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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.

The latest motorcycle news, customs and race bikes.

Speed Read: The return of the Honda Motocompo and more

1 MONTH AGO / NO COMMENTS / LATEST MOTORCYCLE NEWS

The Honda Motocompo is back, electric, and cuter than ever. In other news, Deus Milan has just built a Ron Wood Rotax framer, the Classic GP Assen yielded an immaculate Cagiva C588, and our friends at Purpose Built Moto have turned the Harley Fat Bob into an adventure bike.

Read more »
Vintage Harley-Davidson WL flat tracker by Cheetah

Meteor: A 1946 Harley-Davidson WL flat tracker from Japan

2 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

Toshiyuki ‘Cheetah’ Osawa has had a busy year. Hot on the heels of a collaboration with Indian Motorcycle and Sideburn Magazine that debuted at the Bike Shed Show, he already had another deadline looming; Born Free 14. Osawa-san was on the prestigious invited builders list for the fourth time, and wanted to bring a bike…

Read more »
Honda CB750 flat tracker by Limey Bikes

Not like the others: Limey Bikes’ Honda CB750 flat tracker

2 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

By Chris Kelland’s admission, he and his partner Elijah Reese will “build bikes for anyone that wants to throw bundles of cash at us.” But that doesn’t mean they’re not at least a little discerning. When a client asked them to turn their father’s 1974 Honda CB750 into a café racer, they said “no.” “Cafés…

Read more »
Yamaha SR500 flat tracker by Chad Daly

Smoke Show: A svelte Yamaha SR500 flat tracker from Idaho

3 MONTHS AGO / NO COMMENTS / CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES

As soon as a particular motorcycle becomes popular among customizers, it becomes harder and harder to find clean examples of it. The Yamaha SR500 has been a darling of the custom scene since forever, and has been customized in every way imaginable. You’ve got a better chance of finding one that’s had heinous work done…

Read more »
Custom Kymco KTR 150 flat tracker

Urban Drifter 2.0: A sparky custom Kymco KTR 150 from Taiwan

Using a commuter bike as a platform for customization is hardly a new idea. But we’re still impressed whenever a custom builder…

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Yamaha SR500 flat tracker by Hombrese Bikes

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 »
Harley-Davidson Sportster flat tracker by Mule Motorcycles

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…

Read more »
Yamaha MT07 flat tracker by Palhegyi Design

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…

Read more »
Vintage Yamaha flat trackers by Twinshock Motorcycles

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…

Read more »
Honda XL500S flat tracker by Hombrese Bikes

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,…

Read more »
The latest electric motorcycles and custom bikes.

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…

Read more »
1970 Triumph Trackmaster flat track race bike

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…

Read more »
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