The short-lived Harley XR1200 was a particular bike. In the event you’ve ever thrown a leg over one your self, you understand what we imply; an 80-plus horsepower Sportster with manufacturing unit flat monitor fashion and a chassis that’s constructed for twisty roads.
However when you’re really acquainted with the XR1200, you’ll additionally know its tragic story. This rowdy road tracker was ever so barely forward of its time, and H-D killed it after just a few quick years as a result of poor efficiency on the showroom ground. If solely they’d held out for the present road scrambler craze…
We’ve all the time felt that the Harley XR1200 by no means received an opportunity to see its full potential—and the parents at Macco Motors in Málaga, Spain really feel the identical approach. Their newest creation, a 2010 Harley-Davidson XR1200X dubbed ‘The Revenant,’ reveals us what may have been if the Bar and Defend had caught to their weapons just a bit whereas longer.
The shopper’s request for this construct was pretty easy. They needed a tough-looking bike that was constructed for town, however in addition they needed a wholesome dose of scrambler fashion labored into the design. And so they requested that the two-up functionality of the donor machine be maintained, which meant a rear seat and a second set of pegs would have to be labored into the design.
In the event you’ve adopted our protection of Macco’s previous initiatives, you’ll be acquainted with their penchant for constructing super-clean twin-shock bikes. A tidy tail part could make or break bikes like these, so naturally, that’s the place builders Jose García and Miguel Porras began.
The XR was stripped down, and the subframe was chopped behind the shock mounts. A brand new hand-formed part of tube metal was welded instead, which shortened the lengthy flat monitor tail part of the unique bike by greater than a foot.
The chop gave the Harley a clear look, however Jose knew he’d should get artistic if he nonetheless needed to shoehorn a pillion onto the again. His answer was a sublime one—consisting of a custom-shaped split-level seat wrapped in Alcantara to provide the pilot some additional assist, whereas additionally leaving simply sufficient area for a passenger to squeeze in and cling on tight.
The remainder of the tail part was completed with an LED taillight and matching flip alerts, which have been cleanly labored right into a {custom} plate bracket utilizing machined adaptors. Jose elected to cover the pillion part underneath a chunk of detachable hand-formed bodywork. So if it weren’t for the presence of the inventory passenger pegs, you’d by no means guess you have been taking a look at a two-up machine.
With the rear finish sorted, it was time to give attention to cleansing up the remainder of the bike. The large, outsized mufflers have been the very first thing to go. Of their place, Macco merely welded on some open finish caps (so sure, you’ll hear this XR coming lengthy earlier than you see it).
As for the lights and controls, a Biltwell Tracker handlebar was fitted, after which capped off with Rizoma alloy grips, and bar finish mirrors with built-in alerts. The entire authentic controls have been eliminated as nicely and changed with Motogadget switches. The wiring for all of this was then routed down by means of the handlebars and right into a Motogadget breakout field for the cleanest look potential.
Macco as soon as once more tapped the parents at Motogadget by using their analog Motoscope speedo. This was rerouted underneath the precise aspect of the gasoline tank with a {custom} machined bracket, retaining the bars vast open and unobstructed.
The construct nonetheless wanted a bit of scrambler flare, so Jose went to work finding out the wheels and tires. A set of 18” spoked wheels have been assembled from the OEM Harley catalog, and shod with Continental’s iconic TKC80 tires—giving the XR a correct set of tooth ought to it ever truly depart the consolation of paved metropolis streets.
This XR isn’t your typical Sporty, in that it comes with a set of twin floating disk brakes up entrance, which Macco fitted by way of a set of custom-machined adaptors. Out again, the single-piston Nissin caliper was upgraded to a four-piston Brembo setup for fashion factors and added stopping energy.
As for the suspension, you will have seen this XR was handled to an upgraded set of Öhlins piggyback rear shocks. These late-model XR-X’s profit from an upgraded set of totally adjustable Showa forks from the manufacturing unit, so Jose retained the inventory models, however had them anodized gold to match the Swedish bling within the rear. A set of Flo MX-style footpegs double down on the all-terrain vibe, with all of the foot controls and linkage painted gloss black to match.
Final however not least, it was time to finalize the XR’s bodywork. Macco stored the manufacturing unit gasoline tank, oil tank cowl, and entrance fender, however added a race-style stomach pan from Free Spirits Components. Each bit was handled to a base of ‘Hockenheim Silver,’ which is definitely a BMW manufacturing unit shade reserved just for their M2 Competitors fashions.
Jose explains that this shade adjustments from almost white to a darkish grey relying on how the solar is shining, and makes the many of the XR’s pure strains. The extra striping you see is a mix of pearlescent pink and blue—the latter of which additionally adjustments within the mild from a gloss black to a deep indigo.
In old-world European folklore, the time period ‘revenant’ describes one who has returned from the useless to hang-out the dwelling. Whereas nothing will convey the Harley XR1200 again from past the grave, we’ll sleep higher figuring out Macco’s squeaky-clean Sportster is on the market, haunting these accountable for killing the American road tracker simply earlier than the daybreak of hooligan highway racing.
Macco Motors | Pictures by Roberto Martin
