Flat Tracker, Street Tracker, pioneer motard?

[cam0063]

Hi Muzzard,

Very interested to hear you have ridden Flat Track and an XS650 too – very cool! The old XS are in huge demand for Flat Track or the roadgoing Street Track. Thought I better move this to a new thread as Flat Track could have me going for hours ;)

The rims you have sound excellent...I have to talk with a mate this week who is doing the frame work on my XS. I will ask him about the mods with 17" rims I am considering. Most Street track guys use 18' and 19" wheels, but I am trying for a slightly different look. I am farming 11/2hrs south of Perth, but get up there often. When you get to Perth I would be keen to see your rims and other products…

Yep - I love Flat Track, but to be honest, have never ridden it. I have great friends north of Dallas/Fort Worth who have a track near them, also a state of the art Nascar track. I hoped to catch a Flat Track race last visit, but timing was out. Was invited to ride a a few laps one weekend on a Rotax 600 single tracker. The guy keeps telling me - 100 miles per hour sideways round the corners is a real buzz! I am sure it is, but if it was me, side ways on dirt at 100mph, it would more than likely mean me and the bike are in real trouble :shock: haha

I have put my old XS sideways down the gravel here at the farm. I remember when I left the bike at what ever speed I was doing, I actually tried to run when it threw me or I threw it. No way the feet had a chance. The bike caught up with me pretty fast too. Thankfully no breaks to the body, but did take much skin off. Removing the gravel in the shower was an experience that stays with me... The old Dunlop Volleys, Boardies and sleeveless t shirt are not bullet proof, they never stood a chance - trust me ;) However I am hooked, they are awesome machines and the street versions coming out now are true works of art - beautiful....

My bike is being built into a Street Tracker, tho with other influences too ie: motard. I am using the XS Frame, which is damn heavy. Would love a flat Track frame - oneday. I have been shaving weight where I can and am considering a sportsbike swingarm. I believe the FZR400 has the ideal swingarm [nice and light too]. FZR 400 or 600 front end looks to be a great option. I am possibly leaning that way, or even an inverted fork.... Today I stumbled upon a monoshock setup I had not considered before. So am looking at this too with my original swingarm - modified to set it up!

Here is a link to a Flat tracker/Street Tracker builder in the US. Yep - awesome!!! http://www.mulemotorcycles.com others may find it interesting... I spend a bit of time on the XS650 Forums looking into these great machines... Could Flat Track bikes be considered a pioneer motard? Road Bikes heavily moded to Dirt as against Off road bikes moded to road. Both carving up either surface! May be :D

Cam…

Ps: I liked the XS Tracker in the gallery. I have a huge file of photos, so added a few also…

[scozzie]

Cam,

Thanks for sharing that site with us. Hell of a talented guy that I reckon. Wish he was over here.
Just imagine being able to do all that. Unreal.
I've always loved that flattrack look.

Scoz.

[cam0063]

Hi Scoz, nice to meet you. Yeah they are pretty neat bikes... That builder is top line. If I had a spare $20 000 US I would have an order in in seconds. I really liked is offset monshock set up. I would love to see a Flat Track race here, even just an exhibition race. Is pretty big business amongst the factories State side. However there are excellent race series for the guy on the street with a home built bike. I was surprised to see that KTM450 & 640s, WRs and XRs are also preped for Flat Tracking [probaly more too] - great....

The XS 650s appear to be the most popular to turn into a Flat Tracker or the road licensed version - Street Tracker... Mainly as there is so many of these twins around and they did compete very well historically. The Accessory and Mod market in the US is "big", paticulalrly for the XS. I thought I would build mine and may look at importing some of the mods to sell here later. I reckon there may be interest. Better build my bike 1st ;) There is at least one other guy I know of building a street Tracker down under and it looks awesome thus far. When my frame is done and I have something more interesting than 3 boxes of "bits" I will take a few photos of the progress.

Cam....

[Muzzard]

Farming South of Perth hey Cam,
I have an agricultural vehicle to replace your antiquated ATV I should bring too...
I am into flat track and hillclimb also, both the Pikes Peak variety as well as the Widow Maker variety.
I would lean towards the 400/600 conversion for better handling myself having done a ZX6 front and rear end swap to a 81 model Z650 Kawasaki previously for the same effect...
If I do eventually build a Street Tracker I think I would be leaning again to Shovel Harley power for the originality of the concept, but mix it up with some real tasty billet components and 17" wheels... :roll:

And I'm with you on the Tracker being the Pioneer 'tard...

[Wobbly]

I have an agricultural vehicle to replace your antiquated ATV I should bring too...
If I do eventually build a Street Tracker I think I would be leaning again to Shovel Harley power...
I thought you said you were getting away from the antiquities? :-k

;)

[cam0063]

Hi Muzzard. The Ag vehicle sounds very interesting - tell me more :D I sit on Suzuki quads now most of time chasing cattle. 500cc T Bar auto 4x4, big soft seat. I could do with some non conventional excitement.

Pikes Peak would be a dream to see. I was in the Rockies 2 years ago and have a friend ranching a short drive from Pikes Peak. Unfortunately was not there during the race. Another thing on the to do List. I had a video called Dirt [several years old now and lent it out], to watch these cars, buggies and bikes tackle the Peak was unbelievable!!! One whole side of the track appears to have no barriers at all and looks to be 1000ft + sheer drop off if you get it wrong! I have heard of the Widow Maker, but know almost nothing about it?

Yes you are right, the Shovel Harley being the go for a Street Tracker. The 17's would make a excellent touch ;) I had the XS sitting in the shed gathering dust, so thought I should do something with it, hence going the Flat Track path with it... I have had a Harley project in the back of my mind and here on the computer for sometime. Using a 1200 Sportster motor. Picked up a Mag in the US and saw http://www.confederate.com/ is basically commercially producing the bike [Hellcat] I thought I had dreamed up! Back to the drawing board :-k hahaha

If you or any members hear of a front end and swing arm for a 1986/87/88 FZR600, keep me posted... This is suppose to be the best fit.

hi Neil, I was born in the early 60s' when these Flat Track bikes began to really take off. Guess that makes me an Antiquitie ;)

[Wobbly]

hehe, just trying to rev muzz up a bit there mate ;)

I was in denver for a few weeks a couple of years ago and thought about hiring a car and going for a drive up pike's peak ... but then realised it was december and the middle of winter and the roads were unpassable #-o

[scozzie]

Saw the hillclimbs at Sturgis in 93. That was awsome. I'd seen some before in the UK but nothing like the bikes at Sturgis. They were well elongated. Massive swingarms. Mostly Harleys. And the noise - awsome.

I have since then harbored a secret desire to squeeze a Sportster engine into a dirt bike frame. One day I will. Loved that offset monoshock.

Wonder what the WR flattracker is like? Fancy a set of those bars, anyone? What would they be like on a Motard set up? Any guesses?

[cam0063]

Hi Neil, Rev ups appeal to my sense of humour ;) Has rained much of the day here and I have taken a few days off to catch up on book/office work. I failed! Been looking at bikes on and off all day... Could have done with a rev up of a different kind there... :lol:

Scozzie: A group of friends in the US head to Sturgis each year. They have a blast! Certainly looks like it from the Mag articles too... A couple of friends from here are taking their Harleys across next year for it and riding from San Fransisco to sturgis. Now that would be awesome. They did Daytona Bike week 2 years ago, less bikes and had a great time. I saw a photo or two of WR Flat Trackers just the other day. if I can remember where I will pass them on... Not sure what the Flat Track bars would be like on a motard, they are 34" wide. Ideal for pulling around those big twins tho :D

[Muzzard]

Cam,
Have ridden methanol sand draggers, Hillclimbers with the stretched out rear ends and chains on a paddle tyre, 90 cube engines, and straight up...
Had a go at the tar sprinting on a methanol powered CB1100RC...
Also born in the 60's (62) I have had an affair with horsepower ever since there were no speed limits and all the gas you could burn for a dollar.
A Buell is on the board and has been for some time, but I sort of need something more LC4 640 Motard styled to suit my environment and miles I travel to ride with the 'younger' members of this group.
Being now concentrating efforts into the bike building as a full time job, I suggest it wont be too long until a Street Tracker project graces the corner of my workshop. :shock:

Anyone with another 81 Z650 or the likes laying around? :roll:

[cam0063]

Muzzard - Wow, you sure have experinced some two wheel power ;) at '62 you beat me by a year, '63 here..... ;) A guy caretaking my neighbours farm has a Z650. I will see if I can track its whereabouts, as he was arrested and jailed for rape and kidnap 2 months ago. Long story! I doubt he will be needing the bike for a looooong time!

When you reach Perth, if you have time get up to Fraser Motorcycles. A mate of mines brother is a mechanic there and built himself a very, very trick road reg Buell. He imported a lot of gear and made up what he also needed. I hear he is in the process of building another...

I looked at an LC4640 motard a few months ago. It is what got me thinking, I got to get into a motard ;) Interesting to hear you are building bikes. Are you concentrating a particular style? ie: Motard...

[Muzzard]

I will build anything your imagination fancies Cam,
At the moment concentrating on a range of parts to make your trail bike a cheap motard as in kit forms,
And heavily into pushing the mini motard barrow as a cheap, 'Welcome to 70's style practice meetings' form of fun that most all ages can enjoy.
The pitbikes I build are fast, very thrilling to ride, and take maybe more technique than the larger counterparts to master and ride quickly.
As 50's racing is not governed by M.A, its open slather as far as rules are concerned and as most private tracks are that, private, simple indemnity can eleviate some insurance hassles real quick...
We have a bustin' scene in Echuca and it is only getting bigger...

[jakestein]

Hey Muzz how about a 78'z200 :D ( sitting in my yard) matched to my rvf400 USD forks and single-side swingarm.
Was thinking of it about time I got the WR up and going.

Will have some cash to play with after september.
Unless someone buys it before ;)

[Muzzard]

I still want to put the missus onto the RVF and let ya know about that, trouble is she works when you dont!...

Z200 You say?
Does it run/has it recently?
Mmm Looking like a donor for some minor bits, or even a little cafe racer styled unit as a project? :)

[jakestein]

Doesn't and hasn't run for about a year head gaskit I think.

With me having weekends off on a regular basis we can do it then maybe? I will be sitting in the front yard messing with my bikes, instaed of heading for the hills ( saving cash :cry: ).
Let me know

If I dont sell it, another guy looking at it but the full price short in cash :roll:

The z200 would be one sweet ride with some modern gear fitted up.

[Wobbly]

I had a 79 Z250 twin with drum brakes ... yikes! :shock:

[jakestein]

Well maybe this isnt a 79 it has a front disk brake :lol:

[Wobbly]

I only had the poor man's Z250B with the shitty drum brake and 2-1 exhaust, not the high-roller Z250A with single disc and 2-2 :P

[cam0063]

Scozzie,

Had a look thru some of my info and found a pic of a WR400 Flat Tracker, complete with front and rear 19" rims. I put the pic in the gallery. Did come across a KTM 950 Tracker which I never new existed, also with 19's... Interesting :D

[jakestein]

Will be pulling the kwaka apart on saturday.

When kicked over all electrics were lighting up, so a top-end rebuild and she will be sweet :D Well I hope.

[scozzie]

Thanks Cam,

I'll go right over and check it out.

Scoz

Been there now. I wonder why they use 19" wheels?
an I'd love to try the KTM :D

[Muzzard]

19" wheels are for control at speed for varying reasons...