If you follow racing of any kind you know that there is plenty of variety. If you have followed motorcycle racing you know that there is intense competition between the brands and that one brand will win for a while then another.
There is a form of motorcycle racing that is as old as motorcycles in America. At first motorcycles were used to tow bicycles up to speed on board tracks. As motorcycle speeds increased the bicycles were forgotten. The next step, board track racing of motorcycles was absolute carnage. Because of the carnage, circle track or dirt track racing was developed. This was generally on horse racing tracks and frequently used as an attraction at county fairs. Wide open throttles with triple digit speeds, no front brakes and steering by sliding the rear wheel. This is sane? Compared to board track racing – absolutely yes.
One brand has been dominant through most of the history of this sport. At times, it has required favorable rules from the American Motorcyclist Association to retain that dominance. Today, however, with rules favoring other brands and models, Harley Davidson still dominates the flat track. I have found the history interesting and hope you do as well.
The stereotypical Harley rider has become a middle aged professional – typically a lawyer or accountant – wearing expensive leathers and making annual excursions to Sturgis.
That has not long been the case. Marlon Brando (seen above riding a Triumph), Lee Marvin and others established the “bad boy” image in the 1953 film classic “The Wild One”. Stereotypes existed long before that and were based on real performance in racing – and in war.
In 1929 Harley introduced a 45 CID flathead. Technology was standard for the era but the timing was good.
If it hadn’t been for that basic design Harley might have been just a name like Excelsior and others that never made it through the Great Depression. Harley was facing bankruptcy and sold the license to build that model to the Japanese. The company became known as Dabittoson Harley or Rikuo. This model was first made by the Japanese as a 1200 and then a 750. Primary customers were the Japanese army and Japanese Police Forces. Sources indicate that by the time the war ended over 18,000 had been made, used primarily in the Japanese war effort.
The flathead from 1929 was also the genesis of Harley Davidson’s flat track efforts.
In 1945 Harley introduced the Flathead WR. This became one of the most winning bikes ever made. The modern flat track bike is distinctly evolved from this bike. It still had period technology with floor shifts and separate engine and transmission but it was certainly a step towards perfecting the Buggy Whip.
A departure from the past was introduced in 1952. It was still a flathead, but new technology took a step towards modern motorcycle design. This bike had four short cams (one for each valve), a four speed transmission, a foot shifter, rear swingarm versus a rigid tail, telescopic forks, and a unified transmission and engine. These modifications were necessary to keep up with the competition, especially the British. Curiously, although this bike has a swingarm, every racing KR that I can find still shows a rigid frame.
In 1953 Harley introduced the KR 750 based on this model. It was designed just for the dirt track. Differences between the street model above and the “racing only” model below are obvious. The American Motorcyclist Association in turn reestablished rules for maximum displacement based on head and valve design. Flatheads were allowed 750 cc while OHV designs were allowed 500.
You might think that to be a bit unfair but I have some doubts. The British manufacturers were able to wring a lot of performance out of 500cc. There is no comparison when it came to airflow and certainly OHV designs allow for much higher compression ratios. The rules were the same for everyone so BSA or anyone else could have developed a 750 flathead if they wanted to. While flatheads were at an advanced stage of development with Harley, the other design changes were absolutely necessary to stay ahead of the British. The results Harley had with the XR750 model that followed this version absolutely showed they could have departed from the flathead. Perhaps I’m being a homer.
The public was buying 650s and they liked seeing their bikes on the track. There was considerable pressure from the public and the manufacturers to level the playing field. It took until 1969 for that pressure to have an effect. In the meantime Harley won every year but 1963, when Dick Mann won for BSA, and 1967-1968 when a young upstart named Gary Nixon won for Triumph. In 1969, Mert Lawwill won on a Harley Flathead for the last time.
If you think you recognize Mert you probably do. If you have ever seen the film “On any Sunday” you’ve seen his story. Here is a picture of him with a couple of friends.
From WR to KR to XR, from flatheads with separate transmissions to unit built OHV engines. The design below is 40 years old and still winning. To get a glimpse of the dominance this link has much more information: http://www.motorsportsetc.com/champs/ama_gn.htm
The remarkable thing about this is that the rules now allow bikes up to one liter to compete. Perhaps you can think of a bike that is more deserving of the title “most dominant bike in history” but I cannot. At least not for a time span like this. I feel an article coming on that is devoted to the XR and some thumbnails devoted to the men that won on them. Stay tuned.
Hope you enjoyed the ride.
Just to put a last minute change in place. The new rules allow displacement for expert twins to be from 550-1250cc. The XR750 is still a winner.
Great writeup. I can’t wait for part 2.
The “stereotypical” Harley rider part is the only thing I’d disagree with.
My 68 year old father took delivery of an 07 Screaming Eagle Springer to replace his Sporty last year. The last time I saw a smile that big on his face was when he watched my ex run 15.4 in her Cav at Rt41.
Most of the Harley guys that I know are working class guys that saved their nickels and dimes to buy the apple of their eye.
There are some Doctors and Lawyers riding too. I’ve met a few of them as well. They are just as down to earth as the guy that drives a Garbage Truck every day and they’ll hang a U turn to help a rider in distress just as quick as anyone else.
Sorry, I really didn’t want to go off on a tangent, then I did…
I’m also saving my nickles and pennies too, but not for a HD, but for a ’66 Bonnie – I better increase my savings rate as this vintage Triumphs are quickly disappearing!
I’m waiting for the day that Nicky Hayden retires from MotoGP, and Ducati puts a flat tracker under him, so he can go for that last championship he hasn’t gotten (the mile).
“At times, it has required favorable rules from the American Motorcyclist Association to retain that dominance.”
You have a wonderful gift for polite understatement. There have been times in the AMA/Harley story when the rules have been downright slanted to keep the flatheads winning. Especially when Honda and Yamaha started to catch on to how its done.
Sean: Stereotypical is almost meaningless. Stereotypes may once have had a meaning but things change faster than stereotypes. One movie or one writer can create a stereotype.
Syke: Hayden already has tried. Funny though Ducati just won one at Yavapai Downs. Stock framed Ducati 1000. Joe Kopp. At the same race Chris Carr was riding a Honda. What is the world coming to. Harley is almost at the point where they are going to have to revise what they do.
Rules: I think they weren’t far from equal. The sheer force of numbers helped Harley. Dick Mann and Gary Nixon made 500’s win three years. As soon as the rules changed Romero and Roberts looked good. I think a little bit of letting the free market decide would have been better than intervention. Make it for twins and we don’t care what size. Interesting to speculate what would have happened.
I’m not a rider, but the seating and steering position of those old Harleys sure make them look to me like they’d be comfortable to ride. Am I right?
Almost anything from days gone by is more comfortable than a crotch rocket. These were made to be ridden across the country if you chose. Actually, the 650 Yamaha we featured last week was pretty comfortable in that regard but probably not in the league of the old Harleys and Indians. Good observation.
I remember when Honda cut the tranny off the CX500 engine and turned it sideways to dabble in this type of racing, which I love!
And, slightly off topic now, since we have shown here several times that a Curbside Classic doesn’t necessarily have to be automotive, I am thinking about doing an article on vintage Mercury Outboards, if it’s ok with Paul. I love this bar!
wstarvingteacher,
I ran this a bit off track. Sorry.
If anyone can’t understand Flat Trackers, it’s a bit like synchronized swimming while trying to break a Horse, fight a Bull and run a Cup car all at the same time.
Sean: To me means a comment indicates interest. In a couple of these oddball articles I wrote, much of the interest was that of the author. I’m thinking of the classroom EV article specifically. I welcome your comments and to this point they all have been on target so far as I am concerned.
Suzulight: I think that is during the time Bubba Shobert was winning. Seems to me the Shadow family would be a good starting point for Honda. They all have low cg to start with. Ducati did it with a l000 (see comment above). If the shadow isn’t good enough for a starting point it needs to be redone. I love this racing too and I’m going to learn a lot for the next article I write (the XR750) which won’t be the next one published. I took several years off to learn a trade and then to teach for 20 years. I am catching back up.
I cannot speak for Paul or Tom but there is a way to write an article on something you are interested in. Most of the stuff I am interested in is oddball and that stuff normally shows up on Sunday. I am a fan not a real gearhead. However, even though I cannot speak for Paul or Tom, I was told that if it had an engine and sparked an interest that it was acceptable. The ole Mercury r&d was industry leading and interesting. Recommend you look up the submarine articles I wrote and/or the one about my tractor and look at the comments. If that encourages you, contact Tom. Syke, if you are listening -I think you know more about much of this bike stuff than I do and obviously care just as much. The early Japanese development is crying for an article not devoted to one bike.
Y’all jump in. The waters fine.
Yup. Which is why every Japanese manufacturer also produces touring bikes.
:rolleyes:
The reason Harley is so successful in flat track racing is because the most dramatic improvements in modern bike design (by the British and Japanese) have been in frame, suspension and brake design, coupled with better tyres and engines. All of those are nullified in this strange form of racing. A 180bhp Japanese four on such a bike is suicide. That’s why H-D keeps winning this one. All the other manufacturers are forced to use equally obsolete technology as H-D. Sorry, but I think H-D is really the Apple of bikes. All brand and marketing, but no Right Stuff. Even in the fifties Real Men were riding British Iron, but the Japanese makers have simply taken the game to another level. A picture of Brando and classic Triumph in an article related to Harley is sacrilege. Of course, Triumph is still capable of taking the fight to Japan, but Harley is not, and never has been.
I guess the world is full of sacrilege to you CC. Brando’s stereotype never was married to Harley.
Full disclosure is that I am not a Harley fan when it comes to their street bikes. However, if you can look at what they have done here you can’t help but be impressed. There are big japanese twins that are not winning while Harley is. I think a simple explanation as to why they win is foolish. Determination, design, and numbers must account for a lot of it.
I think real men ride whatever they want and could care less what you think about it. Note Nixon and Mann in the article who won with 500cc bsa and triumph twins. I intend to do a non-harley winners when I finish with Harley. Have to. They all went to a lot of effort to win and there were a lot of vertical twins involved. Hang on and be a little forgiving. I’m spinning a yarn here and not trying to be real technologically based. I would avoid the tech completely if I could. That would not fit in this site.
When you have the most winning bike in history there must be something good. That’s coming up. The XR750 and it will be more about people than tech.
Heh, heh. I admit to being (more than) a little sarcastic on that one, but I couldn’t resist putting in the Real Men line, even though I capitalised the initials to (unsuccessfully) indicate irony. This gag is quite common in computer programming, where any debate about programming tools will soon devolve into what Real Programmers use, with someone finally pointing out the Real Programmers use toggle switches on the front of the computer, or worse. The line about `sacrilege’ was also in keeping with the Internet tradition of holy wars… 🙂
However, I stand by the rest of the criticism I levelled against the track racing limitations and rules. I’m not as charitable as you while relating the AMA’s less than stellar role in the tradition, which ranged from slight to outright bias. I also have similar issues against MotoGP for the ridiculous rules putting two-stroke bikes at a severe disadvantage (to Honda’s advantage), but that is another story.
I understand your aim with this series, and will henceforth flow with it! Obviously, Harley could simply have been attracting the best riding talent. Cheers!
My Father road Harley’s since he was 16 years old, 1929. at one time I remember 3 in the garage in the early 50th. he love his Harley 74 with side cars, He even had one with factory reverse.
He past 1995 at age 84. Even then he owned a Harley 883 with small fiberglass sidecar,. I remember him giving my oldest son, age 4, and his cousin a ride in the front yard spinning donuts with the sidecar rig. Even did a wheelie once with my young wife on the back to showoff to Corvette with two guys looking on in awe. Dad alway was loner, being a Biker in the 1930’s, very few group rides, death valley ones or twice before Sturges become the in thing. I remember a 900 mile day around age 9 or 10 coming back from Reno along the California Coast to Bakersfield North of Los angles in one day.
Dad met my Mom when someone dare her to go for a Motorcycle ride in 1936 or 37 with Billy, the motorcycle riding delivery driver at the furniture store, where they both worked.