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.
Most guys can’t think beyond a box of chocolates or a bunch of flowers as a gift for their significant other. But Uwe Kostrewa is a true romantic. He’s just built this peachy Yamaha SR500 flat tracker for his girlfriend, Steffi—and it’s not the first custom bike he’s built for her either. Uwe works as…
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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 Pollock’s bikes to your mood board. Better known as Mule Motorcycles, Richard has been building flat trackers since day dot and has mastered the art. He can make a Sportster go fast, turn…
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Any custom workshop that’s been operating for a decent length of time is sure to have a multitude of leftover parts lying around. But how often are those the right kind of parts to build a thoroughbred race bike with? It’s a rare scenario—but it’s the story behind this race-bred Yamaha framer. It’s the work…
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Alex Winkler wears many hats. By day he’s an industrial mechanic—but by night, he puts those skills to work in his home garage, restoring and rebuilding vintage bikes. When the weekend rolls around, Alex wheels his creations out of the garage and goes racing. While we can all appreciate a no-expense-spared showroom build, there’s something…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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