Tracker (motorcycle)

Speedway rider in typical drift on the dirt track (Extraliiga, Finland)

A tracker is a motorcycle that is optimized for use on speedway lanes or so-called dirt track lanes. These are mostly oval racetracks with loose surfaces. The trackers are minimalist, slim and designed for drifting and sliding. On speedway racetracks, the machines usually have only one gear and at the rear neither suspension nor brakes, while on flat or dirt tracks they are fully equipped in this regard. While the front tracker looks more like an enduro with a long fork, the driver's seating position is comparatively low and the seat is straight, so that the drifting rear can be better controlled, sometimes with legs outstretched. Mostly large-tread tires are used. Track racing began in the USA and dates back to the 1920s, but so-called dirt track races were still very popular in the 1960s. Well-known track racing drivers include Dick Mann and Kenny Roberts , who competed in the AMA Grand National Championship racing series, among others . So-called street trackers or flat trackers are dirt trackers motorcycles prepared for legalized road use. In the motorcycle customizing scene , street trackers represent their own subculture . Examples of standard street trackers include the Honda FTR223, the Honda FT500 or the Harley-Davidson XR750.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.honda.co.jp/FTR/