Harley-Davidson Backs Out of King
of the Baggers Championship
H
arley-Davidson will end its
factory racing participation
and official team support in the
MotoAmerica Mission King of
the Baggers Championship after
the 2026 season, redirecting
its premier racing investment
toward the FIM Harley-Davidson
Bagger World Cup from 2027.
Announced on October 1,
the strategic shift will see the
Milwaukee manufacturer expand
its World Cup program, with ad-
ditional teams, riders and races
planned for next season. Harley-
Davidson will also develop
grassroots racing opportunities
across multiple disciplines.
The decision closes a sig-
nificant chapter in American
motorcycle racing for the Bar
and Shield brand. King of the
Baggers evolved from an uncon-
ventional exhibition into one of
MotoAmerica's most popular
classes, built around heavily
modified Harley-Davidson Road
Glides and Indian Challengers.
Harley-Davidson's factory team
won three of the championship's
six national titles, with the series'
most successful rider, Kyle
Wyman and 2023 series winner,
Hayden Gillim.
Harley-Davidson's departure
leaves Indian Motorcycle with-
out its principal factory-backed
rival in the domestic bagger
championship, although it does
not automatically mean Harley-
Davidson machinery will disap-
pear from the grid. Independent
teams could continue campaign-
ing Road Glides, depending on
their budgets, technical resourc-
es and access to support.
For MotoAmerica, the immedi-
ate challenge will be maintaining
the class's competitive depth,
manufacturer rivalry and com-
mercial appeal without Harley-
Davidson's official involvement.
The series' identity has been
built around the battle between
America's two major V-twin tour-
ing brands, making the future
level of factory and privateer
participation an important ques-
tion heading into 2027.
Harley-Davidson, meanwhile,
is pursuing a larger international
audience through a champion-
ship staged alongside selected
MotoGP events. The inaugural
Bagger World Cup concluded
in 2026, with Australian Archie
McDonald taking the title. The
series gives the company a
global platform to showcase its
touring motorcycles and develop
performance technology.
The move is not a complete
withdrawal from racing, but
a reallocation of resources.
Whether the international expan-
sion compensates for the loss
of Harley-Davidson's factory
presence in its home champion-
ship will become clearer as both
programs develop in 2027.
"Six seasons of memories,
triumph, heartbreak, and every-
thing that comes along with
racing at any level," said Wyman.
"Two championships, 27 memo-
rable race wins, and countless
battles with fierce competitors.
"I don't know exactly what
the future holds for me, but I
do know that H-D will continue
to push forward in racing and
performance, and I am lucky to
be a part of the fortunate few
who will have left their mark on
Harley-Davidson history."
CN
VOLUME 63 ISSUE 40 OCTOBER 6, 2026 P33
Kyle Wyman leads teammate
Bradley Smith through the
Corkscrew at Laguna Seca.
There'll be no more factory
Harley-Davidson teams in 2027
for King of the Baggers.
