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Featured: This Custom Pike’s Peak Racer Is From A Post Apocalyptic Future

This Custom Pike’s Peak Racer Is From A Post Apocalyptic Future

By Michael Banovsky
October 8, 2015

Photos courtesy of Bike EXIF

You’re looking at the Magpul Ronin bike named “Oishi Yoshio”, in honor of the 47 Ronin leader. This unorthodox motorcycle claimed second at the 2015 Pike’s Peak Hillclimb, a feat usually reserved for factory-backed machines and budgets as tall as the peak itself.

Even though the bike has a 185 horsepower EBR 1190RX engine underneath its anime-inspired bodywork, the 375 lbs-when-wet racer was hitting the course for the very first time. The team and its rider, Travis Newbold, are surely overjoyed by its debut.

The story behind this motorcycle has earned it a starring role in Bike EXIF’s new book, The Ride: 2nd Gear. As the sequel to the publication’s much-loved first book, this is one story I can’t wait to read in full soon.

H/T: bikeexif.com

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Magpul Ronin Motorcycle
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Alfred
Alfred
6 years ago

What is beauty, but in the eye of the beholder ?
I quite like the unique, raw styling with no plastic rubbish hiding all its purpose built innards.
Well done to the makers 😎👍

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Emil Jonsson
Emil Jonsson
8 years ago

This bike reminds me of the unique John Britten V-twin that was competing in Isle of Man. A huge V-twin with engine as main load bearing member. Everything was bolted in the engine. It was a piece of art and I think the engine came from a split engine from a plane

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Martin Hone
Martin Hone
8 years ago

Amazing result for a first time out. Have to say, in terms of style, this is pretty ugly. Just look at the Britten. Another hand made masterpiece with a similar mission , but it had style as well as world-beating performance.

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Emil Jonsson
Emil Jonsson
8 years ago
Reply to  Martin Hone

Sorry – posted just after you without reading. I had EXACTLY the same thinking. The Britten was amazing.

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Xander Cesari
Xander Cesari
9 years ago

I love the organic look of this motorcycle. It reminds me a lot of the art of Simon Stalenhag.
comment image

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jamesm
jamesm
9 years ago

I’ve been a Ronin-47 junkie since catching the Dark-Knight version on BikeEXIF last year. When I first noticed their Pike Peak International Hill Climb racer (as I followed the Victory/RSD, Project-156 bike), I thought the light green was a poor trade for the original weaponized-Buell aura of all black. Brandon LaJoie’s photographs though really let you appreciate this bike as the race machine it is. Ronin’s alpha-male is already listed as being sold; so it is possible this bike will soon be hidden in some Smaug’s private collection. Great then to see Pertolicious present these photos in such a large and uncluttered format.

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Jon Ulrich
Jon Ulrich
9 years ago

While one can debate the beauty of this motorcycle or the design philosophy no one can deny the results in competition. The proof is in the pudding. To come in second at Pikes Peak for an untried bike is as unlikely as me winning the U.S. Open. So congrats Ronin for a spectacular run.

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Alan Robson
Alan Robson
9 years ago

All 47 of these motorcycles are works of art, and will be for their respected lifetimes. Everyone should get on the Ronin website and watch the trailer video for the production of these bikes. What a masterpiece.

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Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
9 years ago
Reply to  Alan Robson

All bets are five years from now no one will care and you’ll be able to pick up a used one for pennies on the dollar

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Alan Robson
Alan Robson
9 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

You’re such a stain. This website is for appreciate of automotive culture, not a place for you to show off your wikipedia-searching abilities. You are the exact opposite of what the message of Petrolicious is.

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Russ Vague
Russ Vague
9 years ago

Singularity of purpose. Beautiful.

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Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
9 years ago
Reply to  Russ Vague

Wrong . Built to pretense with a modicum of purpose .. only the lack of competition allowing them to come in ..

2nd 1

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Ted Gushue
Ted Gushue
9 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

Nobody’s wrong on their opinion, keep this attitude up and you’re banned amigo.

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Douglas Anderson
Douglas Anderson
9 years ago

As a fifty year motorcyclist, former club level road racer , I can only applaud the effort put in to this machine. As a purpose built thing for one ,and only one objective I think it’s ok, but man is it UGLY .
The purpose built TZ250’s I rode ,and the TZ750 that tried to kill me certainly had more sex appeal .

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Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno
Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno
9 years ago
Reply to  Douglas Anderson

Well, if you ask me I’d say it’s staight up beautiful. Purposefulness is another expression of beauty – and this is just amazing.

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Guitar Slinger
Guitar Slinger
9 years ago
Reply to  Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno

Well if you ask me , despite this being a home town effort the thing is uglier than the south end of a north bound mule . As far as purposefulness ? Are you serious ? Perhaps a little Engineering 101 is in order ? 90\% of whats making this travesty so damned ugly is the complete lack of purpose of the majority of the garbage hanging off the thing . EVERYONE to a number saying the thing could of won had they built it to a PURPOSE rather than indulging blatant pretense !

As for the book ? Buyer Beware ! The publisher in each of their previous efforts has gained a reputation for massive typos .. poor photo reproduction .. transposing languages between editions [ suddenly out of the blue you find yourself reading German in your English edition ] and a distinct lack of quality in both the paper as well as the manufacturing in light of the price . Fact is I know a couple of the authors involved all to a number swearing they’ll never put their name on anything coming from the publisher ever again

Nor will I be spending my hard earned buying one !

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Ted Gushue
Ted Gushue
9 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

Nobody asked you.

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Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno
Borja Acosta de Vizcaíno
9 years ago
Reply to  Guitar Slinger

I was talking about visual appeal. But thanks for the rant 🙂

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