How often do we see snazzy new motorcycles pop up from relatively unknown brands, and how often do most of them seem to be missing a “soul”? Call me crazy, but I sincerely believe some motorcycles have souls. Even electrics.
I feel qualified to make such a call, having ridden plenty of soulless motorcycles. They might be modern, sharp, sexy, and powerful, but they often lack character, a genuine sense of connection from the saddle, and, perhaps most importantly, a story behind them.
That brings me to Mac Motorcycles – a new, family-run British motorcycle company that has only just begun selling its first pair of bikes. The South Yorkshire-based firm actually started out as a passion project more than a decade ago, meaning it has spent a considerable amount of time developing the motorcycles we see here today.
The bikes in question are two retro-styled single-cylinders. The first is the Ruby, a sporty café racer. The second is the Rex, a roadster-styled retro.
Mac Motorcycles
A 600cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine powers both models. Originally manufactured by SWM in Italy, it’s a revised version of the well-proven Husqvarna TE610 engine. The likes of the AJP PR7 Adventure and the now-discontinued CCM Spitfire also used the same powerplant.
The folks at Mac have made a number of upgrades, including fitting a Mikuni throttle body, a new ECU, and their own engine tuning. The result is a claimed 57 hp and a top speed of around 100 mph (161 km/h).
It’s not just the engine that the pair shares. They also use the same tubular steel backbone frame and many of the same underpinnings. Mac has made a point of sourcing British-made components wherever possible, starting with the chassis, which is manufactured in England by Caged Laser Engineering.
“We’re supporting British brands, British infrastructure, and we quite like the made-in-Britain philosophy,” Product Development Engineer William Oliver explains. “We care about what we do, and we want them to be a part of our story.”
Mac Motorcycles
Suspension duties are handled by Fastace, with 47-mm upside-down forks and an adjustable rear monoshock from Oxfordshire-based firm Nitron. Braking is similarly premium, with a HEL radially mounted caliper gripping a 320-mm floating disc and operated via a Brembo master cylinder. If you prefer, you can even spec the bike with a Brembo caliper as well.
Above all that sits a 4.2-gallon (16-liter) Acerbis fuel tank that partially conceals the unusual chassis and swingarm arrangement. The bikes roll on 17-inch polished rims with stainless-steel spokes, and buyers can choose their preferred tires. Dry weight is a claimed 331 lb (150 kg).
Twin reverse-cone silencers and a polished stainless-steel exhaust system are manufactured in-house. The setup includes interchangeable inserts for track use and has been tuned to accentuate the distinctive soundtrack of a big single-cylinder engine.
Both models share a wheelbase of 56 inches (1,430 mm) and a seat height of 30 inches (760 mm). However, there are several key differences aimed at different types of riders.
Mac Motorcycles
For starters, the Rex’s tail section takes inspiration from flat-track motorcycles. It also features taller handlebars for a more upright riding position. In contrast, the Ruby adopts a more aggressive café racer stance thanks to its traditional clip-on bars.
But here’s the clever bit: the handlebars and bodywork panels can be swapped between the two models, allowing owners to transform a roadster into a café racer – or vice versa – in about an hour.
Both bikes start at £15,500 (including VAT), which works out to roughly €17,900 or US$20,800 at current exchange rates. That firmly places Mac Motorcycles at the premium end of the category.
And that’s not without reason. The company says the pricing reflects the realities of small-batch manufacturing in Britain, where increasing production, logistics, and raw-material costs have pushed manufacturing expenses significantly higher.
Mac Motorcycles
Mac Motorcycles began life as a passion project. Early prototypes were based around the Buell Blast’s 492cc single-cylinder engine mounted in a straightforward tubular frame.
Over time, the much more modern 600cc SWM engine replaced the original Buell unit. That change required the company to redesign almost everything from scratch, including the frame, geometry, supply chain, and production processes.
Ian Oliver describes the inspiration behind the project as an attempt to recreate the feeling of being outdoors, along with the sounds and smells associated with riding motorcycles in his youth. Remember that idea about bikes having a “soul”? That’s exactly what these motorcycles are built around.
Mac Motorcycles
And that’s what feels so refreshing about the Rex and Ruby. They’re original, fully realized machines that embody what motorcycling is all about. Could they look a little sharper? Probably. Could they be loaded with the endless bells and whistles that characterize so many modern motorcycles? Absolutely. But then much of the charm that makes old-school retros so appealing would be lost in the process.
Source: Mac Motorcycles
