The Magpul Ronin, officially the Ronin 47 by Ronin Motor Works, is one of the rarest motorcycles money can buy: just 47 bikes were ever built, each one named after a samurai from the legendary 47 ronin tale. Born from the ashes of the discontinued Buell 1125R and reimagined by the founder of Magpul Industries, the Ronin pairs a 146 BHP Rotax V-twin with handcrafted, art-grade bodywork, making it a true collector's grail.
What is the Magpul Ronin story?
The Ronin Motor Works tale is a unique and poetic story in the automotive universe. Its name comes from the Japanese 47 ronin legend, in which a band of leaderless samurai gloriously avenged the death of their master. It all began in 2009 when their daimyo, Buell, was compelled to shut down after parent company Harley-Davidson ended the brand. As New Atlas recounts, the demise of Buell set the stage for one of the most striking custom motorcycles of its era.
Who built the Ronin motorcycle?
The year after the discontinuation of the company, the last model Buell Motorcycle Company produced, the 1125R, inspired a concept designed by Mike Mayberry, founder and manager of Magpul Industries Corp., the American manufacturer of high-tech firearms. That concept became the foundation of the Ronin 47.
How rare is the Ronin 47?
Ronin Motor Works became a separate company and began a production run set at 47 bikes, each one named after one of the tale's samurai and released in seven sets, each with a different color or design scheme. Deliveries only started in 2014 and continued at an even slower pace: the last set of 5 bikes, each with a different pattern designed by remarkable artists such as Jason Thielke or Samuel Lee Turner, was completed years later. As Bike EXIF notes, that extreme scarcity is exactly why a Ronin motorcycle for sale is such a rare sight.
What are the Ronin 47 specs?
The bike faithfully carries the characteristic technological traits of late Buells: the Zero Torsional Load (ZTL) perimeter floating front disc brake system, the visionary fuel-in-frame technology and the company dogma of compactness and torsional stiffness. The engine is the same 1125R 146 BHP V2 Rotax with an improved cooling system, fed by the huge front single radiator, giving the Ronin both lightweight agility and serious sportbike performance.
Where to find rare and custom motorcycles at TheArsenale
Since the Magpul Ronin is a sold-out 47-unit collector machine, TheArsenale curates motorcycles in the same rare, hand-built spirit. Discover the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob 114 by Nash Motorcycles and the Harley-Davidson 1200 Roadster Desert Wolf, a fitting nod to the brand that ended Buell, plus the collectible Bandit9 Supermarine.
Browse the full TheArsenale motorcycle collection to find a rare, art-grade machine worthy of the Ronin name.
