Flat Track Bike Build 101

Singles

Flat Track Wheels

Affordable Solutions for Flat Track Race Beginners

Spoke 19” wheels are most commonly used wheels in Flat Track. The most affordable solution is to lace new wheels up to the stock hubs. 

Lowery Racing has a variety of wheel options you can explore here.

Flat Track Rear Sprockets

Where to Buy Reliable Rear Sprockets for Flat Track Bikes | Barnes Style Quick Change

In flat track racing, it is common to change the rear sprocket on your motorcycle multiple times per day. There are several companies that make flat track quick change sprockets. These are often referred to as "Barnes Style Quick Change."

Check out some reliable flat track biking companies who make rear sprockets that we recommend:

Flat Track Quick Change Sprocket Company Sources:

Flat Track Billet Wheels 

Performance Advantages of Billet Wheels on Flat Track Bikes

The first advantage of billet wheels on a flat track bike is the ability to run tubeless so the tire doesn’t build as much heat.

The second advantage of billet wheels is the heavier rear wheel assembly option which greatly enhances the handling of the bike. 

Lowery Racing offers billet wheel options for your flat track bike which can be viewed here. 

Lowery Racing is Your Only Off-the-Shelf Solution for Billet Wheels | DTX Bikes

We are proud to be the only off-the-shelf solution for billet wheels on a DTX bikes. 

Lowery Racing's billet wheel options can be found here.

Flat Track Bike Suspension

Modify Your Flat Track Bike Suspension 

Modifying your flat track bike's suspension allows your bike to sit lower. This lower suspension is typically much stiffer than a motocross bike. 

Sources for Flat Track Suspension Work:

Flat Track Stock Engines 

Affordable Options to Get Started in Flat Track Racing

If you're new to flat track racing and rolling on a budget, stock engines are a great place to start. There are some reliable and affordable stock engine options available to you.

    Performance Upgrades for Stock Engines 

    For performance upgrades on your stock engine, check out some popular engine builders in the flat track community.

    Sources for Engine Builders in Flat Track Racing 

  • Vance and Hines 
  • Ben Evans 
  • Woody Kyle 

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    Flat Track Exhaust 

    Exhaust Styles for DTX Bikes | Motocross 

    On a DTX bike, there are two different styles of exhaust. These are known as Up Pipes and Down Pipes.

    Up Pipes for Motocross Racing

    The first exhaust style on a DTX bike is known as an Up Pipe which is a traditional style of pipe that people use for motocross.

    Up Pipe - Single

    Down Pipes for Flat Track Racing

    The second exhaust style on DTX bikes is a Down Pipe. A Down Pipe is flat track specific and are more commonly used for half mile and mile racing. Flat track racers tend to revert back to their Up Pipe for TT and short track racing.

    Down Pipe - Single

    Sources for Flat Track Exhausts

    Kully Co Down Pipe - Single

    Flat Track Adjustable Offset Triple Clamps

    Improve Flat Track Handling with Adjustable Offset Triple Clamps

    Changing the offset of your motorcycle’s triple clamps will greatly affect the handling of your bike.

    The offset is the distance between the steering stem centerline and the fork centerline. There are many options available to you for your next offset triple clamp build. 

    Sources - Adjustable Offset Triple Clamps

    Lowery Racing will soon have a complete lineup of DTX triple clamps.

    Twins

    Twin cylinder motorcycles are raced in the premier class of American Flat Track. The most historic flat track twin ever made is the Harley Davidson XR750.

    The XR750 was first made in 1972 and dominated the sport until 2017 when Indian Motorcycle unveiled their FTR750. The FTR750 dominated the sport for several years but has since been discontinued, and is becoming less common at the races.

    The FTR750 is a bike designed and made specifically for flat track racing, and has an MSRP of $50,000. This has led the flat track community to build their own bikes.


    Indian FTR750

    Twin Engines for Flat Track Racing

    Flat track motorcycles used today are built around engines that come from production street bikes.

    Vance and Hines sold a ready to race Harley XG750 that retailed for around $38,000. Notably, Harley discontinued the production of this motorcycle type in 2021.

    Nowadays, flat track racers are building their own bikes. For more information, you can view this list of engine options, approved by American Flat Track. 

    American Flat Track Approved Engine Options - check out here.

    XG750 Bike

    Twin Frames for Flat Track Bikes

    The Best Flat Track Frame Builders in the Industry | Motocross

    Production street bike engines are used in chromoly frames and built for flat track racing. There are reliable flat track frame builders available for your next bike build. 

    Sources - Flat Track Frame Builders

      Twin Wheels for Flat Track Bikes

      Best Performing Wheels for SuperTwin Bikes

      As of early 2023, American Flat Track requires SuperTwins motorcycles to run their wheels tubeless on all tracks except TT's. Due to this, most twins use billet aluminum wheels instead of spoked wheels. 

      Below you can find some SuperTwin wheel recommendations for your next bike build.

      Sources - SuperTwin Wheels

          1. Lowery Racing Billet Wheels 
          2. Performance Machine 
          3. Lowery Racing Spoke Wheels 
          4. Durelle Racing 

      Twin Exhausts for Flat Track Bikes

      Exhaust Manufacturers 

      Choosing the right exhaust for your next race is an important step. There is a lot of variation in exhaust configurations. Here are a few configurations you can choose from for your next bike build:

      Twin Exhaust Options Available

      1. Up Pipes
      2. Down Pipes
      3. Dual Exhaust
      4. 2 into 1 Configuration

      2 in 1 Exhaust - Twin

      Dual Exhaust - Twin

      Your bike and the track you are racing on will affect what the ideal exhaust system will be. Below you can find some exhaust manufacturer sources for your next bike build.

      Sources - Exhaust Manufacturers

      You can contact Lowery Racing at jeffery@loweryracing.com anytime with questions. 

      Twin Rear Shocks for Flat Track Bikes

        Penske vs. Ohlins Rear Shocks | Which One Is Right for Your Bike?

        The most common rear shocks for flat track twins are Penske or Ohlins. There are several different suspension experts that will customize Penske shocks for a specific motorcycle, rider, and track condition.

        Sources for Twin Rear Shocks

         Twin Front Forks for Flat Track Bikes

        The most common front forks on flat track twins are Yamaha R6, Honda CRB600, or Ohlins.

        The Yamaha R6 and the CRB600 forks are modified for flat track, and the Ohlins forks are made specifically for flat track.

        All three of those forks are traditional style, and the top diameter that is held by the triple clamps is 43mm.

        Sources for Twin Front Forks

        • Yamaha R6 
        • Honda CRB600 
        • Ohlins 

        Twin Suspension for Flat Track Bikes

        Sources for Twin Suspension 

        Twin Adjustable Offset Triple Clamp for Flat Track Bikes

        For flat track racing, the stock triple clamp offset is around 20 or 22mm, depending on the bike. Adjustable offset triple clamps for twins are made with an offset of 60mm, when the adjustment is at 0mm.

        Sources for Twin Adjustable Offset Triple Clamp

        Twin Engine for Flat Track Bikes

        Upgrade Your Flat Track Engine for Less

          Making engine performance upgrades to twin bikes can get very expensive. There are a few flat track engine building experts that can help steer you in the right direction.

          Sources for Flat Track Twin Engine

              1. Vance and Hines 
              2. Ben Evans 
              3. Woody Kyle 

          For more information, contact Lowery Racing at jeffery@loweryracing.com or on our contact page, which can be found here.

           

          Jeffery Lowery, Progressive American Flat Track Racer & Founder of Lowery Racing