Although Bike EXIF is dedicated to art on two wheels, our automotive interests are wide-ranging. Our publisher has an enviable car collection, our workshop editor, Dean, is a vintage snowmobile fiend, and I’ve been in love with the Morgan Super 3 ever since I test-drove it at the Malle Mile. So today we’re bending the rules, and bringing you a stunning three-wheeler that’s only really thirty percent motorcycle.
Dubbed the ‘MAC 2,’ it’s the second handmade three-wheeler from Indonesian engineer and vintage bike enthusiast, Cosmas Lili Sudrajat. Cosmas has a major crush on Morgan’s V-twin-powered three-wheelers—but they’re expensive and hard to come by in Indonesia. Luckily, he knows his way around a workshop. motorcycle part
The V-twin powerplant bolted to the front of the MAC 2 isn’t a motorcycle engine though. It’s out of a Mazda B600—a pint-sized, Japanese-made station wagon that was a hit in Indonesia in the 1960s. “The Mazda’s air-cooled 600 cc V-twin engine is the perfect size for a three-wheeler,” says Cosmas.
Once the Mazda B600 had been torn down to just its chassis and motor, Cosmas chopped off the rear half of the frame and installed a repurposed Honda swingarm. Repurposed 18” laced motorcycle wheels do duty up front, modified with cast aluminum MAC-branded hubcaps.
Cosmas laced up two 18” D.I.D. rims for the back, joining their hubs together to form a single rear wheel. The idea was to have a wider contact patch with a classic motorcycle look. A sprocket sits on one side of the combination hub, with a brake disc on the opposite side.
Power is transferred from the Mazda’s driveshaft, through a custom transmission, and onto the rear wheel via a chain drive.
The inner workings are hidden underneath the three-wheeler’s hand-shaped steel bodywork. Cosmas fabricated a fuel reservoir that sits in front of the passenger, and two gullwing doors for the back that reveal the car’s twin trunks. The rear end was designed to show off just enough of the rear wheel.
Inside the bucket-like cockpit, you’ll find a pair of exquisitely upholstered seats, and a wooden dashboard that’s equipped with a smorgasbord of aftermarket car and bike dials. The set even includes a cigarette lighter, a USB charging port, and an external tube-style fuel gauge. Cosmas retained the Mazda steering wheel but treated it to a cast aluminum lock nut to make it easy to remove.
The Mazda’s V-twin engine is a utilitarian little donk, unlikely to win any beauty contests. So Cosmas has disguised it with a handmade oil tank that mimics a pair of motorcycle cylinders. The cast aluminum ‘heads’ and faux pushrods are a throwback to classic JAP engines.
The MAC 2 is trimmed with an array of elegant details. The stacked headlights and turn signals are a neat touch, as are the chromed side mirrors. On top of the hood, you’ll find a classic bonnet handle and a tidy custom fuel cap.
Cosmas opted for timeless finishes on this build; silver paint with brown upholstery, and just the right amount of chrome. Hand-crafted exhausts add a final touch, running down each side of the MAC 2 before terminating in flared end caps.
The MAC 2 might not technically be a motorcycle, but it’s no less intriguing. Now if someone could just send Cosmas a stonking S&S Cycle V-twin mill, perhaps we can convince him to build MAC 3.
Cosmas Lili Sudrajat |Images by Batara Surya
GET THE WORLD'S BEST CUSTOMS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX.
motorcycles wheels COPYRIGHT © 2008- | COLE PUBLISHING | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED