The Harley-Davidson XR 750 is said to be the ‘most successful race bike of all time’ certainly in oval dirt track racing in the USA riders won 29 of the 37 AMA Grand National Championships from 1972 to 2008. When it was launched it soon totally out classed the competition from Triumph, BSA and Norton, and become the most competitive bike to ride. It is also famous for being the motorcycle that Evil Knievel used for his stunts, immortalised by his attempt on 13 London buses at the old Wembley stadium in 1975.
Only 520 examples were built between 1970 and 1980, although engines were available to professional riders separately well into the mid 1980’s. Many teams in period ditched the stock Harley frame in favour of home built frames or from bespoke manufacturers like Trackmaster, many of these bikes still exist but their values tend to be less. Most of the 520 bikes produced would have been raced at some time but with so many dirt track competition circuits in the USA and so many riders at Club and National level it is hard to trace the race history of each bike.
This fine example has been dated to 1975 and has some rare factory competition parts, namely an oil cooler and a wet sump conversion. It is not known exactly when the bike came to the UK but was said to have been rebuild shortly before the current owner purchased the bike for his collection in 2001. Since then it has remained more or less unused but remains in first class order. It has recently had a check over and is in excellent working condition and comes with a recent full report of authenticity from leading XR expert John Steel of Hi Speed USA. The XR 750 has to be one of the most desirable and collectable post War motorcycles ever built, they rarely come to the open market and there are only a handful of bikes known to exist in Europe, this is a great opportunity to purchase a genuine example fitted with some rare race options that still retains its original frame. SOLD.
