The conventional definition of a road tracker is a motorbike that has all the trimmings of a flat tracker, with the addition of lights, street-biased tires, and a entrance brake. But what in the event you took the idea a step additional, and sprinkled some supermoto elements into the combination? You’d most likely find yourself with one thing like this spicy {custom} Sportster 1200.
The bike belongs to and was constructed by Xavi Garcia—a Barcelona-based fanatic who loves café racers, streetfighters, and supermotos in equal measure. With a few {custom} builds already underneath his belt and a KTM 990 SMR within the storage, the will to create a road tracker with supermoto underpinnings started to buzz round in Xavi’s head. So when he stumbled throughout a 2003-model Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 in good nick, he figured that it might be the proper bike to do it with.
“When I bought my first big bike, a BMW R65, I customized it into a café racer,” Xavi tells us, “but deep down I wanted to do it with a Sportster, to replicate the Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000. Since then, I’ve always had a certain love for the Sportster.”
With assist from his good pal, Franc, Xavi tore into his recently-acquired Sportster 1200 till all that remained was its rigid-mount engine, body, and swingarm. The guys then constructed it again up with a laundry listing of well-judged mods and elements.
Getting the bike’s stance proper was paramount. Xavi looked for forks and shocks that may not solely elevate the general trip top, but in addition create a visible steadiness between the back and front. In the top, elements from two unlikely (and really completely different) sources ended up becoming the invoice.
The forks come from a 2001-model Harley-Davidson Softail Night Train, whereas the piggyback shocks are Showa items lifted off a Suzuki ATV. Xavi swapped the inventory 19F/16R wheels for a pair of 17” laced hoops, fitted with a 120-wide Bridgestone Battlax tire up entrance and 160-wide Dunlop Sportmax rubber out again. A series drive conversion and a Tokico entrance brake caliper spherical out the operating gear.
Next, it was time to finesse the Sportster 1200’s bodywork. Xavi changed the gasoline tank with a slimmer aftermarket unit that he describes as “less Harley,” then hunted down a traditional Harley XR750-style tail part. A custom-made seat pad sits up prime.
The Sportster has been liberated of its rear fender struts, and the tailpiece is mounted on a bespoke subframe. Xavi blocked the realm across the shock mounts off to maintain issues tidy, and added a home made internal fender. Further again, an OEM-style bracket holds the taillight, rear flip alerts, and license plate.
Xavi outfitted the Sportster with quantity boards too, attaching the entrance plate to the forks by way of a set of simply detachable clamps. A small headlight pokes out decrease down. Xavi additionally fitted fork guards, a neat entrance fender, and an aftermarket stomach spoiler.
Moving to the motor, Xavi and co. swapped the inventory air filter out for an outsized forward-facing setup. A home made two-into-one exhaust system snakes its method across the engine, earlier than terminating in a rowdy Arrow muffler.
The cockpit wears a set of LSL enduro bars, with LSL rear-set controls doing responsibility decrease down. Xavi saved the Sportster’s authentic switchgear, controls, and speedo, however swapped the grips for Sparkly blue gadgets from Dock66.
Manu Martin dealt with the slick paint job, wrapping Xavi’s {custom} Sportster 1200 in gloss black with white accents and scrumptious throwback AMF Harley Davidson graphics. Various arduous elements, just like the forks and yokes, had been completed in shades of black.
It’s a crying disgrace that we don’t see extra Sportsters get the road tracker-slash-supermoto remedy. Xavi’s {custom} Sportster 1200 is proof that the idea works—and it reportedly rides pretty much as good because it appears to be like, too.
More of this, please.
Xavi Garcia Instagram
Source: www.bikeexif.com