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A Victory-powered Tremendous Hooligan racebike from Acquired Your 6 Racing…
“Hooligan racing” acquired its begin within the Sixties and 70s, when flat-track racers would carry out their road bikes to compete for enjoyable and bragging rights throughout race intermissions — it was “run what ya brung” racing at its greatest.
Quick ahead to the post-2000 period, and “Tremendous Hooligan” heavy bike racing caught hearth in SoCal, slowly spreading to the remainder of the nation:
“What’s now generally known as ‘Tremendous Hooligan’ got here out of the Harley nights at Costa Mesa Speedway in Southern California. Between these and the Hell On Wheels guys internet hosting all types of inappropriate racing exhibitions, Southern California motorbike tradition developed round this concept of racing large, heavy twins.” –Cycle World
Roland Sands began the RSD Tremendous Hooligan collection, which has leapt from grime tracks to highway programs, with eight rounds of racing for 2023, showcasing among the baddest production-based roadsters and bare bikes on the planet:
“The Roland Sands Design Tremendous Hooligan Nationwide Championship and MotoAmerica have joined forces to carry racers and followers 8 rounds of Tremendous Hooligan Street Races at 4 venues throughout the nation. This 12 months’s collection will characteristic the most well-liked 750cc and up watercooled twin road bikes from iconic producers. Indians FTR 1200, Harley Davidson Pan America, KTM 890, BMW Boxers and Ducati’s Monster in addition to limitless aircooled twins with no weight or chassis limits.” –SuperHooligan.com
Whereas Indians and Harley-Davidsons are the most typical sight within the collection, there’s one other American V-twin you would possibly catch on the observe as of late — the Victory “GY6R.001” of Kevin Burnett, a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer and privateer racer whose household is the center, soul, and spine of Acquired Your 6 Racing.
Kevin purchased his first Victory greater than a decade in the past, a used 2007 Victory Vegas that includes the Polaris-owned firm’s “Freedom” engine, an air-cooled 50-degree V-twin with single overhead cams and a four-valve head.
It was Kevin’s first road bike and a far cry from a sporting machine, however Kevin, his dad, and his cousin quickly discovered themselves modifying their Victory V-twins for quick mountain driving, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Kevin was doing observe days on his modified cruiser:
“This was earlier than I used to be on Instagram so I didn’t understand the identical development was actually being pushed within the Harley group on the West Coast. Guys have been monitoring and racing their Harleys for years and over time, it grew into what it’s at this time with collection’ like Tremendous Hooligans and King of the Baggers. I all the time admired what Eric Buell did with the Harley platform and that is my Victory model.”
After going by way of a handful of various Victory race bikes — a 2007 Vegas, 2008 Kingpin, and 2013 Highball — Kevin got down to create the scratch-built monster you see right here, leveraging the limitless chassis guidelines for air-cooled twins. The 4130 body and swingarm have been custom-built in Kevin’s storage to carry the huge 265-lb Victory engine.
Different highlights embrace an underseat / tail aluminum gasoline tank, Dymag wheels, GSXR forks with Traxxion Dynamics cartridges, Penske rear shock from a Triumph 675R, full equal-length stainless exhaust, a gasoline and oil system primarily constructed from automotive components, and way more — all of which Kevin particulars under.
“There may be nothing fairly like driving a motorbike that you just’ve constructed from scratch, particularly when it’s a novel platform. An American V-twin sounds so good on a race observe at full music…considerably like an older Nascar engine again within the late 80’s and early 90’s. They’ve a lot character and whenever you’re the one man on the market on a Victory, it makes it just a bit bit extra particular.”
Racing as a privateer is hard work at any degree, however it’s a household affair for the Acquired Your 6 Racing crew — a manner for them to spend time collectively, whether or not it’s within the truck, the paddock, or the storage.
Whereas an surprising deployment might be taking Kevin to Africa this summer time, throwing a wrench into the household’s racing plans, we all know Kevin might be again on the observe as quickly as potential.
Under, we discuss to Kevin for the complete story on Acquired Your 6 Racing, their previous Victory race bikes, and the Vegas-powered beast you see right here. Take pleasure in!
Victory Tremendous Hooligan: Builder / Racer Interview
• Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.
My title is Kevin Burnett, 38 years previous, and I’m from New Fortress, Delaware. I’ve all the time had an curiosity in automobiles, vans, and bikes as a child and wished to develop up and be a mechanical engineer. We acquired a basket-case 1979 Kawasaki KD100 from my Uncle Terry and my cousin Chris once I was eleven years previous and that lit the hearth. My dad and I rebuilt the KD that winter and I used to be hooked. My dad, my brother Kenny, and I raced some motocross and hare scrambles up till I graduated highschool. Across the identical time we acquired the KD, I began my very own garden enterprise, saved some money for just a few years and picked up my first actual venture, a 1985 Chevy S-10, which I acquired from my grandfather once I was fourteen years previous. Sadly, the truck continues to be unfinished…therefore the Instagram title!
The mini-truckin’ scene was large throughout that very same time and the S-10 venture continued to evolve. It was fundamental at first…static 5/7 drop, roll pan, shaved door handles, V-8 swap, and many others. however when these month-to-month truck magazines would present up within the mail, I simply wished to maintain pushing the venture to the following degree.
It was simply my dad and I engaged on it at first however we met just a few guys from the native truck membership, Low Rollers, and so they helped level me in the proper course. We ended up doing a conventional physique drop on the cab, back-halfed the rear of the truck with 2” x 4” field tubing, full air-ride suspension, suicide doorways, and a {custom} proper hand drive steering conversion to high it off.
That’s how the truck stays at this time. Sept. 11 occurred whereas I used to be in highschool and serving my nation turned my high precedence after commencement. I used to be lucky to obtain a nomination to america Naval Academy, which supplied me the chance to not solely serve my nation but in addition earn a mechanical engineering diploma.
I spent 14 years Lively Obligation as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer and through that point, picked up my first road motorbike in 2011. I actually wished a Harley Nightrain however simply couldn’t afford one so after some analysis, I purchased a used 2007 Victory Vegas. Paradoxically, that’s the engine that’s in our race bike at this time.
The Victory platform was inexpensive and the engine had first rate efficiency for an American made, air-cooled V-twin. My cousin Chris and my dad have been additionally driving Victory bikes and we’d hit the east coast mountains each likelihood we acquired. Though the Victory engine was robust, the chassis had severe limitations with its lengthy wheelbase, lazy rake, and minimal floor clearance.
Just like the S-10, the Victory become a endless venture and issues simply continued to progress. We began with swapping out the 21” entrance wheels for 18” wheels and including twin disc inverted entrance ends off the Victory Hammer S fashions.
By 2017, we have been relocating onerous components like pegs and exhausts as excessive and tight to the chassis as we might to assist in the corners. We additionally fabricated rear suspension hyperlinks to boost the rear ends and added lengthened fork cartridges up entrance to realize a pair inches of floor clearance. With these adjustments the Victory platform was really very succesful on the road, however the mountain driving was getting too dangerous and I knew one among us might get harm.
I nonetheless keep in mind the day we rode over to Street Atlanta and so they simply so occurred to have a observe day occurring. I informed Chris and my dad that I used to be heading dwelling to prep the Victory for the following observe day and so they thought I used to be loopy however it simply made sense to me. What higher manner to enhance than on observe? In a bizarre manner, dangers are considerably decreased on a race observe. Riders are correctly geared, everyone seems to be heading the identical course, no oncoming visitors, and repeatable turns are just some of the advantages that permit the rider and bike to be safely pushed to their limits.
This was earlier than I used to be on Instagram so I didn’t understand the identical development was actually being pushed within the Harley group on the West Coast. Guys have been monitoring and racing their Harleys for years and over time, it grew into what it’s at this time with collection’ like Tremendous Hooligans and King of the Baggers. I all the time admired what Eric Buell did with the Harley platform and that is my Victory model.
Again to me from a private standpoint, I’m nonetheless a Navy Reservist at this time, and I’ll really deploy once more this summer time to Africa. It’ll be nearly 10 months lengthy and it actually threw a wrench into the household and racing plans so I’m hoping that it’s my final deployment!
My household and I’ve needed to battle a ton of adversity throughout our navy profession and people experiences have constructed a really robust basis and degree of resilience that we’ll be perpetually grateful for. We’ve carried this over to our racing program, Acquired Your 6 Racing.
The backstory on the crew title is an effective one in case you ask me. I returned from a fight deployment to Afghanistan in 2013 and my spouse stunned me with a 2013 KTM 250 SX that was ridden by Robbie Marshall throughout just a few AMA nationals that 12 months. I began operating the quantity 326 as a nod to my twin sister Kristy, who has needed to battle her justifiable share of adversity. We have been born on March 26 and it was a small reminder that it doesn’t matter what, she all the time has me to lean on.
My son Jaxson was solely 4 years previous once I returned from deployment and all he wished was to be like Dad. I had few bikes and initiatives by then and he wished something and all the things to do with bikes and grime bikes. Each day he would ask my spouse Ranae if she might discover him a shirt with “Dad’s bike” on it.
She ended up discovering this shirt that had a classic boardtracker on it with the quantity 32 on the quantity plates however Jaxson was so upset that the quantity didn’t match my race quantity! He was practically crying and saved saying, “Sorry, Dad, it doesn’t have a six on it!” I informed him, “Don’t fear buddy, I’ve acquired your six!” Clearly, that had a ton of that means to it. Within the navy, we be taught to all the time have one another’s again, or their “six” and that the person or lady to your left and proper are extra vital than your self.
That very same precept carries over to my household and Jaxson. He is aware of it doesn’t matter what, his Dad will all the time have his six and he’ll have mine! Discovering a shirt with “326” was close to unattainable and hindsight, we might have simply designed some {custom} tees however then we could by no means have ended up the place we’re at this time.
My spouse Ranae took the race program to a different degree when she talked about we should always swap our quantity to 987. See, we have been married on September 8, 2007 at 6pm as a result of she wished the sample 9, eight, seven, six. You clearly can’t run all 4 digits on a race bike so we run the primary three digits and say, “9, eight, seven, and we acquired your six!” The crew title and quantity are very significant to our household and our navy background.
Our workshop is out of our dwelling storage. It isn’t something particular however it is rather clear and arranged. Most gear and instruments have been sourced used to incorporate hand instruments, cupboards, welding desk, bike lifts, handbook tubing bender, and TIG welder.
9 occasions out of ten, I knock out my fab work with a few 4 ½” grinders, one that’s fitted with a cut-off wheel and the opposite with a flap disc. Probably the most subtle items of apparatus I’ve are a small horizontal benchtop bandsaw, Eastwood lathe, and an Eastwood milling machine. Actually, it’s fairly easy however efficient.
• What’s the make, mannequin, and 12 months of the donor bike?
2007 Victory Vegas.
• For what class of racing was the bike constructed?
MotoAmerica Tremendous Hooligans
AHRMA Battle of Twins 1 (BOT1)
AHRMA Sound of Thunder 2 (SOT2)
