Editor’s Note: This article was written by Bryan Fuller of Fuller Moto. When possible we like to bring you articles written by the builder – to offer unique, unfiltered insight into their process.
Flat Track racing has a long, rich history and just like most sports, as it evolves it continues to push limits. Part of the process to be the best, is to make continual improvements to the machines. Having a skilled rider can be as important as having a machine that can perform when tested. David Lloyd, Crew Chief and Co-Owner of Lloyd Brothers Motorsports is someone who understands the importance even minor advancements can make to a rider’s season. That is why David came to us at Fuller Moto. David has a long history in racing and knew the tweaks that he wanted to make, but needed a partner with the right fabrication experience that he could entrust with the lives of his team. We knew by aligning our expertise, together we could build a new and improved bike frame and potentially one-up the competition.
Instantly this project got me excited. This was going to be our first real race chassis! A lot of the same techniques and skills used for our small production runs of frames that we have created over the years came into play. We were getting our chance to break into racing and it was up to us now to build it to the level that these bikes could withstand 130mph around a track and go for the win.
So where to start? Working alongside Lloyd Brothers, we knew what wasn’t working. We also had a strong idea of the bike characteristics that if manipulated, could be a game changer for the team. In addition, Fuller Moto brought some new idea improvements to the equation, like building the breather into the frame, which is an old custom technique.
The full development process took about six weeks. The beginning set-up took the longest because we made a new JIG filtering system and new neck fixture. We made the neck fixture out of 1 1/2 inch by 8 inch steel and then we CNC cut all the holes in it to make a very precise holder so that the frames would be straight and repeatable. Lloyd Brothers would be ordering multiple frames so we needed to be able to scale. Then the idea occurred to me, why not also create a Limited Edition Pro Street Tracker Series at the same time?
Once we decided to do a production run of the components, we enlisted manufacturer and metal fabrication company, Tie Down Engineering, to 3D scan the frame, create a CAD model, and conduct structural analysis. Tie Down then produced the bungs, the CNC bent chromoly tubes, the necks, and the associated chromoly tabs and brackets. Now all the components could easily go into the JIG quickly and accurately allowing us to produce on demand.
So as Lloyd Brothers Racing Team began winning more places in the AFT Series with their updated bikes, we got to work building the first Limited Edition Series Pro Street Tracker. It was very important to me that this bike perform beautifully both on the track and on the street. If World Champion riders like Troy Bayliss and Nicky Hayden are attracted to the race bike, then we need to make the street bike version as appealing. We made subtle enhancements to the race chassis ergonomics for the Limited Edition Pro Street Tracker to include +3-degree rake; 1-inch stretch; and swing-arm modifications to slightly lengthen the wheelbase.
We purposely lengthened the wheel base an inch so that someone can use an off the shelf or eBay triple tree and stock fork set-up, which is a lot more reasonably priced rather than buying custom triple trees. The chassis also accepts OEM spec fork clamps. The end result is a peerless platform derived from a racing heritage, with the added benefits of rigidity and significantly reduced weight (320 lbs. wet); a nearly identical weight to the race bike. It handles amazingly well at low speeds, and up to about 90mph, tracking perfectly.
Swing-arm is a custom unit built in house on the same JIG the race team uses. The prototype is 1″ x 3″ oval with 3/4″ 4130 Chromoly making up the shock mount and bracing. Shock is a custom unit from FOX specifically made for this bike from the Podium Series coming out for the Ducati Scrambler. Rear brake is KTM 690 Duke. Custom Fuller Moto stainless steel exhaust featuring exclusive prototype Cone Engineering Reverse Cone Mufflers. Aluminum drilled Siegl exhaust flanges are lightweight and stylish. The “brap” “brap” sound from this beauty is pure Ducati.
Bodywork is the same glass as used on the race bike but trimmed down a bit for a more tailored look. Fuller Moto Lead Fabricator, Bryan Heidt, made the custom aluminum headlight/number plate from scratch out of 3003 H14 sheet. Headlight is an LED unit from the Retrofit Source (TRS). Tail light is a Jesse Spade Industries special with TRS “ThinDicator” blinkers on either side. MotoGadget gauge is up on the triple tree discreetly, giving needed information including RPM and neutral light. Bar end blinkers and handlebar switch work great.
19″ aluminum wheels were made special for this bike. They have KTM type aluminum hubs with stainless steel spokes. Tires are the only DOT units available in this size from Vee Rubber.
Aesthetically I wanted to keep it classic Ducati, emulating the beautiful Italian Ducati paint schemes of the past and future. Nickel-plated and black enameled Ducati emblem on the tank is from Italy. The #1 pinstriped on the plate also made sense since it was the first in the series.
For tuning, Wes Hines at Fuller Moto wired up a MicroTec ECU that’s comparable with factory OEM plugs. Mark Sutton at the DucShop (who builds the Lloyd Brother Racing motors) loaded a Monster base map and then fine tuned it from there. Due to Mark’s vast Ducati knowledge, getting the bike to run great was easy.
The Limited Edition Pro Street Tracker is just about as close to a race bike on the street as you can get. It’s just so light, it’s just that fast; and it includes bonus amenities, like a really comfortable seating position, electric start and blinkers. To test how well it does on the dirt, we enlisted World Champion Racer Johnny Lewis out of Ocala, Florida. Johnny has raced for Lloyd Brothers previously and has a flat track training school, Training By 10. Johnny said, “Riding the Ducati Street Tracker, which matched the geometry of the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati I have raced in the past, was unique being that it felt like I was literally on my race bike with head light and electric start. I didn’t expect to be backing a street bike into a corner on a 1/4 mile oval dirt track by the second lap. The fit and feel of the bike is spot on for a street performance motorcycle, providing a handling experience capable of taking off the head lights and going racing at a top level.”
The Limited Edition Pro Street Tracker is definitely a bike that you can ride everyday or take it out to a Hooligan race and kick some butt! It is about the only street tracker you can buy that has direct lineage from a race bike. It is the real deal.
This #1 in the series, Limited Edition Pro Street Tracker is currently for sale. Also available: chassis rollers, frames and swing-arms to full turn-key, design-build custom bikes. If you’d like to learn more or order your own you can click here to visit Fuller Moto.
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All images copyright: Nick Rico
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
