Harley-Davidson’s core enterprise is, and can all the time be, huge American V-twins. However there are moments in The Motor Co.’s historical past the place it has deviated from this method in a bid to draw a wider viewers, with various ranges of success.
Within the 60s and 70s, Harley leveraged their half (and later full) possession of the Italian producer Aermacchi to create a handful of smaller bikes—just like the 1974 Harley-Davidson SX250. Launched throughout Harley’s notorious AMF period, this single-cylinder two-stroke was designed to compete with the light-weight Japanese enduro bikes of the day. However because it was successfully only a rebadged Aermacchi, it pale from existence when Harley offered the Italian agency to Cagiva in 1978.
Today, Aermacchi Harleys take pleasure in a distinct segment following amongst classic racers, and anybody else who has a mushy spot for Nineteen Seventies oddballs. This specific AMF-era Harley-Davidson SX250 belongs to Marco Donati—a Milan-based architect, bike fanatic, and flat observe rider.
Marco sourced the bike particularly for this mission, earlier than handing it over to Massimo Rinchiuso at Fuchs Workshop to show it right into a svelte flat tracker. “His imaginative and prescient was clear: reinterpret the spirit of old-school racing with a contemporary twist, with out betraying the unique id of the bike,” says Massimo.
“Impressed by this uniquely American self-discipline, the little Harley was became a real tracker— designed to ship classic thrills, however with actual efficiency on the observe. The method was something however easy. The engine, which had been dormant for years, needed to be utterly rebuilt, with each half rigorously restored and tuned to recuperate reliability and extract each ounce of efficiency from this two-stroke single-cylinder powerplant.”
Fuchs Workshop’s grasp engine builder, Claudio Lanconelli, took level on restoring the 250’s motor, whereas Massimo turned his consideration to the chassis. The rear half of the body was rebuilt to accommodate a brand new seat, earlier than being raised with a set of longer-than-stock YSS shocks, to sharpen the steering head angle.
The trendy shocks are matched to a set of Yamaha R6 forks, held in place by CNC-machined yokes. With no entrance brake in play, Massimo liberated the lowers of their caliper mounts and cleaned them up.
The Harley’s new wheels use modified motocross hubs, laced to 19” anodized aluminum rims with stainless-steel spokes. They’re wrapped in flat observe rubber from Anlas within the UK. The inventory swingarm remains to be in play, with a single rear disc brake dealing with stopping duties.
As a hat tip to the SX250’s historical past, Massimo retained the unique gasoline tank, retrofitting it with a brand new filler neck and a knurled aluminum gasoline cap. It’s matched to a fiberglass tail part, equipped by Kompotech. The one different bodywork is a set of quantity boards, which Massimo fabricated from aluminum.
JV Exhaust tackled the Harley’s pipe—a surprising TIG-welded affair with an enlargement chamber designed to supply most torque decrease within the rev vary. (The outsized carb and pod filter do their half too.)
A hanging orange livery finishes this Harley-Davidson SX250 flat tracker off in type. It’s not, as you may anticipate, a nod to the long-lasting XR750, however a re-creation of the bike’s authentic paint job, with the graphics tastefully prolonged to the brand new tail part. Like every part else on this construct, it’s simply Stunning.
Fuchs Workshop Fb | Instagram | Photographs by Christian Followerson the VR46 Ranch in Tavullia, Italy
