Birth of the Honda Superbike

 Kurt and the late Richard Liebmann, along with father Oscar produced numerous racing motorcycles from many brands that ran at the sharp end of east coast roadracing in the 1960's thru the 1980's with their shop, AMOL Precision of Dumont, NJ. Check out this Honda RCB 750.

  

When the AMA changed the rules and ended the rein of the two stroke powered Yamaha TZ750 in favor of four cylinder four stroke machines, a number of innovative efforts were put forth by a number of manufacturers and private teams. This Honda  "CB750F"   was campaigned by AMA Pro Kurt Liebmann .  

Dry clutch & magnesium cases give clues that this is no ordinary streetbike. While it may be production based, this Hot Honda is far removed from what any privateer could buy in the early 1980's. Manufacturers were now racing bikes that at least look liked the street bikes they sold , much like Nascar racers resembled the family car but were very different what you'd by at the local dealership.

All business at this end.

Oil cooler and steering damper keep things working up front. The big Honda still 

sports the AMA tech stickers from the mid 1980's

Redline on tach indicates crucial information to the pilot.

Well sorted front end features twin drilled disc brakes and massive fork brace with steel braided lines.

The next season, Honda mounted Freddie Spencer and Mike Baldwin would battle Kawasaki mounted Wayne Rainey & Eddie Lawson and Suzuki mounted Wes Cooley in some of the best racing in years. A new day had dawned in AMA racing.

AMA Superbike Racing 1995-1996

The "Clown Prince" of Grand Prix racing and runner up in the FIM 500cc World Championship, Randy Mamola takes a break from the action at Daytona Speedway during the Yamaha Legends ride. 

 Doug Chandler on the largely uncompetitive Harley Davidson VR-1000 at Mid Ohio.

The year that Freddie Spencer rode for Eraldo Ferracci on the Ducati 916 was full of surprises.

Despite moments of brilliance,

                                 Spencer was no longer in top form and the competition had moved on.

FBF teamate Mike Smith was a strong performer who rode a number of different machines in the 1990's.

Jamie James on theVance and Hines tuned Yamaha was yet another top

top performer who won the AMA Superbike title

Flat track racer turned AMA star Mike Hale had a metoric rise to fame but failed to stand the test of time like his teamate Miguel DuHamel.

Tom Kipp getting focused just before setting out at a damp Mid Ohio Superbike race.

Aaron Yates, Fred Merkel, and Tom Wilson after a Supersport tussle at Mid Ohio. 

Quiet moment for an AMA 250cc Grand Prix rider before qualifiying at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. 

Ben Bostrom gets in a break at an Elkhart Lake qualifying session.   

Tom Wilson on the VR1000 during a  practice session.

Andrew Stroud speaks with Alan Cathcart after taking a commanding win at Daytona Speedway on the V-Twin Britten. Builder John Britten had died just months before.

Matt Mladlin checks in with Eraldo Ferracci at Daytona Speedway during qualifying.

The infamous Team 20/20 Racing Eyechart Girls at Road America, Keith Wilson in background on Kawasaki 600 for Team 20/20.

Roger Bell leaves the pits on the Bell Suzuki / Team 20/20 Racing Suzuki GSXR 750 at Daytona where Roger finished 13th and teamate John Jacobi finished in 15th place.

When Ducati World Superbike star Carl Fogarty came to America, he was all business at the Daytona 200 during practice and still had time to make headlines about his dislike of the speedway. 

Doug Chandler during a pit stop on the Harley-Davidson VR1000

First year AMA pro racer Jamie Hacking shows teammate Mike Smith how it

was out there on the Kinko's Kawsaki 600.

Mladin's fire damaged Ferracci Ducati after a minor practice get off at Loudon, New Hampshire.

Of course, that didn't stop Mladin from winning the race. Yates, Mladin and Chandler share the podium.

Scott Russell getting set to collect another Rolex during his peak years at Daytona, this time on the factory Yamaha superbike.

Despite its bulbous appearance, the VR was quite small without its bodywork.

Suzuki mounted Pascal Picotte burns some rubber in the pits after the race at Daytona while Aaron Yates looks on.

Randy Renfrow launches the Honda RS250 at the start of the AMA 250 GP race at Daytona. 

The back of number one plated TZ250 of Rich Oliver was all most riders saw of him during the mid 1990's 250 races.He was masterful in his racecraft and machine preparation. 

"The Chief" during his "Mr. Daytona" period where he could do no wrong.

All images by John P. Lawless subject to copyright and may be reproduced only with permission.

AMA Museum Concours d' Elegance

If you love racing motorcycles, the AMA museum in Ohio, offers a stunning collection of some of the most iconic motorcycles in America. Above is the famous #9 two-stroke Kawasaki of Gary Nixon which did battle with the infamous TZ750's.

Yes, they really did race these Nortons on Daytona Beach in AMA Class C racing in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Norton won a number of the Dayotna 200 racers with legends like Dick Klamforth.

Wow, It's Wayne Raineys Kawasaki from the early days of 'Superbike'

 Racing in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Senior Bulto would be proud of this line-up of Bultaco racers.

Much nicer than when it was produced nearly forty years ago, the TZ350

was a two-stroke powered giant killer.

One of the most beautiful Harley-Davidson racers on display at the concours.

Dave Edwards tasty BSA Bobber.

Chris Carr with the BUB Streamliner Seven after setting the

record at 367.36  mph at Bonnevile Salt Flats in 2009.

Racing engines of bikes and boats

The 500 cc double overhead cam Manx Nortons, so mighty an engine that it also spawned a very competitive Formula 500 Race car in the early postwar years in Europe. Additionally, the Manx was also a world champion sidecar machine and a motocross bike as well. But is was road racing where it made its legend, with Geoff Duke winning the Isle of Man TT and the 500 cc World Championship in 1950 and remained in production until 1962. It was a stable on the tracks of the continent in the 1960's with a final Grand Prix podium coming in 1968, years after production ended.

A rare dual carb Koenig racing two stroke outboard boat engine from the famed German company. Rider Kim Newcombe raced boats and then would use this same two stroke technology to build a 500 cc Grand Prix racing motorcycle and was very competitive in the year of his tragic death at Silverstone in the UK.