Don’t Call it a Bitsa: Hello Engine’s Triumph 750 TT Tracker
Work on motorcycles long enough, and you’ll amass two things: a pile of leftover parts, and the wisdom to know which of…
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.
This Board Tracker is Powered by A Lawnmower Engine
Harley-Davidson isn’t the only manufacturer with roots in Milwaukee. Briggs & Stratton—known for their lawnmower motors—were founded in the Midwestern city too,…
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More fun than a month of Sundays: KLX 150 by Deus Bali
If you’re after a job in the motorcycle industry, Deus Bali has got to be one of the best places in the…
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Desmo Flat: Home Made Motorcycles’ Ducati 750SS tracker
Most custom builders are self-taught men and women: folks with a good grasp of mechanics and an ability to ‘learn on the…
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Turning Granddad’s Harley into a Champion Flat Tracker
Some people find it hard to hold onto a bike for more than a couple of years. It doesn’t take long before…
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Custom Bikes Of The Week: 5 November, 2017
A Yamaha XS650 from Texas, a BMW R90 from China, a Honda tracker and Triumph Bobber from France, and a Yamaha XV1000…
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This Electric Tracker has a Military Drone Powerplant
Most customs start out as old bikes in dire need of resurrection. Taking a grinder to an old beater is cheaper than…
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Hot Single: Suicide Machine Co. x Husqvarna FC 450
Even if you’re not into flat track, you have to love the style of the machines. The most high profile ‘Twins’—the Harley-Davidson…
Read more »Race Prep: Noise Cycles’ Harley XG750 Flat Tracker
Scott ‘T-Bone’ Jones has carved out a reputation as one of the scene’s top chopper builders. His portfolio is jaw-dropping, and littered…
Read more »Roland Sands Stretches and Slams the R nineT
Building a bike purely for show has its advantages. There’s no need to worry about whether it runs, steers and stops, and…
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Iconic: The Ron Wood ‘Lightweight’ Dell’Orto Norton
In the US right now, flat track is smokin’ hot. Indian has joined the fray and is giving Harley-Davidson serious competition. The…
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The skinny on building a BMW flat tracker
Some builders search far and wide to find the perfect donor. But, sometimes, the right bike literally rolls through the door. This…
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