Low-production Janus motorcycles are essentially custom-built, as they are built to order by the boutique brand based in Goshen, Indiana. But that didn’t stop Mark Zweig, the company’s part-time CFO and partner, from developing his own design – the Janus Flying Z – with details not available on a “production” Janus.
“Our Halcyon 250 looks like a motorcycle that could have come out of the 1920s,” Zweig points out. “So I wanted to see what we could accomplish by building a motorcycle that looks like the natural evolution of that model and would have been built in the 1930s or ’40s. One of the coolest aspects of the Flying Z is its uniquely flared and low-slung fenders, which make it more aerodynamic. I’ve wanted to see what one of our bikes would look like with fenders like that for a few years now, and our master fender builder Brent Lehman, along with design advice from our founder and design director Richard Worsham, made it happen.”
In addition to the custom fenders, the Janus Flying Z features a paint job that matches the Cavalry Blue powdercoat. The Janus design team created a new script-style Janus logo for the tank, with Janus Lead Pinstriper Kelly Borden reproducing the design and embellishing it with two silver pinstripes that are repeated on the fenders. “Halcyon 250” is hand-painted on one side of the airbox, with the stylized “Flying Z” on the opposite side.
The Flying Z’s highlight is a sand-cast ornament of the same name on the front fender, designed and created by innovative Arkansas sculptor Eugene Sargent, known for his large-scale works. “Sargent designed the fender ornament to bridge the front fender brace and not require any special mounting fixture,” Zweig tells us.
Other features of the Janus Flying Z include polished components and a fuel cap with a custom engraved Flying Z logo, which is located on the airbox and replicated in three dimensions on the front fender. If the bike looks custom in many ways, it’s because Janus offers a wide range of options to buyers of the standard bikes.
Zweig is a long-time collector, restorer and customizer of motorcycles from the 1960s and 1970s, but after an accident in 2016 that left his Triumph Thruxton a ruin, he decided to downsize his collection and focus on smaller-displacement motorcycles.
“I just don’t bike as much as I used to, and I certainly don’t need to ride as far or as fast,” admits Zweig. “Our founder, Richard Worsham, referred to this style of biking as ‘hiking.’ Most of my bike rides are to and from campus or short trips in and around town.” Zweig holds an MBA and BS from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is executive in residence in the Department of Strategic Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business.
“For me, the Janus embodies everything I want in a motorcycle,” Zweig continues. “It’s incredibly beautiful, simple, reliable, ultra-lightweight and fun to ride. That’s why when I decided to have a new motorcycle built so we could try out some new design ideas, I chose another Halcyon 250 rather than one of our larger displacement motorcycles. It’s such a wonderful base design.”
With the Janus Flying Z, Zweig is something of a customer. Regardless, his ambitions are in line with those of many custom builders. “I can’t wait to see the public’s reaction to the new Janus Flying Z,” he reveals. “My old Janus draws a crowd every time I park it, and I expect this one will draw even more attention.” We doubt he’ll be disappointed.
