Great video,, I bought my Halcyon 250 with the goal in mind to do a stage 4 plus kit on it, though I was able to get over 500 miles in on the stock config, the stage 4 plus kit is a must have for the 250, it makes it a totally different bike! I also agree that with the Motocult upgrade, it is totally the most fun one can have on 2 wheels, hands down, now I can’t wait for the chance to try out Devin’s 7” headlight, and tail light upgrades I recently added! Happy to know of your experience with this upgrade as well! Thanks for the very well done presentation!
That headlight is a massive improvement over the original one. The signal lights are also insanely bright if you are planning on changing those out. I love it. Thank you!
I have one of these as my "small" bike, the stage 4 upgrade was mandatory imho. It's the bike I wanted my Super Cub to be as now it has the power to realistically run pretty much any road lower than the interstate without becoming an impediment to other traffic when the grade isn't flat (I live in the mountains). My speedometer is accurate. Something is wrong with Devin's, in the menu there is a calibration code that probably needs to be adjusted.
I have a Phoenix with a Stg 4+ kit. It isn't near as twitch as the Halcyon or Phoenix. The problem with all the 250's is even with the 43T rear sprocket Devin provides, it is winding the heck out of the motor. I asked him a while ago to make some 41T and 39T rear sprockets so I can drop the revs a bit. I would never own a Janus 250 that is stock. The Stg 4+ is more fun than my 450 in a lot of situations too. At least on their more recent bikes the speedo is no longer in fairy tale land but still a bit optimistic.
Remarkable upgrade. I have a 450 Halcyon and I find it's power adequate. With EFI, I have to wonder how much can be done to increase power, unless there is a Power Commander that can be fitted to it. It feels like the 450 is running very lean. What does interest me is any improvement in the exhaust.. the 450 sounds very .. tinny. Like a 70's dirt bike, which is essentially where the engine came from. Also, the power is all at the upper revs which is stupid on a "Vintage" bike. I want grunt. I want low end torque. Probably not possible with this engine.
I have a 250 kitted out like the one in the video, I found the power band to be odd as well- the bike's character makes it seem like something to leisurely cruise around on but the engine wants to rev like a dirt bike.... it's almost oxymoronic.
@@UncleVoodoo Too me, the weakest link in the bike is the engine choice. Yes, it's a Honda, reliable and available... but it does not suit the vintage vibe. This bike needed a long stroke single, more like the Royal Enfield 350 and 500. Low RPM, lots of torque.. thump thump thump. I would happily give up HP for more torque.
I'm confused Steven... which bike are we talking about. The 450? or the 250? The RE J series is not all that torquey IMO... i mean it has more grunt in the lower RPM range but the acceleration and pull is nowhere near say a Triumph speed 400 or practically any 300ish cc "sport bike" Granted yes these are extremely different styles of engines but still... I'm not totally sure i get your point. What small CC engine would you suggest in a perfect? Obviously Janus can't make their own engines let alone Import say a real Japanese Honda engine. But i am curious to your opinion on a more Perfect engine for the bike.
@@FoxParasyte Golly, I am not sure. Both the 250 and 450 need to be revved to get any go out of them, The 450 has nothing below 3,000 RPM. As for a better choice.. no idea, don't know what is out there. I would be willing to sacrifice 5 HP to get more low end torque. (The 450 has 30 HP)
The 450 bogs out HARD in the low end. I do imagine that a proper tune would change that out massively. Either way it does seem that both the 250 and the 450 have to go higher in the RPM for that power to be achieved. Though the 250 with the S4+ feels amazing even in the lower RPM range where stock it suffers quite a lot. I think when MotoCult gets around to making modification kits to that 450 it's going to dramatically change the riding characteristics of that bike. In the way it has with the 250. But granted it's still going to be a higher RPM powerband bike. It doesn't seem there is a "perfect world" situation for engines on these Janus bikes. Without of course making them from scratch... but the idea of that ever happening is flat out unrealistic.
I ride 88ci and 107 HD's and yet still looking at getting smaller bikes for commuter fun or campsite bikes. I really like the Janus I just couldn't get past the price for the cc size. It maybe totally worth it. But, my budget it don't add up. But, I still really would love to own one just like I would love to own a URAL they are just very unique and well.. Hold a charm to them. I mean yes I like the RE classics as well. It would appear you like many the same rides as me. I think I would get the RE for bigger CC over the Janus. Which bike offers more comfort? I saw this about going to smaller bike. But, When I ride my bikes and feel the power I am like I am not sure I can also ride without the power now either. It is like you going back to stock 250 will never happen.
I own one of theses 250s (kitted out like the bike in the video) as my "small" bike and had to justify the cost as well. I ended up buying a low mile used one and saved a ton of money making the price easier to swallow. What sealed the deal for me was that this is the kind of bike you just keep around while other bikes may come and go. It's like owning a decent mechanical watch vs a quartz watch that ends up being disposable where the mech can always be kept running and passed on to your kids someday. The simple nature of the bike makes it something you could literally keep for the rest of your life, and that kind of makes the initial cost end up being moot. It's also not a "modern classic" like a Royal Enfield (which I also own), so it's not a modern bike disguised as an old bike, it's built old school and it feels like it. It's a be careful what you wish for type of thing. I love mine but won't blow smoke up anyone's backside about it either. It has a more agricultural feel to it compared to the RE and it feels more like a mini bike on steroids than it does a "proper" motorcycle. I try to stress that it's not a bike for everyone, but for the right owner it's the kind of thing you just never get rid of.
I love all sorts of bikes from a Triumph Rocket 3 and Vmax to a Honda Grom and CBR300. Size for me doesn't matter all that much. So with that said here's my small take on this. If you are worried about not having enough power and that's a key factor for you. Don't even bother with a Janus or the 350's. None of them have a ton of torque to give you that "rush adrenaline" sensation. Maybe look more into the RE 650's or even a used RE Scram 411 if you can. Unless you are into the Japanese market... there's a ton of arguably better low CC bikes if you are wanting a bit more power out of the engine. RE is infinitely more comfortable than the Janus 250's. Even my most disliked RE is miles more comfortable. At the end of the day it comes down to test riding. I have NEVER bought a bike without test riding it and giving it a proper go on the roads. I want to see what a stock bike can do (without actually beating the piss out of it of course) If i am cool with how it is off that test ride than i know i'll like it more if i do end up modding it.
Great video,, I bought my Halcyon 250 with the goal in mind to do a stage 4 plus kit on it, though I was able to get over 500 miles in on the stock config, the stage 4 plus kit is a must have for the 250, it makes it a totally different bike! I also agree that with the Motocult upgrade, it is totally the most fun one can have on 2 wheels, hands down, now I can’t wait for the chance to try out Devin’s 7” headlight, and tail light upgrades I recently added! Happy to know of your experience with this upgrade as well! Thanks for the very well done presentation!
That headlight is a massive improvement over the original one. The signal lights are also insanely bright if you are planning on changing those out. I love it.
Thank you!
I have one of these as my "small" bike, the stage 4 upgrade was mandatory imho. It's the bike I wanted my Super Cub to be as now it has the power to realistically run pretty much any road lower than the interstate without becoming an impediment to other traffic when the grade isn't flat (I live in the mountains).
My speedometer is accurate. Something is wrong with Devin's, in the menu there is a calibration code that probably needs to be adjusted.
Excellent, because it can be episode again.
I hope for a USA UK trade deal as than Janus is a possibility for me
If you can get CCM to ship here, I'll get Janus to ship there.
I have a Phoenix with a Stg 4+ kit. It isn't near as twitch as the Halcyon or Phoenix. The problem with all the 250's is even with the 43T rear sprocket Devin provides, it is winding the heck out of the motor. I asked him a while ago to make some 41T and 39T rear sprockets so I can drop the revs a bit. I would never own a Janus 250 that is stock. The Stg 4+ is more fun than my 450 in a lot of situations too. At least on their more recent bikes the speedo is no longer in fairy tale land but still a bit optimistic.
Remarkable upgrade. I have a 450 Halcyon and I find it's power adequate. With EFI, I have to wonder how much can be done to increase power, unless there is a Power Commander that can be fitted to it. It feels like the 450 is running very lean. What does interest me is any improvement in the exhaust.. the 450 sounds very .. tinny. Like a 70's dirt bike, which is essentially where the engine came from. Also, the power is all at the upper revs which is stupid on a "Vintage" bike. I want grunt. I want low end torque. Probably not possible with this engine.
I have a 250 kitted out like the one in the video, I found the power band to be odd as well- the bike's character makes it seem like something to leisurely cruise around on but the engine wants to rev like a dirt bike.... it's almost oxymoronic.
@@UncleVoodoo Too me, the weakest link in the bike is the engine choice. Yes, it's a Honda, reliable and available... but it does not suit the vintage vibe. This bike needed a long stroke single, more like the Royal Enfield 350 and 500. Low RPM, lots of torque.. thump thump thump. I would happily give up HP for more torque.
I'm confused Steven... which bike are we talking about. The 450? or the 250? The RE J series is not all that torquey IMO... i mean it has more grunt in the lower RPM range but the acceleration and pull is nowhere near say a Triumph speed 400 or practically any 300ish cc "sport bike" Granted yes these are extremely different styles of engines but still... I'm not totally sure i get your point.
What small CC engine would you suggest in a perfect? Obviously Janus can't make their own engines let alone Import say a real Japanese Honda engine. But i am curious to your opinion on a more Perfect engine for the bike.
@@FoxParasyte Golly, I am not sure. Both the 250 and 450 need to be revved to get any go out of them, The 450 has nothing below 3,000 RPM. As for a better choice.. no idea, don't know what is out there. I would be willing to sacrifice 5 HP to get more low end torque. (The 450 has 30 HP)
The 450 bogs out HARD in the low end. I do imagine that a proper tune would change that out massively. Either way it does seem that both the 250 and the 450 have to go higher in the RPM for that power to be achieved. Though the 250 with the S4+ feels amazing even in the lower RPM range where stock it suffers quite a lot.
I think when MotoCult gets around to making modification kits to that 450 it's going to dramatically change the riding characteristics of that bike. In the way it has with the 250. But granted it's still going to be a higher RPM powerband bike.
It doesn't seem there is a "perfect world" situation for engines on these Janus bikes. Without of course making them from scratch... but the idea of that ever happening is flat out unrealistic.
I ride 88ci and 107 HD's and yet still looking at getting smaller bikes for commuter fun or campsite bikes. I really like the Janus I just couldn't get past the price for the cc size. It maybe totally worth it. But, my budget it don't add up. But, I still really would love to own one just like I would love to own a URAL they are just very unique and well.. Hold a charm to them. I mean yes I like the RE classics as well. It would appear you like many the same rides as me. I think I would get the RE for bigger CC over the Janus. Which bike offers more comfort? I saw this about going to smaller bike. But, When I ride my bikes and feel the power I am like I am not sure I can also ride without the power now either. It is like you going back to stock 250 will never happen.
I own one of theses 250s (kitted out like the bike in the video) as my "small" bike and had to justify the cost as well. I ended up buying a low mile used one and saved a ton of money making the price easier to swallow.
What sealed the deal for me was that this is the kind of bike you just keep around while other bikes may come and go. It's like owning a decent mechanical watch vs a quartz watch that ends up being disposable where the mech can always be kept running and passed on to your kids someday. The simple nature of the bike makes it something you could literally keep for the rest of your life, and that kind of makes the initial cost end up being moot.
It's also not a "modern classic" like a Royal Enfield (which I also own), so it's not a modern bike disguised as an old bike, it's built old school and it feels like it. It's a be careful what you wish for type of thing. I love mine but won't blow smoke up anyone's backside about it either. It has a more agricultural feel to it compared to the RE and it feels more like a mini bike on steroids than it does a "proper" motorcycle.
I try to stress that it's not a bike for everyone, but for the right owner it's the kind of thing you just never get rid of.
I love all sorts of bikes from a Triumph Rocket 3 and Vmax to a Honda Grom and CBR300. Size for me doesn't matter all that much. So with that said here's my small take on this. If you are worried about not having enough power and that's a key factor for you. Don't even bother with a Janus or the 350's. None of them have a ton of torque to give you that "rush adrenaline" sensation. Maybe look more into the RE 650's or even a used RE Scram 411 if you can. Unless you are into the Japanese market... there's a ton of arguably better low CC bikes if you are wanting a bit more power out of the engine.
RE is infinitely more comfortable than the Janus 250's. Even my most disliked RE is miles more comfortable.
At the end of the day it comes down to test riding. I have NEVER bought a bike without test riding it and giving it a proper go on the roads. I want to see what a stock bike can do (without actually beating the piss out of it of course) If i am cool with how it is off that test ride than i know i'll like it more if i do end up modding it.