Superstar Sportster

SUPERSTAR SPORTSTER

American FLYERS

Quickest, fastest Harley

TALK ABOUT YOUR DUALpurpose bikes. Last August, Carl Morrow of Carl’s Speed Shop fame set off for the salty expanses of Bonneville, Utah, the souped-up Sportster shown here in tow. With son Doug doing the honors, “Top Gun” sped to a Southern California Timing Association Modified Pushrod Fuel record 163.245 mph. This, on SCTA-supplied gas and without even the tiniest of aero add-ons.

Two months later, father and son were at it again, this time at North Carolina’s Rockingham Dragway. Readied for the All Harley Drag Racing Association’s Street Pro class, the 686pound bike/rider combo stormed to a Suzuki Hayabusa-humiliating 9.80second, 146.88-mph run. Record number two!

Said Sportster started life as a late-Eighties streetbike. The frame is essentially stock, but with a modified top member to allow for taller cylinders. The front end was raked out and wears a beefy inverted fork. The swingarm was stretched, giving the bike its 68-inch wheelbase. Tuned for the salt, the engine displaces 1634cc; Morrow goes with a grander 1770cc mill for drag racing.

“I like Sportsters because they’re compact,” he says. “Everything’s narrow and hooked together good. We can build a lot of horsepower into ’em. And they’re a lighter package than a Big Twin.”

Morrow, who vacated his long-time shop in Santa Fe Springs, California, five years ago for a neon plateglass setup in Hog-heavy Daytona Beach, Florida,

won’t talk horsepower numbers. “The first liar is the first loser,” he says, laughing. “We like to tell people the weight of the motorcycle and rider, give ’em the mph, then they can do the formula backward on their own.” At least they’ll go away confused.

Keen of eye will notice Morrow’s bike wears headand taillights, plus an electric starter and DOTapproved rubber. All were required for the Street Pro category. Ditto DMV paperwork. “We can ran it on the street,” Morrow admits, “but it’s faster than most bikes need to be.”

Ever the racer, Morrow adds, “It will go a lot quicker once we get it sorted out. Every time Doug shifted to second, the front wheel would come up and he’d have to shut off. When he’d go to third, the wheel would

come up and he’d have to shut off again. And he still ran a 9.80. But 146 mph is pretty good for any motorcycle down the quarter-mile, wouldn’t you say?”

All this go-fast enthusiasm, despite the fact that only two percent of the Morrows’ business is racing-related. “We love it,” he says. “We’re second to none in the technical things. We don’t have to send out for anything but lunch here.”

Hard at it for 31 years now, Morrow and his love affair with Milwaukee’s finest-the evergreen Sportster in particularshows no signs of ending.

“It was the motorcycle in the Sixties,” he says, cheerfully. “And it goes pretty good now, too.”

World’s quickest and fastest street-legal Harley sure has a nice ring to it, eh, Carl? -Matthew Miles