Harley-Davidson XR750TT: the Comeback Kid
Harley’s dominance of motorcycle racing once prompted major rule changes. So they responded by building an even more dominant bike!
Prior to 1970, Harley-Davidson simply dominated most every form of motorcycle racing. To the point where AMA Grand National Championship rules were changed to level the playing field in 1969. These rule changes worked as planned at first, allowing British and Japanese bikes to briefly outperform the mighty Harley-Davidson track bikes. That is, until H-D rolled out its latest racers, the XR750 for dirt tracks and the XR750TT for road circuits.
The rest, as they say, is history. Harley’s mighty XR750 went on to become the winningest motorcycle in AMA history. It was the favorite ride of Evel Knievel and championship riders from Mark Brelsford to Jay Springsteen. Today, examples of the XR750 sit on display everywhere from the Smithsonian to The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition. And original examples like this 1972 XR750TT, which we spotted over at Tomini Classics, bring big bucks.
The history of this particular XR750TT is unknown, but it’s one of the nicest examples we’ve ever laid eyes on. Clearly the bike has either been fully restored or sat in storage from new. Regardless, its fiberglass shell looks like brand new in those iconic orange, black, and white Harley hues. The shiny slicks have clearly never experienced a loose gravel corner. And the drum(!) brakes have probably never slowed it down coming off a long straightaway, either.
No, this piece of two-wheeled racing perfection is probably best suited for display. But personally, we wouldn’t be able to resist giving it a go around a local circuit. After all, these bikes were made to dominate the competition. And they did just that, carrying on a tradition as old as Harley-Davidson itself!
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