Odds are you have never seen a factory Harley WRTT as nice as this outside a museum if ever at all.

Buzz Kanter from American Iron Magazine interviews Harley factory racebike guru Leo Hulnick about this great old 45 cubic inch flathead AMA Class C road-racer. How much did you know and these fast and rare machines?

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Billy Lane and a growing number of his friends are recreating antique motorcycle boardtrack racers with modern frames, forks, wheels and gear but original antique V-twin motors.

Buzz Kanter’s 1915 Harley-Davidson tracker on the Daytona Beach

They plan to race these machines March 17 and 18, 2017 on the banked 1/2 mile oval at the New Smyrna Speedway fifteen minutes south of Daytona Beach.

Slim profile of a boardtrack racer of the teens

Typical of a boardtrack racer of the teens and early 1920s, the machines were stripped down of everything not absolutely needed. No brakes, no transmission, no clutch and total oil lubrication system. There is virtually no suspension with a rigid rear section and less than an inch of travel in the forks. Note the drop bar style handebars to allow the riders to get low against the wind. Skinny wheels and tires and no controls other than a throttle, hand pump oil override, and magneto kill switch.

F head Harley engine with magneto ignition mounted in a new reproduction keystone frame.

American Iron Magazine is a big supporter of this event. In addition to featuring Rick Petko’s Indian motorcycle racer in the current issue and Buzz Kanter’s Harley motorcycle racer next month.  Also Buzz will be competing on Team American Iron Magazine by racing his bike in this year’s event.

You can pre-purchase your tickets at Sons of Speed Tickets. You can subscribe to American Iron Magazine (in print or digital delivery) and help support Team American Iron efforts at Subscribe.

Watch for full coverage of the races in upcoming issues of American Iron Magazine.

Hi all:

I am researching this particular 1916 Excelsior racer for a future article in Motorcycle Rides & Culture magazine.

1916 Excelsior motorcycle boardtrack racer

It was a well known West Coast racer in the teens and twenties, and was later owned by Rusty Kay. It was restored in the early 1970s by Dave “Huggy Bear” Hansen of The Shop.

Rare antique motorcycle racer

It was on display at the Peterson museum for a few years. All info, details and history on it is appreciated.

Thanks – Buzz Kanter