Vital tracker parts?

Just a thought. So I had a disagreement with a guy who said my bike wasn't a tracker because it lacked the track tailpiece. I pointed out that alot of dirt track bikes from the past had long flat seats before the advent of fiberglass. I am however, going to switch my tires to dual purpose and upgrade my forks to something heavier duty. So what do you consider vital parts that make a tracker a tracker?

2 wheels are a must

followed closely by and engine........

It seems to me that there are a few defining features that make a Tracker a Tracker;
-purposeful tires
-higher bars, motocross bars should work out ok and you can hang gauges off the cross piece
-minimal bodywork, small tank, thin/flat seat, number plates
-stripped of everything that hinders speed and handling
-Nascar mindset (ok this one is mostly a joke)
-Mile pipes or some other form of high pipes
-bad attitude (not a joke)

Yes, definitely pull back bars to go with the oversize improper tires.......

crazypj said:

This is the nicest tracker style 360 I've seen.
You need pull back bars, not MX ones, the style is totally different
Was posted at SOHC4

Click to expand...

That's a gravel crew bike, they do some amazing work!

www.gravel-crew.com

Kev Nemo said:

Just a thought. So I had a disagreement with a guy who said my bike wasn't a tracker because it lacked the track tailpiece. I pointed out that alot of dirt track bikes from the past had long flat seats before the advent of fiberglass. I am however, going to switch my tires to dual purpose and upgrade my forks to something heavier duty. So what do you consider vital parts that make a tracker a tracker?

Click to expand...

What normally makes a street tracker a street tracker is capability to have actually been a flat tracker at one time. Like the XS650 and SR/XT/TT500 which were and still are raced. It's the equvalent of a racer-on-the-road type bike. CB350-450-500 twins also fit the bill.

From there it is setting the bike up a bit similar to a flat tracker. Dirt track bars, minimal seat and rear fender/tail section, flat trackish pipes, minimal or no front fender. Everything is almost like you're setting up the bike to race, but then put on the legal bits.

By the way, those K70s are the proper tire for a flat tracker. My old 175 ran a 4.00-19 on the front, as did most all flat trackers from 125 on up back in the 70s. But I agree, don't confuse a pair of "pull back" bars as flat track bars. They aren't choppers, they're basically a racer layout on the street. Here's a shot of what a flat tracker, my 175, looks like . Make the bike similar in layout.



That bike had a 4.00-18 rear Pirelli MT53 and a 4.00-19 Dunlop K70 on the front. The handlebars were the K&N model 24 bars. they look wide because they are and there are no lbrake ever perches and switch gear on them.

crazypj said:

This is the nicest tracker style 360 I've seen.
You need pull back bars, not MX ones, the style is totally different
Was posted at SOHC4

Click to expand...

Those "angel wing" bars are in no way shape or form flat track. I run a pair of old K&N model 24 flat track bars on the SR, my brother is running some model 13 bars on his 305 Scrambler Sonicweld hardtail replica. Now the flat track bars are made by Flanders. Look them up on line to see what real flat track bars look like... those on that 360 just look "custom cruiser" to me - in fact they are likely a pair of circa mid 80s Virago 700 bars. But hey, it's up to the owner what they want. Just don't confuse them as something you'd want to have ahold of while pitching a bike sideways on a pea gravel sweeper. My street tracker 500 was actually in the works to use with studded tires on ice in the winter and on the road in the summer.

here is our local motorcycle club/ track they do dirtrack/hotshoe races. there are some good pics of actual trackers...
see the photo page.
http://www.peoriatt.net/

should be some insight and inspiration on there

edit, looks like they took all the ahrma pics down and put up all the tt pics...hmmph

Nice work ya'll. I think it's one thing to say this is the tracker section, but it really deserves a definition. I know my cb750 wasn't track material, so it's set up more for looks. I am however building a KZ400 with a friend that I think fits the bill perfectly. I'll be posting pics on that soon.