Ready to Orbit: Two-Stroke Flat Tracker from Vintage Sykles…
Pete Sykes of Worcester, Pennsylvania, was an avid flat track racer back in the 1970s. Following the loss of his best friend on the track, he lost interest in motorcycles for some three decades before finding his way back to two wheels in 2009. Today, he builds custom bikes and fabricates aluminum bodywork under the name Vintage Sykles.
As you’d expect, most of Pete’s builds take their inspiration from flat track racing, and his latest is no exception. The donor is a 1975 Yamaha DT175, which Pete received in trade for another piece of two-stroke machinery:
“I started off trading a guy for a chainsaw and I drove home with the Yamaha 175.”
Pete wanted to build a bike to bring to the annual racing reunion at Piston Popper Speedway in Parkersburg, PA:
“We have a 60s and 70s AMA racing reunion where all of us competitors from the 60s and 70s get together and get to do parade laps at a sanction event on the track that we actually raced at.”
So he decided to build a bike that would be similar to what he and the other racers used to run back in the 1970s.
“The influence of the bike was to duplicate what guys would convert into TT scramble bikes and flat trackers from street-legal enduro bikes. Webco sold kits for Yamahas that would allow you to lower the engine cradle and extend the swingarm.”
With such Webco kits a thing of the past, Pete had a buddy machine similar spacers to modify the frame, which now holds a ported 1990 Yamaha RT180 engine. Other standout features include a Honda XL250 front end, handmade aluminum fuel tank and seat, Jemco exhaust, compression release, and rear disc brake with hand brake lever.
Pete says “Sputnik” is a hoot to ride, especially with the ported motor, and we’re sure it’s an attention-getter when “orbiting” the dirt oval.
Below, Pete gives us the full story on the build in his own words, along with more photos of the build. Pete, we wish you and the Piston Poppers a ton of fun at next year’s reunion!
In the Builder’s Words…
The bike is a 1975 Yamaha DT175 with a 1990 Yamaha RT180 motor. I started off trading a guy for a chainsaw and I drove home with the Yamaha 175.
I decided to build this little flat tracker to copy what we used to run back in the 70s. This would be your typical TT scrambles bike or short track bike. Guys would convert street-legal enduro bikes into TT scramble bikes and flat trackers.
I built it to bring to our racing reunion which we have every year at Piston Popper Speedway in Parkersburg Pennsylvania. We have a 60s and 70s AMA racing reunion where all of us competitors from the 60s and 70s get together and get to do parade laps at a sanction event on the track that we actually raced at.
I took everything apart and called on a friend to machine spacers like the old Webco kits could buy. These kits would lower the engine cradle closer to the ground and also extend the swingarm three inches.
This would mean cutting the frame horizontally in half and welding in extensions and the frame rails and also extensions on the swingarm.
I bored the cylinder myself and called on Jemco to build me an expansion chamber.
The wheels are off a Yamaha XT and the tires are some old Pirellis I had. The front forks are off of a Honda XL250.
I fabricated the fuel tank and the seat pan myself out of aluminum.
The little two-stroke’s powerband is unbelievable and it’s so much fun to ride. I also went with a compression release in the head and have a brake lever on the handlebars, controlling the rear brake.
I named the motorcycle “Sputnik.” It’s just a hodgepodge of different parts put together, but it is so unique and just a little blast from the past.
What I’m most proud of with this bike is my work with the aluminum gas tank and seat. I continue to try to learn about metal fabrication and hand forming.
I’d like to give special thanks to my wife Lisa for her love and continued support of my passion.
More Photos
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Pete Sykes
Vintage Sykles
Worcester Pa.
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Great bike by a great builder! All of his builds are unique and this one is historic, as it captures the bikes we raced on scrambles tracks around that area in the 70’s.