There’s something strangely appealing about flat tracker bikes. Maybe it’s the stripped-back look. Or the stubby proportions. Or the way the front ends always look so clean without a brake.
There are a lot of good looking trackers out there, but this is the best we’ve seen for a long while. It’s the work of Lorenzo Buratti, a man who has lived his life on two wheels. He started out as a BMX freestyler in his teens, then raced in African rally-raids before switching to enduro and motocross.
These days, at the age of 44, Buratti designs beautiful furniture and builds the occasional custom bike. But the racing itch has never really gone away. “I realized that I needed a break to recharge my batteries,” Lorenzo says. “And to me, this only means one thing—weekends spent battling with my friends on a track!”
The base bike for this project is a 2005 KTM 450 EXC. “In my enduro racing years, I competed a lot on this kind of KTM and I know it very well,” says Lorenzo. “I also wanted something very quick to work on during intervals between races. Hence the monocoque-style bodywork, which lifts up easily to reveal the top of the frame.
It was built to Lorenzo’s design by the Italian factory Europlast Succi, a world leader in vintage fiberglass. With a quick release fuel hose, it takes about ten seconds to open.
Given his racing experience, setting up a bike for racing is second nature for Lorenzo. He’s used 19” wheels shod with Maxxis DTR tires, and tuned the suspension with Andreani components. The exhaust system is hand-made, and the engine cases hide a balanced crankshaft and high compression piston.
Lorenzo cut the rear subframe and modified it to lower the seat and center of gravity. And because there is no battery on board, the electric start is gone.
Lorenzo has just given the bike its first shakedown race, in the Italian Flat Track Championship. He made it into the final of his first event, which is pretty good for a chap of his age on an untested bike.
If you have an enduro or motocross bike and want to convert it into a ready-to-race tracker, then Lorenzo is your man. Drop him a line via the lorenzoburatti.com website or Facebook page.
Images by JB Fotoblog.
