Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126974
motorcycle of his dreams that he couldn't afford when he was a kid." The ATK also draws a lot of repeat business , according to th e manufacturer. " O nce people have owned an ATK they tend to stay with it ," sa id Leitner. " I' ve had so me who so ld the ATK and bought something else because it had something new , like water-cooling or what ever the trick thing was at the time, bu t once they rode it , they found out that they really want to go back to the ATK so they come back to me." With his two Austrian mechanics and a parts/office/marketing staff of five working like clockwork to tum out the ATK560, Leitner recently found some time on his hands and went back to the drawing board in search of a new project. His latest . brainstorm resulted in a conversion kit that transforms Honda 's XR500/ 600 (1983 to present) into a Hondapowered ATK. "There are a lot of guys out there with XRs that are unhappy with th e extra weight, the handling and the frame geometry, " exp la ined Leib. "People that really want an ATK560 often buy an XR because they cost less, but once they have one they realize that it fun cti ons, but not that wonderfully. That leaves them with a choice of either bu ying a new bike or taking a perfectly good engine and putting it in a lighter and more competitive chassis that works properly, and that's the latest thing we offer. " Hitting th e market just two months ago , the XR-ATK is a mishmash of two technologies, but, as Leitner ha s proved once again, if you know what yo u are doing, it will not only wo rk , it will work brilliantly. " We put on our swingarm, shoc k, carb and airbox, and it gets a new frame, chain . torque eliminator, engine mounts and plastics, " said Leib. "The only Honda parts left are the wheels, front forks (wi th our modifications ), handlebars, front brakes and clutch lever - and of course the engine, but we do change the carb and the exhaust." The new XR-ATK models are available in two versions. If you have a H o nda you want to convert, you ca n fo llow the lead of G rand National Champion Bubba Shobert and buy a do-it-yourself kit for $1995 (without the carb and the exhaust). Or, for the less adventurous, ATK sells completely assembled bikes which retail for $4490 each. Whether it 's an ATK560 or a Ho nda / AT K hybrid - whether it 's a motocross, desert, flat track or enduro bike - if you buy a motorcycle from Horst Leitner, Leib says you can bank on quality engineering every step of the way. "Everything here is hand made and everyth ing is done in small quantities," Le ib said. " We use higher -quality metals, better welders, all the nuts and bolts are aircraft-quality and everything is powder coated, not painted. Everything we do is more expensive and we don't believe in cutting corners. It adds up to a better motorcycle." When asked abou t the future, Leitner refused to discuss any new design ideas. . "What's next? Let me get my crystal ball ," he joked. ''I'll tell you one thing, though. We 're a very small operation and it's going to stay that way. We'll keep the bi kes as an exclusive product and we will never make thousands of them. It's 200 a year now and we never want to make any more. Any more th an that and we would have to compromise. "We build the best and that's the way it 's going to stay." • " 1."\' , .•••- } •• \ .~,. I ·#.·"'r.. • .- _ .- :-t..·~} '2\, 0;,." 'l.- . ~ .. ~~j.~.~~~;:i.1~·?::~~1~:'~"':~~~~~~4~!:~:tf~~~t~S;!~~ll:~~:{~:::~~f;:{~.!t~~~·~~~:-&;rtt ~, ~: :,"'/:: .~.,- ;.~)." i tu1";!~:::. -:.:.~~:'~t:"~~r~:y~i·~)~}.:.~~";( :l:·...:y;~..~·i'l..; ..·13 via satellite T h is Sunday's Special Guests are: ** GENE ROMERO ** ** DANA BELL ** 1970 Grand National Champion . AMA District 37 Legislation Officer It comes to you live, every Su n day n ight fr om 10 to II p. m . KOLA 99.9 FM KTIM 100.9 FM Ks CO 1080 AM Los Ang-ell's Rive -rs ide S an Frf.lue 'i\culOakIOillu Orange CO. I San Bern.udino Call in a nd tal k w.ilh a ll rh e top personafiries and be p art of m o to rcycle world. 1-(800) 228-5249 Santa Cruz XT RA "Ex tra Go ld" 690 AM SIl·.OI1 ~(·SI A!\.[ SI.llion in \\',·"..rn IT.S. Sponsored by $ SUZUKI . Right On Suzuk i