What’s the best-looking Harley-Davidson of all time? We’d put our money on the XRTT road racer from the 1970s: the one with the sleek fiberglass fairing, orange-and-black paint and Ceriani drum brakes.
Many of those original 750s were destroyed in action. Probably less than 25 remain, and to put one in your garage would cost $100,000 or more. But you can get a little of that XRTT style for much less, as this Harley Street 750 shows.
The bike was built by Joeri Van Ouytsel, a Belgian mechanic who works for Silver Lake Harley-Davidson. It’s part of Harley’s upcoming Battle Of The Kings competition, which challenges authorized Harley dealers to apply their customization skills to the blank canvas of the Street 750.
The 30-liter tank is from a Laverda—exact model unknown—and immediately gives the Street 750 an old-school racer look. It’s more angular than the XRTT original, and Joeri has grafted on a shorter tail unit to match.
The fairing comes from a Paton, and cost less than $500. It’s been reshaped to fit the Street 750, and hides the bulky frame downtubes and radiator. The stock bars have been replaced with Triumph clip-ons.
The standard 17- and 15-inch cast aluminum wheels are gone, replaced by symmetrical 21-inch rims taken from a Sportster Seventy-Two.
The exhaust headers are old aftermarket items, matched to custom pipes and mufflers. (Joeri’s attention to detail even carries through to the exhaust wrap, which is immaculately layered.)
Joeri has also made the foot controls from scratch, creating a traditional racer-style body position.
At the back you’ll spot piggyback shocks from a Harley XR1200—with springs repainted to match the bodywork. The brake lines are also color-matched, another neat touch.
The factory Street 750 has nimble handling by Harley standards, with relatively light weight and a center of gravity that feels low. So Joeri’s homage to the XRTT is likely to be a fun ride.
It’s probably a little easier to maintain than a classic racer too.
All photos © Mike Van Cleven | Harley-Davidson Benelux
