The 47 Ronin Project – 47 motorcycles

Feast your eyes on the RONIN motorcycle, begun originally by Magpul notables as a design exercise back in 2009 upon the demise of the Buell® brand. The final evolution of that original project, Ronin Motor Works, has announced it's initial release: 47 bikes – 47 RONIN. The first 12 will be released in the original Ronin concept bike's black and grey. They will sell for $38,000 (USD) each. This is less than it cost to product them. The next 10 will be all black, sold at an increased price. Subsequent releases will be 8 bikes, then 6, 4 and finally 2. All will have different color schemes and features. The remaining 5 will be unique, one-off designs.

Every individual motorcycle will be named after one of the 47 Ronin of Japanese legend – Oishi Yoshikane, Isogai Masahira and Otaka Tadao, which/who have already been claimed. Kimura Sadayuki, Horibe Takeyasu, Mase Masaaki and many others remain unsold.

The Ronin's name will be engraved on its respective eponymous bike, as well as upon the bamboo toolbox that comes with each. You can read about each bike on its page if you'd care to. For instance, the motorcycle you see above is Kimura Sadayuki. Finished in matte titanium and black, it is named for “…Kimura Sadayuki, who was a rider in the service of Asano. He was indeed one of the successful loyalists.” (via Forty Seven Ronin, 1893)

Below is the bike named for Uishioda Takanori, “…a great and loyal hero. He was but 25 years of age when he fell upon the enemy with the rest of the party.” (Forty Seven Ronin, 1893.)

Ronin Motor Works advises,

“In mid 2009, with the demise of the Buell® brand by Harley-Davidson®, the founders of Ronin Motor Works, in a design exercise conducted at Magpul Industries Corp., created the Ronin Concept Motorcycle.  That initial Ronin Motorcycle concept is now brought to life through the design and manufacturing efforts of Ronin Motor Works as a limited release of 47 bikes…Taken from the Japanese word for a Samurai who lost his master, the name “Ronin” was chosen to signify Buell® motorcycles that will continue on after the demise of the company…”

You can read more of that history here; technical specs are here.

This project has an incredible historical, even spiritual tone. It is the work of people who love what they do, and it shows. Learn more about it here.

The 47 bikes are, in order of release: Oishi Yoshikane, Isogai Masahira, Kimura Sadayuki, Tominomori Masakata, Horibe Takeyasu, Otaka Tadao, Kanzaki Yagoro, Mayebara Munefusa, Ushioda Takanori, Yata Suketake, Oishi Nobukiyo, Mase Masaaki, Yokoguwa Munetoshi, Mimura Kanatsune, Hayami Mitsutaka, Katsuta Taketaka, Okuda Shigemori, Shikamatsu Yukishige, Sugenoya Masatoshi, Okuda Yukitake, Yato Norikane, Chiba Mitsutada, Okano Kanehide, Kataoka Takafusa, Kaiga Tomonobu, Hazama Mitsuoki, Muramatsu Hindenao, Takebayashi Takeshige, Fuwa Shigetane, Yoshida Kanesuke, Akagaki Masakata, Onodera Hidetomo, Mase Masatoki, Kayano Tsunenari, Muramatsu Takanao, Yoshida Kanesada, Hazama Mitsunobu, Okajima Tsuneoki, Hara Mototoshi, Teraoka Nobuyuki, Sugeno Harufusa, Nakamura Masatoki, Horibe Kanamaru, Kurabayashi Takeyuki, Onodera Hidekazu, Hazama Mitsukaze and Oishi Yoshio.

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