Harley-Davidson XG750R

Harley have been campaigning the official factory, Vance and Hines-developed, water-cooled XG750R at selected GNC and non-GNC races this year, but have been keeping quiet about it. At last weekend's Sacramento Mile the XG750R made the main, but broke, with GNC1 rookie Davis Fisher on board. That seems like the signal to start promoting the project, because a blizzard of press releases landed in out inbox today.

We love what See See, Speed Merchant and Suicide Machine Co have done with the Street 750, and this 'factory' racer has the looks to replace the XR750.

The XR750 is still winning half-mile races, with Mees on board, and pushing for wins with other riders including Coolbeth, but the Baker's factory XR keeps breaking, perhaps because it's at the very limit of what is possible, as tuners chase more power by increasing rpm limits. The 4v per cylinder, liquid-cooled XG will be able to rev much higher, more safely than the air-cooled 2v XR750, a bike engine that debuted 42 years ago.

This is going to be a fascinating new chapter in the sport's history. G

XG and XR