« Produced between 1977 and 1979, it was the only café racer in the history of Harley-Davidson, with only 3 133 units made. I was spellbound every time I saw one on the streets of Paris. »
Sacha Lakic, founder of Blacktrack
Blacktrack's third Cafe Racer,
the BT03
How was the Cafe Racer BT03 created?
The BT03 Cafe Racer is our boldest transformation yet.
Built around the monstrous Harley Davidson power plant, the BT03 is a contemporary cafe racer with drastically reduced weight, a fun and flexible ride, and quality mechanical components.
Sacha Lakic, Blacktrack's founder and lead designer, followed the same creative process as for his two previous custom bikes, looking for inspiration in his memories: "The idea for this cafe racer came from the bike that marked my childhood" he explains, "The Harley-Davidson XLCR".
The BT03 Cafe Racer is not an exact replica of the Harley-Davidson XLCR model.
It simply seeks to capture the ethos of the XLCR. You'll notice hints of the inspiration model's DNA in the fuel tank and the angular, elongated rear end, as well as the front fairing and classic seven-spoke wheels.
The overall aesthetic of the BT03 Cafe Racer is contemporary and fluid.
It has a clean line, with a stance and proportions that give it an undeniable racy touch. The solo seat and optimized ergonomics further emphasize this aspect.
The BT03 is a pure café racer designed for maximum riding pleasure.
The base of the Cafe Racer BT03 is a Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114
We chose the new Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114 as the base bike for the BT03 Cafe Racer. The Fat Bob 114 is often considered to be the closest thing to a European roadster in the Harley-Davidson big twin lineup.
"As soon as I saw the Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114, I thought it was the perfect base," says Sacha Lakic, "The Fat Bob is the most exciting Harley-Davidson series to ride. The wheelbase may be a bit long, but the geometry is well thought out and allows for handling unmatched by any other model in the brand."
Only the engine, transmission and frame were retained in the transformation. All other parts of the Fat Bob were replaced with custom and optimized components.
The construction of the Cafe Racer BT03
The Cafe Racer BT03 features a number of custom-made parts made of aluminum and composite materials.
They were designed not only for aesthetics but also to significantly reduce weight and improve handling and acceleration of the bike.
Blacktrack Motors has designed all the aluminum parts: fork tees, rear controls, backrest and mudguard supports.
Each aluminum part of our cafe racers is worked on in the Blacktrack studio, before being machined on the CNC machine tool of one of our trusted technical partners.
The transformation of the Cafe Racer BT03
One of the crucial parts of the cafe racer transformation process is the assembly of the rear frame, which serves as the interface between the original base model frame and the BT03 Cafe Racer custom bodywork.
The composite parts include the front fender, tank, rear shell and mono-shock cover. The premium leather seat is very neat with white stitching and red trim to match the color of the bubble.
Concerning the engine transformation, the Fat Bob 114 has been debrided. Indeed, the Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin is improved by a stage 1 limited to a new cartography taking into account a Screamin Eagle high flow air filter and exhaust tips provided by Dr Jekill & Mr Hyde. Note that these electric valve mufflers have three modes and are homologated. The Fat Bob 114's headers were custom built by us.
In order to drastically reduce the weight of the cafe racer, bulky OEM parts were replaced, resulting in a 40% weight saving on these parts. The total weight of the replaced parts is only 8.5 kg, which is 5.5 kg less. In addition, the above-mentioned modifications have reduced the unsprung weight of the basic model by 13 kg.
The dry weight of the Cafe Racer BT03 is 248 kg, which is a significant reduction compared to the 296 kg of the original bike. The result is an excellent power-to-weight ratio, providing a dynamic and pleasant handling.
The finishes of the Cafe Racer BT03
The BT03 Cafe Racer is a modern reinterpretation of the Harley-Davidson XLCR.
We can recognize the angular bodywork, the tapered rear end, the fork head and the 7-spoke wheels. However, the third Cafe Racer Blacktrack has its own identity, thanks to its neo-retro look. Its minimalist line and its sporty look give it an attractive aura. Finally, its aluminum body, its seat and its stripped body mostly black and the red finishes on the bike are reminiscent of the emblematic colors of Blacktrack.
Our thanks to our partners who have
added their stone to the building
We would like to thank their technical partners for their talent, skill and support:
Sacha Lakic Design, Acor, Allio Group, Beringer, Dymag, Gilles Tooling, Vision Machine, HEL Performance, Jekill & Hyde, Michelin, Öhlins and SQP Motors.
