We Take A Look At British Based Mac Motorcycles

We take a look at the recent additions to the UK motorcycle companies.

Mac Motorcycles is the brainchild of found Ellis Pitt.

Pitt wanted to take something from the simplicity and non-conformity that unites the chopper builders with the philosophy of the Italian singles manufacturers from the 1950s and 1960s and the spirit of competition specials.

Ellis came up with a brief for his motorcycles that they should be:

• Simple to maintain.
• Nothing surplus-to-requirements.
• Chopper and bobber references/details.
• The lines of a rigid frame but with suspension.
• Use a Buell ‘Blast’ motor and exploit its shape.
• Harley posture, flat-tracker manners, Ducati handling.
• Exploit the power-to-weight ratio of a 500cc single in a lightweight chassis.
• A return to the spirit of motorcycling - the journey is the experience / story.

The result are the four motorcycles due to be produced that have perhaps the daftest, yet quintessentially British names of; Spud, Pea Shooter, Ruby and Roarer.

The bikes are stripped back, what-you-see-is-what-you-get machines and we like ‘em!

We also managed to spot the prototype Spud as well thanks to Mark Wells @ Xenophya Design along with a possible new bike the XT660.

“MAC is seriously considering using the XT660 liquid cooled Yamaha single-cylinder engine in its range of cafe racers, instead of Buell Blast’s air-cooled single, as originally planned” says Wells.

“The company were left high-and-dry after Harley-Davidson announced production of the Blast motor was to end; the Worcestershire-based bike builder is now asking its potential customers to give them feedback about the use of the liquid-cooled motor in their machines” he finishes.