Topic: A cool new Brit bike on the horizon

[Ecosse]

Mac Motorcycles. Uses a Buell Blast mill. Back to basics machine... oh please sell in the 'States!!

Check out the "Story so far" on their site.

[Frankencake]

This was  "guess the bike maker" post a few weeks ago.  Good work Ecosse!

[Ecosse]

it was no big deal really; when you spend as much time on the interweb as i do, watching you tube, shopping for russian brides, voicing my political views to people who don't care, and filling the empty void in my social life, i'm bound to find something of relevance.    

i hope they are successful. not only would it be good for all bikedom, but i'd like to see england regain some of their industrial and motorcycle heritage. even if it does move by yank power.


another link of interest.

[CBGhia]

I love the look, but a blast engine?  really?  I have never heard a good thing about the Buell Blast.  I don't have any personal experience with the bike, but I was looking at one for my wife several years back and the reviews were bad... all bad.

[Ecosse]

well maybe much of the bad is the bike overall. can't imagine the engine/trans is very refined but what the hell. wonder why they didn't sign up for a rotax like everyone else? i don't know anything about those but they're all over the place it seems.

[Frankencake]

Does Rotax make a big single?  I know they make quite a twin.  What are their options.? Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha have all been done.  They wanted, probably, to do something out of the ordinary and putting a Royal Enfield, while surely fitting in to their concept of minimalism and connecting to the bike of the past, would have been a grave mistake.  The Buell mill would be the only economical option left which seem logical to me. 

[MacM2010]

I like the name.

-Mac

[bill440cars]

This was  "guess the bike maker" post a few weeks ago.  Good work Ecosse!

          Not a bit surprised that Bill figured that out, he sure seems to locate some pretty interesting stuff of all kinds.   Way to go there Bill!

                                  Later on, Bill

[Uncle Ernie]

The only worse choice for the lump would be a Royal Enfield.

So many good one-lungers out there- why a stinky Blast?!

[Ecosse]

I like the name. -Mac

 

they may have gotten a sweetheart deal from harle... uh, buell. the r.e. would be cool and ya can get around 50 hp from the 500cc, and be true brit.

the rotax does make a single but i think they may all be water cooled.

bill, you flatterer, you.   but thanks my fellow bill of the bill brotherhood.  

what are some good thumper mills? i am unlearneded.

one more thing: while it's unlikely their minds could be changed, they seem open to feedback.

[bryanj]

Best Thumper BSA Gold Star followed by Velocette Venom but Jap has to be Yamaha SR 500

[Ecosse]

an email i received this morning:

Hi Bill 

I’m really sorry for the delay in replying to your e-mail.  We have been inundated with enquiries and good wishes since the launch of our website. We are still a small team so it has taken us a little longer than we expected to reply to each and every one of you, for which we sincerely apologise.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact us, we really appreciate your comments and all have been noted.  Your feedback is invaluable to us at this stage of our development and we are really very grateful. 

We are currently building pre-production prototypes and have begun negotiations with suppliers and manufacturers. We will, of course, keep you updated on our progress. 

The price of our motorcycles is not yet fixed, final prices will depend on a combination of factors; volumes in which we manufacture, the specification that customers request, the method of distribution and, most importantly, what customers are prepared to pay. One thing that would really help us right now is to know what you would expect to pay for your preferred model?

This is an extremely exciting time for us at Mac-Motorcycles and we look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Best regards                   

Miss Tracey Price

The Glamorous Assistant!

Mac Motorcycles

Worcester

England

info@mac-motorcycles.com

www.mac-motorcycles.com

[malcolmgb]

i hope they are successful. not only would it be good for all bikedom, but i'd like to see england regain some of their industrial and motorcycle heritage. even if it does move by yank power.

Haven't we started already, TRIUMPH (no white option) Royal Enfield have a new all aluminium low emission engine coming out too, built in India though I believe.

[Ecosse]

i hope they are successful. not only would it be good for all bikedom, but i'd like to see england regain some of their industrial and motorcycle heritage. even if it does move by yank power.

Haven't we started already, TRIUMPH (no white option) Royal Enfield have a new all aluminium low emission engine coming out too, built in India though I believe.

not saying there are no brit machines, etc... just a shadow of what they once were. lots of innovation and history came from that little island, and i'd like to see more. yeah, tiumph coming back from the brink and expanding on the international scene is awesome, and r.e. staying alive (thanks to the works in india btw) is commendable. wasn't it when the government took over the auto industry that ensured their dark fate? i'm talkin' british leyland and the rest.

just to add that i admire greatly the uk penchant for the cottage industry. their innate ingenuity is realized through this and wish for more of it here in the 'states. amazing things are born from small dedicated groups.

 

[Frankencake]

You all have no doubt seen the Ariel Atom?  True British goodness.....

[malcolmgb]

Hi Ecosse, thought from your name and pic you were of Scottish blood.

Don't want to get political here but my understanding is;
The bike industry failed by resting on their laurels believing they were producing what people wanted no need to develop for the future.
The car industry was ruined by the powerful unions, the government nationalised the BMC group to prevent it from going bankrupt.

[Ecosse]

Hi Ecosse, thought from your name and pic you were of Scottish blood.

Don't want to get political here but my understanding is;
The bike industry failed by resting on their laurels believing they were producing what people wanted no need to develop for the future.
The car industry was ruined by the powerful unions, the government nationalised the BMC group to prevent it from going bankrupt.

i stand corrected regarding the bike industry as that's my understanding too. in either case they, cars and bikes, are shining examples of what y'all can do, and is admired on this side of the water.

don't get me wrong; i'm not such an anglophile as to not tout our greater potential as well. but we're talkin' brit here. 

btw: born bred and exceedingly proud american citizen right here,  half scot by blood. fan of ecurie ecosse, jimmy clark, bob mcintyre, jackie stewart... my dear grandma.   

[schwebel]

Hopefully they fix the sound of a blast engine. A friend of mine has one and it sounds like a lawnmower. She hates the sound. I have nothing against thumpers, but drop a BMW single in there. But I will say those are some sweet looking rides.

[mlinder]

Hopefully they fix the sound of a blast engine. A friend of mine has one and it sounds like a lawnmower. She hates the sound. I have nothing against thumpers, but drop a BMW single in there. But I will say those are some sweet looking rides.

Pretty sure those are rotaxes. At least, they used to be.

[Ecosse]

my guess is that they would prefer not to use a liquid cooled motor, as the rotax/bmw. also, i bet they got a deal from hd, as hd struggles with cash i bet they were happy to sell some thumpers. plus, they add to the rude, crude, back to basics feel of the mac.  

[heffay]

I like the Peashooter... the bobber lookin' seats just don't go w/ the new style tanks they've used on the other options... my opinion, of course
the exhaust is pretty cool on it as well, which is where they got the "peashooter" I'm guessin'. 

[KB02]

I rode a blast a year or two after they came out. Nice little bike (says the voice on top of a 6' 1", 200 lbs frame). I thought it was a little anemic when I got on the highway. Than I realized that I wasn't riding a torquey little V-Twin and I had to get the revs up to make power. Once I shifted down to third and twisted my wrist I got it up to 75 before I backed off. It would be fun to try the tuned up version.

I like them. I've always liked smaller bikes anyway. Would be a great bike for my WIFE!! YES, That's it! I'l get one "For my Wife..." and then steal it from her and ride it... you know... just to warm it up... and make sure it's running right...   


Bill, You should respond to their e-mail saying you'd like to spend in the $4-5k range for one. I mean, it's only a 500. 

[DarkRider]

Dont see why anyone would dislike the Blast...it seems like it would be a great commuter bike.

[Rich W]

Dont see why anyone would dislike the Blast...it seems like it would be a great commuter bike.

  The Blast in my opinion could be such a cool bike if Buell just took a second to redesign it into a nice sport thumper .   I dig the Mac but apparenty that thing is gonna be like 12k$ . Can buy a SportClassic for that or even a Guzzi.  If they were to get the price to about 8kUS and bump up the HP and torque to about 50 square ( not hard at all ) I'd certainly consider one . I'm still awaiting another cool sport thumper to hit the market . Only cool one lately was the MZ . Tha KTM690 is cool but it's to Spy vs. Spy looking for me .