HARLEY-DAVIDSON XRTT

The Harley-Davidson XRTT is almost certainly the most beautiful motorcycle ever to roll out of the Milwaukee factory of the venerable American motorcycle marque. It was fitted with the legendary XR750 engine well-known to the flat track circuits of the United States and the intent was to fly to the United Kingdom and challenge the Brits at their own game – the Trans-Atlantic Match Race Series.

This series took place over 6 races on paved circuits around the UK and it was widely thought that the Americans, more familiar with muddy ovals, would be far out matched by their cousins across the pond.

As it happened, the Americans brought Cal Rayborn II with them, a factory rider for Harley-Davidson who had won two consecutive Daytona 200 races in 1968 and 1969 before setting two motorcycle land speed records in 1970.

Cal had never been to any of the 6 circuits in the Trans-Atlantic Match Races, he had only seen rough sketches of the tracks on pieces of paper before arriving in the country on his slightly outdated XR750 engined Harley-Davidson XRTT. He’d been promised a pair of new alloy barrels for the bike but they weren’t ready by the time the series started so he raced on his old cast iron barrels – nicknamed “the waffle irons” because they got so hot during racing they could begin to warp.

By the time the 1972 Trans-Atlantic Match Races finished, Cal Rayborn II had won half of the races and was tied for the lead in points – a result no one had anticipated and many had thought impossible.

From a technology perspective, the Harley-Davidson XRTT was a relatively raw machine. It used Ceriani forks, Girling shock absorbers, twin 36mm Mikuni carburettors and dual reverse cone mufflers, a speedometer would have been a pointless addition of a few ounces of weight so it was forgone in favour of a Smiths tachometer sitting next to a small oil gauge.

The fibreglass fairing and fuel tank were both visually stunning and very effective aerodynamically and unlike its sibling the XR750, the XRTT had effective brakes – a four leading shoe drum on the front and a single side disc on the rear.

As the 1970s progressed the multi-cylinder and two-stroke bikes from Japan would come to dominate road racing and Harley-Davidson’s underdog XRTT would be relegated to museums and private collections. The model you see here is the newest XRTT you’re ever likely to come across – it started life as an original early alloy engine, which was sent to well-known XR specialist garage Hi-Speed in Ohio.

The team at Hi-Speed then spent 2 years painstakingly building a new XRTT off the original factory blueprints using as many original parts as possible. Their goal was to create a bike that would be identical to the originals that were built in 1972 and after having poured over these images, I’d say they nailed it.

If you’d like to add this bike to your collection you’re in luck, it’s due to be sold at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction on the 9th of January 2015. Bonhams have estimated the value at between $55,000 and $60,000 USD and I have no doubt it’ll sell for at least that if not a little more, although it’s likely that it’ll sell to a private collector and never see the light of day I can’t help but hope it sells to someone who fills it up with oil and fuel and takes it racing.

via SILODROME0

Playing the generation name with two Porsche Carrera GTs

At the tail end of the 1950s, Porsche built a handful of Sebring-exhaust 356 Carrera GT homologation specials. Two further competition-derived Carrera GTs were to follow over the next six decades – but do they share any similarities beyond their inherited appellations?

When the Porsche 924 arrived in 1976, it hardly sparked enthusiasm with the marque’s faithful. Perhaps the VW-derived four-cylinder engine could have been forgiven, were it not water-cooled and at the ‘wrong’ end of the car. But in the closing days of 1979, Porsche’s racing manager made the announcement that a trio of 924 Carrera GTPs would line up on the grid at the 1980 Le Mans race. Preparation for the following year’s entry into the GT class necessitated a run of 400 homologation specials; all of a sudden, the enthusiasts took notice.

Evo of the Eighties

With 210bhp and the wide-arched stance to match, the 924 Carrera GT had been transformed into a true driver’s machine, a recipe honed further in the evo-style GTS and Clubsport models that were to follow once the homologation quota had been fulfilled. Just 15 Clubsports were produced (including the car pictured); these notched the focus-meter up to 11 by boosting power to 270bhp, shedding weight, and including a factory-fitted rollcage. Even the headlamp covers were made of Perspex.

Much like its namesake, the Carrera GT also had roots in endurance racing: it was conceived as a Le Mans Prototype project, apparent as soon as you open the vault-like door and drop deep down in the carbon tub. However, there’s no homologation hangover here; it boasts the build quality you would expect from a Porsche, and once you twist the ignition (yes, it has a proper key), there’s no harsh noise transfer into the cabin. With the removable roof snugly in place, you’re sheltered from the torturous howl of the naturally aspirated V10 – unlike anyone within a five-mile radius.

Experts only

In keeping with its competition background, the gear lever is as close to the driver’s right hand as possible. But more importantly, it’s a conventional six-speed manual – a step on from the 924’s dogleg five-speed, but thankfully a few short of the now-dated paddleshift ’boxes of the noughties. Despite the logical and familiar layout, though, the CGT is famous for catching out the inexperienced driver with its lightning fast controls and tendency to oversteer.

On paper, this pair appears to share little other than a name. But that name has always alluded to the dynamic focus demanded by the most experienced drivers. Today, this – combined with their rarity and Le Mans pedigree – mean they are becoming more desirable to the Porsche collector by the day. Specialists such as DK Engineering have reported a substantial increase in interest in the noughties supercar in the last few months alone; perhaps both CGTs will soon follow their 2.7 RS cousin into the stratosphere.

Photos: © GF Williams for Classic Driver

There’s light at the end of the tunnel – a pink Porsche!

Only a few would be brave enough to purchase a pink Porsche. In its latest short film, Classic Driver dealer Cool & Vintage has given this 964 an eerie foggy backdrop and a haunting electro backing track, in order to weed out timid pretenders…

The 964-generation Porsche 911 seen in the video is currently up for sale with Portuguese dealerCool & Vintage. 

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