Yamaha and flat track racing are inseparable. It’s a legacy forged in the 1970s, back when Kenny Roberts famously wrestled a TZ750-powered framer around the dirt ovals of America, draped in the iconic yellow-and-black “speed block” livery. That competition DNA has trickled down into the custom scene, making Yamaha the de facto choice for builders looking to capture the “go-fast-turn-left” aesthetic. Whether it’s the punchy, lightweight character of the vintage RD two-strokes or the torquey, modern parallel twins, Yamaha offers a slim, flickable platform that feels at home anywhere from a local short track to a congested city center.
The appeal of the Yamaha tracker lies in its honesty. It is a silhouette defined by wide bars, 19-inch wheels, and the total removal of anything that doesn’t serve a purpose. It’s a style that prioritizes an aggressive, upright riding position and a narrow profile—perfect for carving through traffic or kicking up dust on a fire road. We’ve spent years documenting the best in the business. Here are 6 of our Favorite Yamaha Trackers.
MotoRelic’s RD350
Sean Skinner of MotoRelic is a man of two worlds, often oscillating between subtle restomods and wild, imaginative builds. This 1973 Yamaha RD350 falls squarely in the middle, beginning its life as a “crusty” $350 barn find. Skinner stripped it to the bones, keeping only the frame and engine, and set out to create a lightweight road ripper that combines vintage soul with modern, aggressive performance.
The mechanical heart was sent to two-stroke guru Ed Toomey for a full porting job and a set of 28mm Keihin carbs, while Skinner focused on the rolling chassis. He grafted on Suzuki GSX-R750 forks and a Trac Dynamics aluminum swingarm stretched by two inches. The wheels are 19-inch Excels laced to Cognito Moto hubs, wrapped in Hoosier flat track rubber.
The bodywork flows, featuring a narrowed Honda Ascot tank and a hand-shaped aluminum tail section. Skinner fabricated a clever, ultra-slim oil reservoir to maintain the “Autolube” system without the bulky OEM side covers. Dressed in a reinterpreted classic Yamaha palette, the bike “rips” with a powerband that lofts the front wheel at 6,000 rpm, accompanied by the “symphony” of Jim Lomas’ stainless steel expansion chambers.[MORE]
Rough Crafts’ Ténéré 700 “T7” Tracker
Winston Yeh of Rough Crafts is world-renowned for his Harley-Davidson builds, but his collaboration with Faber Studio on a brand-new Yamaha Ténéré 700 shows his versatility. Inspired by Estenson Racing’s YZ450F flat trackers, Yeh decided the T7’s frame geometry was perfectly suited for a dirt-track makeover. The result is a 74-horsepower twin-cylinder machine that looks like it escaped from a factory race team.
The transformation involved significant surgery, including hacking off the stock subframe and replacing it with a lightweight aluminum unit from a YZ450F. JZO Crafts fabricated a custom 6.8-liter aluminum fuel tank, which was then covered with UFO YZ450F plastics. The bike’s weight was slashed to just 158 kg (348 lbs) fully fueled—a massive drop from the adventure bike’s stock trim.
Performance is handled by custom Öhlins suspension and Roland Sands Design “Hammer” flat track wheels. The cockpit features Renthal bars and a GPS-enabled KOSO speedo, while the asymmetrical exhaust system exits through the YZ tail cowl. It’s a high-performance urban weapon that proves Winston Yeh’s signature “Rough Crafts” style can be applied to any platform with spectacular results. [MORE]
DubStyle Designs’ “Root Beer” RD400
Garett Wilson of DubStyle Designs lives for “vans with side pipes” and “boat flake paint jobs,” and his 1977 RD400 tracker exemplifies that vibe. Originally intended as a passenger-friendly date-night bike, the project shifted gears when Garett decided to go full-bore on the flat track aesthetic. He fabricated a new subframe to accommodate a fiberglass Champion-style tail and paired it with an aluminum fuel tank from a 1970s YZ400 enduro.
The bike sits on a set of vintage Kawasaki 7-spoke Morris-style wheels, which required custom-machined carriers for the Brembo brakes and rear sprocket. Garett swapped out a previous GSX-R fork setup for a set of right-side-up Yamaha R6 units and added a Kawasaki aluminum swingarm with Fox shocks out back. The exhaust is a clever “cut-and-paste” affair using recycled Factory Pipe expansion chambers and FMF silencers.
What truly sets this build apart is the retro-fabulous livery. Whitey’s Paint Shop applied a “root beer” flake base with red, orange, and yellow graphics that perfectly capture the 1970s flat track era. It’s a bike built for pure “shenanigans,” combining the sensory explosion of a two-stroke twin with a hot-rodded aesthetic that makes it as much a piece of art as it is a street-legal racer. [MORE]
Hombrese Bikes’ “Steffi” SR500
Uwe Kostrewa of Hombrese Bikes is a romantic at heart, building this svelte 1979 SR500 for his girlfriend, Steffi, so they could compete together in beach races. The build utilized a variety of spare parts from Uwe’s workshop, focusing on a “low-key handsome” look. The centerpiece is an old Yamaha DT50 fuel tank with original patina and dents, which Uwe successfully mated with the larger SR500 frame backbone.
Uwe opted for the stock SR forks, preferring their geometry for flat track racing, but upgraded them with heavier oil and internal lowering. A pair of modern YSS shocks handles the rear. The wheel setup is an ingenious mix: a 19-inch front from an Aprilia Pegaso and a 19-inch Excel rim laced to the original SR500 drum-brake hub at the back. Without a front brake, the bike relies on the pilot’s skill and engine braking.
The motor was fully rebuilt with a 500cc piston and larger valves, exiting through a custom header and a blacked-out Supertrapp muffler. Weighing in at just 122 kg (269 lbs), the bike is incredibly svelte and functional. It’s a pure track bike with just enough “retro charm” to look as good in the pits as it does sliding through a corner. [MORE]
Jeff Palhegyi’s Framer MT07-DT
Jeff Palhegyi is the fabricator behind the Yamaha MT07-DT race bikes used by Estenson Racing in American Flat Track, and this build is his personal “Personal Collection” masterpiece. Built using a 2021 MT07 engine and a collection of prototype parts, this is chassis #18 from Palhegyi Design. It features a chromoly trellis frame and a tubular swingarm with an eccentric pivot for total geometry adjustment.
The 689cc crossplane engine is the star of the show, known for its punchy torque and character. Jeff added a Yamaha Racing billet aluminum oil pan for extra cornering clearance and a titanium Graves Performance exhaust. The suspension is pure top-tier Öhlins, while the 19-inch wheels come from Roland Sands Design. Every fastener and bracket is a premium racing component, including a carbon fiber front sprocket cover.
Weighing in as the lightest frame Jeff has ever fabricated (just 15 lbs), the entire bike is a featherweight weapon. The carbon fiber bodywork from Estenson Racing weighs under 6 lbs, painted and padded. While it’s a thoroughbred race bike for now, Jeff notes that it’s only a few lights away from becoming a street tracker—which would easily make it one of the most capable street-legal Yamahas on the planet. [MORE]
DGRS’ SR500 Racer
Chad Daly of DGRS took a “half-rate bobber” Yamaha SR500 and performed a total rescue mission to create a competitive flat track racer for the street. The rear end was completely rebuilt with a modified XS650 subframe and a shortened, braced XS650 swingarm. Handling is managed by Showa forks with Race Tech cartridges up front and custom-tuned Öhlins shocks at the rear, allowing Chad to dial in the geometry perfectly for the dirt.
The build is a showcase of modern fabrication techniques. Chad used 3D printing for the inner fenders, engine guards, and the taillight housing, and even sand-cast his own aluminum spacers for the rear brake disc. The bodywork is classic Gopher Glass fiberglass, attached with DZUS fasteners for quick removal on race days. It runs a 19-inch wheelset with a Kawasaki KX250 hub at the back and a Moose Racing hub up front.
The engine is as clean as a restomod, breathing through a Mikuni flatslide carb and a Cerakoted header. A minimalist Pro Comp headlight and custom-cast taillight lens ensure the bike is street-legal without ruining its racing silhouette. Finished in a monochrome livery with subtle flake and gold accents, this SR500 is a sophisticated, high-performance tool that brings a sketchy custom back from the brink. [MORE]
