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.
Elegant is not often a word used to describe electric bikes, but this pared-down tracker is both petite and beautiful. It’s from a new shop called Blatant Moto, based in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco—and the builders obviously know what they are doing. “We’re three ex-Alta employees,” says designer and co-founder John McInnis. “The…
Read more »
For power junkies, the Honda CB1000R is one of the best roadsters on the market today. The build quality is superlative, the Fireblade-derived inline four pumps out a stonking 143 hp, and the Showa suspension is top-notch. We’re on the fence when it comes to the ‘neo sports café’ styling though. So news of a…
Read more »
In the world of professional motorcycle racing, development is a constant grind. Hooligan flat track racing is the same. But here, the upgrades are done by racers and builders on tight budgets. Not massive teams of engineers with eighteen-wheeler trucks full of SnapOn tools.
Read more »
When we were talking to Brad Peterson about his XR750 street tracker a month ago, he let slip that he also had a TZ750 in his garage. And it too was street legal. An explosive Yammie two-stroke with classic flat track good looks is too hard to resist, so we just had to show it.…
Read more »The biggest cliché in motorcycle journalism is the ‘listicle’ of the best-looking bikes ever made. If we ever run out of ideas…
Read more »Nicky Hayden left a massive hole in the motorcycling world—and in all of our hearts—when he passed away unexpectedly in May last…
Read more »The world of custom motorcycles is full of beautiful machines, but many of them see little mileage. While that doesn’t stop us…
Read more »The great thing about flat track racing is that anyone can have a crack. You don’t need a rocket scientist crew chief,…
Read more »The Glemseck 101 festival being held this weekend is a high-octane celebration of speed and power. At this very moment, thousands of…
Read more »Harley-Davidson owned the internet yesterday. Unless you live under a solid aggregate of minerals, you’ll know that the Motor Co. teased its…
Read more »Like many of you, we’re total suckers for racing machines—especially flat trackers. And although we’re captivated by American iron like the Indian…
Read more »The Ducati Scrambler is an obvious fit for ‘casual’ flat track racing. Ducati even made a ‘Flat Track Pro’ limited edition in…
Read more »
