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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
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.
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 .
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 !