Desert sleds…a bike that few know much about. Ironmen like Steve McQueen and thousands upon thousands whose names have not been recorded in history loved to race them, but what exactly is a desert sled? Is it simply any heavy 500cc or up bike with a skid plate and sundry tools slapped on, or is it a spirit, a need to conquer?
Perhaps Bill Bryant of Chop Cult said it best:
“Long before modern heroes backflipped for TV cameras and energy drink contracts, tough men thrashed modified street machines in the lonely deserts of the Southwest USA and Baja.”
Early Desert Sleds
Early desert sleds were built by a rider concerned with only himself and his ability to finish a race. Even when built on the same platform, each bike turned out with a distinct personality provided by a wide spectrum of lucky charms, religious medallions, and kisses from a beautiful girl. All this in hopes of warding off the evil spirits, hidden rocks, and obscured mine shaft openings that could end a race–or rider–prematurely.
These bikes could have been Harleys, Indians, or any type of home-built contraption that a rider could piece together. British rides made rare appearances, but struggled to finish. No homologation rules to worry about, so zero f#*ks given. During early competitions, no one worried about getting there fast, just getting there. As Matt Cuddy of Super Hunky says:
“These machines were not so much about going fast through the mighty desert, but just finishing the ride without a major break down, or crash.”
The British (Sled) Invasion
No one worried about getting to the finish line quickly because the lightweight British bike had not invaded the desert sled culture yet. The few that came around early were too quirky to be reliable in the sand. Eventually, many fans of the desert sled recognized the benefits of a sled that could be picked up easily and was faster than the old style American bikes. That led to a wave of 650cc twin-cylinder Brit rides hammering around the desert during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Even with the majority of the bugs worked out, the most important tool in a riders kit was a tow rope.
The Desert Sled: An American Icon
During this time, Steve McQueen developed his love and loyalty for the Triumph brand, earned in the lonesome, unforgiving deserts of Baja. In the filming of The Great Escape, McQueen famously would not allow anything but Triumphs on the set. Using a BMW for the stunts and filming was out of the question. Elvis himself was photographed on a Triumph desert sled, further solidifying the sexiness of the ‘sled.
Two-Stroke Desert Racers
An ever evolving and adaptable breed, desert sledders are always on the prowl for the next edge…the bike that will not only let them finish a run, but in the best possible time. What out does a lightweight twin-cylinder? A two-stroke of course, or so it seemed at the time. Soon dirt bikes like the Yamaha 360, Pursang 360, and the Husqvarna 400 were dotting the dry landscape like it was their sole purpose in this world. These bikes ushered in a heyday for desert racing. These were the years when true men of the sand ran from Barstow to Vegas, hammered through the Moose Run, and beat themselves up to win the Elsinore GP. The scene was totally dominated by bikes sporting Curnutt rear shocks, Don Vesco fuel cells, and the heaviest ply knobbies imaginable. One thing remained the same, though. Every bike had a tow rope onboard!
Desert Racers Today
Irony rules the desert today. Harken back to an earlier paragraph…we told you how the four-stroke was replaced by the two-stroker. Well, the four-stroke has taken over again. Granted, these are far better bikes than the original, but a caterpillar lays dormant before emerging as a butterfly.
The new four-strokers can cost a fortune to maintain, with the engines barely making it through 30 hours of run time before a factory-trained tech has to tear them down. Today, desert sleds cost a small fortune to maintain, the Bureau of Land Management is clamping down on events, and housing developments are popping up where races used to be run. Hopefully, this is not a death knell for the sport.
Vintage Desert Sled Builds
Currently, we are seeing two types of desert sleds in the custom scene. First, there are the traditional sleds, typically built on vintage Triumph platforms to look and perform like they did in the 60-70s heydays. They typically have high-pipes to protect the exhaust from rocks and flung debris, skid plates, fork brace, number plate, and often a clunky seat that nevertheless protects the rider’s posterior over endless miles of rough terrain. Examples include this Xcrambler Triumph Sport Tiger and Steven Robson’s 1978 Triumph T140 Scrambler.
Modern Desert Sled Builds
We’re also beginning to see a trend emerge, a new genre of modern street sleds inspired by the vintage desert-racers of old. Examples include the MX EVO Bonneville and this sled-inspired British Customs Scrambler. In fact, British Customs has an entire guide on how to build a desert sled. Perhaps our favorite modern desert sled is the Stasis Scrambler 900 by Cliff Fisher of Stasis Motorcycles, which he describes as “long-legged, knobby, cattle-guard jumper for the rural Texas dirt roads.”
What is a Desert Sled: A Definition
Most great works of art defy classification, and the same can be said of many of the best custom bike builds we see. That said, it’s a human need to classify and label our world–and hell, it can be fun. Here’s our definition, which applies both to vintage and contemporary desert sleds, and helps differentiate them from similar machines.
“A desert sled is a non-dirt bike based custom, typically in excess of 650cc, which has knobby tires, skid plate, enduro bars, a number plate or caged headlight, and high pipes. Often, it has a larger gas tank than a comparable scrambler or enduro, and/or a toolkit for trail-side repairs, and does not have the fairings and windshield of an adventure bike.”
Desert Sled Motorcycles
Harley vs The Desert: Sportsters at the Mint 400! - BikeBound sponsors Good Times Racing Family’s Mint 400 “Bajarley”… This weekend is the 55th running of the Mint 400, the “oldest and most prestigious off-road race in America,” held each March in the treacherous foothills […]
Sahara Sled: “Desert Song” Adventure Scrambler - Monduke Moto #M03, inspired by the ’71 Husqvarna 400 Cross… Introduced in 2019, the DAB LM-S was the first Euro4-certified custom motorcycle, meaning it could be sold through dealers and European owners wouldn’t have to […]
Catching Freedom: Serge’s 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 - A British Tiger, German Friends, and One French Beach… We love motorcycles themselves — the sight, sound, speed, sensation, even the smell — but if we had to pick one thing that makes this two-wheeled […]
Top 10 Scramblers and Desert Sleds of 2022 - Here at BikeBound, we’re big fans of scramblers, desert sleds, rally bikes, and adventure machines. So are you, our readers, as several of the machines that made our list of the Top 10 Custom Motorcycles […]
Dirty W650: ’99 Kawasaki W650 Scrambler - From Retro Roadster to Adventure Enduro… Introduced in 1999, the Kawasaki W650 was a modern throwback to the British twins of the 1960s, with classic styling, modern electronics, and a bevel-gear-driven OHC parallel-twin engine. The […]
Slay Day Sled: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 700 “Mistral” - JETS Motorcycles builds a Super Meteor street tracker… At the time of its introduction in 1952, the Royal Enfield Meteor 700 was the largest British twin on the market. It was built specifically for the […]
Black Bird: ’56 Triumph Thunderbird Desert Sled - A Triumph 6T Thunderbird desert sled from Japan! On one of his trips to oversee Triumph operations in the States, Edward Turner — the legendary designer and director of Triumph Motorcycles — had the idea […]
Trophy Bird: 1956 Triumph TR6 Scrambler - Heiwa Motorcycle’s Triumph TR6… In 1956, Triumph launched the TR6 Trophy, a lean and mean street-legal scrambler developed with an eye toward a US market hot for desert racers. The 42-hp 650cc parallel-twin featured Triumph’s […]
Desert Hooligan: “Bajarley” Sportster Enduro - Good Times Racing’s Sportster Desert Racer… The Harley-Davidson Sportster has been undergoing something of a racing renaissance in recent years. The Roland Sands Super Hooligan series, along with hooligan classes all over the country, have […]
Baja Runner: Suzuki DR650 - BCKustoms builds a Baja-inspired DR650… Where we are in our lives has a big influence on the types of motorcycles to which we’re drawn. Former WSBK team coordinator and MotoGP journalist Yann Le Douche of […]
Sunset Rider: Triumph Scrambler 900 “Susie” - A fuel-injected, vintage-styled daily rider from Bunny Builds Customs… In 2006, Triumph introduced the Scrambler, which featured a twin-shock chassis, an air-cooled 865cc parallel-twin engine, and styling that spoke directly to the glory days of […]
Hooligan Enduro: Rusty Butcher’s Sportster Desert Sled - Rusty Butcher Racing builds a desert-ready Sportster… Introduced in 1957, the Harley-Davidson Sportster has long remained the most versatile machine in the Motor Co.’s lineup. It’s been used as everything from a learner bike to […]
Desert Sled Redux: Ducati Scrambler by Parr MC - Over the years, one of the unexpected joys of running BikeBound has been to watch builders grow and evolve over time, in terms of both their style and skills and their recognition in the customs […]
Big Red Baja: Honda XR680R Desert Racer - From 1988 to 1996, the big-bore Kawasaki two-strokes ruled the Baja 1000, ripping across the desert chaparral at more than 100 mph, covering the 1000-mile race in 10-20 hours. However, their arch-rival, Honda, has never […]
Bavarian Beast: BMW R100GS Restomod - “The best combination of old airhead reliability, modern electrics, and suspension.” There are builders who are always jumping from one two-wheeled platform to another, never seeming to modify the same type of bike twice. Then […]
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Pretty accurate description.
One thing an old desert sled had that very few modern versions show is a thicker seat.
With the lousy suspension our sleds had the seat was extremely important.
Most of us old riders laugh at the stupid ironing boards people call a seat on the modern customs.
And IF we ran a front fender it was low mounted, not up high.
That second bike shown above that belonged to Steve McQueen is a Rickman Metisse, the best sled to be had until Husky and the other 2 strokes entered the scene weighing about half as much.
I still have my Triumph 650 Rickman Metisse…