1984 Harley-Davidson XR1000 Street Tracker Up for Grabs
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Mircea Panait from https://www.autoevolution.com/
Even though the Sportster line goes back to the 1957, Harley-Davidson treated the world to a rather special model in 1983 in the guise of the XR1000. Alternatively spelled XR-1000, the “street tracker” isn’t only rare but it combines XL Sportster parts with XR750 go-faster goodies.
You can think of the 1984 model year XR1000 as the best of both worlds. A “backroom special” is how Mecum Auctions describes it, and this fellow here is an unaltered example with the original paint and no mods whatsoever since it left the factory. And yes, it’s also looking for a new owner.
Only 1,018 units have been produced for ’84, featuring 36-millimeter carburetors on the right side of the motorcycle and dirt track-style exhausts swept high on the left side. Tipping the scales at 490 pounds (222 kilograms; dry), the XR1000 can easily shoot to 125 miles per hour (201 kph).
When new, the XR1000 used to cost $6,995 or $18,499 in today’s money based on a cumulative inflation of 164.46 percent. Iron cylinders reduced by half an inch, Jerry Branch aluminum SR heads, aluminum pushrods, and a 9:1 compression ratio are also worthy of note. With 71 horsepower on tap and capable of pulling away from as low as 1,500 revs in top gear, the bike shipped as standard with an electric starter and a rather small fuel tank.
Obviously enough, one of the many quirks of riding the XR1000 is the exhaust system. Not only does it weigh the bike to the left, but the headers could burn through the rider’s jeans. The suspension is another annoyance when riding on anything other than smooth asphalt because the forks are underdamped and softly sprung while the shocks don’t offer much travel.
Nevertheless, it’s one of the most desirable Harleys from the 1980s out there, a collectible if you will. Using an online valuation tool, you’ll find out that concours-condition bikes are going for $21,300 these days while an excellent example is $18,400 or so. The seller didn’t mention which chassis his XR1000 is nor did Mecum Auctions provide the mileage in the online listing.Harley-Davidson Production-R Is Nothing Like a Series Milwaukee Motorcycle
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com
We’re not sure how many Harley-Davidson branded parts are needed for a custom motorcycle build to justify the use of the name Harley, but we’re pretty sure the deployment of a Screamin’ Eagle, even on a custom frame, is reason enough.
Despite this name, the bike in the gallery above is of course not a series production Harley. It is actually a custom creation coming from Germany, from the hands of a garage called Thunderbike – we’ve talked about this crew’s products at length over the past couple of months.
As most of the group’s other two-wheelers based on a custom frame, this too was meant as an exercise for seeing what can be “technically feasible with Thunderbike frames and parts.” That means tons of original hardware was fitted on the same frame, linked to a Harley engine, and made to work both visually and mechanically.
The skeleton of the motorcycle is a frame Thunderbike calls TBR-R. Inside it sits a Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 110 good for 100 ps and 160 Nm of torque. But that’s not the impressive part.
No matter your opinion on custom motorcycles so extreme, we’re pretty sure you can’t help but notice the massive wheels fitted on this one, especially the airplane turbine-shaped one at the back. Sized 26-inch front and 21-inch rear, they eclipse pretty much every single other part of the build.
As usual, the Ingo Kruse-painted bike rides on an air suspension that should give it a bit more ground clearance that shown in the photos above.
The Harley-Davidson Production-R by Thunderbike made its official debut way back in 2014 at the European Bike Week in Faak, Austria. We are not being told what happened to it since, but we’re pretty certain we’ve seen an evolution of the design language chosen for this bike making quite an impression on subsequent Thunderbike creations.
Prize Possession to be reprinted
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This is the first book I ever wrote. I started writing fiction in 1971 for Easyriders Magazine. I was maybe 23 years old and trying to learn from some amazing writers, like J.J. Solari, and a few guys who were in prison, but excellent writers. I wrote some poetry under the Renegade name. I wanted the bad ass on the staff to be the poem writer. I wrote Prize Possession shortly after my Evo in a rigid frame was stolen from the Easyriders offices in 1996. It took me three days to get it back, with the help of a few bros and Gregg Daniel.
I sold out of this book in 1997, but recently we decided to reprint it. I’m in the process of reading it again, after 35 years. Where the hell has the time gone.—K. Randall Ball
Harley-Davidson Marrajo Is How Two-Wheeled Metal Sharks Look Like
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com
It’s Two-Wheeler Month here at autoevolution, and since the beginning of June we’ve tried to bring you not only the best, but also the craziest vehicles on two wheels. But never until now did we uncover something like the bike in the gallery below.
Custom motorcycle shops, especially those usually handling Harley-Davidsons, have made a habit out of creating complicated builds meant to send whatever message the garage needs sending. We’re not sure what the message of this one is, but we still like it.
The two-wheeler you can see in the gallery is called Marrajo; that’s the Spanish word for the shortfin mako shark. It’s in Spanish because the build belongs to a Spanish shop that goes by the name El Solitario MC.
Sometime in its past, this motorcycle was a 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200. El Solitario came across it at a time when it had just 10,000 miles on it (16,000 km), and decided to turn into a “Chupito but suitable for longer distance cruising.” For reference, Chupito is also an El Solitario creation based on a 1977 Ducati 350.
Chupito is funky-looking too, but this Harley is a whole new level of funky, probably thanks to the shark snout-like nacelle fitted around the headlight, and the steel bars that rise from under the seat to form what is supposed to be a shark fin.
There are tons of other custom parts fitted on the bike, ranging from the leather seat to the modified fenders. They all combine with one another and the colors chosen for the tank and exhaust to create an image the Milwaukee-based bike maker never had in mind for this particular 1200.
El Solitario says because the engine had barely been used before they got their hands on the bike, it required no extra work, and the entire build “runs like an angry shark.’
Harley-Davidson Titanium Is a Lower and Slimmer Breakout
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com
German Harley-Davidson dealer/custom bike builder Thunderbike has been in the business of reimagining Milwaukee made machines for two decades now, and one of the favorite stock motorcycles it likes to tamper with is the Breakout.
Part of the Softail family that presently includes no less than 12 models, the Breakout is described by Harley itself as a “muscular modern chopper that turns stoplights into drag strips.” For Thunderbike, the stock bike is more of a canvas to be remodeled at will.
The Breakout conversion in the gallery above is called Titanium, and that name was chosen because almost all the aluminum parts fitted on the motorcycle have been polished in titanium – and there’s a long list of them, ranging from the tiny side mount license bracket to the more visible 21- and 23-inch wheels.
Some of these parts have other functions than being just visual enhancements for the custom build. The air suspension, for instance, brings the two-wheeler much closer to the ground than in stock form, while the wheels, fork and custom fuel tank significantly alters the shape of the bike compared to the original Breakout.
The engine remains the stock 114ci fitted from factory, only it breathes through a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhaust system.
Visually, the cold look of the Titanium-polished parts is enhanced by means of a custom paint job performed by one of Thunderbike’s favorite partners in this field, Ingo Kruse. The German garage says it took just a few weeks to put together, paint job included.
The bike in this condition, which was first shown in public last year at the garage’s Jokerfest event, is listed by Thunderbie as for sale, but no mention of the price is given. Full details, as well as a way to contact the garage, can be found at this link.
Billy Bob’s Texas And Lone Star 92.5 To Host #GIVEFORLIFE Blood Drive June 25
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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS RIDE TO WORK COMING MONDAY!
By Bandit | | General Posts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This coming Monday will mark the 29th anniversary of Ride To Work Day, an annual event that promotes the motorcycle as an option for commuting to work. Since 1992, this event has been promoted by the Ride to Work organization with a goal of increasing public awareness of motorcyclists; promoting the use of motorcycles as a method of transportation; and increasing motorcycle safety.
According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, an estimated 150,000 commuters ride their motorcycle to work. While this is a very minor portion of all commuters, figures show these numbers are on the rise. It may be surprising that the numbers are not higher given data that supports that traveling by motorcycle can shorten journey times by as much as 33 minutes of every hour for city travel. Additional benefits can include more parking options, fuel savings and the undeniable advantage of enjoying the environment and the open air preparing yourself for a long day of work, or better yet, decompressing post-work!
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation encourages its members and partners to participate in this year’s event on June 15th to help demonstrate support for riders across the nation and spur recognition that the use of motorcycles as an alternative to commuting can help alleviate traffic and parking congestion.
Another important message that the event sends is that, despite a sometimes less than flattering portrayal of motorcyclists by Hollywood and even the media and naysayers, motorcyclists are our neighbors, teachers, family, lawyers, servicemen and women and friends and they have a rightful place on our nation’s highways.
For more information, visit: http://www.ridetowork.org/
If you have photos of yourself participating in Ride to Work Day, send them to mrfoffice@mrf.org or text them to (202) 546-0983
THE EU ATTEMPTS TO BAN MOTORCYCLE SPORT
By Bandit | | General Posts
This is confusing, but it’s not the only time someone has tried to ban motorcycles. These clips come directly from 100% Biker Magazine in the UK. “Motorcycle sport or racing could be wiped out in the UK by a European Commission insurance directive.
“The Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) is calling upon EU member governments and MEPs to reject EU proposals, which threatens to end all forms of competitive and grassroots motor sport.
“This represents a complete U-turn for the European Commission which, two years ago, proposed to exclude vehicles not being used in traffic from the MID and which would have made motor sports exempt.”
And finally, “Brexit probably won’t make any difference to the UK insurance rules.”
5-Ball Leathers’ Pit Crew Vest
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5-BALL LEATHERS’ PIT CREW VEST
$161.00 – $166.00
https://shop.bikernet.com
The lightweight Pit Crew Vest from 5-Ball Leathers is made from ballistic nylon. Ballistic nylon was originally was designed in WWII to repel flying shrapnel.
The collar on the Pit Crew Vest is a mandarin style – unfolded stand up style – measures 1 ¼”, leather trim around arm holes and leather trim accents on front flaps. It features:
- (2) Cary pockets
- (2) chest pockets with snap closures
- Leather trim on 2 side pockets with zipper closures
- (2) ¼” leather band around the bottom of the vest
- Side flaps with 2 snaps to adjust your fit.
SHOP NOW – https://shop.bikernet.com
This vest comes with leather accents, two gun pockets (or for phone, cameras or tools) with holsters, several outside pockets, and an exclusive Bandit media pocket in the inside back, so you can carry your favorite Cycle Source issue, or your court file, if you’ll be standing in front of a judge.
5-Ball Leathers’ leather accents utilize Buffalo leather due to its excellent resistance to abrasion and wind. We honor those road warriors of the past with top-quality motorcycle gear.
We created a line of 5-Ball Jackets, vests and Jak Shirts for tough environments with industrial-strength construction. Whether you are heading to Sturgis or cross town in a rainstorm, our 5-Ball leather delivers comfort, security and good looks.
The Big Question Bikernet Weekly News for June 11, 2020
By Wayfarer | | General Posts
Hey,
The Sturgis controversy continues. The town of Sturgis had a townhall meeting this week and voted to postpone the rally. We are still waiting for the secret meeting of the officially certified and condoned rally council on Monday the 15th, which seems a tad late, but we are still biting our nails in anticipation.
In the meantime, fuck it, the Bikernet undercover outlaw team is preparing for our run to the Badlands. Rally or not we’ll be there. Hell, the Redhead just bought more whiskey. Let’s hit the news.