Several types of motorcycles can be called ‘trackers.’ The original is the board tracker, named after the machines that raced on board tracks in the USA in the 1910s and 1920s.
In the 1930s, as the board tracks faded away, flat track racers appeared: street bikes modified to race on dirt or clay ovals. Past icons include the Harley-Davidson XR-750, but others include flat trackers from BSA, Norton and Triumph. This style is still popular today, with interest spurred by an intense rivalry between Harley-Davidson and Indian.
Flat track motorcycles (or dirt trackers, as they are sometimes known) do not have front brakes, but the slimmed-down style has been copied by builders of ‘street tracker’ customs.
Few motorcycles can claim the notoriety of the ill-fated Buell Blast. Propelled by half a Sportster engine and aimed at beginner riders, the Blast was such a disappointment that its creator, Erik Buell, signaled the end of its production by publicly tossing one into a crusher. Then, to drive the point home, he offered a…
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Richard Pollock has an enviable problem: a full order book. Just last week, we featured a stunning Harley Sportster street tracker in his signature Mule Motorcycles style. It turns out that he churned out a second Sportster around the same time, and it’s just as wild. The project was conceived when Mule’s client brought him…
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The new BMW F900GS has only just hit the scene, and VTR Customs has already got their grubby paws on it. Other highlights this week include a Rotax framer from the UK, a BMW R100GS rally replica from the US, and a look at Biltwell Inc.’s new collaboration with Santa Cruz Skateboards.
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Even though the Harley-Davidson Evolution Sportster is no longer in production, it’s eons away from going extinct. There are plenty of second-hand Evo Sportsters kicking around, and no shortage of aftermarket parts for them. And as long as the Sporty is still in play, masters like Richard ‘Mule’ Pollock will be on hand to extract…
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If there’s one man who knows how to eke every last bit of performance out of a flat tracker, it’s Richard Pollock.…
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The most unlikely custom motorcycle tops this week’s assortment of machines; a Ducati Indiana flat tracker. We also profile a Honda Transalp…
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Crunching the numbers to pick the 10 best custom motorcycles of the year is a headache. But picking my personal favorites is…
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Ever since Harley-Davidson went quiet on the future of the seemingly ill-fated Bronx streetfighter, we’ve been waiting for The Motor Co. to…
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The Honda Motocompo is back, electric, and cuter than ever. In other news, Deus Milan has just built a Ron Wood Rotax…
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Toshiyuki ‘Cheetah’ Osawa has had a busy year. Hot on the heels of a collaboration with Indian Motorcycle and Sideburn Magazine that…
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By Chris Kelland’s admission, he and his partner Elijah Reese will “build bikes for anyone that wants to throw bundles of cash…
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As soon as a particular motorcycle becomes popular among customizers, it becomes harder and harder to find clean examples of it. The…
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