It’s official: the Motus MSTR is the fastest production motorcycle in the United States.

The Alabama-based manufacturer raced its MSTR motorcycles at the 2014 Bonneville Speed Trials on the salt flats of Utah, riding them in stock, unmodified condition with just the mirrors, turn signals and licence plates removed.

Competing in the P-PP (production pushrod) and P-PG (production pushrod gas) classes, Motus Factory Racing set the two fastest land speed records of any American production motorcycle and established the stock Motus MSTR as the fastest production pushrod motorcycle in the world.

Motus president Lee Conn set a new record speed of 165.81 mph in the 1650cc production pushrod class, comfortably beating the previous record of 125.57 mph set by a Harley-Davidson in 2010.

In the 1650cc production pushrod gas class, design director Brian Case recorded a speed of 163.98 mph, beating the previous record of 132.33 mph which was set in 2008, also by a Harley-Davidson.

The new records are an average of two runs that took place on the same day. The riders actually reached a top speed of 168.69 mph, but that was not homologated.

Could they go even faster? Motus pointed out that the Bonneville Salt Flats’ high friction surface and altitude of 4,200 feet reduce potential top speeds by 20-30 mph from the speeds expected on pavement at sea level.

We can’t think of a better way to celebrate smashing the records than an epic journey home. As they packed up at the salt flats, the two company founders re-attached the mirrors, signals and licence plates and then rode their motorcycles 1,900 miles from Utah back to the Motus factory in Alabama.

Image: Motus