Also designed initially for Sportsters from 2004 , Storz ' dirt track style conversions were originally introduced to mark the 25th anniversary of the business - in 2005 - as an XR style homage to the early days of Storz ' career . At the time , with Discovery channel build-offs and catalog choppers dominant , the concept was one that was ' way ahead of the curve ' - but is one whose time has come again as the rebirth of flat track racing has brought street trackers and scramblers back into the mainstream for whole new generations of riders . The new rubber mounted engine Sportster that Harley introduced in 2004 was and remains the best handling Sporty Harley has ever produced in the 63 years since the ' Extra Light ' became a factory product line staple . Storz overcame many of the design challenges that the new rubber mounted engine design created - such as the development of rearset style footpegs , exhaust system mounting , shift mechanisms and bodywork - and took the stock 557 lbs dry of the 1200 cc Sportster into ' Uber Light ' territory by dropping 83 lbs , taking it down to 474 lbs dry . The kit was introduced as a modular concept for 883 and 1200 cc Sportsters - Storz recommended that customers started with the 1200R model with the optional wire spoke wheels , but not
For 2004 and up Sportsters , the modular kit drops 83 lbs from the stock 1200R .
all the components had to be bought at the same time , or at all . All the items in the kit were also sold individually , allowing riders to evolve their own conversion as budget allowed and preferences dictated . Storz also offers similar kits for 1986 - 2003 model year Sportsters . so good , they made such a difference , and once the word got out , we sold LOTS of them "! It was in 1990 that the market saw the debut of the Storz XR883 dirt track style Sportster Street Tracker - and that really got attention . The market was already changing by then though , and with the decline of dirt track racing , Steve shifted his priorities towards the street bike market . " In 1992 I developed the first complete inverted Ceriani fork kit for H-D street bikes . A few years later I reached agreement with Enrico Ceriani to produce Ceriani forks under license here in the USA ." By the 2000s Steve was being honored by the industry for his contributions - a Hot Bike Magazine Lifetime Achievement award among them in 2003 - but the achievements for Steve and his family didn ' t stop there . In 2006 a specially modified set of Storz / Ceriani forks were used on Denis Manning ’ s BUB streamliner to set a Land Speed record at Bonneville ( 350.88 mph ), and from the late 1990s right through to 2013 Steve was riding Trials competitions with his sons Neil and Eric Storz - travelling to Europe with them to compete in selected rounds of the FIM 125 Trial World Championship among other derring-do . Indeed , Eric was selected to ride for Team USA in 2011 , 2012 and 2013 Trials Des Nations events , and both his sons also work in the motorcycle industry . Steve remains the trademark owner of Ceriani
branded forks , and the line of parts he designed for street bikes resulted , among other things , in the conversion kits to give H-D Sportsters the ' XR ' look .
STORZ PERFORMANCE INC . Ventura , California , USA Tel : 805 641 9540 admin @ storzperf . com www . storzperf . com
Steering Damper Kits
Seen here for 2009 and up XR1200 , Storz ' race quality Ceriani steering dampers offer significant improvements over previous models . Precision-made and fully rebuildable , they feature 16-position positive click adjustment with an internal valving system design that provides a more linear and gradual adjustment of the damping force with stiffer final settings for smooth and consistent damping combined with a shorter overall length-to-travel ratio . Sold individually or in kit form , the complete kits permit full movement of the front fork assembly . They bolt to the frame and fork using Storz ' 2- piece billet aluminum mounting clamps .
Steve Storz and the late Enrico Ceriani in Italy , taken in the mid 1990s
28 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - FEBRUARY 2021 www . AMDchampionship . com