A few months back, I came across an article on one of Richard Pollock’s street trackers. The particular bike in question was a Yamaha XS650 powered special, with a Buell front fork, custom pieces throughout and it just looked right, everything was where it was supposed to be without any excess hardware anywhere. Digging a little deeper, I found Richard had previously been featured in one of Cycle World’s American Flyer roundups with a Triumph street tracker so I thought it might be worth looking a little closer.
Richard has a company by the name of Mule Motorcycles, building custom street trackers with Harley Davidson, Yamaha and Triumph power plus a lot of custom design work added to the mix. He’s been around motorcycles for many years working at a variety of motorcycle shops and currently he’s doing high dollar fabrication work for the aerospace industry. Mule Motorcycles allows him to build his idea of what a custom street tracker should look like combining his interpretation with the ideas a customer brings along.
When I first looked at his site, he didn’t have much on display. You would hardly know what kind of work he did but it looks like he finally revamped the whole thing and now you can see the full range of his work. If you like the street tracker style of motorcycle like I do, it would be well worth your time to stop by and see what he’s done and some of the projects currently under way. There still isn’t much information about any of the individual bikes on his site but I’m guessing that is coming along the way. Nice bikes.
Link: Mule Motorcycles
Mark Savory says
There is a definite love for street-styled trackers here!
Just looking at the detail pictures of the frames is what is so interesting. You realize that this guy has built more than a few bikes and knows what he is doing. It’s the tabs / brackets that attach to the frame itself that differentiates the amateurs from the professionals!
sfan says
I am pretty sure I remember seeing this guy’s work before in Cycle World, the blue XS650 (click The Bikes > XS650 Yamahas – Gallery 2: Image (38 of 50). A piece of pure mechanical art.
I have often wondered why the OEMs haven’t seriously given the street tracker style an honest effort.
todd says
Check out the Derbi Mulhacen, especially the “Cafe” design that they abandoned. Now I know Derbi is not anywhere near the ranking of the Big Four but they do build quite a number of bikes (scooters and lightweights), especially in the non-US markets.
The Yamaha above is particularly tasty except that the paint scheme alienates all XS650 lovers with its obvious nod to H-D. Remember, the XS was THE motor to have for flat trackers if you never happened to have drank the H-D coolaid.
More of this type of stuff, please.
-todd
GAMBLER says
the XS650 should have sported yellow/black speed block paint
but otherwise, a gorgeous bike
RH says
Yeah, don’t forget Mike Kidd, who won the Championship one year for Yamaha – by winning his last race on a Harley Davidson XR 750.
Anybody remember why?????
Anybody then remember which team then got the #1 plate for the following year? It wasn’t Yamaha OR Harley.
A TZ750 powered one for the street would be the ultimate……..
freebird says
Nice bikes. I was just over at MC-USA and they had photos of “award winning” customs with ridiculously long wheelbases, ridiculously fat rear tires, and ridiculous graphics of naked women and tribal designs on the tank. I had to come back here and look at the street trackers to keep from puking.
todd says
The XS currently on ebay is definitely a well done bike. Gimmee
-todd
dave says
Wonderful bikes!
Craftsmanship is superb!
Only problem: How much does he sell them for? No mention of any way of ordering/buying one…
While on the subject of street-trackers.. (not even CLOSE to the same quality, just something I threw together..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhxkJj9LFM0
Paul, more of the same, please..
RD350 says
I saw that Bonneville engined tracker at the NYC show 2 years ago. Sweet!!
Perhaps a better choice of engine for today then the Yamaha vibrator.
Gordy says
Obviously it’s subjective, but I like the style and think the Mule bikes look just right, especially the Yam.
I am also glad to see that they have found something good and interesting to make from the Bonneville (for as a factory standard bike it’s no more than an over-weight, mediocre, lack-lustre blob trading shallowly on the name and image of an all-time classic that was not even made by the same factory or management team). Nice to get that off of my chest!
Big Sur says
That XS is gorgeous. It has me thinking of my next project bike once my cb350f is done.
Ricky says
Have you guys seen the white with red stripe XS that Richard built for me a few years ago? Two page spread less than a year ago in Cycle World! Got into a lil trouble with the law, and had to sell my baby to a less financially strapped man, without ever even seeing, sitting on or riding my dream bike! Some guy
gabe is riding my machine.You wanna talk about how it sucks to be me! Ricky