A Stunning 1950 Harley-Davidson WRTT Built for Endurance Beach Racing
Motorcycles & ATVs
Motorcycles
The Harley-Davidson WR, which first appeared in 1941, was purpose-built for one thing: racing.
The sweet 1950 WR recently offered on eBay is a stunning example—rebuilt with a big supply of vintage parts. It's the WRTT Daytona variant created for beach races in the 1950s. On WRTT models, both sides of the gas tank carry fuel, providing extra fuel capacity for endurance races on Daytona Beach.
These bikes were designed for Class-C racing, competitions for production motorcycles with a 750cc engine. These WR bikes weigh about 350 pounds, so its 40-horsepower engine can get the bike moving at speed.
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The WR is commonly known as a “45” due to its 45 cubic-inch engine capacity.
Brakes Were Not Included
WR models were sold with racing specs—no lights, bonus accessories, and built to be run hard on flat tracks. But, of course, riders used them for all kinds of racing. They are still used today in vintage races.
Remarkably, Harley-Davidson sold the WR without brakes. When you’re trying to be the fastest on track, why weigh down the bike with brakes? (The eBay bikes comes with capable drum brakes.)
Harley offered these bikes at an affordable price. The emphasis on accessibility allowed “privateer racers” to easily purchase a bike and start racing. Privateers raced for the love of the sport—not based on big budgets and sponsorships from factory racing teams. This still occurs in flat-track racing where Harley-Davidson, and rival Indian Motorcycle, have countless privateer racers along with factory-backed teams.
Star Power
The 1950 Harley-Davidson WR for sale on eBay has big names behind it. Warren Heir, owner of Jr’s Cycle Products, is the seller. He told us:
I bought a pile of parts that came from the Harry Molenaar Harley-Davidson parts stash.
Harry Molenaar was a famous racer and Harley-Davidson dealer. He also created the Illiana Motor Speedway - opens in new window or tab., a half-mile track just outside Chicago.
Heir used that supply of parts to build this incredible bike. Michael Lange, the well-known machinist, rebuilt the matching-cases engine. Lange has been a board track racer for 44 years. The owners ran the rebuilt engine twice at the Elkhorn Half-Mile. “It goes like hell,” said Warren.
Rare Period-Correct Parts
There are several noteworthy innovations on the bike. Its original “Peekaboo” cam cover allows for easy ignition timing adjustments at the track. It also has an aluminum MR4 Linkert racing carburetor, a very rare part to find. And this motorcycle includes a front-mount Wico Magneto, as well.
This bike is chock full of scarce original parts. The list includes:
- Daytona gas tanks
- Daytona aluminum oil tank
- WR narrow primary cover
- Daytona clutch and primary drive
A beefed-up, heavy-duty chain supports these parts. Unfortunately, the original chains didn’t hold up well to the abuse suffered during racing on the beach.
The next owner of this 1950 Harley-Davidson WR could once again put this bike on the sand—and simply park it up to enjoy its beauty.
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