Ronin #2:

More Ronin. Here is part of a press release from the Denver company.

Ronin Motor Works is pleased to announce the completion of four special Ronin Art Motorcycles within their series of 47 production bikes. The designs of these motorcycles were developed in collaboration with local Denver, Colorado artists. Each bike is painstakingly hand painted or etched in the style of the artist. Ronin Motor Works plans to auction these bikes publicly this summer, save for one that has already been sold, but inquiries by collectors can be made prior to by emailing info@roninmotorworks.com. 
Ronin Motor Works is nearing the completion of their build of 47 custom motorcycles. To date, over half of the motorcycles built have been sold. More details on the color schemes and specifications of these motorcycles can be found via their website at www.the47.com

Ronin #2 is the final motorcycle in the series and the paint scheme was designed by local Denver illustrator Samuel Lee Turner. Mr. Turner studied traditional Japanese illustration and tattoo art to accomplish his design. The artwork depicts the Samurai Teraoka Nobuyuki, who was the only warrior in the 47 Ronin clan who remained alive after they enacted revenge on the Lord who disgraced their master. The leader of the 47 Ronin, Oishi Yoshio, requested that Teraoka watch over the spirits of his fallen comrades, depicted as Tengu mountain creatures on the right side of the motorcycle. Mr. Turner portrays Teraoka on the opposite side wielding a heavy hammer, his weapon of choice during the counter insurgency of the Ronin Samurai. The motorcycle is hand painted and exquisitely detailed in the style of traditional Japanese tattooed body suits.

Travis and the Ronin at Pikes Peak

This is a video of our poet, regular contributor and friend Travis racing the firebreathing Ronin at Pikes Peak last year. The video is long because it shows three full 10 or so minute runs from different angles, but I'll be honest and say I didn't watch them all right through.

The beginning of the film is loaded with emotion and significance as Travis hugs his wife before the start, she kisses him on the chinbar of his helmet and walks to the side wiping a tear from behind her sunglasses. Earlier in the week their good friend Carl Sorensen crashed in practice and died. Travis had been weighing up the opportunity versus risk since then and came to a decision. Watch how he leaves the startline to see how committed he was to his decision. Travis would come second overall behind Honda America's official CBR1000 entry.

You can either watch the entire film, flick through the different angles or choose one angle and watch the whole race, but at the very least have a flick through to see the landscape change from lush forest to barren rockfield to snowline. At 35:16 Travis passes as a deer at over 100mph.

At the beginning the mechanic uses the line 'Colorado bike, Colorado rider, Colorado race'. It made me smile because I used that line when I visited Ronin in Denver to be the first journalist in the world to ride the road bike and put the idea of this Pikes Peak project in Ronin's mind. Who doesn't love it when a plan comes together?

Read my Ronin road test in Sideburn 19. G

UPDATE: This post was supposed to go up yesterday but was SNAFU'd. Sorry!

Ronin Variants

The final editions of the 47 Ronin all have special one-off paintjobs. Some are still for sale, with prices starting at $45,000.

Sideburn's editor (me, Gary Inman) was the first journalist to visit the company's impressive Denver headquarters. We featured the bike and company in Sideburn 19. Our resident poet race it at Pikes Peak and wrote about the experience in Sideburn 22. G

Sideburn's Poet vs Pikes Peak

Travis Newbold is our hero. And our poet. And he's racing in the support class at the US Superprestigio in Las Vegas, November 21.
Watch him race the Ronin to second overall at Pikes Peak (and crash while celebrating).

Read about Sideburn's in-person visit (by me, the editor) to Ronin HQ in Sideburn 19. While blogs all over the world trot out some vapid tosh (Brembo this, bhp that) without really checking the details, and many independent mags just print emails verbatim, we put the leg work and air miles in to do things properly (or as properly as a niche magazine with a decidedly un-mainstream cult following can). We don't bang our own drum very often, but if you've never bought Sideburn and are subconsciously judging it by the level of 'journalism' in some other motorcycle mags and blogs, then please don't. We're better. Miles better.
Drum-banging endeth. G

Travis Newbold + Ronin x Pikes Peak

Last Sunday Sideburn's poet, Travis Newbold was preparing to race the 1190cc Ronin race special up Pikes Peak. Below are his thoughts, but first a bit of background (some of which has been covered before in the 5000-plus posts on this blog, so sorry if you know it already).

I first met Travis at the Las Vegas indoor short track races in January, 2010. He stood out, because he has the roughest bike, biggest smile and a dog named Baja. I didn't realise this was Travis's first ever dirt track race. He did well, I took some photos, made a short interview and he went in the magazine. Then, through the wonder of blogs, he became friends with Anthony Co-Built, kept in touch with Sideburn and planned to visit Europe to race and tour about. He's done that twice now, plus I stayed with Travis and his wife, Rachel, when I visited Denver in October 2014 (Travis even said my off-the-cuff advice gave him the confidence to ask his now wife to start dating!). Travis started posting some poems on his blog (747 Rider). We liked them and Sideburn started running them in the magazine from issue 13, always with a shot of Travis in action or hanging out at a race.

When I visited Denver it was to ride the Ronin. The feature went into Sideburn 19, and while I was there I suggested they should race the bike at Pikes Peak. It's one of the few races specials can compete in. My thinking was Colorado race, Colorado bike (nominally), Colorado rider. I suggested they contact Travis, a Pikes Peak regular, class winner and local bike shop owner. A couple of people at Ronin already knew of him. The two parties got in touch and the result was a well-supported effort, two trips to the mountain to practice prior to the race itself and a very excited Travis.

Travis kindly plastered Sideburn's logo on the team shirt's, backdrop and one of the bike's cast alloy, front girder fork legs.

Very sadly, one of Travis's best friends, and an absolutely lovely fella, Carl Sorenson (217), died during the official practice, in the days before the race. Carl's family encouraged Travis to keep racing, and, somehow, he got in the frame of mind to do it.
Travis and Ronin came second overall to a Honda America-supported, HRC CBR1000RR. An incredible result for a bike with radical front suspension in its first ever race.
This is what he wrote when he got back home... G
(Pike Peak photos: Warren)

It was a crazy week. Despite loosing Carl I felt solid. But as soon as the green flag waved and I went to launch the angry warthog into warp speed I knew it was going to be tough to make it to the top. In an effort to not over heat the bike we started with a cold engine. It would not take throttle for the first mile or so and once it did take throttle it nearly spit me off as the rear tyre was struggling despite having our own tyre guy. It bucked me over the highside so hard, I have no clue how I held on and saved it. It did it nearly every time I gave it any throttle coming out of a corner. In one corner I had to stand it up and ride into the drainage ditch. I kept it pinned. 

Then just below Devils Playground it over-heated and went into limp mode until cooling down coming into Bottomless Pit. I hammered on. Near the top I approached Carl's corner and fought so hard to keep the throttle twisted. I crossed the line and went to slide a broadie on the last dirt corner. Bar lock. No steering. I high sided the high dollar machine but at least I was in the background of HRC rider Tigert [and racewinner] giving his TV interview. I stole the camera's attention. 

The Ronin crew were all so supportive and never once put any kind of pressure on me. Everybody was impressed with each other and so many people came together. It was amazing. Leaving the start with Rachel and Lacey [Carl's widow] standing together was something I will not forget. It has me thinking that 8 years and 6 trophies on the hill is enough. Time to go do something else. Life is short and adventures should be many. Friends and family are so dear. I have so much respect for life. It is hard to put into words. It is a matter of keeping the balance. I know Johnny and Dusty [at Ronin] really want to build me another race bike of some sort for me and Mike Mayberry [Ronin co-founder] was very impressed by me, even after crashing in victory celebration, so hopefully I can continue my foray into tarmac racing. But in the meantime I am heading to the dirt ovals and that is something I know I will always be fond of. Thanks again for igniting the whole amazing adventure.
Travis 747

 

Roland Sands Design x Victory Project156

Andy Hornsby of UK-based American-V magazine sent us this screen grab. Check out the sticker on the bottom of Roland Sands' design tablet, near his talented right hand.

Roland is working with motorcycle manufacturer Victory to build a bike to race at next month's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Cycle World road tester Don Canet will race it. He did very well in his debut year, 2014, on a Ducati Multistrada.

Sideburn's poet, Travis Newbold is racing the official Ronin Pikes Peak entry.

If you want to know more about Pikes Peak or the Ronin, buy Sideburn 18 and 19. We have a story on Guy Martin's 2014 Pikes Peak race on his own Martek Turbo in Sideburn 18 and a story on my visit to Ronin HQ in Denver and road test of the Ronin in Sideburn 19. Buy now and get a free limited edition Sideburn Guy Martin sticker drawn by Chris Watson. G

Travis and Ronin Update

We told you last week that Sideburn's poet Travis Newbold is entered to race a manufacturer-supported Ronin at the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

These are some 'spy snaps of the very Buell 1190cc-powered machine. Hooo-weeee!

Read Sideburn's take on the Ronin in Sideburn 19.
Read Sideburn's report from Pikes Peak (centred around Guy Martin's challenge) in Sideburn 18.

Find out more about Travis, his life and racing, at his blog 747 Rider. G

Travis to Race the Ronin at Pikes Peak

Not the most visually dynamic post, but read on.

The official entry list for the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb (PPIHC) was released earlier this week. There are 78 motorcycle entries and 74 cars. When my inbox pinged I immediately went looking for one name in particular, Sideburn's resident poet, Travis Newbold. Travis is a regular at Pike Peak, but this year he isn't racing his own Honda 450, he's competing in the Pikes Peak Heavyweight class an 1190cc Ronin racer.

This is an exciting deal that Sideburn had a hand in making happen (even if we do say so ourselves). When I visited Ronin last year I stayed at Travis's house. I was mightily impressed by Ronin's set-up and floated the idea of Colorado-based manufacturer competing in the world famous Colorado race with a Colorado racer on board. Travis grasped the opportunity, wrote a letter and set up a meeting. Ronin liked the idea, visited Newbold's Motorbike Shop, a few miles from their downtown base and did the deal. The plan came together.

Now Travis, #747, already a class winner, has the most support he's ever had, and will get two practice days prior to the race, something he's struggled to afford before. We'll keep you updated with the Ronin effort when we get news, but hopefully it's going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved. G

Read Travis's poem in every Sideburn since SB13.
Read about Sideburn's editor's visit to Ronin in Sideburn 19.
Read Gary Inman and Sam Christmas's report from the 2014 PPIHC in Sideburn 18.

Ronin

This is an interesting bike with a very interesting story behind it, being made in Denver, Colorado. Here's the official line from Ronin temselves...

First 12 Ronin Motorcycles released for sale

Denver, CO – After several years in development, Ronin Motor Works announced today that it is releasing the first 12 bikes of their limited run of 47 motorcycles via their website http://www.the47.com

These limited production motorcycles are designed at the Ronin Motor Works factory in Denver, Colorado, using the latest in engineering software and design techniques. The Ronin motorcycles are produced to strict tolerances, and yet each motorcycle is crafted with honest, time-tested manufacturing principles. Each production Ronin features 11 cast aluminum parts, all poured and heat-treated within a short drive of the Ronin Motor Works factory. Castings are hand-sanded over countless hours before being painted and assembled onto bikes. Other components including the seat, carbon fiber air box cover and fenders, sheet metal parts, and wiring harness are all designed in-house and then sourced locally. The Ronin's design is as unique as its manufacturing process. The brake and clutch master cylinders and steering nacelle are all one integrated assembly ending with small bar end mirrors and LED turn signals. To achieve a light, clean aesthetic, cables, wiring, and fluid lines are routed inside the castings and under the air box cover and seat. Traditional motorcycle components are combined into unitized parts to save space and weight, such as the battery box that incorporates the rider’s foot pegs and the belt drive tensioner. Other advance design features of the Ronin Motorcycle include, RFID ignition key and solid-state rely module, custom-tuned ECU, high-efficiency stator and a newly designed high-flow exhaust system.

The first 12 bikes released will be in the classic Silver and Black color of the original Magpul concept bike. At $38,000 (USD) each, these bikes will be the most affordable of all the Ronin motorcycles released (and priced below the cost to produce them). The initial release of 12 will be followed by 10 all-black versions at an increased price. After that, there will be a release of 8, then 6, then 4, and then 2; each group will have different color schemes and features. The remaining 5 bikes will be one-off designs. Every bike is named after one of the 47 Ronin warriors from Japanese folklore, and each warrior's name is engraved on the bike and on the owner's toolkit.

Ronin Motorcycle History 
In 2008, when the Buell 1125 was first released, there were press shots of the bike showing the engine, frame and swing arm with all of the body panels removed and the simplicity of the design was evident. Arguably, the production 1125’s most interesting engineering aspects were hidden under its skin. At that time Magpul Industries Corp. acquired two Buell 1125Rs to use in a design exercise to explore what sort of bike could be built around the revolutionary engine and frame. Eight months later, the resulting concept bike was revealed as the Magpul Ronin at the 2010 SHOT show in Las Vegas.

Later that year, Harley-Davidson announced the elimination of the Buell brand and with that, Harley-Davidson dealerships started liquidating their Buell assets. Based on the possibility of creating additional Ronin motorcycles, a number of stock 1125s were purchased and placed into storage. Because the bike was designed as a concept, it was not conventional in appearance or function. People either loved it or hated it, but enough interest was generated to investigate a limited production run of the Ronin design.

Since the concept bike was hand built, building more than a handful of bikes would require infrastructure to be put in place. As the concept was named Ronin it was decided that the number of bikes should be 47 as homage to the old story of The 47 Ronin from Japanese folklore. Taken from the Japanese word for a Samurai who lost their master, the name "Ronin" was chosen to signify Buell motorcycles that will continue on after the demise of the company. The Ronin concept featured a custom monoshock linkage suspension system, front-mounted radiator, unitized handlebar assembly, new ram air intake, cast aluminum tail section, and high-flow exhaust system. The features enhanced the bike’s ride while also decreasing the total weight by approximately 50lbs from stock.

From Concept to Production - Ronin Motor Works 
In 2012, two of the Magpul founders came up with a plan to keep the project alive by individually funding a “pop up” manufacturing company dedicated to producing a production version of the Ronin motorcycle concept. They formed Ronin Motor Works in order to create an entity solely focused on the Ronin project, since the demands and specifics were somewhat different from Magpul’s main focus on a rapidly growing presence in its primary product markets. Ronin Motor Works secured a location in Denver and hired a small team of motorcycle design specialists. This team starting working on a 20 month long redesign of the Ronin, using the concept bike as a guide. Extensive engineering, design for manufacturability, ergonomics, and testing went into the final product.

In 2013 the production design was finalized and Magpul authorized Ronin Motor Works to use the “Magpul”trademark and logo mark on the production bikes under the name “Magpul Ronin Project.” In 2014 production began on the first group of Ronin motorcycles. These will be released in reverse serial number order (47 -1) in various, predetermined color schemes that will be more limited as each release is announced.