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.
Forty years ago, Yamaha made a brief foray into the flat track scene in the States with its XV750 race bike. Like most go-fast, turn-left machines, it was a bit of a looker—and provided inspiration for this phenomenal street tracker from Takashi Nihira. Nihira-san runs Wedge Motorcycle, one of the top Japanese custom shops. He’s…
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Paint is the last thing that happens on a custom job, but it’s the first thing that people notice. And the livery on this race-ready Ducati Scrambler is unmissable. A zany combination of blue, magenta and reflective silver, it’s about as subtle as a Tarantino flick. Built in Italy, this Scrambler is the product of…
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The next phase of Triumph’s electric motorcycle project broke cover this week. Plus we look at a tasty Yamaha RD400 restomod, and original condition BSA Gold Star flat tracker, and a classy R18 from the BMW experts VTR Customs.
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There’s nothing unusual about building a custom motorcycle with the primary purpose of taking it to a show. But what if the show in question has absolutely nothing to do with custom motorcycles? That’s a cool twist. This sharply styled Yamaha SR500 flat tracker is the pet project of 27-year-old Maxime Fontvielle. He’s an application…
Read more »We’re heavy on Bavaria this week, with a blacked-out BMW R18 from Harley specialist MB Cycles and a flat track-inspired R100 from…
Read more »The mythical Kawasaki H1 Mach III needs little introduction. The triple-cylinder 500 cc two-stroke made a splash when it hit the market…
Read more »It’s been a challenging year for most people. But the restrictions that have come from the worldwide pandemic have sparked new forms…
Read more »There are a few builders we watch like a hawk, because everything they touch turns to gold. One of them is NYC…
Read more »The flat track bug seems to have permeated all corners of the motorcycling world—including Sweden. We love this very sharp Indian FTR…
Read more »Flat track racing is still going strong in the USA and Europe, and we’re starting to see customizers building personal track bikes…
Read more »At its heart, motorcycling is a solitary pursuit. But it also brings people together, sharing their enthusiasm and skills when the hand…
Read more »With five different models in the range, there’s a BMW R nineT to suit most tastes—from the cafe-styled Racer to the classic…
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