[Scrapyard]

Found this over on the SideBlog. Very cool, even for an HD

http://sideburnmag.blogspot.com/2008/11/work-in-progress.html

 

[escort1991]

Now that is a bike I would definitely ride! Looks sweet.

 

[DougZ]

Flat tracking, as far as I know, is the only area HD was ever actually dominant at racing.

 

[TRIGUN]

I like it. I've seen a Spondon/Sportster road racer in person. It was bad ass. Same frame and tank as that one but with TZ250 fairings.

 

[ODDITY]

Flat tracking, as far as I know, is the only area HD was ever actually dominant at racing.

they did pretty good in drag racing for awhile before the bike jap littler bikes came over.

i love the looks of flat trackers. i started to build one but ended up selling it cause i needed the cash.

 

[endo]

Uh, they've done pretty well in drag racing lately too...check Andrew Hines' accomplishments.

 

[ODDITY]

yes but it use to be all Harley now there are quite a few jap bikes up in the top.

http://www.nhra.com/stats/bonptspsm_09.html

still mostly Harley and buell but they are japs are invading.

 

[Truckinduc]

very cool

 

[KANE]

Flat tracking, as far as I know, is the only area HD was ever actually dominant at racing.

Until the Honda CB750's came over and dominated in the 70's which started the Harley riders hate for Hondas.

 

[DougZ]

Until the Honda CB750's came over and dominated in the 70's which started the Harley riders hate for Hondas.

Yeah, I do not follow flat tracking at all.....but remember seeing some special about some american dude on an HD....actually many HD's were racing with, and he was a many time champion, or some shit like that.

I just threw it out there...cause its not like you'll ever see an HD winning any AMA sport bike races, etc.

 

[ODDITY]

I just threw it out there...cause its not like you'll ever see an HD winning any AMA sport bike races, etc.

that's cause the only can go fast in a strait line.

 

[The Green Lantern]

that's cause the only can go fast in a strait line.

for 10' the pow no more motor

 

[redline]

sweet

 

[Scrapyard]

There's still a huge debate about NHRA rules and regs between V twin and I4. The V2's are allowed less weight then the I4's unless you use a 2 valve head. IF you are running a 4 valve I4 it has to weigh in considerably more then the V2's. Back in the 60's and 70's it was a lot more liberal. dual engine twins were fairly common. And the whole field was between HD and Triumph. The whole game changed when the Japanese got involved. But even now, the field is still running alot of old technology. Buell deffinatly has the advantage. They are allowed to shorten the push rods to non existant and run twin cam 4 valve heads. While still taking advantage of the wieght saving bias. The Suzuki's are still stuck running late 70's technology, and have to weigh more. So you have a 2 valve DOHC. Best you can do is play with port shape and valve grinds. Open the field up to modern I4 technology and see how far the gap widens. Modern port design and 4 valve per cylinder that can spin 14,000RPM. Lighter blocks and better cam timing. You'ld really give the screaming eagle a run for it's money.

The flat track series is another one of those areas HD has been able to bent the rules a bit also. As technology has progressed, they have been able to hold it back on the race circut. When Suzuki was running the TL's back in the late 90's they had to be detuned to run in thier class. The factory ended up having to convert them to carburated induction and tone down the cam profiles to meet the HP rating. Ended up cutting them from 127hp- 100hp. Why, cause there was no way to build the XR750 and 1200's to that kind of power with out boreing them over the class regulation. So once again, HD brought the field down to thier level. Although it was probably for the better. I read an article were they tested a stock and mild tuned TL tracker. It was too uncontrolable. It was too fast down the straight. You would have to break way early to get into the corner. Coming out of the corner the rear end just slid till it caught traction. Way too much tourque too fast for the slick track.