Category: Racing Motorcycles

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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Soichiro’s finest: the Honda RC30

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date February 28, 2019

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
Motorcyclists are a well-read bunch. Despite the well-publicized travails of some mainstream magazine publishers, the niche market is booming. Every country with a reasonably large population seems to have an independent magazine devoted to custom or ‘alt.moto’ culture.

The latest entrant to this pleasingly busy market is Retro-RR from England. It’s a high-quality quarterly with 132 pages, celebrating bikes that were ridden or raced in the 80s and 90s.

We were so impressed with the launch edition, we asked if we could reproduce an abridged version of our favorite article—covering the mighty Honda RC30. Enjoy.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
In an age of prosperity, huge tobacco sponsorship and an impending inaugural World Superbike championship, building a winner was the only thing that mattered to the mighty Honda Racing Corporation.

In the late eighties the VFR750R—better known as the RC30—was a dream for engineers and designers. With all emphasis on creating a race-winning production machine with very little regard for the budget, the bike that spawned the term ‘homologation special’ was generously bestowed with magnesium and titanium.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
Honda’s engineers already knew how to make a reliable V4 motor and, externally at least, the RC30 motor closely resembled the unit used in the road-going VFR750F. But now they had the opportunity to refine it further, make it lighter and increase the power — to produce the ultimate four-stroke racing engine.

Based on the RVF endurance racer (not to be confused with the later RVF750 RC45) the RC30 used titanium con rods and forged two-ring pistons with skirts so short they weren’t allowed to leave the house.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
The firing order was changed to a big-bang configuration with a totally new crank; new, hardened valves were used; the lubrication system was uprated and the gear-drive for the camshafts was revised.

Casings were machined differently for the new oil galleries and the rev ceiling was raised from 11,000 to 12,500rpm. It even had a slipper clutch, long before they became the norm. Only the V4 architecture truly remained.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
Each of the 3,000 RC30s produced were hand-built in the racing division of the Hamamatsu plant alongside the factory racers. The geometry was sharp and short and the twin-spar aluminum frame was pared down to save weight but was still stiff where it mattered.

Fully adjustable Showa suspension graced both ends with the front forks designed for speedy front wheel changes. The single-sided swinging arm made for similarly rapid rear wheel swaps; this was a bike that had all the ingredients, both mechanically and aesthetically.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
While super-exotic, on paper the numbers didn’t really stack up. In unrestricted form, the bike was claimed to produce 118bhp and 51ft-lb of torque. Hardly staggering performance figures, even with a best-in-class dry weight of 180kg.

But on the racetrack that sublime chassis and motor with its flat, almost totally linear, torque curve added up to a fast lap time. It was easy on the tyres and more importantly, easy on the rider. Never before had the term ‘racer on the road’ been more apt.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
The RC30 soon proved to be the bike to be on. The insanely talented Fred Merkel took the inaugural World Superbike title in 1988 and the American confirmed it was no fluke by repeating the feat the following year.

It won domestic championships the world over and tamed the toughest racetrack of them all, the Mountain Course on the Isle of Man. Legendary riders such as Steve Hislop, Joey Dunlop, Phillip McCallen and Nick Jefferies all took TT victories aboard the RC30. It wasn’t long before pretty much every privateer racer wanted one.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
More than 30 years on, finding a mint example of one of Soichiro Honda’s most memorable motorcycles before his passing in 1991 isn’t easy. Most have been either raced or crashed. Or both.

But every once in a while, an opportunity presents itself. This is exactly what happened to our friend, Alessio Barbanti [below]. He’s one of the most respected photographers in motorcycling and a thoroughly Italian man who knows style when he sees it.

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
“I wanted an RC30 for a very long time,” says Alessio. “It was always the dream bike, the one on top of my list. To find one in good condition is very hard.”

“About two years ago a friend called me and said to come over for coffee. Nothing unusual about that, so I strolled over to his workshop and there it was, my dream machine.”

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
“It belonged to an old Italian guy who’d been living in the USA for about 30 years and had retired to his homeland. The bike was an American-spec bike but not restricted — I spent so much time researching to make sure it was full power and that it wasn’t going to give me problems.”

“I was very lucky. You might say ‘in the right place at the right time’. The bike is in almost perfect condition, everything is genuine Honda and I have the original exhaust too.”

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti
“The one is fitted with the HRC race kit exhaust, which I’ve since found out is incredibly rare. It runs perfectly too. I think the former owner really loved this bike which explains why he was so emotional when he sold it.”

We’re still waiting for an invite to the Italian Alps to find out for ourselves just how good Alessio’s bike is. Though I have a feeling we might be waiting some time.

Retro-RR | Facebook | Instagram | Original words: Rob Hoyles | Images: Matteo Cavadini, Alessio Barbanti

Soichiro’s finest: A Honda RC30 VFR750R owned by the Italian motorcycle photographer Alessio Barbanti

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A Ducati speedway motorcycle, imagined by Wreckless

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date February 22, 2019

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
If race bikes are motorcycling in its purest form, speedway machines must be akin to holy water. They have no brakes, just one gear, and drink neat methanol.

They’re also rather squashed-looking machines, with stubby hardtails and forks raked steeper than the most extreme sportbike. But this creation from England’s Wreckless Motorcycles is a thing of strange beauty.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
The unusual story starts with Wreckless founder Rick Geall, who has a passion for oddball two-wheelers and is probably the only man to ever customize an Aprilia Moto 6.5.

In the 1970s, teenage Rick went to Denmark on holiday with his family. “I got hooked on speedway,” he reveals. “Riders like Ivan Mauger, Peter Collins and Denmark’s own Ole Olesen were dominating the sport, winning multiple world titles.”

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Fast forward forty years, and Rick finds himself in possession of a rather pretty 450cc Ducati single—the sought after Desmo version.

“It was in of a jumble of vintage Ducati parts from the early 1970s. I said to Iain, my collaborator in Wreckless: ‘I want to build a speedway bike’.”

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Iain, despite questioning Rick’s sanity and knowing little about speedway, tracked down a vintage race frame and swingarm from the same era as the Ducati engine.

“It’s a Jawa, we believe,” says Rick. “It competed at some point, but we don’t have the specific history of it.” Iain started altering the frame to accept the motor and create a rolling chassis.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Things moved slowly as Wreckless focused on their core business. But when Ivan Mauger died last year, the build shifted up the priority list. “Ivan’s death was a kick up the backside to get the bike finished,” says Rick. “Some of his bikes came up for auction, and I was sorely tempted to go and buy one—but never did.”

“So this bike is a celebration of Ivan. But I also wanted to acknowledge a current hero of mine, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.”

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Rick and Iain ploughed their energies back into the build. They found that the SOHC bevel engine had already been modified for classic road racing, with much bigger valves and some headwork done to it. They added a new Amal TT carb to give the motor an extra fillip, and installed new sprockets: 14T up front (“Kind of normal”) and 52T rear (“Ridiculous!”).

The header pipe is handmade, and mated to a tiny 900 gram Akrapovič slip-on muffler, originally designed for the Yamaha R3.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Suspension comes from brand new Stuha adjustable race forks, made in the Czech Republic—another country with a long and illustrious speedway history.

“They’ve been cut and lengthened by about four inches, to give us the clearance we needed for the front wheel,” says Rick. “Mating the frame with an unusual motor can mean altering the frame orientation, which affects the headstock position and then the rake, and so on.” The forks are hooked up to Renthal bars lifted from a KTM SX85.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
Those bars are also home to a Daytona Velona tach, and a Beringer ‘thumb’ clutch master cylinder kit. The carb is controlled by a Venhill dual rate throttle, and the grips are from Renthal.

The wheels are the real deal: a custom set built by SM Pro, a British race specialist that can trace its history back 120 years. They’re a standard speedway setup, 23” x 1.60” at the front and 19” x 2.15” at the back, shod with Mitas race tires. (A carbon fiber speedway fender controls the spray of dirt.)

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
In the interests of making their custom speedway machine a teeny bit more rideable, Wreckless have also sneaked a brake onto the back wheel. It’s a Beringer Aerotec caliper activated via a thumb lever cleverly integrated with the clutch setup. The disc is a custom engraved EBC Vee-Rotor.

Another departure from the speedway norm is a pair of rear shocks. These are Marzocchi MOTO C2R units, originally designed for mountain bikes. They’re adjustable for rebound, have separate low- and high-speed compression controls, and are now fitted with Cane Creek double barrel coil springs.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
The seat and bodywork are hand-made. “The tank is a mix of genuine speedway racing parts, and odd aluminum tanks for hiding the electrics, coil, and kill switch,” Rick reveals.

When it came to the paint Rick decided on a Mercedes F1 scheme, in tribute to LH44, and has nicknamed the bike ‘the H4MM4.’

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
The silver on the frame, swingarm and seat loop is a Ducati ST2 color. There’s gloss black on the rims, a turquoise blue on the hubs and other scattered hard parts, and discreet touches of a carbon effect coating. Plus the odd plagiarized decal here and there.

The colors were shot by Jason Fowler of JLF Designs, who’s worked for not only Lewis Hamilton, but also the late Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon and IndyCar driver Max Chilton.

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles
“The bike isn’t meant to be a ‘serious’ machine,” says Rick. “It’s a caricature: a celebration of the heroes who have left an imprint on my life.”

“I’m lucky, because I could build it for the sheer hell of it. Ducati never made a speedway bike, but if they did, we hope it would look something like this.”

Wreckless Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Daniel Du Cros at Junction11 Studios

Ducati speedway motorcycle concept by Wreckless Motorcycles

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This scary TZ750 flat track racer is also street legal

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date February 5, 2019

When we were talking to Brad Peterson about his XR750 street tracker a month ago, he let slip that he also had a TZ750 in his garage. And it too was street legal.

An explosive Yammie two-stroke with classic flat track good looks is too hard to resist, so we just had to show it. But we’re not sure if we want to ride it: Brad may have balls the size of church bells, but we don’t.

The TZ750 was one of the most extreme flat track racers of all time: it was banned after one race win in the mid 70s, and Kenny Roberts would hit 145mph going down the straights.

Steve Baker was another rider who wrestled with the TZ750. “One of my buddies showed me a picture of Steve Baker’s original dirt tracker, and said that a TZ750 would make a crazy street tracker,” Brad recalls. “That one picture, which is still pinned to my garage wall, started this adventure.”

This TZ750 is built around a replica of a Champion Racing frame. And it’s not any old replica: the original Doug Schwerma design has been replicated and built by Jeff Palhegyi, a man with a very solid reputation in the twin worlds of motorsport and Yamaha tuning.

“I don’t have enough luck to ever come by one of the original six Champion-framed TZs,” Brad admits. “So putting together a replica is as good as it’s going to get for me.”

Nestling in that frame is a 1977 TZ 750D motor built by Scott Guthrie Racing, a company that has set over 380 land speed records. (This particular TZ motor owns several records itself, in other vehicles.)

The ‘D’ spec motor got a 30 horsepower boost over its three predecessors, and in stock formed pushed out 120 hp. This one has been outfitted with Lectron carburetors and has been gas flowed and tuned specifically for street use.

Those glorious expansion chambers are again Jeff Palhegyi’s work. He’s topped them off with a pair of tiny mufflers from TZ Mike.

“I’ve found you can’t sneak around on it much,” Brad says. “It’s an angry beast of a bike that makes an enormous amount of noise and leaves a trail of two-stroke smoke like you can’t believe.”

Like many flat track machines, this TZ750 is running Yamaha YZF-R6 forks, mated to the frame with custom triples. An R6 donated its brakes too—including the front caliper, and the front rotor (with a custom disk carrier).

Santa Fe Motors supplied the 19-inch rims (shod with Dunlop rubber) and there’s a quick-change rear hub, alongside another R6 caliper and rotor and Race Tech shocks.

The bars are from Flanders, one of the oldest names in the bending fraternity, and are graced with brake and cylinder masters from Brembo. The Scitsu tach and temperature gauges are original, though.

The discreet lighting from Baja Designs is required to make the TZ street legal. “It’s a total loss electrical system,” Brad explains. “Can’t remember when I charged the battery last. Crazy long life!”

The low-profile bodywork is by First Klass Glass. Brad painted it himself—in the Yamaha Canada red colors of #32 Steve Baker, of course.

“It’s legit street legal,” he adds. “Title, lights and all. Race bikes and motors are originally sold without titles, so I spent a lot of time working through the processes to get it to the street.”

The TZ750 has no starter, but it will bump start in less than six feet. “Once I figured out the right spark plug to use, it’s crazy how easy it starts. Originally Yamaha recommended two plugs—one for warming up and a second for racing—but I found a happy medium.”

The TZ might be legal to ride on the street, but the power band is akin to a light switch. “When the revs hit about 7,000, it lights the back tire up violently—and at the same time lifts the front wheel, pulling hard all the way to 11,000,” says Brad.

Brad lives in the same town as Steve Baker, who’s still a regular at the small local flat track. And there are plans in the works to get Baker and the TZ750 together in Canada on a 1/2 mile this summer.

We reckon Baker is a brave man, but it should be epic.

Images by John Meloy and Pierre Robichaud.

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Blast from the past: A Suzuki Vallelunga roars again

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date December 29, 2018

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
There’s something magical about big racing two-strokes. And somewhere near the top of that smokin’ hot tree is the Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga.

The story of the Italian-built Suzuki is a curious tale, and it’s rare to see one of these attractive racers pop up on the internet radar. But the Piedmontese workshop Soiatti Moto Classiche has just found and restored one, and pushed the big zook back into the limelight.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
Soiatti Moto Classiche opened its doors in 1978, when SWM factory motocross racer Daniele Soiatti retired from official duties. Today Daniele and his son Alberto (below) restore motorcycles from the 1970s, which often arrive in their Novara workshop in very bad condition.

The Soiattis usually work on Japanese superbikes, but they occasionally open their arms to encompass lesser-known European marques—such as Hercules, Zündapp and SWM.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
It’s quality work too, and often showcased at top European concours events—such as the Concorso d’Eleganza at the Villa d’Este.

Not every bike is worthy of the lavish care that the Soiattis habitually deliver, but the Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga is a very special machine. It’s one of around a hundred built by the Turin-based Suzuki dealer SAIAD in the mid 70s, and sold to privateer racers.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
Compared to a stock GT750 two-stroke, light engine work freed up an extra ten horses. The weight drop was much more drastic: down from 245 kilos (540 pounds) to 190 (418 pounds).

The exhaust specialist Figaroli created a lightweight, more efficient exhaust system, and Angelo Menani supplied the featherweight fiberglass bodywork, rear sets and clip-ons. (The 1.9-liter oil tank is actually hidden in the bulky tail unit.)

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
Top speed was reportedly 225 kph (140 mph) and Suzuki was so impressed by the Vallelunga, it adopted the bike as an ‘official’ model. The Vallelunga appeared in Italian advertising material, presumably to create a halo effect for the stock GT750.

The machine restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche dates from 1974, is #35 in the production run, and was a mess when Daniele and Alberto first got their hands on it. They’ve seen much worse, such as bikes recovered from the sea, but the Suzuki had been sitting in a garage for twenty years.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
The first thing Daniele noticed was that the wrong type of water-cooled triple was sitting in the frame; it had been taken from a later version of the GT750. But luckily the owner also had the original Vallelunga engine to hand, so the Soiattis stripped that one down and started the rebuild.

The crankshaft was rebalanced, and all the seals and bearings replaced. The engine cases were then sandblasted, and then coated with a petrol- and heat-resistant clear coat.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
The Figaroli mufflers were in very bad shape, with multiple scars and crushed in places. So they’ve been dismantled, pushed back into shape, welded, polished and repainted.

Fortunately the frame was in reasonable condition, aside from surface rust. So it was sanded back to bare metal and repainted in black.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
The fiberglass bodywork was extremely tired, as you’d expect on a bike almost half a century old. But rather than ditch and recreate Menani’s work, the Soiattis have meticulously restored it, and given it a fresh coat of authentic Suzuki blue race paint. They’ve also recreated the decals to exactly replicate the peeling originals.

The saddle was beyond repair though, so there’s a new seat pad upholstered in black leather in the same style as the original.

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
The rest of the machine has simply been fettled, refinished and returned to factory tolerances and specs. It’s all showroom fresh, from the Koni shocks to the aluminum Borrani wheels to the sandblasted, repainted brake calipers.

“The Vallelunga is restored exactly back to the original,” Alberto tells us. “We didn’t think about making changes.”

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche
“Some motorcycles must remain faithful to their origins.”

Amen to that.

Soiatti Moto Classiche Facebook | Daniele Soiatti Instagram | Alberto Soiatti Instagram | Images by Valen Zhou

A Suzuki-SAIAD GT750 S Vallelunga restored by Soiatti Moto Classiche

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Double Trouble: Hot Chop’s twin-engined Harley drag bike

Post author By Chris Hunter
Post date December 27, 2018

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
Squeezing two Harley engines into one chassis is a special form of lunacy, most commonly found in the drag racing scene in the USA.

In the glory days of the mid-70s, Bonnie Truett linked a pair of Sportster motors and nitro-injected them. A decade later, Elmer Trett built an even faster twin-engined bike: the ‘Freight Train,’ which ran the quarter mile in under seven seconds.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
Despite the wealth of tuning talent in Japan, no double-engined Harley has been built there—until now. Kentaro Nakano is the man who has broken the drought, by creating the engineering masterpiece we’re looking at here.

Nakano-san operates as Hot Chop Speed Shop in Kyoto, and is held in high regard in local Harley circles.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
At the Mooneyes show a few weeks ago, his monstrous drag racer scooped awards from two of Japan’s biggest moto magazines—Hot Bike and Vibes. So we asked Mr. Nakano to organize a shoot for us, and he kindly obliged.

“I started the project in December 2017,” he tells us. “It’s a tribute to the drag racers of the 1970s, using Sportster XLCH engines.”

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
The front engine is a 1969 vintage ironhead, and the engine behind it is a couple of years older. Both mills were thoroughly rebuilt, with help from Nakano’s friend Kazuhiro Takahashi of Sakai Boring.

Fuel is metered through S&S Super B carbs (which first hit the market in 1975) fitted with one-off intake funnels.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
Nakano has also changed the timing of the engines, to create gaps between the exhaust pulses. At idle, ‘Double Trouble’ sounds unmistakably like a Harley, we’re informed—but at high rpm, more like a Japanese multi-cylinder engine.

Connecting plates link the V-twins together, and the output shafts are hooked up to two primary drives: one from a current model Sportster, and another from a modern Big Twin tourer.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan

The transmission is the weak point on a 1960s Sportster, and with two engines in tandem, sticking with the stock gears would result in tears. So Nakano has installed the four-speed ‘box from a 1980s Big Twin.

With the powertrain sorted, Nakano turned his attention to the frame. It’s an entirely custom-built affair, using steel piping, with forks from an early 70s Ducati 750 Imola up front—slightly shaved for a custom look.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
The discreet paint is by GRIMB Krazy Painting, which despite the odd name is the go-to shop for many of the top Japanese custom auto and moto builders.

Nakano has selected aluminum wheels, 18 inches front and back, and both with classic H-type rims. They’re shod with drag slicks from M&H, the company that ‘wrote the book on traction.’

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
He’s installed a front brake from the Minnesota specialist Airheart—a company familiar with the requirements of drag racing—while the back brake is from the Californian firm Wilwood.

The cockpit is simple: one-off drag bars are clamped into a custom top yoke, with a 1970s Harley tachometer just ahead. The levers are one-offs too, but the grips are off-the-shelf Japanese items.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
The aluminum bodywork is minimalist in the extreme: a simple cylindrical fuel tank sitting on the frame top tube, and a cowl behind the seat that doubles up as an oil tank.

Atelier Cherry delivered the hand-sewn leather seat pad, which looks as though it’s been in service since the 70s.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
‘Double Trouble’ looks fast even standing still. Nakano is going to take it to the Japanese drag strips in the coming months, and with the help of engine builder Takahashi-san, he’ll be recreating the spirit (and hopefully the quarter mile times) of the famous 70s American bikes.

If the results are good, the next step is to find a sponsor and take the bike to the Bonneville Salt Flats for some extreme speed runs.

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hot Chop Speed Shop of Japan
But first, there’s one more small job Nakano needs to complete before he starts racing: the addition of a supercharger.

“I already have it in stock,” he says …

Hot Chop Speed Shop | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Satoru Ise of Vibes Magazine

Twin-engined Harley drag bike by Hotchop Speed Shop of Japan

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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

Anvil Motociclette BikeExif Flat Track Racing Honda motorcycles Other Motorcycle Blogs Racing Motorcycles Suzuki motorcycles

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.