American V-twin drag racing just picked up a major backer. S&S Cycle has announced a title sponsorship agreement with the American Motorcycle Racing Association (AMRA) for 2027, along with class support and a new MK136 Challenge Class that gives street-legal baggers and Softails another place to run hard at the strip.

The announcement came October 19 following the AMRA season finale at Rockingham. For a company whose history goes back to George Smith Sr.’s early drag racing efforts, putting resources behind racers is more than a logo on a banner. The details include class contingency awards, trackside support and meaningful incentives for competitors prepared to make the full season.

S&S Cycle Becomes AMRA Title Sponsor

AMRA has supported V-twin drag racing for more than four decades, from dedicated race machines to racers putting serious work into their street-based motorcycles. S&S will serve as title sponsor of the association and sponsor the Pro Eliminator and Street Bagger classes.

According to S&S’s official program information, those two classes will offer $500 to the event winner, $250 to the runner-up and a $1,000 championship bonus in S&S contingency support, subject to the program’s requirements.

S&S owner and director Brett Smith connected the decision to the company’s roots in competition and emphasized that grassroots racing needs continued industry backing. That’s a point worth paying attention to at a time when the future of different forms of American V-twin racing is the subject of plenty of conversation.

New MK136 Challenge Class Opens the Door for Street-Legal Bikes

The headline addition for 2027 is the MK136 Challenge Class. Built around the S&S MK136 engine platform, it is intended for street-legal motorcycles with a VIN, using bagger or Softail chassis. The series plans six events in 2027.

The published technical rules set a 64-inch maximum wheelbase and require naturally aspirated engines, a DOT tire, a hand clutch, a full charging system and self-starting capability. Wheelie bars are prohibited. Racers can use electronic fuel injection or carburetion, but the rules restrict engine architecture and permitted fuels to keep the class within defined boundaries.

That doesn’t mean pulling any street bike out of the garage and heading to the staging lanes without preparation. Riders will need to read the full MK136 Challenge Class rules, confirm eligibility and build accordingly.

What’s in It for the Racers?

The incentive package is substantial. S&S lists a $500 event-winner award and $250 runner-up award for MK136 Challenge Class competitors. The class champion is slated to receive an MK136 engine—or equivalent S&S product credit based on the engine’s suggested retail price—plus $1,000 cash.

The program also lists product credits tied to season participation. The detailed rules currently specify $2,500 in S&S product credit for the first 16 eligible racers who compete in at least five 2027 events, with another $1,000 in product credit for competitors who complete all six. One overview panel on the same S&S page displays different five- and six-event amounts, so racers should confirm the controlling incentive terms with S&S before budgeting a season around them.

S&S also plans a display truck with racing parts support at events and a spectator reaction-time challenge, giving people who aren’t racing another way to get involved.

Grassroots V-Twin Racing Needs More Than Headlines

It’s easy to talk about keeping motorcycle racing alive. It takes a bigger commitment to help fund the classes, support the racers and show up at the track. S&S says that’s exactly what it intends to do with AMRA.

The new arrangement also gives owners of high-performance baggers and Softails a defined competitive target instead of leaving them to figure out where their builds fit. A well-supported class can bring new bikes, new shops and new racers into the lanes.

For the full program, registration information and evolving details of the 2027 season, visit S&S Cycle’s AMRA racing page. For more on the association’s history and activity, see Cycle Source’s AMRA Beech Bend racing report.

Source: S&S Cycle October 19, 2026 announcement and published 2027 class program.