Buell XB12 Meets Harley XR1200 In Hunter Klee’s Dirt Tracker
Nudity leaves nothing to the imagination; that’s the point to everyone except seventh-grade boys. Clothing keeps you warm but it’s also a spin doctor meant to show bodies in the best possible way. The same holds true for motorcycles, where paint and molding can do pretty much the same thing. That fact is not lost on Hunter Klee, who created this XR750-inspired machine, “Katy.” “Building a naked bike is my favorite kind of bike to build,” Klee told us. “It showcases the true talents of a builder and not the talents of a bodyman and painter. Every weld is exposed and every detail is shown, both the good and the bad.”
Katy is Hunter’s version of the venerable XR750s that have been tearing up the dirt tracks for decades. In his mind, what sets this bike apart from the crowd is its carbon-fiber bodywork, which wasn’t bought from a parts company or out of a catalog. “I painstakingly designed the parts,” Hunter said, “turned those parts into mold designs, and then machined molds out of very large pieces of aluminum for the carbon fiber. Every part on this bike was either designed, built, or modified by me. With some help from some very good friends. Raw is real.”
Medium_Made is Hunter Klee’s company. As he describes it, “My parts are branded under ‘Medium_Made’ whether I sell them or not.”
Katy mixes Harley XR1200 and Buell XB12 elements into one snappy, light custom of a bike.
Michael Lichter Photography
Its 1,200cc motor is crowned with STD XR-style heads.
Michael Lichter Photography
Out back, you see some of the carbon-fiber work Hunter Klee put into his dirt tracker. He also fabricated that frame.
Michael Lichter Photography
K-Tech shock, tucked all deep and snug inside said chassis.
Michael Lichter Photography
Medium_Made signed its work on the top end.
Michael Lichter Photography
Raw welds on the swingarm tell no lies.
Michael Lichter Photography
You won’t find a drop of paint on this bike’s bodywork, but it gets a very industrial style from the mix of metals and carbon fiber used to create it.
Michael Lichter Photography
Carbon-fiber Sportster tanks aren’t exactly a common bolt-on part!
Michael Lichter Photography
Here you see detail of the carbon-fiber weave on said tank.
Michael Lichter Photography