H-D Street Tracker

This custom motorcycle handcrafted by Rafz in 2018 is a Street Tracker based on a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL-883R. There were many interventions, both aesthetically and mechanically, but all not too invasive to maintain a minimal and elegant style … as elegant as possible, given that the basic idea was still to recall the racing world of the Flat Track races.

Conceived taking inspiration from the legendary XR750 of the 70s, it has been updated to respect the current stylistic dictates. The original frame was cut to allow mounting of the short fiberglass tail, which required many prototypes before arriving at the final solution. Even the decals on the tank required a lot of study and numerous renderings, before being chosen as the definitive solution.

The original orange (present on the stock 883R) has given way to a particular color of glossy black, which matches very well with the matt black details of the engine, oil tank, handlebar, and instrumentation. The very narrow handlebar, the lowered fork, the repositioned instrumentation, the headlight mounted without eyelid and hooked backward, the upside-down mirrors and the rear wheel left visible are just some of the details that give this bike a very running aspect, although it was designed to tame traffic.

Curated in every detail, this special bike mounts side license plate and hidden direction indicators (the front ones are integrated into the handlebars and the rear ones into the tail). There are also an increased air filter and a 2-in-1 exhaust, both produced by Screaming Eagle (namely the racing parts brand of H-D) but modified by Rafz to adapt them to his creation.

Over the years, the bike has appeared on numerous websites and, in October 2020, it also ended up in print, reviewed in the prestigious Italian magazine Low Ride.