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Superbike racing is a global sport built on decades of collaboration among manufacturers, promoters, and teams. But back in the mid-1970s, this now-thriving category of production-based four-stroke competition was still in its early stages, finding its footing on tracks across the U.S.

In Superbike: An Illustrated Early History, technical writer Kevin Cameron and photographer John Owens document the sport’s formative years. The book captures the shift from bulky, twin-cylinder BMWs, Ducatis, and Moto Guzzis to more refined Japanese fours that laid the groundwork for the modern sportbike era.

Owens’ striking black-and-white photographs were taken at iconic tracks like Daytona, Laguna Seca, Bryar, Pocono, and Road America. The images offer a raw and revealing look at the machines and personalities that shaped American Superbike racing during the “sit-up” era—when future Grand Prix legends like Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, and Freddie Spencer were just getting started.

Cameron’s writing adds technical depth and historical insight, giving readers a rare glimpse into a time when paddocks were wide open and the learning curve was steep. “The desire to go fast, brake, turn and accelerate isn’t that complicated,” Cameron notes—but as the book shows, executing those goals was anything but simple.

About the Authors:
Kevin Cameron is a respected writer and former two-stroke race tuner known for demystifying complex engineering topics.
John Owens has photographed motorsport since 1975, covering everything from the Isle of Man TT to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.