This is an amazing story in many respects. The builder/designer, Steve Storz started his motorcycle life in 1970 and this year he’s being inducted into the Trailblazers Hall of Fame for his contribution to motorcycling and flat track racing. Here’s his bio:
Introduced to motorcycling by one of my high school classmates in Omaha, Nebraska, the bug bit me hard and I moved to Southern California in 1970 to attend Dale Martin’s Motorcycle Mechanics School in Woodland Hills. A part-time position at Triumph of Burbank turned into a full-time learning opportunity working for owner and well-known flat track tuner Jack Hateley. His Triumph dealership was a gathering point for many top racers, including his son, John Hateley, Eddie Mulder, Gene Romero, and more.
After witnessing my first Ascot race, a TT National, I knew that I wanted to be involved in the sport somehow and working as a mechanic was a logical choice. I volunteered to help local riders Al Baker and Lloyd Houchins at regular Friday Ascot races to begin learning the trade.
In 1974, I worked for Shell Thuett when he ran the Yamaha Dirt Track team with riders Kenny Roberts, Gene Romero, and Don Castro. This was followed by a summer trip back East with Terry Dorsch, where I looked after his Yamaha and Triumph race bikes. That trip with Terry (terrifying at moments) taught me that maybe it was possible make a living without having a regular 9-5 job. Thank you, Terry!
Terry told me about an opportunity with the new Norton-Triumph Dirt Track team and I went to work there as a race mechanic for John Hateley until the three-rider team ran out of money and we were all laid off in the summer of 1975.
Subsequently I found work at Kawasaki Motor Corporation in Santa Ana as a Technical Specialist testing pre-production bikes before their introduction. Steady work, but boring. Before hiring me, they made me promise I was done with the racing and travelling life.
During a trip to watch the San Jose Mile in the spring of 1976, I was talking to my old boss, Shell Thuet. He said, “It’s too bad you have such a good job with Kawasaki, I need someone to help me with Hank Scott at the Nationals this year.” The following Monday morning, I quit my job at Kawasaki and spent the summer with Shell and Maggie in their motorhome, working only for my expenses.
At the Harrington, Delaware National, H-D Racing boss Dick O’Brien told me there was opening for a race mechanic in Milwaukee and that I should get right up there for an interview. I moved to Milwaukee in July of 1976 and initially worked on the H-D MX program with rider Rex Staten, doing some of the Trans Am races in the Fall of 1976.
For the 1977 season, H-D hired Ted Boody and we were assigned to work together. We had a really great year, leading the points at mid-season and ultimately finishing second to Jay Springsteen in that year’s GNC chase. Ted and I worked together again in 1978, finishing fourth for the season.
I was paired with Steve Morehead for 1979. Steve was the top mile rider in points that year, winning the Syracuse and San Jose Mile races, eventually finishing fourth overall in the championship.
While I really enjoyed working with and learning from legends in the H-D race shop
(Caroll Resweber, Babe DeMay, Bill Werner, Brent Thompson, Ronnie Alexander, and more), I had enough of Milwaukee. I returned to So Cal in late 1979 to start Storz Performance as a full service shop preparing XR750 race bikes for privateers.
With the eventual decline in dirt track racing our business re-focused on the H-D street bike market with dirt track style conversions for Sportsters. Thirty-five years later, we’re still at it!
My beautiful wife, Joanie gave us two sons, Neil and Eric, who love motorcycles as much as I do. They have enjoyed successful competition careers in trials, including contesting FIM World Trial Championship Rounds in Europe. Eric has also been a Pro Trials rider and a three-time member of the U.S. Trial Des Nations team.
I’m very grateful for the wonderful life I’ve had and especially for the terrific friends I have made because of motorcycles.
–Steve Storz
In 2013, Storz Performance developed a new line of café racer style accessories for use on 2004 to current model H-D Sportsters. This new show bike, the Storz SP1200RR, was constructed to serve as a rolling display case for these kit systems.
A hand-formed aluminum gas tank and road race style fiberglass tail section with custom Saddlemen seat pads created the basis for the look. Specially modified clip-on handlebars by Driven are mounted to the Storz/Ceriani 55mm inverted fork tubes above the top triple clamp. Ohlins rear shocks with adjustments for compression and rebound damping, spring preload, and overall length, complete the suspension package. Obviously, Steve knows how to add the handling/race touch.
The donor bike for this project was a low mileage 2007 model 883 Sportster, but installation of a Wiseco piston kit increased the displacement to 1200cc. A Bub/Storz 2.2 high pipe and a Performance Machine air cleaner handle the breathing chores on this fuel-injected model.
The Café peels through traffic or winding canyons on 18-inch special spoked-wheels, front and rear, with Metzeler tires holding the road. Galfer Floating Wave Brake Rotors, and Performance Machine Brake calipers handle stopping like the champ it is. A Storz billet rear set footpeg kit, Barnett custom cables, PM hand controls, and a Storz/Ceriani Steering Damper tighten and detail the looks. And the racy pearlescent paint scheme by Vintage Restorations, adds the final touch.
“We still offer the flat track style kits,” said Steve, “one group of parts for 1984-2003 Sportsters and a separate group of parts for the 2004 to current model rubber mount XLs.”
Same thing is true for the cafe style with two different groups based on the model years. “We did our first cafe bike in 1992,” said Steve, “and the most recent one in 2013.”
Steve is the king of his style and performance products, and we congratulate him on his induction into the prestigious Trailblazers MC Hall of Fame.
Regular Stuff
Owner: Steve Storz
Bike Name: Storz SP 1200RR Café Racer
Builder: Storz Performance, Inc.
City/State: Ventura CA 93001
Address: 239 S. Olive St.
Phone: 805-641-9540
Web Site: www.storzperf.com
Fabrication: Steve Storz
Manufacturing: Steve Storz
Engine
Year: 2007
Make: H-D
Model: Sportster
Displacement: 1200cc
Builder or Rebuilder: Steve Storz
Pistons: Wiseco
Carburetion: Fuel Injection
Exhaust: Bub/Storz 2:2 Flat Track Style high pipes
Transmission
Year: 2007
Make: Stock
Shifting: Storz Performance
Frame
Year: 2007
Builder: H-D
Front End
Make: Storz/Ceriani 55mm
Model: Inverted fork
Year: 2013
Length: 31 inches
Sheet Metal
Tanks: Storz
Fenders: Storz
Paint
Sheet Metal: Bill Kee—Vintage Restorations, Oxnard, CA
Graphics: John Dillingham
Pinstriping: Bill Kee
Wheels
Make: Excell rims with Buchanan polished stainless steel spokes
Size: 18 by 3.5 inches
Brake Calipers: Performance Machine
Brake Rotor(s): Galfer Floating Wave Rotors, 11.5-inch
Tire: Metzler
Rear
Make: Excell polished black ano
Size: 18 by 5.5 inches
Brake Calipers: Performance Machine
Brake Rotor: Galfer Floating Wave Rotor, 10-inch
Pulley: Storz chain drive conversion kit
Tire: Metzler
Controls
Foot controls: Storz Billet Rearset Footpegs
Finish: Clear anodized
Master cylinder: Stock H-D with Storz billet reservoir
Brake Lines: Galfer braided stainless
Handlebar controls: Performance Machine
Finish: Black ano
Clutch Cable: Barnett
Brake Lines: Galfer braided stainless
Electrical
Taillight: Storz LED tail lamp kit
Accessory lights: Billet LED turn signals
Switches: Performance Machine
What’s Left
Seat: Saddlemen Seat Pads
Gas Cap: Flush mount aircraft style
Handlebars: Flanders, Storz Billet clip-on bars, 1-inch diameter
Grips: PM/Renthal
Pegs: Storz Billet
Throttle cables: Barnett
Speciality Items: Hand formed aluminum gas tank and fiberglass tail section, all Storz Café Racer parts.
Comments: Built as a rolling showcase for Storz Performance Products.
SOURCES
Performance Machine
Saddlemen
Barnett
