Both of these bikes featured here serve a purpose in Bob McKay\u2019s mind, one is a legend from the Canadian vintage racing scene, and the other is just a fun road-worthy bobber project to imitate the antique flat tracker.<\/p>\n
For those who don\u2019t know the name Bob McKay, he is one of Canada\u2019s best-known bike builders. For well over thirty years, Bob has been wrenching professionally and building bikes that have appeared in many magazines worldwide. He has built hundreds of engines over the years for the American V-Twin market. So with all that experience, to say he has never been inside a WR race bike engine sounds a little absurd.<\/p>\n
Bob heard about a bona fide WR for sale through the grapevine, and after working on so many different Harley engine configurations, he just couldn\u2019t pass up the opportunity to rebuild the race bike back to its former glory.<\/p>\n
The WR models were never available to the public and were the Harley-Davidson factory purpose-built race bikes from days gone-by, making them fairly rare in their day, and especially rare today.<\/p>\n
This 1951 WR served as a Southern Ontario hill climber in its past life and from what Bob can figure out, it last saw action in 1964. This last race campaign date was determined after calling the phone number on the remaining piece of a bike shop decal that had actually become one with the fender. The gentleman that answered the phone just happened to be part of the race team, but didn\u2019t remember a lot about the bike.<\/p>\n
It was in pretty tough shape cosmetically when Bob took possession of the bike, but it did run after applying a little coercion. A quick rundown of the bike\u2019s visible components revealed it was pretty complete with original parts, unlike many race bikes of that era that were bastardized with homemade pieces which were quickly made to repair the bike and get it back into the race.<\/p>\n
After a complete teardown of the bike and the driveline; Bob repaired, welded and rebuilt everything that needed attention. Being the perfectionist that he is, Bob found it a little difficult to rebuild the engine to the race specs. \u201cTo rebuild this engine was kind of weird to do because you\u2019re rebuilding to worn out specs. Race engines are built to run fast, but for only for a couple of races and then they\u2019re rebuilt again, so they\u2019re built loose to begin with,\u201d Bob said.<\/p>\n
After researching the WR series of bikes, Bob realized that a WR motorcycle was a race bike, period. It didn\u2019t matter what type of racing it did, so in keeping with the heritage of the bike, he decided to forego the hill climber version and make it a flat track racer instead, liking the style a little better.<\/p>\n
In fact, he liked the style so much he decided to make a bookend to the WR in a more modern street legal version. Taking a 1978 Shovelhead driveline he had kicking around the shop and pairing it with an aftermarket FL frame, he wanted a street rideable track bike that looked old. \u201cIt\u2019s designed to look like it came from the 40\u2019s or 50\u2019s.\u201d Bob said, \u201cThis one, with the tank emblems and the way we laid it out, looks like a 1946. I even went a little extreme and built a manifold for it so I could use an old brass Linkert carburetor. The bike actually idles and sounds like a Panhead with that carb on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Bob will admit that everything is for sale, but for the time being he is content with having an original legend to grace the corner of his shop, and the bookend bobber to grace the country roads around his home. <\/strong><\/p>\n Owner:<\/strong> Bob McKay Engine: <\/strong> Transmission <\/strong> Frame <\/strong> Front End<\/strong> Wheels <\/strong> Essentials <\/strong> Owner:<\/strong> Bob McKay Engine: <\/strong> Transmission <\/strong> Frame <\/strong> Front End<\/strong> Wheels <\/strong> Essentials <\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Both of these bikes featured here serve a purpose in Bob McKay\u2019s mind, one is a legend from the Canadian vintage racing scene, and the other is just a fun road-worthy bobber project to imitate the antique flat tracker. For those who don\u2019t know the name Bob McKay, he is one of Canada\u2019s best-known bike […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[373,36],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n Make:<\/strong> Harley-Davidson
\n Model:<\/strong> Track Racer
\n Builder:<\/strong> McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\n Time to Build:<\/strong> 3 months
\n Name of Bike:<\/strong> 46 WRFL<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1978 Shovelhead
\nBuilder: H-D\/McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nDisplacement: 74 cubic inch
\nCases: Harley-Davidson
\nHeads: Harley-Davidson
\nLower End: Harley-Davidson
\nCarburetor: 1957 Linkert
\nAir Cleaner: V-Twin
\nIgnition: Point\/Condenser
\nExhaust: McKay\u2019s head pipes, V-Twin megaphones<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1978
\nBuilder: H-D\/McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nType: 4-speed foot shift
\nCase: Harley-Davidson
\nClutch: Barnett
\nPrimary Drive: BDL belt drive<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1946 style
\nBuilder: Edlunds Broderna (Sweden)
\nType: Straight leg rigid
\nRake: 32 degree
\nShocks: none
\nModifications: none<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1946 style
\nBuilder: V-Twin
\nType: Springer
\nTriple Trees: Springer
\nModifications: none
\nPainting: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations – Harley Race Orange
\nChroming: none
\nRestoration: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations<\/p>\n
\nFront Size: 18\u2019\u2019
\nBuilder\/Manufacturer: H-D\/McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nTire Make and size: Coker diamond-tread 450 x 18
\nRear Size: 18\u201d
\nBuilder\/Manufacturer: H-D\/McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nTire Make and size: Coker diamond-tread 450 x 18<\/p>\n
\nGas Tank: V-Twin 1946 style modified
\nOil Tank: V-Twin 1946 style modified
\nFenders: V-Twin WR style
\nSeat: V-Twin Bates style solo and pad
\nHandlebars: V-Twin Speedster
\nHeadlight: Lazer Star twin 100-watt lights
\nTaillight: V-Twin retro<\/p>\n
\n Make:<\/strong> Harley-Davidson
\n Model:<\/strong> WR
\n Builder:<\/strong> McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\n Time to Build:<\/strong> 3-months
\n Name of Bike:<\/strong> Flat Tracker<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1951
\nBuilder: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nDisplacement: 45 cubic inch Flathead
\nCases: Harley-Davidson
\nHeads: K-Model Race Heads
\nLower End: WR Roller bearing
\nCarburetor: MR-3 Linkert
\nAir Cleaner: Harley-Davidson
\nIgnition: WICO Magneto
\nExhaust: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations 2-into-1<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1951
\nBuilder: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations
\nType: 3-speed handshift\/Suicide clutch
\nCase: Harley-Davidson
\nClutch: Narrow race
\nPrimary Drive: Chain<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1951
\nBuilder: Harley-Davidson
\nType: Chromemoly
\nRake: stock
\nShocks: none
\nModifications: none<\/p>\n
\nYear: 1928
\nBuilder: Harley-Davidson
\nType: Springer
\nTriple Trees: Springer
\nPainting: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations – Harley Race Orange
\nChroming: none
\nRestoration: McKay\u2019s Cycle Creations<\/p>\n
\nFront Size: 18\u201d
\nBuilder\/Manufacturer: Harley, Buchanan\u2019s Stainless Spokes
\nTire Make and size: Coker Diamond-Tread 350 x 18
\nRear Size: 18\u201d
\nBuilder\/Manufacturer: Harley, Buchanan\u2019s Stainless Spokes
\nTire Make and size: Coker Diamond-Tread 400 x 18<\/p>\n
\nGas Tank: 1951 WR
\nOil Tank: 1951 WR
\nFenders: Harley WR
\nSeat: Bates solo and pad
\nHandlebars: Harley flat tracker
\nHeadlight: none
\nTaillight: none<\/p>\n