BMW Motorrad presents the R 1300 R Superhooligan
Five decades after the legendary victory in Daytona in 1976, BMW Motorrad is returning to the big stage. Nate Kern starts the Daytona 200 in the new Super Hooligan class on a heavily modified BMW R 1300 R: a Super Hooligan Boxer that is a homage to a historic moment.
A legend 50 years in the making
From 5 to 7 March, the air is heavy with heat, brake dust and pure ambition, as the Daytona combines past and present. The Butler & Smith team returns with the R 90 S, the bike with which BMW Motorrad made international history in 1976.
The day is dedicated to the Super Hooligan Championship – raw, in-your-face action born of American back yard races. The 84th running of the 200-mile race sees 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 in the Super Hooligan class.
This race weekend, he is riding the R 1300 R Superhooligan: a bike that combines the passion, bravery and determination of the past with today’s cutting-edge technology. In doing so, he demonstrates how the Boxer legacy is alive and well in modern racing.
Legends return
In 1976, the Butler & Smith team, consisting of Steve McLaughlin, Reg Pridmore and Gary Fisher, stunned the US racing scene. 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 typical Boxer punch. McLaughlin finished in first place, followed by Pridmore, in a double victory that made the R 90 S an icon overnight and marked the beginning of an era in which BMW Motorrad made a lasting impression on international racing.
Today, 50 years on from this legendary victory, the team returns to the scene of their triumph, with a will to win and the unbroken spirit of the R 90 S.
Super Hooligan bike with Boxer punch
BMW Motorrad turned the R 1300 R series into an uncompromising Super Hooligan bike. The BMW Motorrad Custom Speed Shop created a superbike 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 aluminium 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 footrests 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 at Daytona and keep the Boxer legacy alive.
Experience the series
Experience the series
Packing a hefty Boxer punch and an impressive 149 Nm of torque, the R 1300 R provides everything needed to master one bend after another. Its striking design emphasises its sporty character, while uncompromising features like the sport suspension and the Riding Assistant take performance and comfort to a new level.
The Daytona 2026 race weekend
The RocKit BMW Motorrad team celebrates a strong comeback. Nate Kern delivers constant pace across the 200-mile track, collects valuable data and finishes in the middle of the hard-fought Super Hooligan field with the R 1300 R. In doing so, he continues the legacy of 1976 with the modified Boxer.
Daytona is unique – there’s no other track quite like it.
”Nate Kern
Race rider
The legend of Daytona and the R 1300 R Superhooligan – Interview with Nate Kern
For Nate Kern, this race is about more than simply competing in a new racing class: “It’s an honour 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 the 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 move 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 Superhooligan makes it clear: “The DNA is still there. The pulse of the Boxer, the low centre of gravity, the typical way that the engine runs”, he explains. “You still feel the pistons, whether they’re air or liquid cooled, you can recognise the soul.”
At the same time, he also celebrates the impact of new technology: “You’ve got the safety and performance features from the S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR, now on a liquid-cooled Boxer.” It’s this that leads him to describe the R 1300 R Superhooligan 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 a myth into a benchmark.
When Kern talks about Daytona, he chooses metaphors that stay in the mind. 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.”
Kern's message is clear
Kern's message is clear
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 highest 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.
