Category: Noise Cycles

Noise Cycle’s rad Street Rod 750 tracker gets a revamp

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date March 21, 2019

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
In the world of professional motorcycle racing, development is a constant grind.

Hooligan flat track racing is the same. But here, the upgrades are done by racers and builders on tight budgets. Not massive teams of engineers with eighteen-wheeler trucks full of SnapOn tools.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
So we’re fascinated by the way Scott ‘T-Bone’ Jones of Noise Cycles has rebuilt his fire-breathing Street Rod 750 tracker. It’s the same 2017-spec XG750M he raced with last year—but it’s evolved radically since then.

As the season ended, Scott and teammate Brandon ‘Gonz’ Gonzalez had a clear idea of how to build a better racer…so they did.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
“The concept for this year was to make a functioning bike,” Gonz tells us. “This meant making the bike narrower.”

“The last version paid homage to the XR1000, but in doing so the bike ended up wider than what was ideal to race with. The exhaust sat high and wide, to the point where it was uncomfortable to ride. That had to change.”

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
The initial idea was to build a new one-piece body, out of fiberglass. But after taking inspiration from pro flat track and supercross, the guys started wondering if they could simply adapt a set of motocross panels to fit the Street Rod.

“Our friends at SMCO happened to have a Husqvarna FC450, which is my favorite motocross bike” says Gonz. “So we borrowed their plastics to test fit.”

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
The fit, amazingly, was close to perfect. So Noise acquired their own set, and massaged it to fit—fabricating mounts to attach the panels to. Most of the cutting happened on the left, where some plastic had to be trimmed away to make space for the left cylinder head and exhaust header.

Scott then fabricated an aluminum fuel tank to hold just enough fuel for race runs. It attaches to the Street Rod’s backbone and the left side of the frame, with rubber grommets to dampen vibration. And yes, it took some crafty sculpting to utilize the maximum amount of space available.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
Seat specialists Saddlemen hooked Noise up with a new seat pad up top. And 270X designed, printed and applied a custom decal kit.

Scott and Gonz considered trimming the rear frame rails more (they’d been cut for last year’s build), but they decided to focus their attentions elsewhere. After all, they were building the bike up in a 4×8′ space they’d cleared in Scott’s home garage, wedged in between multiple other projects.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
Just a handful of mods stayed on from last year. Scott’s still running the same wheel combo: a 19” Sportster front wheel, with a 19” V-Rod front wheel adapted for the rear, fitted with a quick-change sprocket.

The engine hasn’t been touched much either, and still runs an S&S Cycle air cleaner and a Vance & Hines FuelPak3 tuner. And the cylinder heads are still flipped. Yes, you read that right: Scott went to considerable lengths last year to flip the heads, so that he could run a high, left-side exhaust without a crazy tight radius bends in the headers.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
But he hated burning his pants on the exhaust all the time, so he decided to change it. And since flipping the heads back was too much effort, he had S&S manufacture a custom system that would exit on the left, then shoot through to the right.

Gone is the Red Bull oil catch can that Scott dug out of a trash can and taped to his bike last year. A custom-made aluminum unit has replaced it. Other tweaks include an MX foot peg on the right, and a custom shifter setup on the left.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
The cockpit’s sporting Pro-Taper bars and a Pro-Taper clutch levers, a Motion Pro throttle and Scott grips. The rear brake’s been upgraded to a Lyndall Racing rotor and a Honda CRF master cylinder.

Scott’s Street Rod is also sporting an all-new and vastly improved suspension setup. Up front, he’s got the same S&S Cycle triples and risers the Indian factory team runs, with a custom stem.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
They hold a set of Yamaha R6 forks, making the front end lower, lighter and tunable. There’s a pair of 15” custom valved RWD shocks out back.

Geometry-wise, the Street Rod now has a slightly shorter wheelbase and a touch less rake. And with narrower bodywork and a longer seat, Scott can use a lot more body English. It makes for a much more responsive bike and a much happier racer.

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles
It’s also one of the most interesting Hooligan bikes we’ve seen. You’d think MX plastics on a Harley-Davidson would look weird—but it works surprisingly well.

Maybe we’ll see more of this style out on the track…

Noise Cycles Instagram | Photos by Brandon ‘Gonz’ Gonzalez

A Street Rod 750 Hooligan racer by Noise Cycles

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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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Race Prep: Noise Cycles’ Harley XG750 Flat Tracker

Post author By Wesley Reyneke
Post date May 3, 2017

Scott ‘T-Bone’ Jones has carved out a reputation as one of the scene’s top chopper builders. His portfolio is jaw-dropping, and littered with impeccable vintage Pans and Shovels.

But race bikes? That’s a whole new bag for T-Bone’s shop, Noise Cycles. Looking at this stunning Harley-Davidson Street XG750 flat track racer though, he’s clearly jumped in feet first.

“Noise Cycles, for some years now, was all about street bikes,” says Scott. “Then I got hooked on racing. A lot of my focus has been on racing—it’s like a new fire in my heart.”

While fielding a 1965 Harley XLCH in the Hooligan class, Scott got the call to join the official Harley-Davidson Motor Company ‘Harley Hooligans’ team. That meant it was time to upgrade—so he picked up a 2015-model XG750 from his nearest dealership, and proceeded to transform it from a street bike into something that could handle the tight tracks that he’d be thrashing it on.

Harley-Davidson’s pro race bike—the XG750R—uses the same engine as the Street XG750. But the geometry is vastly different, and Scott was limited in what he could do to bridge the gap.

“The stock bike is closer to a chopper than a dirt tracker,” explains Scott. “In the Hooligan class we can just about change everything, except cutting and changing the neck angle.”

“So I sat down via text message with Hunter Klee and figured out some geometry. The front end, rear shocks, seat and tail, tank and wheels all had to be changed!”

To get the numbers right, Scott fitted a set of GPS Racing triple trees with a five millimeter offset up front. They’re now holding a set of Yamaha R6 forks, with a pair of Works Performance Tracker shocks holding things up out back.

As per flat track convention, the Harley now rolls on 19” hoops; Scott picked Roland Sands Design’s attractive ‘Traction’ race wheels, and wrapped them in Dunlop rubber.

Up top, he reworked the rear of the frame with new shock mounts, and a subframe for the new tail section. The flat track-specific seat and tail unit are from Saddlemen, and there’s a neat block-off plate underneath to tuck away any stray electrical bits.

You might recognise the fuel tank as being a Sportster item, but that’s only half the story. It’s been cut open and now acts as a cover—there’s a custom-made stainless steel fuel bladder underneath, equipped with the XG750’s original fuel pump.

As for the engine, it’s standard—but it now breathes through an S&S Cycles air cleaner. For the exhaust, Scott kept the stock headers, but added a new end section and an old dirt bike can.

The rest of the build is an exercise in considered parts selection. You’ll find Biltwell Inc. footpegs, Noise Cycles flat track bars, and a clutch lever and grips from Pro-Taper. There’s also a new quarter-turn throttle, a Motion Pro kill/start switch, and a Chassis Design gas cap.

The Harley’s also been converted from a belt to a chain drive, with a front sprocket borrowed from a Ducati Multistrada. As per the rules there’s no front brake, but the rear’s been treated to a Honda lever and master cylinder combo.

Scott kept his race livery simple and in line with the company’s colors, roping in Ryan Evans for decals, Matt Ross for paint and Jen Hallett for pin striping and lettering. The execution is flawless; this XG750 could easily pass for a factory racer.

Not only does the XG750 now look and steer a lot better than stock, but it weighs a lot less too. It hasn’t been on a scale yet, but early guesses as are hovering around the 100lbs-off mark.

“It’s a fun bike with a lot of torque,” says Scott, “much different than my 1965 Harley XLCH I was running against these guys. This thing is very responsive, and I’m hoping to put it out front soon.”

Good luck out there, T-Bone. As for the rest of you: get out there and support your local flat track scene!

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

Scott would like to thank: My wife, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Hunter Klee, RSD, Saddlemen Seats, Biltwell Inc., Works Performance, Team Noise Racing, Juan Arceo, Brandon Gonzalez, Todd Canavan.

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Noise Cycles’ Harley Shovelhead Drips With 70s Style

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date January 11, 2016

Harley-Davidson styling has always been deliberately behind the times. Even in the 70s, the Shovelheads had more of an early 60s vibe.

But what if a little early superbike magic had rubbed off on the Big Twins? You’d get something like this stunning machine—a 1979 FL from master builder Scott ‘T-Bone’ Jones of Noise Cycles.

It’s called ‘Shovelhead KZ,’ and yes, there’s a hint of Kawasaki KZ1000 in there.

But sitting above those 74 cubes of Milwaukee grunt is a Yamaha RD350 tank. It shouldn’t work, but it fits just perfectly.

Right behind is a long and plush stepped seat, with ample room for two-up riding. Check out the stitching and trim—it’s incredible work from Jon Revilla, better known as The Seat Guy.

The tank is not the only Japanese part. Scott has slotted a Kawasaki headlight into the one-off aluminum nacelle, and fitted a discreet Honda stoplight to the chunky custom tail unit.

The fabrication is top-notch, as you’d expect from a man who worked with Jesse James and Ian Barry before setting out on his own just four years ago. Not surprisingly, he’s now a regular at the invite-only Born Free shows.

The 18-inch front wheel began life on a Honda Gold Wing, but the solid 16-inch rear disc is from the Harley-Davidson catalog.

Both rims are shod with Dunlop Qualifier high performance radials—no Firestones here.

The torquey motor was in good condition, so Scott has just tickled it a little. He’s grafted on a Harley FXS header, hooked it up to a custom Noise Cycles muffler, and coated both in a deep black. A Biltwell throttle controls the gas, installed on custom-made bars.

The ride has been brought up to date with the help of the fine folks at Progressive Suspension. “I didn’t realize while building it how comfortable it would be,” says Scott. “It’s super comfortable.”

And that deep, impossibly glossy paint? Full credit to Matt Ross Custom Paint and Jen Hallett for a sublime job.

Black and gold never gets old.

Noise Cycles | Facebook | Instagram | Thanks to Jose Gallina for the images