Harley-Davidson and MotoGP unveil global bagger racing championship for 2026

Racers in the new series will ride identical Factory Racing prepared Road Glides.

By Bruce Brown Published May 13, 2025

Bradley Smith knee-down on a corner in King of the Baggers competition. — Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson and MotoGP jointly announced a new racing championship with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing bagger motorcycles. The new series will start in 2026 during six MotoGP Grand Prix races in the U.S. and Europe.

Why Harley-Davidson and MotoGP want this series

Kyle Wyman on a curve on a Harley-Davidson King of the Baggers factory racer.
Starting shortly after Harley-Davidson’s founding in 1903, the company was a major player in motorcycle racing, with both factory teams and private individuals or teams who bought motorcycles from Harley-Davidson. The bagger racing series demonstrates Harley-Davidson’s commitment to and interest in racing. Racing can also be good for business because it attracts attention to the brand.

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As the elite motorcycle racing championship, MotoGP also benefits from the new series. Like Formula 1 Grand Prix racing, MotoGP is adding to its weekend race events with live entertainment, fan activations, and supporting series, such as F1 Academy for Formula 1. The added activities help to keep fans who attend the races entertained between the main events.

The new racing series features

Kyle Wyman doing a wheelie with on a Harley-Davidson King of the Baggers factory racer. — Harley-Davidson

There’s more information to come as we get closer to the 2026 season, such as the teams and racers who will be racing, and the series’ official name. So far, Harley-Davidson and MotoGP have announced:

There will be six to eight teams of two riders each.
The motorcycles, built by Harley-Davidson Factory Racing, will be identical.
The bikes will be race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glides.
The bikes will have more than 200 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, capable of speeds greater than 186 miles per hour.
Each of the six series’ events will include two races, for a total of 12 races for the season.
Jochen Zeitz, the current Harley-Davidson CEO, President, and Chairman, expressed the company’s enthusiasm for the new series. “With this new series, we’re excited to bring a new form of racing to the world stage,: Zeitz said. “Not only is this a bold and new chapter for our brand, celebrating our heritage while pushing into the future, but it will add an amazing spectacle to the greatest motorcycle show in the world.”

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…

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