Mac Motorcycles

**Paulo** · 29th May 2009, 10:13

Hadn't seen these before , British company MAC motorcycles build cafe and bobber inspired bikes based on a Buell blast motor, Oil in Frame and some really nice design, Lots of empty space in the frame and about as naked as you could get. Kind of in the Deus and Wrench Monkee school of design but different again. Bloody nice looking bike in my opinion. If you like Cafes and bobbers this is worth a look.

http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/spud_black.html

**pritch** · 29th May 2009, 10:16

There might be a shortage of the raw material. There were two Blasts in town here, both owned by ladies, but it isn't like you see them every day.

**Taz** · 29th May 2009, 10:24

Luckily America is a little larger than New Plymouth then aint it?? Lots of blasts there that no one wants.

**Hitcher** · 29th May 2009, 13:06

Something new and different from the UK.

http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/story.html

**Marknz** · 29th May 2009, 13:23

Looks good.

Similar to http://www.deus.com.au/#/bikes/

**Bob** · 30th May 2009, 00:19

Another new UK motorcycle company has announced plans to launch a range of bikes. Worcestershire based Mac Motorcycles – a collaboration between design studio Xenophya Design and Ellis Pitt – is to produce a small range of 500cc, single-cylinder models.

The four models – designed around the Buell ‘Blast’ engine and featuring a tubular backbone frame – are described by Pitt as “‘Spud’, for dossing about on, ‘Ruby’, the motorcycle equivalent of ‘the girl-next-door’, ‘Peashooter’, for squirting to your favourite pub and gassing with your mates and the ‘Roarer’, a modern-day dinosaur-chaser!”

Pitt said “Between us we’d designed, modified, built and ridden all sorts of motorcycles over the last 30 years. Our influences have been diverse and we’ve made unusual connections between genres of motorcycles such as choppers, Italian singles from the 1950s, flat-trackers and competition specials. What underpins Mac Motorcycles’ philosophy though is the belief that the riding experience and the stories that go with motorcycle journeys seem to have been hijacked by technology and plastic.”

The plan is for each model to be built in small batches. Depending on preferred specification and tuning options, the expected price for any of the bikes is between
£ 8k - £ 10k.

For more information: http://www.mac-motorcycles.com

**YellowDog** · 30th May 2009, 00:24

So that's around $25k for a 500cc single cylinder bike.

Tell them not to give up their day jobs.

**ajturbo** · 30th May 2009, 07:15

Originally Posted by YellowDog

So that's around $25k for a 500cc single cylinder bike.

Tell them not to give up their day jobs.

but.... but it has a BUELL engin.. thats GOT to be worth 20k!!!

**Headbanger** · 30th May 2009, 22:36

Im still waiting for the damn Norton.

Come on you pommy bastards.

**Bob** · 30th May 2009, 22:58

Originally Posted by Headbanger

Im still waiting for the damn Norton.

Come on you pommy bastards.

It all seems to be coming together - from looking at their site, another partner has been found, this time for the instrumentation contract. Latest news etc available at:

http://www.nortonmotorcycles.com/

They're still talking about a Summer 2009 launch - you can register at the site for more information.

**xwhatsit** · 31st May 2009, 00:46

Originally Posted by YellowDog

So that's around $25k for a 500cc single cylinder bike.

Tell them not to give up their day jobs.

They're a bespoke, low-production motorcycle. Something like CCM; you'd expect the prices to be similar. 500cc is about where you want a single to be, any higher is pushing it, and the single is integral to the whole concept, you can't use a twin. Expensive but fairly priced, really.

Very cool, I wish the Japs would make something like this again (GB500 and SRX600 were the last things even remotely similar) so that one day mere mortals like me could snap one up. The Buell engine (is it half a Harley?) is visually very cool (the gearbox out behind) and by the look of the torque/horsepower/RPM specs it would seem a really fun engine to punt along with in a chassis like that.

I hope it's got a good cush-drive, adjusting and lubing the chain is going to be tricky with it on the RHS on the inside of the silencer. Also, compare this model with the next model -- where's the shock/rear frame downtube gone on the first bike? Is it rigid -- don't see any springs in the seat, ouch!

<img src="http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/images/roarer_black.jpg" />
<img src="http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/images/spud_black.jpg" />

**Motu** · 31st May 2009, 10:52

Yes,it's a pity that these days people consider a 500cc single too gutless to ride on the road....as they ride around on their large capacity high horsepower bikes,using only a fraction of the power available.What a waste,it's so much more fun to thrash the tits off a lower powered bike.50hp is very respectable for a 500cc single....I'd like to see how much these things weigh....I reckon they'd be a shit load of fun.

A bike a normal low income bike enthusiast will never be able to afford....even when they are on the scrap heap.

I guess it's back to making our own then Tim....

**Paulo** · 31st May 2009, 14:03

totally agree with you Motu, Thrashing around the bays on my GB gives me much more fun then Idling around in second gear on a larger bike. Much rather ride a slow bike fast then a fast bike slow as they say. I think these bike's look bloody nice.

**Voltaire** · 31st May 2009, 15:44

Do they come with fries ?

**Beeza** · 31st May 2009, 16:04

500 singles are iconic. And they represent the ideal power/economy/fun compromise as they are adequately grunty for any use, frugal and they're light and flickable.

But if they look anything like the weirdo one-seater dog's breakfasts in the photos, they're going right where the old Ariel 3 shopcart went --- into well-deserved oblivion, taking their company with them.