1976 AMA Superbike Championship Bikes on Display at MAX BMW NH through April 11th

1976 was a big year in motorcycle racing with the introduction of a Superbike class. The idea was to put the same bikes that fans would recognize on the street, on to the track, head to head. At the time, the BMW R90S was already in the market, touted as a touring bike for sensible people, and not the kind of bike that anyone might choose to race, let alone be competitive. But Brooklyn-based Butler & Smith (BMW’s US Importer at the time) was up for the challenge and set about building not one wolf in sheep’s clothing, but three. To the untrained eye, the only hint that something might be different about these bikes was the new color scheme, which BMW released as Daytona Orange even before anyone had raced there.

The firm tapped Gary Fisher (#24), Steve McLaughlin (#83), and Reginald "Reg" Pridmore III (#163) to pilot the trio, and at the inaugural race at Daytona in March of 1976, BMW showed up strong, and never looked back. McLaughlin, took the win, just inches ahead of Pridmore, but Pridmore rallied back to win at Laguna Seca and Riverside, earning the first ever overall Superbike title.

The original R90S race bikes are currently here at MAX BMW’s NH store and on Saturday, April 11th, we will be joined by our friend and vintage BMW legend, Dave Percival, whose collection of vintage bikes is unparalleled. See the original R90S race bikes as well as a handful of other vintage gems, including some pre-war bikes from Dave’s collection.

Come celebrate 50 years of BMW Motorcycle racing with us!