MotoGP News - KTM would rather spend Marc Marquez's salary on its MotoGP bike

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KTM CEO Stefan Pierer believes the money it would take to sign five-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is better spent developing its RC16 premier-class bike



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February 22, 2019 at 12:28PM

F1 News - Three McLaren staff treated after garage fire in Barcelona

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February 22, 2019 at 12:21PM

Motorcycle News - A Ducati speedway motorcycle, imagined by Wreckless

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If race bikes are motorcycling in its purest form, speedway machines must be akin to holy water. They have no brakes, just one gear, and drink neat methanol.

They’re also rather squashed-looking machines, with stubby hardtails and forks raked steeper than the most extreme sportbike. But this creation from England’s Wreckless Motorcycles is a thing of strange beauty.

The unusual story starts with Wreckless founder Rick Geall, who has a passion for oddball two-wheelers and is probably the only man to ever customize an Aprilia Moto 6.5.

In the 1970s, teenage Rick went to Denmark on holiday with his family. “I got hooked on speedway,” he reveals. “Riders like Ivan Mauger, Peter Collins and Denmark’s own Ole Olesen were dominating the sport, winning multiple world titles.”

Fast forward forty years, and Rick finds himself in possession of a rather pretty 450cc Ducati single—the sought after Desmo version.

“It was in of a jumble of vintage Ducati parts from the early 1970s. I said to Iain, my collaborator in Wreckless: ‘I want to build a speedway bike’.”

Iain, despite questioning Rick’s sanity and knowing little about speedway, tracked down a vintage race frame and swingarm from the same era as the Ducati engine.

“It’s a Jawa, we believe,” says Rick. “It competed at some point, but we don’t have the specific history of it.” Iain started altering the frame to accept the motor and create a rolling chassis.

Things moved slowly as Wreckless focused on their core business. But when Ivan Mauger died last year, the build shifted up the priority list. “Ivan’s death was a kick up the backside to get the bike finished,” says Rick. “Some of his bikes came up for auction, and I was sorely tempted to go and buy one—but never did.”

“So this bike is a celebration of Ivan. But I also wanted to acknowledge a current hero of mine, F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.”

Rick and Iain ploughed their energies back into the build. They found that the SOHC bevel engine had already been modified for classic road racing, with much bigger valves and some headwork done to it. They added a new Amal TT carb to give the motor an extra fillip, and installed new sprockets: 14T up front (“Kind of normal”) and 52T rear (“Ridiculous!”).

The header pipe is handmade, and mated to a tiny 900 gram Akrapovič slip-on muffler, originally designed for the Yamaha R3.

Suspension comes from brand new Stuha adjustable race forks, made in the Czech Republic—another country with a long and illustrious speedway history.

“They’ve been cut and lengthened by about four inches, to give us the clearance we needed for the front wheel,” says Rick. “Mating the frame with an unusual motor can mean altering the frame orientation, which affects the headstock position and then the rake, and so on.” The forks are hooked up to Renthal bars lifted from a KTM SX85.

Those bars are also home to a Daytona Velona tach, and a Beringer ‘thumb’ clutch master cylinder kit. The carb is controlled by a Venhill dual rate throttle, and the grips are from Renthal.

The wheels are the real deal: a custom set built by SM Pro, a British race specialist that can trace its history back 120 years. They’re a standard speedway setup, 23” x 1.60” at the front and 19” x 2.15” at the back, shod with Mitas race tires. (A carbon fiber speedway fender controls the spray of dirt.)

In the interests of making their custom speedway machine a teeny bit more rideable, Wreckless have also sneaked a brake onto the back wheel. It’s a Beringer Aerotec caliper activated via a thumb lever cleverly integrated with the clutch setup. The disc is a custom engraved EBC Vee-Rotor.

Another departure from the speedway norm is a pair of rear shocks. These are Marzocchi MOTO C2R units, originally designed for mountain bikes. They’re adjustable for rebound, have separate low- and high-speed compression controls, and are now fitted with Cane Creek double barrel coil springs.

The seat and bodywork are hand-made. “The tank is a mix of genuine speedway racing parts, and odd aluminum tanks for hiding the electrics, coil, and kill switch,” Rick reveals.

When it came to the paint Rick decided on a Mercedes F1 scheme, in tribute to LH44, and has nicknamed the bike ‘the H4MM4.’

The silver on the frame, swingarm and seat loop is a Ducati ST2 color. There’s gloss black on the rims, a turquoise blue on the hubs and other scattered hard parts, and discreet touches of a carbon effect coating. Plus the odd plagiarized decal here and there.

The colors were shot by Jason Fowler of JLF Designs, who’s worked for not only Lewis Hamilton, but also the late Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon and IndyCar driver Max Chilton.

“The bike isn’t meant to be a ‘serious’ machine,” says Rick. “It’s a caricature: a celebration of the heroes who have left an imprint on my life.”

“I’m lucky, because I could build it for the sheer hell of it. Ducati never made a speedway bike, but if they did, we hope it would look something like this.”

Wreckless Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Daniel Du Cros at Junction11 Studios

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February 22, 2019 at 11:28AM

Motorcycle News - Move Fast: Save an Extra 5% On Revzillas Closeout Deals Today (PROMO CODE)

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We’re keeping it brief because time is limited on this one. Revzilla’s closeout deals are always a good place to shop a bargain, but as an added bonus they’ve offered up a promo code to save you even more as you get geared up for spring. With the code PRESEASON19 you’ll save an additional 5% on marked down helmets, jackets, gloves, boots, and other gear from your favorite brands, including SIDI, Alpinestars, Icon, and plenty more. Beyond that they’re also discounting parts and accessories, so even if new tires, brakes, or a battery (for example) are on your shopping list, you can save more on that stuff as well. The full sale is an astounding 3,685 items long, so you’re gonna want to get browsing fast. That said, even without the additional 5% savings, there are plenty of good deals here.

Shop The Revzilla Closeout Deals Here

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February 22, 2019 at 11:26AM

F1 News - Key to start McLaren role next month after joining from Toro Rosso

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February 22, 2019 at 09:21AM

MotoGP News - Aprilia reveals its 2019 MotoGP livery

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Aprilia became the sixth and final MotoGP manufacturer to reveal its livery for the 2019 season on Friday



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February 22, 2019 at 07:57AM

Motorcycle News - MIRTH, WIND AND FIRE. Mellow Motorcycles’ ‘C4’ Kawasaki Zephyr Neo-Cafe

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Written by Martin Hodgson

There is something incredibly satisfying about being right, and if you’re part of the cafe racer revival, then by default you are. Let me explain; in the 1990s some Japanese manufacturers were already selling retro remakes and industry experts thought this to be insane. One major magazine opined forcefully that on the release of the 1994 Kawasaki Zephyr 750 the company would have been better building a Harley cruiser clone. Now more than twenty years on Germany‘s Mellow Motorcycles have taken that exact model and turned it into a stunning Neo-Cafe machine, proving the retro warriors are still winning.

You’d think the fact the Zephyr was a sell out success would have had said scribes conceding defeat. But it wasn’t until the full retro revival took off that brings us all here together today that they finally accepted the error of their ways. Call me crazy but I never took much convincing to see that stunning classic lines, low weight and rideability was a better way to go than a 500 lb luxobarge. It’s a view shared by Flo Hubert who created Mellow Motorcycles to express his deep and long-lasting passion for classic motorcycles and cars.

“Opened in early 2016, Mellow Motorcycles have already made a name for ourselves by creating unique, award & race winning custom bikes that collectors, celebrities, enthusiasts and motorcycle companies have become the proud owners of,” he tell us. But rather than go searching for a donor bike for their next project the Kawasaki literally rolled into the shop when the owner came for a coffee. With the Zephyr only showing 8000 miles on the odometer it was the perfect canvas, “Our aim was to build a Neo Cafe Racer and put some modern influences to an old motorcycle,” explains Flo.

But one of the problems with customising this particular Kwaka is not revealed until you take her clothes off, and it’s here that many have given up. Where the tank ends the frame kicks sharply down before resuming its journey reward. On a custom this destroys the clean lines all are trying to achieve, so there was only one thing for it. The angle grinder was fired into life and the entire rear section of the bike including the subframe was cut off. A hand-built rear chassis was then entirely fabricated in house before being welded to the frame at an equal height to the backbone.

Further transforming the chassis was the idea to ditch the standard swingarm, with the replacement plucked from a Zephyr 1100. Measuring 55mm over, it along with the new frame construction gives the bike a longer, leaner look. All of which is accentuated by the beautifully prepared factory fuel tank that’s had a pop-up style filler welded into place. Along with the modern headlight’s bucket, the tank is the only other piece painted on the bike, finished out in resplendent grey pearl magic. With added class coming from the two-tone Alcantara and leather seat by Tailor Leathers, another of Flo’s companies.

With the top half of the bike looking so good, something had to be done about the less than attractive three spoke mag wheels. New hubs allow for a set of 17 inch rims to be used front and rear, with stainless spokes providing the strength. These are wrapped in sticky Shinko rubber, with the tread pattern looking like sticks of dynamite the crew now had a name for the bike; the C4 Zephyr! The big twin 300mm discs provide plenty of stopping power swinging from lowered forks. While out back new fully adjustable progressive shocks allow the bike to be tuned for the rider.

Despite the low miles on the always dependable Kawasaki air-cooled 738cc donk, Mellow decided it should still be treated to a full overhaul. Every part was pulled down, checked to make sure it was still in spec and the engine rebuilt with all new seals and gaskets. The cylinder head has been flowed on the inlet and exhaust side and is now supplied fuel via a bank of new Keihin carbs with stunning locally machined velocity stacks. Finishing off the mechanicals is a full stainless exhaust system venting out via a weight saving carbon Akrapovic muffler.

To keep everything neat and tidy the Kwaka has been given a totally new wiring loom based around Motogadget’s m-unit. The popular companies products complete the electronics package with a stunning mst vintage speedo fitted to the modified upper triple clamp. While the LSL clip-on bars sport new grips, switch gear and bar end indicators all from the big M. With the brake and clutch controls a combination of Magura, Brembo and LSL ensuring wherever you look on the Zephyr there’s quality.

To finish out the build Flo wanted to give the bike an aggressive riding position to make the most of all the go fast bits. So a set of ABM rearsets have been adapted to fit, being mounted considerably further back to get you tucked in and ready to roar. Which is exactly the sound that emanates from the Akra pipe when the throttle is cracked and C4 Zephyr is fired like a missile down the streets of Southern Germany. If those old school scribes still think a cruiser clone is better, then they don’t deserve the explosive entertainment you get from owning some Mellow Motorcycles C4!

[ Mellow Motorcycles – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Flo Hubert ]

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February 22, 2019 at 06:48AM

Motorcycle News - Ask MO Anything: Check Your Bearings

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Dear Weeble,

If it just started gradually happening (and not because you just crashed or dropped your bike) this sounds like a clear-cut case of steering head bearings in need of adjustment and/or replacement. The steering stem is the shaft that passes through the hole in the front of your bike’s frame that the whole fork and wheel assembly smoothly pivots upon, thanks to a pair of nice bearings – probably tapered roller ones in your Triumph. And I don’t have your bike’s shop manual in front of me, but if it’s anything like my 2000 Yamaha R1 (it is), those bearings are supposed to be adjusted every 4000 miles and repacked with grease every 25k miles. (Actually, my R1 intervals are probably shorter than yours, since the R1 uses more maintenance-intensive roller-ball bearings.)

In any case, if your Triumph’s hit 24,000 miles and no one’s checked the bearings in the last 5 years and 14k miles, that’s probably your problem.

There’s an easy way to find out – which may not be that easy because you need to get the front wheel in the air. Once you do that, grab the lower fork tubes down by the axle and see if you can waggle the front end back and forth. If there’s any free play down there, the bearings need tightening. While the wheel’s suspended, also steer the handlebar from side to side. Anything less than smooth, glitch-free movement from full lock to lock is also a cry for help.

Any reputable motorcycle shop should be able to handle a steering head bearing adjustment, and if you’re able to access a good shop manual for your bike and a few tools, there’s no reason you can’t do it yourself.

Again according to my R1 manual, you’re going to remove the handlebar and upper triple clamp so you can access this pair of locking rings (2 and 3 here). If your Triumph doesn’t use a pair of locking rings it uses something similar, and you’re going to follow the instructions and adjust the torque on those rings, which sets the pressure on the steering head bearings, to the correct spec.

On my R1, you first tighten that lower ring to 20 foot-pounds, then loosen it completely, then tighten it to 6.5 ft-lb. Then you only finger-tighten the upper ring to where you can fit the lockwasher, part #1 above. What the hell? That seems too loose and you must fight the urge to not go tighter. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE LOWER RING NUT, the manual warns.

Not to panic, though: If you read ahead in the manual, you’d see that after you reinstall the upper triple clamp on top of those two locking rings, you then tighten the nut that holds it on – #2 above – to 85 ft-lb. You’ll need the big torque wrench to achieve that, 85 ft-lb is tight.

After everything’s snugged up as per the manual, Yamaha sells a spring tension gauge tool you’re supposed to use to ensure it takes between 200 and 500 grams of pressure to move the handlebar. For me, that’s a little obsessive-compulsive, but you get the idea of how important it is to get it right. Too tight is just as bad as your current too-loose condition. None of adjusting your steering head bearings is rocket science, but doing it by the book also isn’t always exactly intuitive. And it’s kind of important.

And, if you do everything by the book and you still have play at the axle, or any weird stiction or resistance when you try to turn the bars from side to side, you need new bearings instead of just an adjustment. That’s a bit more work, but you’ve come this far. Don’t stop now. Consult the manual.

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Send your moto-related questions to AskMOAnything@motorcycle.com. If we can’t answer them, we’ll at least do no harm in the time it takes to seek out a believable answer. And we’ll occasionally even admit we were wrong, even if we were right at the time. Depends on what the definition of “is” is.

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February 21, 2019 at 05:46PM

Motorcycle News - Best Adventure Motorcycle Gloves

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If you’re heading into the horizon in search of adventure, you need to be well-equipped. Your gear needs to be as versatile and ready as you are when the pavement ends and the terrain begins to change. Of course, adventure is in the eye of the beholder. Some may prefer more dirt mixed into their cup while others may be perfectly content staying the paved course. The key for choosing the best adventure motorcycle gloves is understanding what kind of adventure you plan to have and choosing the best option (or two) for your needs.

We’ve put together a list of adventure motorcycle gloves that runs the gamut from off-road focused to waterproof, leather and everything in between.

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100% Cognito Glove $39.50

If you plan on taking your 500-plus pound motorcycle off-road, you had better plan on working hard once the riding gets difficult. Even on dedicated dirtbikes it doesn’t take much to work up a sweat when riding technical terrain. The 100% Cognito glove represents the off-road end of the spectrum when it comes to adventure riding. The D3O knuckle guard gives additional protection should the odd branch make it past your handguards or in the case of the inevitable tip over. The four-way stretch material on the top allows for maximum mobility, while the Clarino palm complete with silicone grip-enhancing graphics provides a durable and comfortable grip on the bike. A hook-and-loop-type Velcro closure combined with a neoprene cuff gives a positive and comfortable fit. If you’re wrestling an adventure bike in the tough stuff, the 100% Cognito may be the glove you’re looking for.

Shop for the 100% Cognito gloves here

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Alpinestars Belize Drystar Glove $179.95

Adventure gloves should mean never having to turn around, right? Well, that’s what the Alpinestars Belize Drystar glove is all about. Whether you encounter cool temps, wet days, or difficult terrain, the Belize will have your back… er, hands. The Belize Drystar uses a sealed Drystar membrane for waterproofing with a leather outer for maximum abrasion resistance. Adding to the protection are TPU sliders found on the middle two digits as well as the palm and a solid matte carbon knuckle slider. The Belize also has localized perforation to provide better breathability from the Drystar membrane. The impact protection, leather construction, and waterproofing make the Belize Drystar a great option for all sorts of travel.

Shop for the Alpinestars Belize Drystar gloves here

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Fox Bomber $54.95

The Fox Bomber gloves have been a staple of Fox’s off-road lineup for many years. The Bomber combines perforated goatskin leather with a breathable textile chassis to provide a durable yet breathable glove for whatever the trail has to throw at you. The Clarino palm has double layers in high-wear areas as well as silicone graphics for additional grip on the index and middle fingers. While they may only look like carbon fiber, the polycarbonate sliders on both the knuckles and fingers provide excellent impact and abrasion resistance. The Fox Bomber is a glove that lands nicely in the middle between street and dirt giving a versatile solution for both, and if you’re a KTM fan, you can get it with bright orange polycarbonate sliders and accents.

Shop for the Fox Bomber gloves here

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Held Sambia Glove $120.00

The Sambia glove from Held is a comfortable yet protective offering from the German company. The palm of the glove is made up of goatskin and kangaroo leather for tactile user response as well as superior abrasion resistance. The edge of the glove, which is most likely to hit the ground first, is reinforced with Superfabric for an additional layer of built on protection. The upper portion of the glove is made up of a breathable stretch polyamide with rubber inserts for impact absorption throughout as well as a hard plastic knuckle protector. A great option for warm weather ADV rides.

Shop for the Held Sambia gloves here

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KLIM Badlands Aero Pro Short Glove $149.99

“Built to meet the demands of the the intercontinental adventurer” says KLIM. The Badlands Aero Pro shares the same name as the company’s flagship adventure jacket/pant combo which has been used around the world by serious world conquering ADV riders. The Badlands Aero Pro is made up of perforated goatskin leather as well as KLIM’s DWR Rodeo leather. On the knuckle and palm KLIM is using its Poron XRD material which provides similar characteristics to the D3O used in the Badlands jacket and pants. Over the top of the knuckle is KLIM’s own version of Superfabric for abrasion resistance. The Aero Pro glove also has a few creature comforts such as the visor wiper on the left index finger, large loops for pulling the gloves on, and a small snap to connect the gloves when you’re not using them. Whether you’re matching it to your Badlands kit or simply looking for a bada** glove, check out the Badlands Aero Pro Short Glove from KLIM.

Shop for the KLIM Badlands Aero Pro Short gloves here

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Racer Sprint $112.99

Austrian-based Racer gloves are known for their comfort from day one and the Sprint is no different. The perforated goatskin chassis makes for a soft extremely comfortable glove that gets better with time. The Sprint’s rubber finger sliders, plastic knuckle protector, and padded palm add extra protection to the Sprint’s supple leather construction. With textile stretch panels between the fingers, the fit and breathability of the Sprint are top notch. Check out our full review for a more in depth look at the Racer Sprint.

MO Tested: Racer Sprint Gloves

Shop for the Racer Sprint gloves here

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REV’IT! Dominator GTX Glove $269.99

An all weather option from the Dutch company, the REV’IT! Dominator GTX use Gore-Tex technology as well as Gore Grip to ensure your hands stay warm and dry no matter the conditions. The outer of the Dominator GTX is made up of a few different technical leathers. Goatskin leather that has been drum-dyed with a WR finish is used to provide a soft supple leather while the WR finish gives the goatskin water-repellent and soil-resistant properties without altering its natural look, feel, or breathability. Pittards WR100X Hairsheep Diamond leather is also used which provides excellent waterproofing and perspiration-resistance allowing the leather to stay soft and supple rather than getting stiff upon drying. Not to mention it provides great grip while wet. In addition to the technical leathers used, hard sliders can be found on the fingers as well as full knuckle protection. The Dominator GTX is meant to provide excellent weatherproofing and protection no matter what type of adventure you throw at it.

Shop for the REV’IT! Dominator GTX gloves here

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REV’IT! Sand 3 $109.99

The REV’IT! Sand 3 is a fantastic warm weather glove that allows for great articulation, substantial breathability, and all day, week, or month comfort. The Sand 3 is made up of goatskin leather on the palm, touch screen compatible finger tips, air stretch mesh, Automan stretch fabric (not to be confused with the antiquated Ottoman stretch fabric), and PWR|shell 500D stretch. TPR impact protectors are found throughout the fingers, outer edge, thumb, palm, and knuckles and are all pliable to add to a protective yet comfortable fit. We’ve put plenty of miles in the Sand 3 and they are some of our favorite go-tos for adventure riding.

Shop for the REV’IT! Sand 3 gloves here

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Scorpion Klaw II Glove $54.95

The Scorpion Klaw II is a short cuff leather glove that punches well above its price point. The Klaw II is made up of goatskin and neoprene giving it a supple comfortable feel with TPU knuckle protectors and rubberized impact protectors on the fingertips. On the palm, Calrino is used for tactile grip on the controls and dense foam provides extra impact absorption. A great option for street-heavy budget-minded ADV riders.

Shop for the Scorpion Klaw II gloves here

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Spidi Bora H2Out Glove $119.90

The Spidi Bora H2Out provides a lightweight, waterproof adventure glove for those moist Spring rides. The Bora H2Out uses Spidi’s own H2Out to provide a waterproof, windproof, yet breathable membrane and combined with a 100g insulation, this glove is great for cooler weather. The goatskin leather, carbon knuckle, and reinforced padding throughout keep the Bora H2Out lightweight, yet protective, while also being waterproof and insulated. A great all-rounder for your ADV gear stable.

Shop for the Spidi Bora H2Out gloves here

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February 21, 2019 at 02:47PM

Motorcycle News - Building a Street Bob custom using Harley’s rulebook

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More Harley-Davidsons go under the grinder than any other make of bike. But surprisingly, The Motor Co. seldom commissions customs from big-name builders.

Instead, it has developed the annual Battle of the Kings contest—where dealers customize a bike within a very strict rule set. To get a taste of how hard that is, we flew to Milwaukee for the second Harley-sponsored ‘Brewtown Throwdown’ event.

The Brewtown Throwdown is a build-off between teams, made up of people from different walks of life. Last year, our team was tasked with building a Sportster café racer. This time around, I was on a new team with a new donor: a fresh-out-the-crate Street Bob.

We had to operate within the BoTK rulebook—which means a set budget, and a specific quota of H-D aftermarket parts. But we only had a couple of weeks to prep, and a mere two and a half days for hands-on wrenching. So it didn’t take long to settle on a team name: Quick ‘n Easy.

My teammates included an X-Games gold medalist, a rock climber-slash-fitness model, a Harley-Davidson engineer, and a couple of guys from Vice. Our HQ was Milwaukee Harley-Davidson, with shop boss Goran Zadrima leading the team, techs John (below) and Carlton showing us the ropes, and Harley PR guy Joe Gustafson keeping a watchful eye over us.

The style brief was simply “dirt, chopper or track.” We picked track, and started refining our ideas via Skype calls, a Google Drive folder full of inspiration pics, a comprehensive parts list and rough Photoshop mockups.

The classic XR style is de rigueur for Harley flat trackers, but it’s a tall order for the Street Bob’s proportions, and building a new subframe would have been a push on our timeline. After healthy debate, we reached into Harley’s history for inspiration—all the way back to the 1946 Harley-Davidson WR racer.

Those racers were stripped down for going fast on sketchy dirt tracks. By taking advantage of the Street Bob’s pseudo-hardtail frame and minimal styling, we knew we could create a contemporary re-interpretation of the iconic WR.

The first step was to get as much prep work done as we were allowed. So Milwaukee Harley-Davidson quickly chopped the rear fender, then sent the bodywork off to Aces Auto Body for paint. They knocked it out the park in a deep vintage red with gold scallops.

By the time we’d all congregated in Milwaukee, Goran and his crew had installed a new rear shock from suspension experts RWD. It’s a custom-built unit; 1” longer than stock, with a remote reservoir and full adjustability. We started ripping everything else off the bike.

Our new rear wheel was a skinny 19” rim laced up to the stock hub. The guys spooned on Dunlop dirt track rubber, and hooked up the massive 60-tooth sprocket for our chain conversion kit. With the wheel on, our vintage tracker’s stance came together quickly.

The Street Bob’s engine is mostly black, and our style guide called for a little more variation. Most H-D customers would probably have picked an all-chrome setup, but we opted for the ‘Dominion’ collection instead; bronze parts with contrasting brushed aluminum bits. The rocker box covers, transmission side cover and derby cover were all swapped out.

Harley’s parts catalog also had just the seat kit we needed—a solo setup with a mount kit that can run either rigid, or with springs. Goran has great contacts, so we had Milsco custom-make the pan and upholstery for us, with a stunning triple-stitched diamond pattern using gold thread.

Clearly the seat’s meant to be installed by an expert, because we couldn’t make sense of the instructions. But we eventually figured it out, swapping the springs out for the rigid setup at the last minute, so that the bike wouldn’t feel spongy to ride.

The kit comes with a cover plate to hide the wiring—but it also hid away the beefy Eibach spring on our custom shock, so we left it off. (I’m not admitting we used a rattle can, but I will say that there was one non-black part under the seat that is now black.)

It was decided early on to give our vintage tracker a few modern touches. So we ordered a set of mid-mount foot controls from Speed Merchant, Thrashin Supply Co. pegs and shifter nubs, and a set of chrome Thrashin mid bend bars.

Those bars aren’t as wide and high as traditional flat track bars, and when combined with the peg position, they create an aggressive riding stance. But getting the pegs to fit was our biggest snag.

All credit to Speed Merchant—they’re very well made controls—but they’re designed for the Fat Bob, and they’re designed to work with stock engine covers. And since the Street Bob’s stock shifter is mounted different to the Fat Bob’s, we had to mod the setup slightly.

Hiccups are all part of the game though. Ask me how I finished installing the new Screamin’ Eagle air filter, only to realize that we’d ordered the wrong backing plate. Or how Milwaukee H-D’s parts manager had to drive to Jacksonville in the snow to pick up last minute parts, like shorter brake hoses. And that moment we finished weaving the wires for the switches through the new bars, the wrong way round.

Still, John and Carlton had plenty of experience between them to make sure we didn’t screw anything up too badly. And everyone was stoked to be turning screws—not least of all American Ninja Warrior contestant, Ninja Natalie, who wielded a grinder for the first time to cut the rear struts down to size.

Bill Davidson (above left) even popped in during the build, and helped us figure out where to put the rear license plate. Both plates carry the same number X-Games medallist Lance has raced MX with since age six: 54.

The Street Bob will eventually go up for sale, and needs to be street legal. So even though we ditched the lights and turn signals, they all unplugged from the wiring loom without any cutting, and the speedo is still in play. We also left the front brake mounted and the ABS intact, and mounted the front board on quick-release H-D windshield mounts.

On went a Vance & Hines two-into-one race pipe—another modern touch that sounds as good as it looks. Carlton installed Vance & Hines’ Fuelpak fuel management system too, allowing him to fine-tune our bike from his smartphone.

We also swapped out the fork lowers for a pair of Low Rider items, to change the look up front from black to brushed aluminum. The tank got a bronze gas cap, and the radiator a color-matched surround. And we left the sides of the tank bare, relying on a super-minimal air filter cover plate to get the point across.

The tank does sport our team name on top of the tank though, thanks to artist Allen Beck. We asked him what style he was feeling, and he replied “70s shag-wagon,” so we left him to do his thing.

As we buttoned it all up, Natalie, Lance and I took turns trying out the riding position. Without fail, each one of us cracked massive, dorky smiles as we hopped on. Quick ‘n Easy’s set up for hooliganism for sure; it’s less of an all-day ride, and more of a mental taco chaser.

As day two wrapped (yes, we finished a half day early) we fired it up. We high-fived. We rolled it into the parking lot for burnouts in the snow. And we all wished we could take it home.

With thanks to Harley-Davidson | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Wes Reyneke

Team Quick ‘n Easy
Lance Coury (X-Games gold medallist, Thrashin Supply Co. owner)
‘Ninja Natalie‘ Duran (Pro rock climber and fitness model, American Ninja Warrior contestant)
Marko Lazarevic (Harley-Davidson engineer)
Dan Meyer and Billy Voermann (Vice)
Joe Gustafson (Harley-Davidson PR and team mom)

Milwaukee Harley-Davidson
Goran Zadrima (General Manager)
John Gaedke (Service Technician)
Carlton Harris (Service Technician)
Alex O’Malley (Parts Manager)

Motorcycles

via Bike EXIF http://www.bikeexif.com

February 21, 2019 at 11:23AM