An experienced racer has the ability to recognize a good bike when he or she rides it and can understand that the bike would be perfect for the track. So why not take the bike that’s great on the track out on the street? The premise behind this bike was that simple. Bill Hofmeister loves H-D’s dirt track bikes and wanted to build a street version for himself. “I thought it would be cool to build a modern replica of my favorite bike of all time, but built with a motor that you wouldn’t mind sitting through traffic on,” Bill said.

A real 750 probably isn’t ideal for street use and the replica needed to use a production motor with proven durability and power. For his bike, Bill chose Buell’s XB 1200cc. He estimates that the motor produces around 105 horsepower, but keep reading to find out what the bike weighs ready-to-ride. The all-Buell motor was upgraded with a Crane HI-4 ignition module and Buell coil. Other motor options are available for the carburetor, ignition, air-filter, and air-cleaner cover. Included with the power plant is Buell’s XB primary, clutch, and 5-speed transmission. “Instead of a really high top speed, I wanted the bike to be quick out of the hole and finished the drive train with a 19-tooth sprocket main with a 51-tooth final,” Bill said.

A properly designed rolling chassis is the only way to achieve Grand National-caliber handling ability. “I tried to duplicate the Grand National Championship winning chassis. The attention to detail is what really separates my replica from every other version,” Bill said. SHR Enterprises’ Jeff Cole engineered the frame, and he’s got a great amount of experience with the design, as he is the former owner of C&J Racing Frames, the original builder of the Grand National frame. Bruce Nilson, one of the fabricators at SHR, welded it together with 27-degrees of rake and the same backbone and downtube measurements as the original. A single, adjustable Penske shock provides ideal travel, damping, and rebound for extreme cornering with a remote nitrogen reservoir mounted to the left side of the rear section of the bike. The shock is attached to a triangulated chromoly swing arm designed for the extra strength required for stresses created during racing. In the front, Bill used a set of three-way-adjustable R6 43mm forks riding inside of custom billet-aluminum triple clamps. Low, dirt track-style seven-eighths-inch-diameter HR-10 handlebars were attached to the top triple clamp by a pair of custom billet-aluminum half-inch risers.

Performance Machine uses computer-aided designs to assist their wheel- pattern creators who come up with incredible wheels that are sleek and strong. First glance at these wheels might make a person wonder if there’s enough material there to support a bike, but Bill was positive the billet wheels were stronger than a set of spokes. Traditionalists will be happy to know that 40-spoke wire wheels are also available, but the alternative PM wheels are a few pounds lighter. The two 19” Maxxis tires mounted on either rim are similar, but the front is slightly smaller than the rear. Powerful braking ability was achieved with PM 4-piston calipers that work with an 11.5” full-floating rotor in the front and a smaller, 10” full-floating rotor on the rear wheel assembly.

They don’t require much, but even a race bike needs a few coverings and liquid containers. An aluminum XR-750-style gas tank was mounted to the frame, and holds almost three gallons. The rear fender and seat area are combined in a molded one-piece fiberglass section that is plenty strong, and far lighter than steel. Don’t try looking for the oil tank; the frame fabricators were able to get it into the frame, specifically in the top backbone tube that holds almost three quarts of oil. As a street bike, Bill was able to add a little flash to the frame by chroming it, but confides that other, more conventional, frame coloring preferences are available. The gas tank and rear fender area received a couple coats of paint by Cliff Anderson painted in Bartel’s Harley-Davidson racing colors of factory orange, white, and black.

“The only parts on the bike are what belong on it, except, of course, the lights and governmental requirements that keep it legal on the street,” Bill said. He bolted PM hand controls to both sides of the bars along with black rubber grips. A single mirror was attached to the left side of the handlebars and a custom taillight/license plate mount was secured to the left side of the rear axle. The primary-mounted kickstand is standard equipment, as is the tiny speedo, measuring barely over an inch, attached to the left side of the front end. Of course the white number plate on either side of the bike is discretionary

When Bill finished the first replica he started riding it everywhere he could — after all that was the point of the bike to begin with. “At biker bars and true motorcycle enthusiast hangouts, the bike is like a celebrity. People literally crowd around it asking questions. I don’t mind, it’s just nice to see that other people appreciate its racing heritage like I do,” Bill said. “With well over a hundred horsepower and a ready-to-ride weight of less than 380-pounds, it feels like a race bike.” Now he’s got a few more orders for replicas in the pipeline, and with a limited number of frames already made, if someone wants a bike like this one they’re going to have to act fast.