A new British make of motorcycle has arrived, with the launch of Mac Motorcycles – a collaboration between Ellis Pitt and the motorcycle design studio, Xenophya Design. These are not modern, hi-tech superbikes but interpretations of historical two-wheelers with a touch of the Ace Café about them. Four different models are planned, with the unforgettable names of Spud, Peashooter, Roarer and Ruby.

Says Pitt, “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.”

Mac motorcycles are built simply and powered simply – the small range of lightweight, air-cooled singles uses the 500cc Buell ‘Blast’ motor in a tubular backbone frame.

Based in Upton-Upon-Severn in Worcestershire, the company initially plans to produce a few hundred bikes in small batches for the UK, North America and Japan, with customers in France and Australia in mind, too. Prices for these unusual motorcycles range from £8000 to £10,000. And you might want a helmet from Ateliers Ruby to go with it. For further information, see www.mac-motorcycles.com.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Mac Motorcycles