The 47 Ronin Motorbike

The 47 Ronin Motorbike

The 47 Ronin Motorbike

We’re not sure why motorcycle companies have such an obsession with sword-wielding mercenaries from feudal Asia, but with finished products as cool as this, we’re not complaining.

Evoking thoughts of the legendary Kawasaki Ninja, this, the 47 Ronin, takes its name from the legendary tale of samurai to have battled through 18th century Japan, and thankfully not the recent Keanu Reeves flop film.

Based on Harley-Davidson's unfinished Buell 1125, Ronin Motor Works took on the model, and took it to the next level, kitting it out with a new exhaust system, new controls and shifting the radiator to the centre of the bike to help cool the hot Rotax-designed motor.

And how - it's the stealth bomber of bikes, cast in black aluminium and looking as if it could level a small town on its own. But with only 47 made, you might well need to moonlight as a samurai to afford one...

Marc Chacksfield
Content Director

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.