I hardly know where to start when telling the story of the BMW Motorrad Days Americas 2023, held in partnership with the Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park. The mind-blowing celebratory event began with the unveiling of the all-new, highly anticipated BMW R 1300 GS. Few companies make it to the 100-year mark, and BMW has done it in style.
Unlike early motorcycle manufacturers that started as bicycle makers that added engines, BMW began as an engine builder and added everything else necessary to make motorcycles. For all these years, BMW has turned out products revered by riders and collectors, as well as art and design lovers. BMW was the only motorcycle manufacturer that simply put what was then an unknown logo on their fuel tank, diverging from all others who splashed brand names across the tank. A century later, who in the world does not know this famous roundel?
So much was happening throughout the two days I was at the Barber Vintage Festival that it was hardly possible to see it all. Starting with the BMW-infused Fan Zone, a giant swap meet, all-day moto racing, parade laps, concours, on- and off-road demo rides, and a guided tour of the BMW areas of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum with Peter Nettesheim and Fred Jakobs.
BMW cognoscenti will know Peter as an avid collector with a renowned display and Peter as an author and, with complete respect, BMW know-it-all. Peter took me, along with five other journalists, on a tour of key BMW machines. He told interesting stories from the past while standing in front of the motorcycle that was the subject at hand. The man is a veritable cornucopia of fascinating information, and charming, as well.
Oh, and the 230,000-square-foot Barber Museum—words cannot adequately describe this monumental tribute to one man’s vision of the perfect display of motorsports history, especially motorcycles. The marvel starts with the vast, though not ornate, building that belies what is inside.
The interior architecture, layout, lighting, signage, and curation are just the beginning. One steps into a world of motos, cars, a vast die-cast car collection, a long wall of outboard boat motors, and race cars. It is simply overwhelming.
Much has been written about this unique museum, and countless hours of video are available online. My four or five hours within the belly of this behemoth does not allow me to offer any kind of unique perspective other than to say the collection and curation may eclipse even the Smithsonian and, likely, every museum in the world but for a few of the greats such as the Louvre, Uffizi Gallery, Vatican Museum, The British Museum, and the like, at least to this motorhead. It is wonderful.
The entire park is filled with every kind of motorbike imaginable, from pit bikes to, well, anything you can think of. I even spotted an F1 sidecar rig motoring along the ring road with all the other motorcycles, trolleys, golf carts, buses, and RVs. Lots of RVs and tents. While it was a full house for BMW Motorrad Days Americas 2023, there was plenty of room for all with no lines, except at some popular food trucks.
The entire Barber Vintage Festival weekend was a testimonial to the popularity of BMW Motorrad, and deservedly so. BMW has often led the way with new designs and concepts, helping evolve the sport into the great scene it is today. Where would sports-touring and adventure genres be without BMW’s inroads over the past decades?
The Paddock Club hosted a nice lunch on both days and was available to ticket holders of certain levels—a wall of glass is the only thing between diners and the racetrack. The third-floor observation deck offers the best seats in the house, including standing at the rail. The track hosts over 70 track days per year for motorcycles and cars.
For a gearhead, visiting Barber is tantamount to a spiritual quest or journey to Mecca. One particular event left many viewers alternately misty-eyed and cheering. That was the reveal, start, and parade laps of the BMW R 90 S Butler and Smith (then BMW importer) race bike Reg Pridmore rode to the inaugural AMA Superbike series championship in 1976. Builder Udo Gietl helped start the boxer, and his son Eric was the R 90 S’s pilot for the parade laps. It was glorious as the engine barked to life on the roller starter as guests queued up to see, listen, and take photos.
Renowned BMW historian Fred Jakobs recounted how Udo miraculously managed to massage that R 90 S motor from 80 to 106 horsepower, giving it the pep needed to take the Superbike title.
The restored R 90 S was perfect and beautiful. I sent photos and video of the machine to the disappointingly absent 84-year-old Reg. His wife Gigi replied, “Udo sure did an amazing restoration. Story behind that bike was it was a barn find and the geezer in TX contacted Reg to see if he wanted it. Reg called Gietl and the rest is history. Such a beautiful job he did.” Ah, fond memories!
Motorcycle racing on the famous circuit provided a soundtrack to the event. Many classes raced, and there are wonderful viewing spots all around, notwithstanding the view from the Paddock Club’s third-floor balcony.
Underlying all the events, sights, partying, reunions, racing, and people-watching was what might be considered the US launch of the 2024 BMW R 18 Roctane.
The Roctane is the fifth iteration in the Big Boxer-power BMW R 18 lineup. While I could have spent the weekend riding the Roctane, I already have extensive time on it—I wrote about it after a trip to Bavaria in May—and it was my first time visiting Barber.
Naturally, as Barber was new to me, I spent both days on this campus, limiting my riding to the journey from the hotel to Barber and back. I am getting a Roctane for testing on home turf, so I focused on the event and its happenings. Watch for my long-term test when enough seat time has accumulated.
I can say the Roctane is likely my favorite R 18. It is relatively minimalist and offers my favorite cruiser accouterments—a 21-inch front wheel, mid-rise handlebars, no windshield, instrument gauge within the headlight bucket, and non-removable, lockable panniers. The four other R 18s—the base model, Transcontinental, Classic, and B (bagger)—are equipped for different mission specialties.
As I sit in my office, days after the BMW Motorrad Days Americas 2023 and Barber Vintage Festival, I am still in a state of moto bliss with visions of so much moto goodness all in one place.
Photography by Syd/Royal Puffin and Jonathan Handler
RIDING STYLE
• Helmet: Schuberth S3
• Jacket: Spidi Garage
• Gloves: Spidi Rude
• Jeans: Spidi Furious Pro
• Boots: Xpd X-Nashville
