1976 R 90 S BUTLER & SMITH
#4990243
ENGINE <1,000cc M04 Boxer Twin
OUPUT 100 hp @ 7,000 rpm (modified)
CURB WEIGHT <473 lbs. (stock)
TOP SPEED >124 mph
PRICE WHEN NEW N/A
YEAR PRODUCED 1976
NUMBER BUILT 3
COLOR Daytona Orange
OWNER BMW NA Classic (since 2016)
LOCATION Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
Butler & Smith was the sole US Importer of BMW Motorcycles in the early 70s. The dealer sponsored BMW R75/5 based motorcycles from 1972-1975 in the AMA Formula One series. In 1976, they moved to campaign the R 90 S in the AMA Superbike Championship. This R 90 S was based on the road going motorcycle but was modified by Udo Gietl and Todd Schuster.
There were three bikes available for the season, one ridden by Steve McLaughlin, the second by Reg Pridmore, and the third as a spare. The trio of motorcycles modifications included a stiffer frame, a Koni monoshock, bigger disc brakes on the front, shorter cylinders to allow the riders to lean more in turns to name a few.
In March of 1976, the Butler & Smith team finished with a one-two at the opening race in Daytona with McLaughlin edging out Pridmore. Another one-two finishes at Loudon, NH in the same order. Pridmore went on to win Laguna Seca and Riverside. This earned Pridmore his first AMA Superbike championship title. McLaughlin finished second in the championship.
After the 1977 season, the three motorcycles were sold by B&S. BMW now displays the McLaughlin #83 motorcycle in their Munich Museum. The spare motorcycle was lost forever after being destroyed. Several years ago, the Pridmore #163 motorcycle turned up in pieces in TX. Fred Jakobs from BMW Classic had been contacted to look at the motorcycle. After taking Eric Gietl, Udo’s son, they were able to confirm this was the Championship winning motorcycle from 1976 of Reg Pridmore.
Peter Nettesheim, long time collector of early BMW motorcycles in NY, assisted Udo Gietl with the restoration of the #163 R 90 S in 2016. This motorcycle is making its world premiere at The Ultimate Driving Museum located in Greer, SC.
To learn more about this motorcycle and others, check out the exhibition book authored by Jackie Jouret in our online giftshop.
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BMW Motorcycle: A Century of Innovation exhibition is currently on display at The Ultimate Driving Museum through January 20, 2024. From a 1926 BMW R 32 to a 2023 BMW R 18 100th Anniversary edition are part of the 56 BMW motorcycles and five BMW motorcycle powered vehicles, like the Isetta 300, 600, and Farmobil are all part of the exhibition.
Museum hours are Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm | Saturday 10am – 4pm
(Last admission is an hour before closing each day)
Ticket prices are Adults 18+: $12, Youth 6-17: $6, Children 5 & under: Free
The Ultimate Driving Museum is located at 190 Manatee Court, Greer, SC 29651
www.theultimatedrivingmuseum.org | 864.329.1919
The BMW Motorcycles: A Century of Innovation exhibit is proudly sponsored by the following:
