When thinking about cafe racers, the Triumph Thruxton, Ducati Sport Classic, and Honda CB motorcycles come to mind. What makes the BT-03 so unique is that it started life as a Harley Davidson Fat Bob. The Fat Bob normally would not be someone’s first pick for a custom cafe racer, but Blacktrack Motors was able to make the motorcycle look like it was meant to be a cafe racer all along.
Sacha Lakic, the lead designer of this gorgeous beast, says that the inspiration for the BT-03 came from the Harley Davidson XLCR. The XLCR was produced between 1977 and 1979, and it was the only cafe racer styled motorcycle that Harley produced. The XLCR was known for its handling and unique looks among the Harley lineup.
The BT-03 wasn’t intended to copy the XLCR but rather capture the design ethos. The BT-03 does have some XLCR dna in it. The elongated gas tank and tail section along with the seven spoke wheels give the cafe racer XLCR vibes.
The Fat Bob is an interesting choice for this build because of its power cruiser stance. However, the fat bob has surprisingly good handling and an excellent 114ci engine which produces 118 lb-ft of torque.
Blacktrack kept the frame, engine, and transmission. The rest was either updated or replaced with custom components during the build.
Speaking of custom parts, the front fairing, front fender, fuel tank, tail section and a cover plate for the rear shock absorber are made from composite materials. While the main frame is stock, the running gear has been updated with an Ohlins Suspension. The wheels are Dymag Forged aluminum wheels equipped with Beringer brakes.
The exhaust is a beautiful custom stainless steel piece. Blacktrack Motors also remapped the fuel map to match the custom exhaust. These tweaks to the Milwaukee 8 engine have brought the power output up to 105hp.
All of the custom parts paid huge dividends in weight savings. The BT-03 weighs over 100lbs lighter than a stock Fat Bob!
Unsprung mass was reduced by a massive 25lbs. These weight savings plus a top of the line Ohlins suspension is sure to make this Harley handle like a dream.
If you want to get your own BT-03 you’ll have to act fast. Production is limited to just four units, and the lead time is 6 months, but if you do decide to get one you’ll own one of the most unique Harley Davidsons.
TPJ Customs Supermoto
The second custom on our list is even more radical. A Harley Davidson Sportster engine powering a supermoto is one of the bikes I thought i’d never see, but i’m sure glad it exists. This compact muscle bike/supermoto is the perfect hooligan ride.
Nearly every part of this motorcycle was fabricated by Brian Schimke for this build. For example, almost every part besides the motor, Avon tires, and Beringer brakes are custom. Even the chassis had to be carefully designed so that it could enclose the monster Harley motor.
The motor was sourced from a Buell S3 Thunderbolt which makes over 86hp. In other words if you’ve ever wanted to wheelie, power slide, drift, flat track, or even jump your Harley this is the bike for you.
We love unique custom motorcycles, and the custom chassis takes this build to a whole new level. This bike beautifully combines off the shelf parts like the CRF450 front forks and Beringer brakes with fabricated parts like the chassis, fuel tank, bodywork, and more. This is definitely one of the weirdest combinations of style and motors, but we think it turned out absolutely stunning, and we hope it inspires more Harley based supermoto builds!
