I get to test ride a lot of bikes at my shop and every once in a while I get a real thrill,.... this was it !
The customer brought it in to get it registered as a street bike and a bunch of other service work.
after sitting for about 5 years we rebuilt the magneto, when through the Delorto carbs tuned them in for the 110 octane gas, so I had to test ride it..... repeatedly..
All I can say is... WOW !!!!,
this thing pulls like a freight train, it holds the front wheel 3" off the ground in 3rd gear,
The rev limiter appears to be the size of your balls.
riding one of these should be on everyone's bucket list.
I remember seeing an XR750 on the sales floor of the local HD dealer when I was about 8. Probably the first real race bike I ever saw. I can't say why exactly but I just loved it immediately. I will always have a hardcore soft spot for them.
I was spectating at the Indy Mile in '76 or so and was behind the fence at the pits. There was one XR on its side, getting a new set of clutch plates, and a few yards away, a mechanic bumpstarted one in just 2 or 3 steps. Man, that was the coolest. That same year, I saw a streetable one in pickup in KY while on my way to Daytona and got to talk to the owner. They were almost affordable to buy there for a while, but now big bux.
those start out as just the frame on the stands, those are long term build stands, we have a overhead hoist in the shop that lifts the bike off when it's finished.
We use them so the long term builds don't take up a service lift..
Tony, that is on the list for sure! i guess after you rode that you have an even greater respect for the guys that at 100 pitch it sideways, talk about big nads!
Today I was at the only area H-D dealership I can still set foot in to see if the parts guy could ID a late model hub I have. We got to talking and he pulled out an H-D catalog. The MoCo makes an XR750 engine kit built on evo Sportster cases. Comes with everything but the Del'lortos, cases, transmission, and pipes. No price listed but the parts guy looked it up for me and it was about $12K. Beautiful, but I can buy an XR1000 for that.
The bike was built ground up to be a dominator in circle track racing period. Difficult is not impossible. I worked with a genius in the mid 70's who, sponsored by BSA with a national number, worked on the 180* Triumphs/Bsa's to specifically beat the XR motor. That data came from him.
Sweet Bike!! Talk about making power. Got to take an old buddys factory raced xr 1000 out for a test spin, talk about a rocket!! Geared for stop light to stop light, he even had nitrous plumbed on it. No jap bike around could touch it. All fiberglass and aluminum. Nothing like some big old dual carbs hanging off the side. Glad you enjoyed the ride, something very few can say they did.
i ran against one some years back, twice...
once on my stroked, high compression, hot street XLCH. i totally had him until he ripped past me (basically when the race started).
a couple weeks later, against the same guy... on a canyon road... me on an off topic but pretty damned fast GSXR 7/11. kinda the same thing. he was a bit squirrely in the corners but would RIP in the straights. it was a close race, i still lost, and i pushed my bike hard.
Ain't that bike the one that Mert Lawwill played around on. Seems to me there was some story about his bikes and a buddy testing out his spare which was slower. It pulled the front tire at about 100 mph. Love to see what the other one did.
that could be true,
This bike lifted 3" the front wheel in every gear I put it in.
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