Honda XL600R

 Street Tracker

Honda’s bulletproof enduro weapon for the latter part of the twentieth century was the XL600, a big four-valve thumper built to handle desert rallies. There were several variants and upgrades, and they weren’t pretty bikes—but with a few modifications, the XL was surprisingly capable on the road. This conversion, however, sure is a pretty bike. You can see how it was built on Thierry’s Roc Street Tracker site. We suspect the powerful XL600R has the makings of a cult classic, and in the years to come, may even be mentioned in the same breath as the SR400 and W650. [Spotted on Sideblog. For background, check the Motorcycle Specs reprint of this excellent 1983 article from Cycle World.]

XS650

Eight Ball Boy

You can always rely upon prolific Italian builder Filippo Barbacane to come up with something different. The latest creation from his Officine Rosso Puro stable is ‘Eight Ball Boy’ a high-ridin’ street tracker based on the Yamaha XS650. (The stance reminds me of House Rockers’ CB750 customs: are we seeing a trend here?) The bike is full of parts from the RossoPuro sub-brand, including the swingarm, triple trees, wheels and brake rotors. The 50hp motor is stock, but the frame has been modified and Paioli 45mm forks fitted. Check that rear suspension too, with a very unusual tandem shock set-up. All the bodywork is custom-made, from the tank to the fenders, and Barbacane has created new foot controls too. Congratulations to owner Antonio Di Battista—he’s got himself a unique-looking machine that’ll be a blast to ride. [Via Mulligan Machine.]

Nikon D2H | 1/500s | f/4.2 | ISO 200 | Focal length 180mm

Drags & Racing

Drags & Racing is an Italian custom shop owned by the flamboyant Dino Romano, and he’s been putting out a steady stream of custom Triumphs and Harleys for twenty years now. Dino’s latest creation is this Bonneville, and he’s done a remarkable job in giving a modern Triumph an authentic vintage look. (So we’ll forgive him the ubiquitous Steve McQueen reference—the bike is called ‘La Grande Fuga’, meaning Great Escape.) There’s a suicide shift on the left, the exhaust has been cannibalized from an Iveco van, and the seat is a genuine 1939 Harley-Davidson item. The matte green military paint is equally authentic: it’s from a sixty-year-old cache discovered in a Czech warehouse. La Grande Fuga has attracted a lot of attention on the Italian custom scene, and Dino can build you one for around US$24,000. Given the level of customizing going on here—with virtually all bodywork and controls being hand-made—that sounds like a pretty good deal. [Via moto.it.]
PS: Bike EXIF is now on Pinterest. We’re showcasing the best motorcycle images and links from around the net, as well as our own greatest hits. Check out our boards here.

STEVE McQUEEN DOIN’ IT IN THE DIRT | TRIUMPH DESERT BIKE BY BUD EKINS

tags: 1960s, 1964, Bud Ekins, motorcycles, photography, Steve McQueen, Triumph, vintage

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Nostalgia on Wheels posted these incredible pictures (quite a while back) of Steve McQueen and his Bud Ekins’ desert-modified Triumph Bonneville racer from the June 1964 edition of Cycle World Magazine. Original photos by Cal West. I re-typed the original text so it’s legible, great stuff. Hells. Yes.

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“Actor Steve McQueen and his Triumph desert bike in their native habitat.”  –Cycle World Magazine, June 1964

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“Many modifications make a desert bike. Crossovers, skid plate, giant filters, etc.”  –Cycle World Magazine, June 1964

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“Paper-pack air cleaners are connected to carbs by special a collector box. A Cushy saddle and high pipes are essential in the desert.”  –Cycle World Magazine, June 1964

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“IN McQUEEN’S SERVICE”

Winning desert races is what this machine was set up for. It is the mount of actor Steve McQueen, who recently won the novice class in a one-hour desert scrambles. The victory only proved what a close look at his Triumph Bonneville suggests: McQueen takes his motorcycling seriously.

It takes some modifications to wing the rough, dusty hare ‘n hounds, scrambles and enduros that are popular in the southwestern desert. McQueen’s machine was prepared in Bud Ekins’ Sherman Oaks, California shop. They started by replacing the stock wheel with a 1956 Triumph hub and 19″ wheel to reduce unsprung weight. The forks were fitted with sidecar springs and the rake increased slightly by altering the frame at the steering crown. The rear frame hoop was bent upward to accommodate a 4.00 x 18 Dunlop sports knobby, and to it were welded brackets for the Bates cross-country seat. The bars are by Flanders, with leather hand guards, and the throttle cables run over the tank, through alloy brackets to the twin 1 1/8″ Amal carburetors.

A Harlan skidplate protects the underside of the motor, the footpegs were braced, and the rear brake rod was increased to 5/16″ diameter and rerouted inside the frame and shock (where sagebrush can’t damege it). The oil tank was modified to increase its capacity and bring the filler out the side fom under the seat. It also serves as part of the mudguard, saving weight.

The engine is basically a stock Bonneville but the compression was lowered from 12 : 1 to 8 1/2 : 1 for reliability, and the sagebrush-snagging oil pressure indicator was converted to a pop-off relief valve with a return line back to the oil tank. McQueen runs Jomo TT cams and Lode RL47 Platinum tip plugs.

The important job of filtering all that dirt out of the desert air is handled by paper-pack air cleaners connected by a special collector box to the carbs. This box is finished in black wrinkle-finish paint while the tanks are dark green. The cross-over pipes are Ekins’ own design, and are left unplated for better heat dissipation. Perhaps if McQueen were riding this motorcycle in the movie, he would have made his “Great Escape.”

–Cycle World Magazine, June 1964

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“Terrence Steven McQueen received a red tricycle for his fourth birthday from his great uncle, and on that day a racing legend was born. Before joining the Marine Corps, he worked as an oil rigger, in a carnival, and as a janitor in a brothel. When he was honorably discharged in 1950, McQueen started taking acting workshops. To pick up some extra cash, he started competing in motorcycle races on the weekends. In late 1955, at the age of 25, McQueen left New York and headed for California where his motorcycle-racing buddy Robert Culp helped him land his first TV role.

McQueen also competed in off-road motorcycle racing. His first off-road motorcycle was a Triumph 500cc that he purchased from friend and stuntman Bud Ekins. In McQueen’s 1963 film The Great Escape, he rode a Triumph TR6 650 and, in one of the most famous action scenes in a movie, his character escaped the Nazis by jumping over a fence – which Bud did the stunt for.

In addition to starring in movies like Bullitt and The Getaway, McQueen raced in many top off-road races on the West Coast, including the Baja 1000, the Mint 400 and the Elsinore Grand Prix. In 1964, together with Bud Ekins on their Triumph TR6 Trophys, he represented the United States in the International Six Days Trial, a form of off-road motorcycling Olympics. He was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.

In 1971, McQueen’s production company funded the now-classic motorcycle documentary “On Any Sunday”, in which McQueen is featured along with racing legends Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. Steve McQueen owned over 200 bikes in his lifetime, and he was posthumously inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.” –via Triumph

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Steve McQueen on his 1963 Triumph Bonneville Desert Sled built by McQueen’s good friend, Bud Ekins.
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In 2009, Steve McQueen’s 1963 Triumph Bonneville Desert Sled sold at Bonhams & Butterfields’ first-ever motorcycle and memorabilia auction for $84,240. The bike was personally built by McQueen’s good friend, Bud Ekins, the famous stunt rider and off-road racing champ, and was painted by another legend– the epic painter, striper, builder, fabricator, etc., Von Dutch.