And now for something completely different.... Mac Motorcycles

[Rincewind]

from http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2009/05/mac-motorcycles-plucky-british.html

Mac Motorcycles: plucky British upstart bringing kick ass café racers

Mac Motorcycles has just announced itself to the world with a range of cool little café racer concepts. All are powered by the air-cooled single-cylinder 500cc engine out of the Buell Blast housed in a bespoke tubular steel backbone frame. They seek to combine a light weight with accessible performance and looks that successfully lean more towards retro-influenced than hopelessly out-of-date. Mac intends to produce the bikes in "small batches" for the UK, North American and European markets with prices ranging from $12,700 to $16,000 depending on spec.

There are 4 different models; 'Spud', for dossing about on, 'Ruby', the motorcycle equivalent of 'the girl-next-door', 'Pea Shooter', for squirting to your favourite pub and gassing with your mates and the 'Roarer', a modern-day dinosaur-chaser!

We think our favorite is the Pea Shooter for its clip-ons, rear seat cowl and high-level exhaust. All the bikes will make 34bhp in stock form, but optional engine upgrades can take that up to a reliable 50bhp. The machines look ripe for customization too; doubtless there'll be a range of parts available from the factory as well as compatibility with the usual aftermarket bits.

Mac is the fruit of a collaboration between successful furniture maker Ellis Pitt and upstart studio Xenophya Design. The company is based in Upton-upon-Severn in Worcestershire.

We think the idea behind Mac and its four bikes is brilliant, but worry that UK production is leading to too high a price tag to capture first-time bikers in search of an accessible, but high-spec motorcycle or existing bikers looking for a fun second bike. We're still hoping that Roland Sands gets round to offering an affordable kit for converting existing 450cc dirt bikes into cheap and stylish street bikes.

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

[Fourstring]

Nice looking photochop, but how much again?  

[mr moto]

What a great business model , price your product right out of the market before you have even built it !
You can buy a 600/650 inline four  Honda,Suzuki,Kawasaki,Yamaha,with ABS, a passenger seat, a proper sized fuel/gas tank a useful fairing, add some luggage, and still have a couple of grand left to play with.

[RedSKY17]

That’s what I’m talking about ! Absolute absolute good, one engine and 2 wheels, a simple yet attractive design, that’s the way to go !

That’s just a 3D apprehension so far, would like to see the absolute bikes bureaucracy for the accessible anchorage with absolute activity configuration, but so far that looks like a abundant project.



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Patio furniture

[kevin_stevens]

How does it look crushed into a cube?  

KeS

[Mr.Black]

I dont see a battery.

[Phenix_Rider]

First thought- looks like fun!  Even better if it's kick-start.  
Second thought- WTF?! $12-16k for a 500??  

[Pshrynk]

Thassa  lot of peanuts for a 500 cc thumper  

[Phenix_Rider]

Thassa  lot of peanuts for a 500 cc thumper  

Ya really.  For that much you think they'd use something a bit more exotic than a Blech engine.  Sorry, I mean Blast...  
Come on, they couldn't get anything from Cagiva or Aprilia or KTM or Husqvarna to put in there?  You think a Triumph engine would be a natural- They're British for chrissakes!

The Pea Shooter would be very tempting if it were a reasonable price- say $5-7k.  Those renderings sure don't look like they have Ohlins or Marchesini or Brembo as the price suggests.

[squeezer]

Yeah, okay, the price blows.

But that's a very cool design, IMO.

[Rincewind]

I dont see a battery.

It's good they didn't try to start it.  In Photoshop.  

[Rincewind]

Plans for using the now-nearly-defunct Buell Blast engine have been scrapped (like the Blast was scrapped in that Buell ad).  

Yamaha singles being considered instead, per this article - http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2009/09/mac-motorcycles-considers-swit.html