AMA Hall Of Fame Member Doug Bingham Passes Away

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

From an AMA press release:

The American Motorcyclist Association extends its condolences to the family of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Doug Bingham, who passed away on Jan. 27 at the age of 76.

Affectionately known as “Mr. Sidecar,” Mr. Bingham was a 50-year AMA member and Charter Life Member. He received the 1998 AMA MVP Award for advancing the cause of motorcycling and was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2003.

Since the 1960s Mr. Bingham raced, designed, manufactured and distributed motorcycle sidecars. He also developed new uses for sidecars, organized events that were enjoyed by enthusiasts and the general public, and served as an ambassador for both the business and pleasure sides of motorcycling.

Mr. Bingham captured the inaugural AMA Sidecar Road Racing Championship in 1968 with co-pilot Ed Wade aboard a Harley-Davidson-powered, Bingham-designed racer. They captured the title again in 1969.

In 1969, Bingham incorporated his sidecar business, Side Strider Inc., in Van Nuys, Calif. He then began production of the Bingham Mark I, which was the first new sidecar design in decades. The sidecar was featured in the December 1969 issue of Popular Science as being innovative, handsomely designed and reasonably priced.

ABC television contacted Mr. Bingham in 1984 about constructing a mobile camera platform to be used for Olympic event coverage. Bingham modified an electric motorcycle and attached a sidecar camera platform.

Television producers and the sports and film industries called on Mr. Bingham to develop and pilot camera sidecars. He was recognized with multiple Emmy Awards for Outstanding Videography and Live Event Coverage.

Additionally, in 2014, he donated more than 600 motorcycle-themed toys, which are currently on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

To learn more about Mr. Bingham, see his biography at

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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