NEARLY five years after US firearms accessories maker Magpul unveiled its Buell 1125R-based concept, the first 12 production bikes are ready to go on sale.
The Ronin Motorcycle keeps the Buell’s frame, engine, swing-arm, wheels and some brake components, but replaces everything else with custom-built parts, including the girder front fork.
It’s got brake and clutch master cylinders which are integrated into the handlebar as one assembly, with bar-end mirrors and LED indicators.
Wiring is routed through aluminium castings and under the air-box cover, which is carbon fibre, as are the mudguards.
The radiator is mounted high up, where you’d normally expect to find a headlight, with stacked twin halogen lamps alongside it.
A total of 47 are to be built by Ronin Motor Works, owned by Magpul's founders, and sold via its website. The first 12, in silver and black, will cost $38,000 (£23,497).
Ten black ones will be followed by further batches of eight, six, four, and two, all in different colours, and all priced higher than the initial 12, which the firm says are being sold at a loss.
The final five will each be one-off designs.
All the bikes are ‘named after one of the 47 Ronin warriors from Japanese folklore, and each warrior's name is engraved on the bike and on the owner's toolkit,’ according to the firm.
And like a Samurai sword, once a spanner has been withdrawn from the toolkit, it cannot be returned until it has drawn blood. We speculate.
