Category: Flat Track Racing

Street tracker gold: building a road-legal Harley XR750

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date January 8, 2019

The biggest cliché in motorcycle journalism is the ‘listicle’ of the best-looking bikes ever made.

If we ever run out of ideas and succumb at EXIF, you can guarantee that the Harley-Davidson XR750 flat tracker will be in our list. And we’d lament that it was never street legal.

So this streetable XR750 from Brad Peterson is right up our, er, street. And it’s no replica or lookalike, either.

Power comes from a genuine factory race motor, used briefly in 2007 by National #80 Rich King, which probably delivers around 100 horsepower.

“The motors are sold without a title,” Brad tells us, “but they do have serial numbers. My motor was confirmed as a Rich King motor via the H-D race department records.”

Brad is a machinist by trade, and hails from the port city of Bellingham in Washington State, near the Canadian border. He’s been riding since childhood, and his grandfather—a motorcycle dealership principal—helped build the town dirt track.

Which might explain why the spec sheet for this XR750 is pure street tracker gold. The motor is fed by twin Sudco Mikuni TM 38 flat slides, breathing through Darcy racing intakes. Bill Werner Racing supplied the exhaust and SuperTrapp mufflers, and also the wet clutch.

The powerplant is squeezed into a C&J frame, which has been oiled (rather than painted) to prevent rust. The forks are modified CBR600 items, with nitrided tubes and the caliper mounting lugs machined off the right fork lower. They’re hooked up with A&A variable offset triple clamps and matched to a Penske rear shock.

The bars are Vortex’s ‘J Murph’ bend, which are a little higher than most flat track bends. Brad’s also installed a Brembo front master cylinder and Magura clutch assembly, but there’s no speedo or tacho to reveal how fast he’s going…

Stopping, however, is no problem; there’s a front brake on this tracker. The calipers are Brembo, but Lyndall supplied the iron brake rotors—320mm at the front and 10.5” at the rear. The front caliper hanger is custom machined and there’s an A&A racing rear hanger, with quick-change rotor and sprocket carriers. The rear master cylinder is Grimeca.

The forged wheels are from Performance Machine, and the real deal—super-light 19” rims designed for the dirt track.

The bodywork is full carbon fiber, with a Corbin seat, and reputedly factory-issue. The raw carbon looks good, so Brad has left it unpainted, like most of the rest of the bike.

Discreet LED lighting front and back helps make this XR750 street legal. It’s a bare bones, total-loss electrical system, but it works. “I can easily run a dozen tanks of fuel on the battery life,” says Brad.

Keeping that battery hooked up to a charger is a small price to pay for being able to ride this tracker on the street. “It’s titled and legitimately street legal,” Brad says. “Which is not an easy thing to accomplish in my state. It may be pushing some details into gray areas…”

The XR750 is not one of those volatile converted race bikes, even though it needs to be bump started and can wheelie at will.

“I use BBRP (Brian Billings Racing Products) to keep this XR running strong,” says Brad. “He’s done a lot of tuning to make it a reliable street bike: it runs flawlessly, and it’s not crabby or temperamental.”

“It starts and runs every time, and has been ridden off the street and onto a dirt track. And then ridden home.”

Brad’s home also includes vintage Harleys dating back to 1921, an Indian Four, and models from Aprilia, BMW, Honda, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha.

But we’re betting that this XR750 is the most fun of the lot.

Images by John Meloy

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Nicky Hayden tribute: Analog’s Honda XR650L flat tracker

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date December 21, 2018

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Nicky Hayden left a massive hole in the motorcycling world—and in all of our hearts—when he passed away unexpectedly in May last year. In a fitting tribute, the Kentucky Kid was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame earlier this month.

To commemorate the occasion, the Hall of Fame Museum commissioned two tribute bikes from Chicago’s Analog Motorcycles. American Honda donated the motorcycles, including a CBR1000RR to be wrapped in Hayden’s Repsol MotoGP livery. But the direction of the second bike was left entirely up to Analog shop boss Tony Prust (below).

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Most people know Nicky Hayden from his time in MotoGP and the Superbike World Championships. But longtime fans will remember that Nicky actually got his start in flat track racing.

“I chose to build a flat track bike,” Tony tells us, “because that’s where Nicky’s roots were. I also wanted to remember his American racing heritage, so I chose the AMA 2002 Championship RC51 livery. The rest was about making all that happen, and not looking forced.”

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Before he could execute his vision, Tony had to pick a donor. The AMA wanted the bike to be street legal, so the CRF250L and XR650L ended up on the short list. Then Honda announced the release of the CRF450L—but by then, Tony had already made up his mind.

“The 450 would have been fun,” he says, “but I think the air-cooled XR650 fits the bill pretty well.”

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
The XR650L is a fantastic choice. It’s a close cousin to the desert-dominating XR650R, makes decent power and doesn’t cost the earth. There’s also a ton of aftermarket parts available for it—unless you’re trying to build a flat tracker.

“I set out to find a fiberglass tank and tail kit,” says Tony. “But because of its oil in frame backbone and frame design, this proved very challenging. So, as I continue to hone my metal shaping skills, I decided to make it all.”

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
“That was not really in the budget—but since I was a Nicky Hayden fan and the Hall Of Fame is a good cause, we made it work.”

Tony hand-shaped a new fuel tank to fit the Honda, basing it on the shape of the classic Harley-Davidson XR750 tank. Then he fabricated a tail section, complete with number plates and a custom seat pan, which Dane Utech upholstered.

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
The fenders (yes, there’s a sneaky rear fender too) are also custom, as is the front number board. Everything flows and tucks together perfectly; the top of the front number board wraps around the speedo, and the right rear number board wraps around the exhaust. Analog used Denali optics at both ends, with two discreet headlights, and an LED taillight.

As for the chassis, the subframe was modified to accommodate the new tail piece. Analog installed a custom-built Hyperpro shock at the back, and a KTM 690 Enduro front end, rebuilt to suit the Honda’s specs. The wheels are flat track-appropriate 19” numbers, featuring Sun rims, Buchanan’s spokes and Dunlop DT3 tires.

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Tony’s made sure the Honda goes as well as it shows. He removed the engine’s emissions ‘octopus’ (a common XR650L mod), then installed a Keihin FCR41 carb. There’s a custom intake with a K&N filter, and a Magura hydraulic clutch conversion. Analog also modified and ceramic coated the exhaust headers, and installed a Cone Engineering muffler.

There’s a host of smaller upgrades in play too. The team installed Magura handlebars and master cylinders, Oury grips, a Motogadget speedo, mirrors and switches, and their own brand of mini LED turn signals.

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
The bike was also completely rewired around a Motogadget m.unit, with an EarthX lithium-ion battery. And Analog even went to the trouble of wrapping all the wiring in WireCare sleeving and tubing.

Jason at Artistimo Customs handled the paint, successfully adapting the Kentucky Kid’s 2002 AMA Championship RC51 livery to the shape of the XR650L. Certain parts were powder coated to finish things off; some in-house, and some by J&J Powder Coating.

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
“We are super honored to be asked to build these bikes for such an amazing racer and human,” says Tony, “and had the pleasure of being at the induction ceremony in early December.”

“The AMA, American Honda and the Hayden Family all were there to unveil the machines on stage and they were all really impressed with how they turned out. It was a highlight of our year here at Analog Motorcycles and a great way to end 2018.”

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Analog’s XR650L is an incredibly well-built, street-legal flat tracker. But it’s also a stunning tribute to one of motorcycling’s most beloved racers. We just wish the Kentucky Kid himself could put it through its paces.

Analog Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Studio images by Daniel Peter | In-process image by Grant Schwingle

Nicky Hayden tribute: A Honda XR650L flat tracker by Analog Motorcycles
Analog Motorcycles would like to thank: Dunlop Tires, Magura, Motogadget, Cone Engineering, K&N Filters, Spectro Oils, Buchanan’s Spokes, WireCare, and our own parts Company Analog Motor Goods.

The two bikes will be raffled off to raise funds for the non-profit AMA Hall Of Fame Museum. US residents came purchase tickets here.

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Maxx Headroom: Gunn Design’s BMW flat tracker

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date October 31, 2018

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The world of custom motorcycles is full of beautiful machines, but many of them see little mileage. While that doesn’t stop us from admiring them, we’re suckers for bikes that are designed to be ridden in anger.

Right now, we’re hooked on this BMW R nineT flat track weapon, built by Dan Riley. Based in Burnsville, Minnesota, Dan’s a freelance graphic and product designer who operates as Gunn Design.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The project kicked off in April last year, when Ola Stenegärd himself (then BMW Motorrad’s Head of Vehicle Design, now at Indian) reached out to Dan about customizing an R nineT Pure. Dan’s been riding since age four, so building a show pony was never an option.

Since then, this hooligan racer-slash-street tracker—dubbed ‘Maxx Headroom’—has gone through multiple rounds of changes, and spent as much time on display as it has on the race track.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
It’s been shown at Sturgis, Wheels & Waves California, The One Show, The Handbuilt Show and Glemseck 101, and raced at almost all of them.

Most of Dan’s changes have been focused on shedding weight, adding performance, and improving ergonomics: all critical elements of flat track racing. He’s done most of the work himself, all from an area in his design studio where he can “build bikes and get messy.”

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The R nineT’s stock bodywork has been replaced, and the new fuel tank is from a 1990 Honda CB400. It was a tricky job: Dan had to cut the bottom section off the OEM tank, and weld it to the Honda tank to get it to fit.

He also fitted a Vortex fuel cap, and modded the fuel pump slightly.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Out back, there’s a carbon fiber flat track tail, modeled on a Ron Wood design, but altered to suit Dan’s taste.

It’s clear coated for a gloss finish and topped off with a custom leather seat pad from Saddlemen, complete with an embroidered Gunn logo. Dan tells us he didn’t need to tweak the subframe much, apart from some tab edits.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Lower down, the R nineT now rolls on a set of typical 19” flat track wheels. Woody’s Wheel Works built the set for Dan, using custom orange anodized hubs laced to custom-drilled Sun rims, and shod with Dunlop rubber.

At first, Dan couldn’t get the rear wheel to fit the space available—but then he switched to a 3.5” wide rim, which flattened the tire out just enough to make it work.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The front suspension is stock, but there’s a custom Race Tech G3-S shock doing duty at the rear. Dan’s upgraded the front brake rotor, and added Magura HC3 master cylinders for both the brake and clutch.

Rocket Exhaust helped Dan out on the custom pipework, which consists of twin stainless steel headers running up into MX-style, carbon-tipped mufflers. Dan also removed the airbox and installed a pair of K&N filters—and then realized the BMW didn’t run as great.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
So he installed a RapidBike Tuner, in a bid to squeeze more (and smoother) power from the boxer. “I haven’t had it on a dyno with the new setup,” he tells us, but seat-of-the-pants feel from the tune is noticeable.”

“I had to do something, given the totally changed-up intake and exhaust system. BMW people told me at Glemseck that the stock air box makes the most power…and that’s what Nate Kern was running when he beat me.”

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Dan’s new cockpit setup is all about maximum control. He’s fitted ProTaper handlebars on adjustable Rox risers, and removed all the switches he doesn’t need. He’s also deleted the stock bike’s ABS system, and uninstalled the heated grips.

The overall wiring changes are minimal though. The speedo’s still in play, and Dan’s fitted a small LED taillight at the back. He’s also got an LED headlight that he can plug in quickly if he wants to take to the streets.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Maxx Headroom is a stellar case study for form following function. There’s nothing precious or fussy about it—it’s a raw machine, built to be thrashed.

Plus we’re pretty sure that if we give Dan enough time, he’ll find more ways to make his R nineT lighter, faster and better.

Gunn Design | Facebook | Instagram | With thanks to Marc Holstein for the static images

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design

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WTF: Turning a tank-shift Harley WLA into a flat tracker

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date October 24, 2018

The great thing about flat track racing is that anyone can have a crack. You don’t need a rocket scientist crew chief, or clever throttle body setups to have fun: there’s a series for every man and every budget.

The bug has even bitten Bill Bryant, the man behind the Biltwell Inc aftermarket empire. And since Bill knows a thing or two about building V-twins, he’s selected a very unusual steed for his dirt track excursions: a venerable Harley-Davidson WLA.

Like most of Bill’s older bikes, the WLA has a low-key, off-kilter vibe that we’re finding irresistible. So we pinged him for a little information.

The engine is from a 1941 Harley WLA—the ‘A’ meaning ‘Army’. It’s a flathead that was produced in small numbers from 1940 onwards, and this one is a little rare—since it’s technically a pre-war bike.

It’s also most unusual for a flat track racer to have a tank shift and a foot-operated rocker clutch, so we give Bill ten out of ten for dedication to the Milwaukee cause.

“I found the engine as a ‘mostly there’ Craigslist basket case, about five miles from my house,” Bill says. “I have no way to date the frame, though. It was in pretty good shape but the neck casting had been pie-cut and raked at some point.”

Mike at 47Industries put it back to stock geometry, and added the ‘WR-style’ lightening holes and the upright braces between the seat and chainstays. “I have to say he did a fantastic job, and the bike tracks straight as an arrow.”

Bill has been modifying old V-twin engines for years, so you can bet this one is solid. “I’m not gonna give away any engine-build secrets,” he says, “but it’s built more for durability and reliability than outright performance. After a year or so of riding and racing it, I’ll consider hotter cams—but for now it’s good to go, as-is.”

In the end, it was Rico Fodrey of Hi-Bond Modified in Pomona who spun the spanners on the engine rebuild: Biltwell’s bonkers ‘Frijole’ Sportster race bike consumed most of Bill’s spare time over the winter.

“The WLA sat lonely in the shop, mocking my poor time management skills. I dropped it off at Rico’s shop and asked him if he could get it wrapped up in time for Born Free.”

W&W in Germany are one of the best-kept secrets in the classic Harley game, and they delivered big time for the WLA—supplying the wheels, the gas and oil tanks, and the rear fender.

“Wow,” Bill enthuses. “These parts are of the highest quality. They work perfectly and look great. There’s no way I was gonna pay a fortune for real WR tanks and then go beat them up racing!”

The foot controls came from Jeff Leighton of SLC in Utah. “They tuck up nice and tidy, and are way less vulnerable than stock controls. The bars were custom bent to my specs by Jason Ball at S&M in Santa Ana, CA.”

Bill’s flat tracker is no show pony, but the paint still looks sublime. The main color is VW’s iconic 1966 ‘Sea Blue,’ normally seen on Beetles.

It was shot by Pete at Hot Dog Kustoms in Temecula, and it’s offset by a big, bright white stripe and gold pinstriping and lettering “It looks even better than I imagined, and I’ll probably cry when I lay it down for the first time,” says Bill.

So far, Bill’s managed to keep his WLA upright. Rico finished the bike in time for the Born Free ‘Stampede’ race, and Bill survived the experience—tank shift and all.

“I sucked, but didn’t crash and wasn’t last place, so I was satisfied,” says Bill. “I’ve got plenty of miles on foot clutch bikes, but this was my first tank shift and I found it fairly easy.”

“I’ll get better with practice, and I’ve got a few mods to make now that I’ve ridden it a little.” Those include adding some sweep to the next set of handlebars, and replacing the K&N filter on the Mikuni carb with a more authentic old J-slot air cleaner.

“And maybe even a leather flap or something to keep the rear head from roasting my junk,” Bill adds wryly.

Biltwell Inc. | Facebook | Instagram

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Body Doubles: Anvil’s twin Suzuki and Honda flat trackers

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date September 27, 2018

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers
Two of the custom scene’s most enigmatic personalities are Alessandro Fontanesi and Marco Filios. Known as ‘Phonz’ and ‘San Marco,’ they’re the creative force behind the Italian custom outfit Anvil Motociclette and the annual Wildays festival.

You’d be forgiven for thinking these two longhaired, heavily tattooed custom builders are brothers. Considering they’re the same age, went to high school together, and have been friends for twenty years, they may as well be.

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers
To celebrate the two decades of their friendship, they’ve started racing flat track together. So when Indian Motorcycle commissioned the Scout ‘Shrimp’ tracker from Anvil, the boys built a set of matching race bikes for themselves too.

Phonz’s bike is Little Boy (#11) and San Marco’s is Fat Man (#52). At a glance they look the same—but they’re actually very different. Little Boy has a Suzuki DR600 motor in a DR500 frame, and Fat Man is based on a Honda XR600.

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers
As the Anvil boys put it: “They’re apparently similar, but very different—exactly like the personality of the founders. They look the same but they aren’t. They work for the same objective, but in different ways.”

Fat Man (below) lives up to his name: Anvil started with a 1995 XR600 rolling chassis, and a 1991 XR600 motor. Then they bored the already stonking thumper out to 650 cc, and added a Keihin FCR 41 flatslide carb, with a BMC filter.

Anvil Motociclette's Honda XR600 flat tracker
The XR600 is sporting a new front end too, with a set of modified forks and triples from a Yamaha R6. For the wheels, the guys laced a set of 19” Excel rims to the original XR hubs. As is the norm in flat track racing, there’s no front brake—but the rear brake’s been refreshed with a new disc and pads from Newfren.

Little Boy’s donor bike is a bit of a mash-up too (below). Phonz wanted the compactness of the older Suzuki DR500’s chassis, but with a bigger motor. So the guys wedged a 1990 DR600 mill into a 1981 DR500 frame—which meant fabricating new engine mounts.

Anvil Motociclette's Suzuki flat tracker
Just like the Honda, Little Boy was treated to a Keihin FCR 41 carb and BMC filter. A set of Ducati Scrambler 400 forks and triples were modified to work up front, and a pair of 19” Excel rims matched up to Honda Dominator hubs. (The rear brake’s from the Dommie too, with Newfren once again supplying a new disc and pads.)

With matching number boards and fork guards up front, and all-black paint on the engines, it’s hard to tell the two apart. But it’s the remaining mods that really make them indistinguishable.

Anvil Motociclette's Honda XR600 flat tracker
To achieve uniformity, Anvil built almost identical subframes for both bikes. On the XR600, that meant converting the rear end from Honda’s trusty Pro-Link monoshock to a dual-shock system. Both rears were then fitted with new Bitubo shocks, and capped off with matching number boards, and aluminum rear fenders.

For the seats, Anvil wanted to move away from the more common flat track tail sections, towards a style more reminiscent of the 60s. So they built a pair of matching saddles, upholstered in their signature black and white pattern.

Anvil Motociclette's Suzuki flat tracker
The Honda and Suzuki share the same fuel tank design too. Anvil fabricated matching aluminum shells, then designed each tunnel specific to each bike’s frame.

The rest of the running gear is the same across both trackers: Ariete foot pegs and grips, and Tommaselli flat track bars with minimal controls. Both bikes have also had their wiring stripped right down to the bare essentials.

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers
Then there’s those stunning exhaust systems. Anvil partnered up with Zard to design headers specific to each chassis, with both systems terminating in matching reverse cone mufflers.

And if you’re wondering why Fat Man and Little Boy are wearing modified Indian logos, it’s because they’ve joined the Indian Shrimp on the newly formed Anvil Racing team. (You should see their race van.)

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers
The team’s taking on the European flat track circuit, and Phonz and San Marco are pretty realistic about their chances. “We are not professional racers,” they tell us, “and this is the first year we’ve seriously dedicated ourselves to flat track.”

That said, San Marco’s already bagged two third-place finishes in his class, and Phonz has finished fourth overall for the season in his.

Not bad going for a couple of rookies.

Anvil Motociclette | Facebook | Instagram

Anvil Motociclette's matching Suzuki and Honda flat trackers

Anvil would like to thank their partners: Ariete, Baume & Mercier, Bitubo, BMC Filter, Newfren, Pakelo, Zard and Rizoma.

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Not Forgotten: The Sportster ‘XX Tracker’ from Gasoline

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date July 31, 2018

Harley-Davidson owned the internet yesterday. Unless you live under a solid aggregate of minerals, you’ll know that the Motor Co. teased its upcoming model range—including the productionized Livewire, a streetfighter, and an adventure tourer called the ‘Pan America.’

But did you notice there was no mention of the Sportster? Could this finally be the end of the road for the venerable roadster? Fear not. There will always be killer Sportster builds to keep the massive second-hand market alive—like this rowdy flat tracker from Australia’s Gasoline Motor Co.

The Gasoline crew developed a taste for flat track racing after blasting round their local track at Appin, an hour’s drive out of Sydney. At first they used a KTM 450 shod with Dunlop DT3s, but founder Jason Leppa realized it was soon time to move on to more appropriate machinery.

“Learning the ropes of sliding at high speed on the dirt soon turned into a need to practice on a heavier Harley XR1200X,” he tells us.

At first glance, this V-twin street tracker looks like a no-fuss hooligan racer. But it’s primed to tear up asphalt as well as the dirt—and has enough of the right bits to make it street legal.

A 2000-model Harley-Davidson Sportster was the starting point for what became the ‘XX Tracker.’ Gasoline stripped it down, then threw away anything they could to save as much weight as possible.

A monochrome palette was on the cards from the word go, so the engine was removed and painted black, while the frame was refinished in white.

Gasoline kept the Sporty’s stock oil tank, but tossed the fuel tank, seat and fenders. In their place are a fiberglass tank and tail, hand made by Phil Little Racing in the classic American flat track style. The livery is simple and tasteful: gloss black, with a few custom decals.

As per normal flat track spec, the XX Tracker rolls on a pair of 19” hoops—in this case, lifted from an early model Sportster and powder coated black before being wrapped in Maxxis dirt track rubber. Roger at Retroline added a super-subtle touch: white pinstripes on each rim.

Custom-machined triple clamps were installed to get the front wheel to fit, and spacers ensure the sprockets line up at the rear.

The forks were fitted with new 11-1130 springs from Progressive Suspension, and shaved of any unused mount tabs. And a set of custom-tuned Nitron shocks was installed out back, dialed in to the rider’s weight.

Gasoline have also added a chain conversion kit, with an oversized 60-tooth rear sprocket for maximum pull-away out on the track.

As for the motor, it’s stock inside. On the outside there’s an S&S Cycles Super E carburetor, and a high flow Slant air filter from Roland Sands Design. And, of course, a massive, in-your-face twin exhaust system that provides max airflow and sounds magnificent.

It’s the work of Niko at Hi-Tech Mufflers, who built it up piece by piece from stainless steel. The Gasoline crew then whipped up a big ol’ heat shield in-house, to cap it off.

Those are the obvious changes—but there’s a ton of subtle tweaks on the XX Tracker that tie everything together. The stock mid-mount foot controls were converted to ‘low-mount’ controls, and upgraded with a grippier set of pegs.

Up top, the guys added a set of high-and-wide 1” bars, but trimmed off the cross brace that came with them. The levers are standard, but the throttle and grips are new—along with the mini switches and internal wiring.

The stock handlebar clamp was milled out to accept a tiny LED dash from Motogadget, plus a set of LED warning lights. The entire electronics package is discreet, with a trimmed harness running through Motogadget‘s popular m.unit control box, and activated by their keyless RFID ignition.

The ‘headlight’ is actually two powerful LEDs, mounted down low on a pair of custom-made engine crashbars. Out back is a floating license plate bracket, which also carries a thin LED taillight. Turn signals are present at both ends; small pin units flanking the tail, and wraparound LEDs on the forks.

Gasoline’s XX Tracker nails the Sportster tracker vibe flawlessly, tweaking the timeless recipe just enough to make it the perfect Harley for both road and track.

It’s uncomplicated, beastly, and a loud reminder that the Sportster’s going to be around for a long, long time.

Gasoline | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Rob Hamilton

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Corsa Americano: The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati Flat Tracker

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date July 12, 2018

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
Like many of you, we’re total suckers for racing machines—especially flat trackers. And although we’re captivated by American iron like the Indian FTR750, it’s nice to see the odd exotic European take to the oval.

Enter Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, who have a thing for fielding Ducati-powered flat trackers. Back in 2010, they were the first team to break Harley-Davidson’s 19-year winning streak…with an air-cooled, two-valve desmo motor powering their race bike.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
Since then, the Atlanta-based team has racked up respectable results, thanks to pilots like Joe Kopp, Brad Baker, Henry Wiles and Jake Johnson. (Even Troy Bayliss raced with them, when he tried his hand at flat track).

The bike you’re looking at is Lloyd Brothers’ brand new racer. With changes in the AFT Twins class rules ahead of this season—including a size limit of 850 cc—the team was forced to ditch their previous platform and start over.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
The project kicked off last year, when Lloyd Brothers built two bikes as a proof of concept. Those used liquid-cooled 939 cc Testastretta motors, sourced off eBay.

Then the rules changed in the off-season, and the guys had to adapt—so they switched to the 821 cc mill in the Ducati Hypermotard 821.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
Surprisingly, the motor’s quite close to stock. The heads have been ported, and the flywheel’s a heavier unit from a different Duc. The really trick work is going on outside the actual motor.

Regulations don’t allow for ride-by-wire throttles, and specify that the intake needs a 44 mm choke point somewhere within the throttle body itself. So this Ducati’s running modified 748 throttle bodies to keep things legal.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
The exhaust system consists of stainless steel headers, flowing into a pair of custom M4 silencers, designed to conform to the AFT noise limits. Respected Ducati engine builder, Mark Sutton at the DucShop in Marietta, Georgia, handled all the engine work.

The radiator presented another challenge. With the wide cylinder spread of the L-twin engine, and the beefy 19” flat track wheels, placing the radiator behind the front wheel was simply not possible.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
Car cooling experts Art’s Radiator jumped in with a custom-designed side-mounted unit, hooked up via Goodridge hoses with AN fittings.

On the electrical side, the crew had to ‘trick’ a Microtec ECU into thinking that the 821 was a compatible bike (it’s not). So they started with an 848 wiring harness, removed all non-essentials and shortened it to fit.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
The two blue plugs poking out under the seat are to plug the SpeedCell battery into; the bike runs a total loss system.

Everything is packaged into a fully bespoke chromoly steel frame, complete with a mono-shock rear end. Fabrication gurus Fuller Moto built the frame for the Testastretta powerplant, to Lloyd Brothers’ spec. It’s essentially an evolution of the frame design that they’ve been running over the past few years.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
There’s Öhlins suspension at both ends, along with a pair of 19” race wheels from Performance Machine. The forks are held in place by Baer Racing triples. As is the norm in flat track, there’s no front brake—but there’s a pretty nifty rear brake setup.

The master cylinder and caliper are from Brembo, but the caliper has been modified by TAW Performance to accept a vaned rotor. “Lloyd Brothers Motorsports was the first team to introduce vaned rotors to modern flat track racing,” David Lloyd tells us.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
“It was an answer to certain riders applying so much force to the brakes, that they actually glow a bright red after a few laps!”

Quintessential flat track bodywork finishes the bike off, with a fiberglass tank and tail from First Klass Glass in Michigan. The seat pad’s from Saddlemen, and the livery is as Italian as it gets, with a matching set of ODI grips. And there’s a smattering of carbon fiber protective bits for a little extra insurance.

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
Lloyd Brothers had planned to run this magnificent beast for ten of this season’s 18 races, treating it as a development year. Stevie Bonsey was set to pilot it, but he injured himself (on a different bike).

He’s now set to return on Labor Day weekend in October, at the Springfield Mile. And David Lloyd is pretty optimistic: “We are very happy with the chassis. It was well sorted over many years and developed around the higher torque, larger displacement air-cooled engines.”

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker
“A few minor adjustments in tube bends were made to fit in the 4-valve, liquid-cooled cylinder and heads. The characteristics of the 821 promise to be even better for flat track—should we get a proper program funded to race a full season.”

If you’re reading this from the UK, head over to the Goodwood Festival of Speed immediately—because that’s where Lloyd Brothers are currently showing this Ducati off. Otherwise, you’ll just have to drool over the photos like the rest of us.

Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Facebook | Instagram | Images by (and major thanks to) Steve West of Silver Piston Photography

The Lloyd Brothers’ Ducati flat tracker

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A Hint to Harley: Noise Cycles’ Street Rod flat tracker

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date June 8, 2018

If you like weaving through city traffic during the week, and then blasting through the twisties on your days off, the Street Rod is probably the best Harley for you. We found it to be surprisingly sharp and agile, with a warmed-up version of the regular Street engine delivering 69 frisky horses.

Scott Jones of Noise Cycles likes the Street Rod. And his new ‘XG750R’ tracker version has got us wondering what a factory Harley tracker would look like—if Milwaukee decided to counter the threat posed by Indian’s FTR1200.

Scott is one of the top bike builders in the USA, and despite coming from the chopper side of the tracks, he’s been bitten by the dirt bug. Last year he built himself a racebike based on the regular Street 750: “It started out as just the basic XG,” says Scott. “So this year, I built one using the Street Rod—which has a 27 degree neck instead of 31 degrees.”

That simple change alone made a huge difference. “This one feels so much better and easier to ride. Still 500 pounds, but more nimble.”

Those of you who were riding in the early 80s may feel a slight sense of déjà vu with this bike, and you’d be right. The left-side exhaust mimics the placement of the Harley-Davidson XR1000 pipes, and the paint by Matt Ross (with pin striping by Jen Hallett Art) is a nod to the slate grey used on many XR1000s too.

Those exhausts look good, but changing sides caused a few headaches. So Scott decided to flip the cylinder heads. “It wasn’t too difficult, but I did it twice! The main thing is to make sure the timing chains stay in right spot. And the hardest part was counter-boring the heads for the new locating pin.”

The plumbing got a little tricky too, because the head inlets and outlets obviously switch sides. So Scott headed down to his local auto parts store, picked up some new cooling lines, and cut and routed them to fit.

The exhaust itself proved easier, thanks to a little help from S&S Cycle—who are based in Wisconsin, 2,500 miles away from Scott’s Santa Ana, California base. S&S had a spare Street Rod motor on the bench, and built the exhaust around that before shipping it to the west coast.

The exhaust fitted without a hitch, but the heat shield proved trickier. “I’m on my third shield now,” Scott reveals. “Took me a few times to prevent my pants and leg from getting cooked!” The exhaust sits high but works just fine. “Once off the line, I don’t feel it at all.”

The tank on the stock Street Rod is flat and wide, so Scott’s given it a trim. “Initially, I wanted the bike to still resemble the stock look. Well, I failed. So I cut the sides off the tank to make it ten inches narrower.”

He’s also cut about an inch off the back of the tank, so it flows better into the simple, stripped-back seat and tail unit from Saddlemen—and shifted the fuel pump to fit. The lines are just perfect, thanks to new frame rails that allow the seat to sit higher than stock.

The 19-inch wheels are a skillful touch too. They’re not unobtanium race wheels: the front is a nine-spoke Harley factory mag, and the back is actually a front wheel from a V-Rod. It fits using a custom hub from SK Machine Co., and a quick-change adaptor from GPS Racing.

“It allows me to re-gear for any track,” explains Scott. “Last year, I ran the same gearing on every track—not the smartest move.”

Of course, there’s a liberal sprinkling of ‘race shit’ on this Street Rod. Vortex bars are hooked up to Durelle Racing adjustable triples, via risers from Big Al’s. There’s a Motion Pro throttle, the rear brake master and lever are from a Honda CRF450, and the clutch lever is ProTaper. Shocks from Gears Racing help get the power to the ground.

The gear shifter is set at a weirdly high angle. “We race a lot of short track, so it’s either first or second gear usually,” says Scott. “I put the shifter up like that so there’s less chance of me hitting it with my boot when I put my foot back on the peg coming out of turns. It’s super ugly—I’ll be redoing it soon.”

Even weirder is the oil catch can taped to the right-hand front frame down tube—a blueberry Red Bull can.

Scott had binned the standard coolant overflow catch container, but when racing at Flat Out Friday, overheated in practice and left a small puddle on the concrete track.

“I dug through the trash and found my empty Red Bull can,” he says. “Taped the sucker on, where it still lives!”

Scott’s not going to be dicing for the lead with pros like Jared Mees or Brad Baker in the American Flat Track Twins series. He’s in it just for the hell of it, and enjoying every moment.

But he’s also inadvertently given us a pointer on what a Harley Street Tracker might look like. And it wouldn’t be a difficult bike for the factory to replicate, Red Bull catch can aside. Any takers?

Noise Cycles | Instagram | Photos by Brandon ‘Gonz’ Gonzalez

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Street Cred: Suicide Machine’s stripped-down Street 750

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date April 11, 2018

There are some builders who seem to have the Midas touch: everything they create turns to gold. Aaron and Shaun Guardado are in that exclusive group, crafting beautiful racers and customs when they’re not tearing up dirt tracks—or running the Suicide Machine Company business out of Long Beach, California.

After Harley released the XG platform, the brothers were inspired to pay homage to the road-racing lineage of the famous XR750TT—and also showcase the XG750’s performance potential.

“We set out to turn the tame, street-cruising XG750 into an aggressive, lightweight hard cornering racing machine,” says Aaron. “It’d be a no nonsense, bare bones build.”

If there’s a Harley that ever symbolizes the ‘art of speed,’ this is it. But the only concrete plan Aaron and Shaun had before firing up the grinders was to use a trellis-style frame.

“This style is usually associated with Ducati, and Ducati is synonymous with performance—so it was a good direction to start out in.”

A friend with a genius for engineering helped with the design, and laid out a frame with geometry numbers from both the XR750 and the Ducati 1098. “With the modeling and dimensions outlined in SolidWorks CAD software, we could get started on the actual building of the bike,” Aaron says.

“We could have had the tubes CNC-bent and notched, and assembled it like a kit, but for this first bike we decided to manually construct it.” So Aaron and Shaun hand bent and notched each of the tubes for the frame out of 4130 chromoly—choosing the material for its low weight and high strength.

The frame tubes were tacked up and welded within a week. The design included the rear suspension (and single-sided swing arm) from the Ducati 1098, so SMCO bolted on a carbon fiber swing arm from Blackstone Tek. It’s two full kilos lighter than stock.

“We paired this swing arm with BST carbon fiber wheels and Öhlins suspension,” says Aaron. “The shock itself needed to be custom built, because of dimension constraints and weight differences between the 1098 and XG750 platforms.

“Öhlins were a huge help in this, and we ended up with a modified BMW S1000RR upper, with a standard 1098 lower mount.”

With the rear end suspension locked down, SMCO installed a set of shortened Öhlins FGRT301 forks, clamped in new triples trees with a custom offset.

“Seeing the frame modeled on the computer doesn’t compare to seeing it on the ground with engine and suspension in place. It was now almost a motorcycle, and one that you could throw a leg over and imagine speeding down the road.”

Designing the bodywork took time. Each piece started as a cardboard template that was transferred to aluminum sheet metal, hand cut, and bent and fitted as needed. “Even making the number plate was a complex task,” says Aaron. “It’s 13 individual pieces welded together to form a single part.”

Having a Harley power plant in a trellis frame is unique, so the boys didn’t want to hide the lines. The gas tank was designed after the frame had been completed, and fits between the frame rails and engine.

“It was such a tight fit and unconventional shape, we had to come up with a creative solution to access it,” says Aaron. “So we made the engine mounts removable with billet tube clamps from Camburg Racing. You unbolt the two mounts and the engine will drop, or the frame can be lifted up to remove the tank.”

Another challenge was mounting the fuel pump assembly inside the tank. “We couldn’t track down an aluminum mount to fit any surface of the tank, so we took a chunk of aluminum and machined our own with the manual mill.”

After the major bodywork pieces were completed, one crucial component was still missing: an air intake. “Although small, it took imagination and engineering to get right,” says Aaron. The result is a two-piece design equipped with an integrated K&N filter element.

Like everything else, it fits seamlessly without interrupting the lines of the motorcycle. “It was a challenge to hide most of the hardware and the wiring harness,” Aaron admits. But SMCO have pulled it off: this XG750 looks clean and minimalistic.

It helps, obviously, that it’s a show bike that’s ready to race. So it doesn’t need the regulatory clutter of a street bike. But the XG750 is water-cooled, so Aaron and Shaun had to find space for a radiator and coolant hoses within the trellis frame.

They’ve chosen a Ducati Hyperstrada radiator, hung from the frame in the same way the engine is. “We were very mindful in routing the coolant hoses so they fit nicely within the lines of the bike,” says Aaron. “So we machined an aluminum ‘junction block’ for the hoses, which also houses the thermostat and OEM temp sensor.”

The cooling system was a minor challenge compared to the electronics—which were needed for the fuel injection system and ECM. And the open frame didn’t give much space to hide electronic components. “We needed to find room for a battery, plus the sensors, relays and harness, which are typically stored under the seat area. Which we didn’t have much of,” says Aaron.

The solution was to store these components in a belly pan. “It was an afterthought that turned out to work better than we could have planned. We broke out the cardboard templates and extended the skid plate into a full blown belly pan.”

SMCO went with a compact Speedcell Lithium Motorsports battery pack, weighing just less than 1.6 lbs. They also opted for a Motogadget MotoScope Pro display with a mount from Kraus Motor Co. “It shows speed, rpm, voltage, temp and lap timing and interfaced with the stripped down OEM harness and sensors easily.”

With the XG750 nearing completion, it was time to tackle the exhaust system. “It’s something that can really make or break a bike. It should complement the other components and flow nicely with the overall lines without ‘taking away’,” says Aaron.

The trellis frame and aluminum bodywork are very angular and geometric, so having a swoopy exhaust wouldn’t fit the build. An angular exhaust sounds contrary to common sense, but after a several mock-ups the final design works perfectly.

It’s a full stainless system, starting with 1½-inch headers, which step up to 1¾ before going into a collector. The system terminates with a 2¼-inch Burns Stainless reverse megaphone, ordered to spec.

It’s all incredibly high quality work and the finishing details are top shelf too: Brembo brake calipers front and rear, paired with Brembo T-Drive rotors and RCS hand controls mounted on full carbon fiber handlebars.

For even more weight savings, SMCO have upgraded the Ducati 1098 cush drive to a Superlite Hyperflex billet alloy sprocket carrier. The throttle is a MotionPro Rev2 assembly—with interchangeable throttle cams—to give a smooth, fully customizable power delivery.

Aaron and Shaun also fabricated the foot controls, using RSD prototype components that they cut up and mixed and matched.

The very last item fitted was a custom seat from Saddlemen. “They did an amazing job on the fit and finish,” says Aaron. “They built a carbon fiber seat pan which is paired with top quality leather. It really brought everything together without standing out on its own.”

Paint is something that the brothers prefer to outsource, so Pete Finlan from Hot Dog Customs added some discreet pinstripes and branding.

“We set out to build a motorcycle that paid homage to Harley’s racing heritage,” says Aaron. “At the start we didn’t really have a grasp on what the final product would be. It wasn’t a fully mapped-out build, and a lot changes were made as we went along.”

“But it worked out, and worked out well. It could have come out looking a million different ways, and this is just one of the ways. It’s not right or wrong, it’s just a product of our combined imaginations.”

We’d say it’s very right indeed.

Suicide Machine Co. | Instagram | Images by Jose Gallina

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Turning Granddad’s Harley into a Champion Flat Tracker

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date December 6, 2017

Some people find it hard to hold onto a bike for more than a couple of years. It doesn’t take long before an itch sets in, and they find themselves window-shopping for the next set of wheels.

Canadian Ben Boyd is not like that. He’s owned this 1989 Harley-Davidson Sportster for a solid 23 years, since 1994, and not once has he considered shifting it. That’s because he inherited it from his late grandfather, Fred Boyd.

“Fred was a pretty big name in the post-war racing scene here in Vancouver, BC,” Ben tells us, “and was team mate to Trev Deeley—the guy who established Harley-Davidson in Canada.”

“Fred died when I was seven and I inherited this little Sporty. I’d been riding and racing MX since I was five, and used to sneak Granddad’s bike out well before I had a license. Heck, I even rode it to my first date!”

“After several years of injury-induced hiatus from racing, I’ve come back to it. I’m now racing flat track a fair bit, and won the North West Championship vet class this year.”

The Sportster’s evolved over time into this bona fide hooligan flat track racer. Ben doesn’t consider himself a pro builder though, but rather a hobbyist, wrenching under the moniker ‘Escape Velocity Cycles.’

“I’ve always worked on my own bikes and built customs,” he says, “but they’ve usually been scrappy street fighters and such. I thought I’d make this one pretty, and see what happens.”

Over the years, Ben’s done everything from gradual improvements to full rebuilds on the Sportster, eventually setting it up as a street tracker. Then Super Hooligan flat track racing took off, and he decided to make it his race bike. “If you’re interested,” he quips, “I’ve got cutesy 35mm photos my mom’s taken of me and the bike over the 23 years I’ve had it.”

Though this Sportster is old, it’s packing a helluva punch. “The original motor was a hot-rodded 1200 cc four-speed,” says Ben. “It snapped its crank, on a road trip across America that didn’t get very far. Once it needed a motor swap, I kind of went wild on the build.”

There’s now a Buell X1 unit in there, running Andrews cams and S&S roller rockers. It’s also been converted from “the crappy Buell EFI” to a carb arrangement. The setup includes a Mikuni HSR45 carb, a Twin Tec ignition and a Hammer Performance intake.

The one-off exhaust mimics the lines of the original Buell pipe, but swings up-and-over the primary—to provide extra cornering clearance—and terminates in a ‘Max Race’ can from Cone Engineering. “It makes a futile attempt at providing back pressure,” says Ben. “Most of its ample power is high in the extended rev range.”

Super Hooligan rules dictate that a bike’s frame must remain stock from the rear shock mounts to the headstock. So racers need to get creative in order to fine-tune their bikes’ geometry.

Ben set the bike up right by installing a set of Yamaha R6 forks in custom Weiss Racing adjustable triple trees. The forks have been upgraded with Öhlins internals, and there’s a custom-built set of fully adjustable Öhlins shocks out back.

The matching 19” wheels are from an older Sportster, and are wrapped in Mitas flat track rubber.

Up top is a tank from “some god-awful chopper thing,” tweaked to lie flat for a smooth transition to the seat. The tail section’s an Airtech part, and hardly needed any trimming to fit. The rear of the frame’s been looped up to match it, and Randi at local upholsterer Aro Upholstery handled the seat pad.

With no need for lights, a speedo or switches, the cockpit is super-minimal. There’s a set of flat track bars from Vortex, a Motion Pro quick turn throttle, and a pair of purple Oury grips. The Sportster also hosts a mixed bag of smaller parts, including a billet sprocket cover donated by the crew at Speed Merchant after the OEM part broke at Dirt Quake.

This flat tracker’s legacy and enviable list of upgrades already make it a winner in our book. But it’s the zany ‘Lazer Zebra’ livery that really has us frothing. “AJ McAllister of Noice Paint laid down the wild teal-peach-pink double fade base coat,” says Ben, “and then meticulously applied the zebra stripes over it.”

“In bright sunlight you can see the subtle rainbow flake in the rich black of the zebra pattern. Being an old school sign writer by trade, AJ also hand lettered the text and number plates that bare Granddad’s number.”

“But there are some scrapes and dings,” says Ben. “It’s a true race bike. She ain’t no show pony.”

Escape Velocity Cycles Instagram | Images by Dylan Davies