all contributed to a bike that just wasn’t as simple or easy to maintain as it could be. Radiator, water pump, thermostat, and all the necessary hoses, etc.
While it was a great little engine, it did have a surprising level of complexity. Our first model, the Halcyon 50 was a liquid-cooled 2-stroke 50cc motorcycle. What we wanted was the simplest, most reliable motorcycle engine in the world.Ī customer’s image of their Halcyon 50cc motorcycle with water-cooled 2-stroke and radiator. For a number of reasons, we were also looking for an engine that could be maintained using the tools in most people’s garage.
#250cc cg engine full
At the same time, we knew that we also wanted an engine that we and our customers could take full advantage of-not on the track, not with traffic enforcement hot on our trail, and not with a string of expensive repairs and maintenance. So when it came to selecting the right engine for Janus Motorcycles, we sought something with enough power to hit the highway for short stints (because that’s something we all have to do at some point) and to accelerate from a stoplight with a grin on your face. There is a lot of fun to be had on a powerful sport bike, cruising motorcycle, or dual sport, but for us, those kinds of experiences often sideline the real point of riding: to feel the wind in your face, to enjoy the journey, and to be a part of the passing scenery.
Shifting through all the gears, accelerating at full throttle and enjoying the whole process of piloting and even maintaining a simple, accessible machine-a machine that has fewer moving parts than a sewing machine and can be essentially taken apart and rebuilt with the tools in your saddlebag. They are also more fun when you can take advantage of the full potential of the machine. All those things were more fun on two wheels and even more fun when you were fully aware of the machine that was taking you there. Right away, we realized that some of the most fun that can be had and the majority of riding that we encountered happened in our daily activities: riding to work, riding with friends to lunch, riding to our favorite nearby town for a beer or a burrito. For instance, Devin and I started off our love for two wheels on vintage mopeds-that’s right, the ungainly little two strokes with pedals. We come from a background of small-displacement engines and lightweight bikes. Just about everything we do at Janus is based on our personal riding experience. Let’s start off with the question of small displacement. The Paragon, Devin, and my first motorcycle build from scratch: an 80cc homage to 1960s small-displacement grand prix motorcycling.