We will soon be seeing these retro-style roadsters from the fledgling British manufacturer on European roads.
Mac Motorcycles is a relatively new player in the industry, and focuses on heritage and classic-style cafe-racers, rather than modern, edgy, and performance-oriented machines. The U.K.-based company is the passion project of five friends who all share a love for motorcycles. The brand first hit the scene in 2018 with the Ruby, a cafe racer that was classic through and through. Now, four years later, the company is ready to produce two motorcycles.
The first bike that will roll off of Mac Motorcycles’ assembly line come 2023 is none other than the Ruby. This classic-style cafe racer bears all the hallmark features of a custom machine right off the showroom floor. For starters, it’s equipped with a round headlight, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, and a cropped tail. One of the first things you’ll notice is just how bare this bike is, with the engine, hoses, and all the wiring exposed. There’s even a gaping hole in the middle of the bike where the throttle body and rear shock are prominently displayed. Thanks to this design, the Ruby looks very slim and athletic, with a very bespoke and handmade look and feel.
Meanwhile, in November, 2022, Mac Motorcycles unveiled a new model in the form of the Rex. In essence, Mac took the Ruby’s sporty cafe-racer platform, and took the edge off slightly by making it a more upright, comfortable machine. Gone are the low-slung clip-on bars, and in their stead are a set of wide, upright handlebars. The foot pegs have also been repositioned slightly forward to make for a more upright seating position. Other than that, the Rex shares the same components as the Ruby, and is also expected to enter series production in 2023.
On the performance side of things, both the Rex and Ruby are powered by a 600cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine sourced from SWM. The Italian company, which has been around since the 1970s, is best known for its affordable off-road machines which make use of components from Chinese manufacturer Shineray. The 600cc engine found in Mac’s models is similar to that found in old Husqvarna models, and churns out a decent 52 horsepower thanks to dual-overhead camshafts, and a four-valve cylinder head. The engine breathes through an exhaust system manufactured by Italian specialist QD.
The engine is housed in a tubular steel frame which proudly exposes all the mechanical components of the bike. Suspension hardware consists of beefy 47-millimeter inverted front forks from Taiwanese brand Fastace, while the rear shock is a Nitron R1 fully adjustable unit. To give the bikes a classic, sporty appearance, Mac has fitted 17-inch wire-spoke wheels. Last but not least, the bikes come to a stop with Brembo brakes equipped with ABS
