Some motorcycles are more than just machines; they carry history in their metal, like the legendary 1970 Harley-Davidson “Stars & Stripes” XR750, a street-legal racer built by esteemed racer, author and historian Allan Girdler. Longtime editor at Cycle World magazine, Girdler was as avid a motorcyclist as they come, and if there was one motorcycle that preoccupied his interest, it was the legendary Harley-Davidson XR750. Introduced in 1970 as Milwaukee’s answer to changing AMA racing rules, the XR750 would go on to become the winningest motorcycle in AMA Grand National history, a thoroughbred beloved by icons like Cal Rayborn, Jay Springsteen and, of course, Evel Knievel. A lifelong racer himself, Girdler was enthralled by the XR750, authoring, among his numerous books, the definitive account of the model’s illustrious history in his 1991 book, “Harley-Davidson XR750: The Complete History.” Yet for all the pages he filled, perhaps no story captures his spirit more completely than the XR750 he built for himself. It began in 1980 with the frame of Jay Springsteen’s 1972 XR750, a chassis on which Springsteen won his first AMA national victory. He then assembled his dream racer over the following two years, unveiling it on the pages of Cycle World in 1984 and then wringing its throttle for 25 years. In 2008, after having competed in vintage races from Laguna Seca and Daytona to France, Girdler’s old XR was due for a refresh, but his project soon evolved to become a street- tracker. Calling on friends who happened to be some of the West Coast’s finest tuners, legends like Steve Storz, Bruce Fischer and Don Vesco, Girdler mated his first-year production 1970 XR750 with the top end of an XR track racer he had been working on to breathe new life into his star-spangled racer. The result is a motorcycle that is both authentic and distinctly personal. With its unmistakable Stars & Stripes livery, readily available provenance in decades of publications, and proven performance capabilities, this one-of-a-kind 1970 Harley- Davidson XR750 is a rolling celebration of American racing culture. More than a custom or a collectible, it stands as a singular artifact from a man who shaped how we understand American motorcycles, built from the most storied racing platform in Harley-Davidson history. 1970 HARLEY-DAVIDSON XR750
