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Revving the engine: The vintage-looking Halcyon 250 is Janus Motorcycles’ best-selling product. It consists of numerous parts built in-house or within 20 miles of the company’s factory, including fuel tanks, exhausts, frames, handlebars and fenders. On the Halcyon 450, the 250’s big brother, the oil lines are also made in-house. The company offers test rides and tours of its Goshen facilities to prospective buyers.
How it’s built: Janus bikes, including the Halcyon, are not built on assembly lines. Instead, the company follows a closed-loop process through which it manufactures in-house parts and curates the rest, either through what the company calls “milk runs”—daily pickups and drop-offs at various suppliers across Elkhart County—or through standard shipping practices from elsewhere in the United States and overseas.
The recognizable pinstriping for various components of the motorcycles is completed in-house, and each bike is assembled by one of a handful of workers, rather than a team. Each motorcycle takes six to 10 weeks to complete.
Units sold: 300 a year
Where to buy: Direct ordering only, both ready-built and made-to-order.
Fun fact: Several components of the motorcycle—including leather pieces, oil tanks and powder coatings—are created by Amish craftsmen across Elkhart County.
Janus history: Founded in 2011 by Richard Worsham and Devin Biek, Janus started as a moped manufacturer before moving into motorcycles in 2013. The company introduced the Halcyon 250 in 2015 and added the 450 version in 2021. It introduced the Gryffin offroad motorcycle in 2018.
What’s next: Janus has started producing the 450 version of the Gryffin, with bikes rolling off the line this summer.
Address: 211 S. Fifth St., Goshen
Website: janusmotorcycles.com
—Compiled by Mickey Shuey
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