Cost of the Motus rear rack is now $100 plus shipping. 

Send an email to kirbseepe@yahoo.com to request one.

Supplied:

Left rack is an un-coated 2nd version of the rack. Right is the original prototype with the box bumpers that were removed in the 2nd version. All will be shipped powder coated.
Powder coated 12ga stainless steel plate laser cut as shown above. Rack is coated in 7-13% gloss textured powder to closely match the Motus finish.

3/16" thick HDPE water jet cut spacer between the factory rear deck and this rack. HDPE is UV stable and does not absorb water. These are much more durable and similar cost to 3D printed units. 

Hardware included:

• (4) M8x1.25x16mm, 18-8 stainless, button head hex drive screws 
• (4) M8, 18-8 stainless, washers

The above hardware replaces the factory 'deck' hardware for consistency.

• (4) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, black oxide, button head hex drive screws
• (4) M6, 18-8 stainless, washers
• (4) M6x1 nylon insert, stainless lock nuts

The above hardware, with spacer, mounts the new rack to the factory deck.

• (1) set of Givi E115F hardware set provided that includes: pyramid latch, rubber bumpers, and mushroom head spacers. All other Givi hardware is replaced with the below
• (2) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, button head tamper resistant torx drive screws
• (2) M6 18-8 stainless, washers
• (2) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, flat head hex drive screws (mushroom spacers)
• (2) M6x1 nylon insert, stainless lock nuts
• (1) T27 tamper resistant torx drive bit

Anti-seize compound suggested on hardware used for the pyramid latch and stainless hardware attaching the factory rack.

Rear soft bag mounted to new rear rack. Easy storage for shorter day trips.

Great method to strap the soft bag- I throw out the factory straps and use RokStraps of the smaller type like those found HERE. Cutting the adjustable end shorter makes for a clean look and the bag does not move with this system. Highly suggested.

Motus MST and MST-R rear rack for sale

This addition to the Motus rear rack that was developed to accomplish a few things-

• Improve the functionality of the rear rack without the top case attached by giving a larger footprint for more soft luggage options. The rack was designed around a Nelson-Rigg CL-1060 sport touring bag found HERE, but many other bags will work due to the multiple strap points already cut into this rack.
• Provide strap and bungee attachment points to use with or without a rear soft bag or top case. Provides versatility for gear carry.
• Improve the looks of the rear rack without the top case attached and eliminate the plastic GIVI Monokey mount.

The rack design has been detailed here: LINKY

Rack cost is $150 plus shipping via UPS

Shipping cost typically ~$10-15 in the US, but less expensive when to a business. 

Paypal accepted once shipping cost is calculated. 

The rack can be ordered by emailing kirbseepe@yahoo.com. Costs are kept down by running batches of 5 or more at a time. Some racks may be kept in stock to fill out an order or if there is enough demand. Please inquire. 

One-offs or custom designs are always an option. Rear racks and tool tube mounts have been produced for bikes like the Stelvio, Multistrada, Explorer, KTM 990ADV, etc. Most racks have been for my personal use, but fellow riders often want what cannot be purchased to match their needs. The design process is fairly painless, inquire if interested.

Most rear racks are made from 12 gauge stainless steel. This material, often left bare on ADV bikes, provides a rigid surface that stays looking great. The Motus rack prototype has been produced in 12 gauge stainless (2lbs-10oz) and 0.10" aluminum (14oz). The final choice in material will be decided by orders placed, but each batch must be the same material. The cost of material does not impact final price as the setup charges from the laser cutter are the biggest cost factor. My personal rack is stainless steel powder coated.

The racks are de-burred and powder coated in a textured black 7-13% gloss powder. This provides a very close match to the factory Motus coating used. The hardware included with this rack is listed below:

• (4) M8x1.25x16mm, 18-8 stainless, button head hex drive screws 
• (4) M8, 18-8 stainless, washers

The above hardware replaces the factory rack hardware for consistency.

• (4) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, black oxide, button head hex drive screws
• (4) M6, 18-8 stainless, washers
• (4) M6x1 nylon insert, stainless lock nuts
• (4) 4mm thick nylon spacer

The above hardware mounts this rack to the factory rack using existing holes. The nylon spacers provide clearance for the Givi mushroom hardware. More on that below.

• (1) set of Givi E115F hardware set provided that includes: pyramid latch, rubber bumpers, and mushroom head spacers. All other hardware is replaced with the below
• (2) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, button head hex drive screws (pyramid latch)
• (2) M6 18-8 stainless, washers
• (2) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, flat head hex drive screws (mushroom spacers)
• (2) M6x1 nylon insert, stainless lock nuts

Also provided to duplicate the security of the Givi hardware for the pyramid latch. Replace M6x1x16mm pyramid latch hardware provided above with the below-

• (2) M6x1x16mm, 18-8 stainless, button head tamper resistant torx drive screws
• (1) T27 tamper resistant torx drive bit
• tamper resistant hardware is not shown in the photos below

All supplied hardware shown below. Anti-seize compound suggested on hardware used for the pyramid latch and stainless hardware attaching the factory rack:

Photos of installed rack

Rubber Givi bumpers clear factory rack or fall inside factory holes

The Givi mushroom head hardware must be slightly elevated to clear the nylock nut on the bottom side of the rack. 4mm spacers are provided for this.

New rack provides a sleek profile while still maintaining the ability to mount the Givi Monokey top case.

New rear rack

The stock rear case on the Motus, like the side bags, are made by Givi. The factory rear rack of the Motus is a well-engineered unit, but the stock Givi Monokey carrier is a bit..ugly. The Givi mount stays on the bike when not using the case. The below is my version of an alternative to a Givi Monokey rack. This rack does not apply to a Givi Monolock top case, only the Monokey. The difference between the two can be seen HERE.

Start with the factory Motus rack...

The Motus rack was used as a template to develop the alternate rack. The factory rack has angled side mounts that would make it difficult to replicate on a wider rack. Instead, the alternate rack will be mounted to the Motus rack mounting holes already in place. More holes were required on the back end of the rack, so matching bottle openers were cut in place.

 Factory cutouts will be duplicated as well as a cutout for the Motus logo. Mounting, Givi hardware, rubber bumper, and strap slots were located. Prototype on paper was printed and cut for test fitting of the rack and a soft topcase...

 Off to the laser cutter to do one sample in brushed stainless steel and one in aluminum. The racks were deburred and powder coated...

 The end results turned out exactly what I was looking for. 
Anyone interested may email: kirbseepe@yaoo.com

Cutting a new key

The bike I purchased was traded in with only one engine key. The dealer ordered a new key for the sale, but did not work in the ignition or seat release. 

I took a photo of my key and the newly cut key and sent to the dealer to clear up. The firm that Motus uses for keys sent me a new key based on the photos I sent (!). The issue was cleared up quickly.

Photos I sent of my key and the incorrect cut key (my key has been disguised):

Email from firm who cuts Motus keys is below. This may be useful when getting a key cut for your bike. They should be able to cut an key and next day air it if you are in a bind:

 

Dash display

The Motus dash is one of the coolest features of the motorcycle. Much more adjustable than any other dash with many more settings than most motorcycles let you mess with.

The TFT display is surrounded by eight buttons. These let you navigate the features as outlined here. The buttons are numbered in RED below as they will be detailed back to these numbers in the description below.

The main display is shown below. The main page shows up after the Logo and US flag.

Using button #2 will cycle through Trip meter A and B. Holding button #2 will reset the trip meter being displayed. This is the screen I ride with the most.

 The rider can cycle through the analog gauge at the left using button #3 to display oil pressure, coolant temperature, battery voltage or the digital pages shown top speed or digital versions of the gauge readings.

Now to figure out how to reset the top speed...

Button #5 toggles the hazzards on and off...

Button #6 and #7 cycle through grip and seat heat...Off to High to Low

Button #4 will bring up the menu button reminder of what the regular buttons do. 

Pushing #4 again will bring up the main menu and other options. Night mode allows the rider to cycle through bright or dim screens (not auto switchable). The user can set the levels for both in later screens.

The main menu has access to user settings and service intervals shown below. The user settings are very detailed for display brightness (night and day), grip heat (high and low), seat heat (high and low), units, cruise enable, and clock settings. The service reminder and total miles with engine hours is also shown.

The dealer menu is accessible by the rider.  

Pushing #3 'Start diagnostics' will show some basic bike data. Pushing #5 'Options' will allow the dealer to turn options on or off depending if they are installed. 

Two other service options include Gear Calibration and PDM diagnostics. The gear calibration is very interesting and should allow speedometer tweaking if the sprocket size is changed. The PDM diagnostic tells a lot about what is going on with the computer and very helpful for troubleshooting.

Wish list items for the dash:

The text size of the temperature and clock could be the same size as the gear indicator (showing 'N' in this photo) to make them slightly easier to read at speed. Not too worried about the text size of the trip meters or the odometer, but the temp and clock could be better.

During the initial boot of the screen the display defaults to showing the bike in Neutral, then switches over to 'Sidestand Down' covering up the gear indicator. This can lead the rider to believing the bike is in Neutral when it might be in gear. This is a small issue, but has caught me off guard once. It would be nice if the gear indicator and sidestand warning would cycle between the two in this state.

Overall, the dash is very clear, well laid out, and provides a lot of information. The buttons are only available from the dash. It would be nice to be able to cycle through a few of the features from the handlebar with programmable buttons, but it's not a deal breaker and the bars are free of button clutter. 

Headpipe polishing

The bikes with single wall polished stainless headpipes seem to have a tarnish issue that some call 'liver spots'. Guzzi Griso pipes have this same problem. The brushed finished look of the Guzzi Stelvio mask this quite nicely. Brushed finished on the Motus would look out of place.

The solution to the Griso and ultimately the Motus was to polish the spots out... 

Bike just after the heat shield was removed:

The main spot I wanted to address was the visible area between the downpipes.

Headpipes after a little elbow grease and a 4" random orbit polisher...

More work and then back together. I'm sure this will be a yearly task...

Brake and clutch fluid reservoir replacement

The stock brake and clutch fluid reservoir on the Motus are fairly basic on this bike. The look doesn't quite go with the high end bits scattered elsewhere. Time for an upgrade!

Stock reservoirs:

Nothing like a nice set of Rizoma parts:
#CT127B Rizoma NEXT brake reservoir
#CT125B Rizoma NEXT clutch reservoir
#CT115B Rizoma NEXT rear brake reservoir
#CT457B Rizoma handlebar clamp

 Care must be taken as not to get any DOT4 fluid on the paint. Extracting the brake fluid, removing the stock reservoir and placing the new mount is fairly painless. The new units are a much improved look.

 One disappointing feature is the Rizoma CT457B clamp- it's plastic! (not normal for Rizoma) The M4x0.7 hex bolts are threaded into the clamp. This would be OK if the clamp was the expected aluminum, but it is a very solid plastic. This was found when one of the threads stripped out attempting to tighten to the bar. An alternate clamp was found to provide multiple mounting points and a lower profile mount in general. These are made from Driven Racing and sold by Revzilla (Rizoma on the left, Driven on the right:

Removing all of the left handlebar hardware is first. Two set screws for the grips (heated) and two screws for the switch pod, and two 8mm bolts for the clutch lever are required for removal. Be aware of the locating pin/hole on the switch pod. Cutting some wire tie-wraps might be required to free up enough wire length. Pulling the Helibar out of it's mount might have been easier... Reassemble from the grip to the switch pod to the clutch lever before snugging up the reservoir mount to make sure everything is lined up and in the right spot.

Left side bar mount stripped:

Right side was similar, but WAY easier to pull the bar from the Helibar mount due to limited adjusting of the throttle cables. I didn't feel like taking the slack out of the cables from behind the faring.

Slide new clamp onto handlebar. I ended up flipping the clamp around to have the reservoir more to the front of the bike. The clamp provides three different mounting options:

Both clamps and Rizoma reservoirs mounted. They clean up the look of the handlebars and provide a much more compact look.