Custom XR1200 Dirt Tracker
Before Harley-Davidson introduced its own XR1200, Steve Storz, a factory tuner for Harley-Davidson’s Grand National dirt track team in the 1970s, was turning out customized Sportster 1200s that were inspired by the XR750 racebike.
The Sportster’s cruiser ergonomics are transported into the sport realm courtesy of rearsets, a new seat, an alloy tank and Flanders Café handlebars. Brute speed is enhanced by a weight reduction of over 80 pounds, a BUB dual up-pipe exhaust system, a Keihin 44mm carb and Screamin’ Eagle cams, while Storz/Ceriani forks, Works Pro Racer shocks, and Metzler Marathon tires transform the handling. Galfer Wave brake rotors suitably reverse the inevitable increase in speed.
Ensconcing itself on the street somewhere between a sport and supermoto bike, the Storz Performance XR1200 is much more confidence inspiring than a stock Sportster 1200. All of the stock motor’s torque is there, and then some. Certainly, it’s no factory XR750, but for real-life street riding, it’s credible replication of the experience. As an attention-accumulating device, the XR1200 is a success on both the boulevard and the back roads.
Storz Performance offers the XR1200 conversion parts individually, as a complete kit, or it can be purchased as a fully assembled motorcycle.
EXHAUST. BUB’s Denis Manning and Pete Davis collaborated with Steve Storz to create these graceful pipes that exit between the rearsets and the seat.
TANK. The XR1200’s hand-formed aluminum alloy fuel tank is sold unadorned; Vintage Restoration’s Bill Kee custom-painted the tank shown here.
FRONT END. Modernity establishes a foothold on the Storz bike by way of Galfer Wave rotors, inverted Storz/Ceriani forks and a Buell XB9 front fender.
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