– From 2026, there will be a completely new attraction alongside the prototypes on the major MotoGP tracks: the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup. The cult brand from Milwaukee is bringing its own international racing series for its powerful touring bikes into the spotlight for the first time.
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The tuned touring bikes became known through the American “King of the Baggers” series, which has been filling grandstands in the USA for several years. Now Harley-Davidson, together with MotoGP rights holder Dorna, is taking the next step and initiating a championship on the global stage.
Which Harley-Davidson motorcycles will be raced?
The focus is on Harley-Davidson Road Glide models, which are specially modified for racing – lighter, faster, and more agile than the production bikes.
The machines deliver over 200 hp, produce more than 245 Nm of torque on the track, and reach top speeds of over 300 km/h, despite weighing around 280 kilos. With their burly V-twin engines, the bagger racers are set to complement the MotoGP support program from 2026.
A central element of the Bagger World Cup is technical equality. All teams race on nearly identical motorcycles developed by Harley-Davidson. Dunlop develops special tires for the heavy racing machines.
Brembo is responsible for the brakes. The system features nickel-plated billet brake calipers with four pistons from Moto2. This configuration is combined with 330-mm T-Drive brake discs, similar to SBK specifications, and Z04 racing brake pads.
The technical package is complemented by Öhlins suspension with nitrogen-filled dampers and separate reservoirs, as well as forged Marchesini aluminum wheels in a 7-spoke billet design, which drastically reduce unsprung mass.
Other technical partners of the Harley-Davidson racing series are Akrapovic (exhaust), Panta Fuels (fuel), Regina (chain), STM (clutch), and Dynojet (engine tuning, electronics). The complete series regulations can be found on the FIM website.
Where and when does the Bagger World Cup take place?
The new series takes place on selected MotoGP weekends. The first official calendar includes six stops in the USA and Europe with two races per weekend. The season opener is at the end of March in Austin, before moving on to Mugello, Assen, Silverstone, and Aragon, culminating in the grand finale in Austria.
Austin (USA), March 27-29
Mugello (Italy), May 29-31
Assen (Netherlands), June 26-28
Silverstone (Great Britain), August 7-9
Aragon (Spain), August 28-30
Spielberg (Austria), September 18-20
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Which teams and riders compete in the Bagger World Cup?
The entry list for the new racing series includes Joe Rascal Racing (Australia), Niti Racing (Indonesia), ParkinGO Team (Italy), and Saddlemen Racing (USA).
Joel Rascal Racing
#34 Cody Wyman (USA)
#51 Eric Granado (Brazil)
#69 Archie McDonald (New Zealand)
Niti Racing
#20 Dimas Ekky Pratama (Indonesia)
#29 Andrea Iannone (Italy)
#99 Oscar Gutierrez (Spain)
ParkinGO Team
#27 Filippo Rovelli
Saddlemen Racing
#10 Travis Wyman (USA)
#13 Cory West (USA)
#85 Jake Lewis (USA)
What does the weekend format look like at the Bagger World Cup?
The majority of the season will follow a Saturday-Sunday race format. An exception is the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello. Otherwise, the following plan applies:
Friday: Free Practice 1 (FP1) and Free Practice 2 (FP2)
Saturday: Qualifying sessions around midday, followed by Race 1 in the afternoon, immediately after the MotoGP sprint
Sunday: Race 2, depending on the event in the morning or afternoon
An adapted format is used in Mugello: On Friday, qualifying takes place alongside the practice sessions. Races 1 and 2 are scheduled for Saturday.
What is Harley-Davidson’s goal with the Bagger World Cup?
The MotoGP thus receives an extraordinary support program that is intended to appeal not only to hardcore racing fans. Harley-Davidson uses the Bagger World Cup to position the brand even more strongly globally in the motorsport environment and to connect US motorcycle culture with European racing traditions.
While the MotoGP bikes stand for high-tech developments and pure speed, the heavy but race-optimized baggers are meant to provide a contrast program: lots of displacement, distinctive sound, and plenty of show factor.
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