A road-racing 883 street tracker…
Crazy Garage of Busan, South Korea, has been turning out race-oriented builds for over a decade. Founder Chi-hyun Kim says most of their bikes are built for the “racing circuit or winding road.”
This 2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 is no exception. While the bike began as a run-of-the-mill tracker-style build, the project evolved when the customer decided to participate in an amateur road race at Korea International Circuit (KIC) — about 400 kilometers south of Seoul.
Obviously, this made the project much more involved, with things like an oil cooler installed behind the front number plate and race-tuned suspension. Below, we get the full story on this staggering build.
883 Street Tracker: Builder Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
I am Chi-hyun Kim, who runs Crazy Garage in Korea. This workshop has been open about 10 years now. The concept of the shop is mainly that of making bikes that can be enjoyed on the race circuit or winding roads. But we also make choppers and simple scramblers.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the bike?
2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883
• Why was this bike built?
It was a request from the customer. In the beginning, it was a simple tracker style production. However, the concept was changed during the build to participate in amateur racing (KIC Circuit).
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
It is a tracker style that focuses on on-road riding. Just like super motard.
It was influenced by the XR750 racer. But I wanted to make a difference in the exterior and exhaust design. It’s similar but different.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
- With the exception of the mainframe and front wheel, most everything has been changed.
- The engine is the same as the displacement, but the high cam, FCR carb and Dyna module to improve performance.
- The front-end and rear suspension also focus on improved riding.
- Exhaust, footrest and rear seat cowl are original parts.
• How would you classify this bike?
It seems to be close to the Street Tracker style.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
I am glad that the owner was able to participate in the race, although he did not get to the podium. And it was a fun work to make the exhaust vent and place the oil cooler behind the front number plate.
Very cool machine.