Love Language: A Yamaha SR500 flat tracker by Hombrese
Most guys can’t think beyond a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers as a gift for their significant other. But…
Read more »Flat Track
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.
How to build a Harley Sportster flat tracker, the Mule way
If you’ve ever fantasized about building a Harley-Davidson Sportster flat tracker, there’s a good chance that you’ve pinned a couple of Richard…
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Race Bred: Jeff Palhegyi’s Yamaha MT07 flat tracker
Any custom workshop that’s been operating for a decent length of time is sure to have a multitude of leftover parts lying…
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Twinshock Twins: Two Yamaha flat trackers built to race
Alex Winkler wears many hats. By day he’s an industrial mechanic—but by night, he puts those skills to work in his home…
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This one’s a keeper: Hombrese’s Honda XL500 flat tracker
If you fancy yourself a romantic, consider this: have you ever built a custom motorcycle for your significant other? Uwe Kostrewa has,…
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Speed Read, July 16, 2022
We’re shaking things up this week, by dropping our weekly round-up on a Saturday. Feast your eyes on a mean XJR1300 from…
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Ridden not Hidden: A 1970 Triumph Trackmaster race bike
Many vintage motorcycles that get restored often end up as showpieces—ridden seldom, if at all, for fear that something might break. But…
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Hooligan Style: Reier’s Ducati Monster flat track racer
Flat track racing covers a whole spectrum of participation levels—from pro leagues to grassroots ‘run what ya brung’ events. And that’s great…
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[Mostly] Vintage Twin: Paul Hartman’s Harley flat tracker
If pushed to pick a golden age for flat track, most folks would suggest the late 60s to the early 70s. It…
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Backtrack: A replica XR750 tracker from Gasoline
There are a handful of classics out there that look amazingly ‘right.’ In that category, we’d put machines like the Norton Manx,…
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Kompressor Kultur: Uwe Ehinger’s flathead dirt tracker
Uwe Ehinger describes himself as a ‘motorcycle archaeologist,’ and the description is apt. He knows where to find the most obscure parts,…
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Speed Read, July 4 2021
It’s all about nostalgia this week, with a special Brough Superior SS100, a new exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum, and a…
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