Five decades after the legendary victory in Daytona in 1976, BMW Motorrad returned to the Great American Raceway to celebrate the anniversary. Nate Kern raced during the 85th Daytona Bike Week in the Super Hooligan class on a new, heavily-modified BMW R 1300 R: a Super Hooligan Boxer that is a homage to a historic moment.
From March 5th through the 7th, the air was heavy with heat, brake dust and pure ambition as past and present were combined at Daytona International Speedway. The BMW Butler & Smith team returned with the R 90 S, the bike with which BMW Motorrad made international history in 1976.
The weekend included the first race of this season for the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Championship – raw, in-your-face action born of American "run what you brung" style of racing. The series featured BMW factory test rider and racer, Nate Kern in the saddle. It was here in Daytona that he began his racing career with BMW Motorrad at the 2003 Boxer Cup. He then went on to make a name for himself on national and international tracks, and has been running an R nineT in the Super Hooligan class for the last several years.
This race weekend, Nate competed on the R 1300 R Super Hooligan: a bike that combines the passion, bravery and determination of the past with today’s cutting-edge technology. In doing so, he demonstrated how the Boxer legacy is alive and well in modern racing.
In 1976, the Butler & Smith team, consisting of Steve McLaughlin, Reg Pridmore and Gary Fisher, stunned the US racing scene with a 1-2 finish in the first-ever AMA Superbike race at Daytona. The BMW R 90 S emerged victorious against the powerful, big-engined brutes of its era thanks to a combination of precise handling, steady consistency and Boxer punch. McLaughlin finished in first place, followed by Pridmore, in a double victory that made the R 90 S an icon overnight and led to a championship for BMW in the season. This marked the beginning of an era in which BMW Motorrad made a lasting impression on international racing.
Now, 50 years on from this legendary victory, the team returned to the scene of their triumph to take a victory lap on the iconic banks Daytona, celebrating their will to win and the unbroken spirit of the R 90 S.
BMW Motorrad turned the R 1300 R series into an uncompromising Super Hooligan bike. The BMW Motorrad Custom Speed Shop created a racing bike that combines technology, design and history. The start number 83 and orange components on the tank and mudguards recall McLaughlin’s victory at Daytona in 1976. These are complemented by the blue tones on the aluminum rear and the Wilbers fork.
High-tech elements like M RR brakes, extended upside-down forks, lightweight carbon front wheel, the titanium exhaust from Akrapovič and the milled footpegs merge seamlessly with the bike’s classic Boxer character. The result is raw, direct and full of personality. A modern custom Roadster that seeks to conquer the track this racing season and keep the Boxer legacy alive.
Packing a hefty Boxer punch and an impressive 145 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque, the R 1300 R provides everything needed to master one bend after another. Its striking design emphasizes its sporty character, while uncompromising features like the sport suspension and the Riding Assistant take performance and comfort to a new level.
The ROKiT BMW Motorrad team celebrated a strong comeback. Nate Kern delivered competitive pace around the steeply-banked track, collecting valuable data and finishing in the middle of the hard-fought Super Hooligan field with the R 1300 R. In doing so, he continued the legacy of 1976 with the modified Boxer.
Daytona is unique – there’s no other track quite like it.
"Nate Kern
BMW Motorrad Factory Test Rider And Super Hooligan Racer
For Nate Kern, this race is about more than simply competing in a new racing class: “It’s an honor to ride a Boxer again 50 years on from the epic victory of 1976. Given the advances in technology since, I don’t think anyone back then could have foreseen that a Boxer would still be racing in a national series today. It’s a really humbling moment.”
Upon meeting Steve McLaughlin and Reg Pridmore, he feels the weight of history. The chance to ride the original R 90 S brings a smile to his face: “The cockpit may have been a good fit for the factory team rider back then, less so for me. But you immediately sense the character, that’s the most important thing.”
For Kern, the direct comparison with the R 1300 R Super Hooligan makes it clear: “The DNA is still there. The pulse of the Boxer, the low center of gravity, the way that the engine runs”, he explains. “You still feel the pistons, whether they’re air or liquid cooled, you can recognize the soul.”
At the same time, he also celebrates the impact of new technology: “You’ve got the technology and performance features from the S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR, now on a liquid-cooled Boxer.” That's what leads Nate to describe the R 1300 R Super Hooligan as essentially “the feel of an S 1000 R with the heart of a Boxer”. There’s so much technology, like the quickshifter, traction control and six-axis sensor system, but without losing the Boxer soul.” For Kern, the bike is not a retro tribute, but rather a bridge linking 1976 with today and turning an icon into a benchmark.
When Kern talks about Daytona, he chooses memorable metaphors. He describes it as “a track that demands staying power”. The 31-degree banking is “an ocean of asphalt” that literally keeps the rider’s helmet down at top speed. On a naked R 1300 R without windshield, that means full contact with aerodynamics, gyroscopics and centrifugal forces. Kern sums up the experience: “When you’re there without a windshield and feel how the forces are affecting you, you know how fast you’re going.”
He is certain that the Boxer tradition is alive and well. The modification of the R 1300 R proves how even seemingly unconventional bikes can compete at the national level. “Never judge a book by its valve cover”, he jokes. This statement shows that in the Super Hooligan class, courage and passion can triumph over conventions.