Harley Davidson Baggers in MotoGP: A smart fit?

MotoGP gets its first commercially orientated support series for 22 years with the invasion of Harley Davidson Baggers in 2026.

By Adam Wheeler

Demo runs, a flashy presentation, and plenty of talk about Harley Davidson’s ‘King of the Baggers’ coming to MotoGP took place before the first official 2025 IRTA test at Barcelona last November. The presence of the American brand for a six-round support series for 2026 was confirmed at last weekend’s Grand Prix of France at Le Mans. While contests like Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and MotoE (as well as various other junior Cups depending on the territory) are focused more on sporting development of riders and/or technology; the presence of the Baggers represents the first commercially prioritised competition in Grand Prix since the evaporation of BMW Motorrad’s BoxerCup at the end of 2004.

The Baggers have grown in profile since being introduced as part of the AMA MotoAmerica championship in 2020. Most of the race machinery is based on Harley’s FL Touring model, with regulations stipulating a minimum weight just over 281kg, a spec ECU, a rev limit of 7000rpm and the front, rear and profile of the bike staying true to the FL form; luggage panniers and all. Aside from some other engine restrictions the rest of the bike can be honed for racing. “300kmph and 200hp: these are powerful and raw machines taking to the track,” said German CEO Jochen Zeitz, in control of Harley Davidson since 2020, in France.

The Baggers’ initial link with MotoAmerica was a no-brainer: over two-thirds of Harley Davidson’s 150k sales figures for 2024 came from North America. The bond with MotoGP is a little harder to tie, but is clearly motivated by the worldwide promotional window that the championship provides (reaching 50m social media followers alone in 2023) and Harley’s extra push to satisfy an international reach that extends to more than 1400 owners clubs globally as well as subsidiaries in Brazil, India and Asia. Their European figures have allegedly fallen from more than 30,000 in 2022 to 24k last year and from almost 28k to more than 22 in the Asia Pacific region. Racing is seen a route to try and reverse those trends.

“We are looking to establish racing as a core pillar of Harley Davidson,” Global Director Jeff Schuessler told us in Le Mans. “We have a long heritage on the track, and we believe racing will help us modernise the brand with the innovation and the technology.”

“Harley Davidson is a global corporation and business and what we found with Bagger racing is that we could make a clear tie to the commercial goal,” Schuessler continues. “This is a strategic play. A bagger motorcycle is the number one product for us and our fans. The development we have done on the track with Harley Davidson Factory Racing has now directly trickled down to production bikes, parts and aftermarket parts. We have the Öhlins shock reservoirs that we developed in partnership with them. The same with Brembo, and last season we partnered with Akrapovic to have titanium exhausts on our racing bikes and maybe, who knows, in the future you’ll see those systems on our production motorcycles.”

“Harley Davidson has six million active fans at any time,” he adds, “so doing something for them that’s authentic to the brand is a core pillar of that loyalty and will excite the community. We look forward to bringing that to MotoGP.”

Harley Davidson actually has a connection to the premier class of Grand Prix. The Americans were listed as a point-scoring manufacturer in the 1973-74 and 1975 seasons thanks to Michel Rougerie (a best finish of 5th on the RR500 at Clermont Ferrand and Spa). The Frenchman also won 250cc GP races in 1975.

At a time when the future of KTM in MotoGP stands on a tightrope and BMW are reluctant to budge out of WorldSBK and into Grand Prix, the addition of Harley Davidson to the championship’s portfolio is a significant bonus and reflects Dorna’s modernised approach to MotoGP as a brand, business and advocate for the thrills of motorcycle-related activity. For this CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta was moved to say in Le Mans: “This is a very important day for our championship.”

His son and Chief Sporting Officer, Carlos, who has helped oversee the forthcoming acquisition by Liberty Media and has driven the successful rebranding of MotoGP was also effusive. “For the first time in a very long time we are having something completely different on track,” he commented. “Everything else we have is focused on the riders and the talent and this is something different. It is a way to touch base with a loyal community that what we’re normally not used to. The Harley community love to travel and make a trip and we cannot wait to welcome them at GPs. In addition to that I would like to say that as MotoGP we are happy to be able to be a promotion platform for any product, especially motorcycles, and Harley has a really distinct iconic personality. There are not many companies where you can remove the letters and still know who or what it is.”

The BMW BoxerCup had thundering R 1100 S motorcycles at Grand Prix and FIM Endurance events and were raced by former stars like Randy Mamola and Kevin Schwantz. The competition was recently resurrected for the German IDM with different bikes. The Baggers could also attract former MotoGP names – ex-GP winner Bradley Smith is part of the current Harley Davison Factory Racing squad – and the first of the six rounds for up to 18 riders (possibly fielded by some current MotoGP teams) is likely to happen at next year’s Grand Prix of the Americas.

The rest of the MotoGP King of the Baggers edition should happen in Europe, with the main base of operations remaining at Harley Davidson’s factory and HQ in Milwaukee, established in 1903. The series will squeeze into a calendar that also runs the Rookies (seven rounds) and MotoE (seven dates) and could engage the services of current GP teams. “This year we have 14 races in Europe and this means there is some space,” Carlos Ezpeleta reasoned.

“A lot of the bikes will be built in Milwaukee,” explains Schuessler. “Possibly the first race of the year might be a home one for us and then we’d be looking to ship everything over. We are looking to bring-on experienced talent in this paddock to help us scale our abilities for racing on the global stage but we are still looking at those options.”

Harley Davidson’s early enthusiasm is encouraging. They want to follow through on their multi-million-dollar investment as part of the MotoGP sphere. This means more marketing presence; a contrast to the relative hibernation of Ducati’s MotoE participation. “It’s part of the agreement, part of the partnership,” underlines Schuessler. “We are looking to build an authentic, dedicated Harley Davidson experience within the realm of MotoGP. We want see fan activations, ticket packages, branded grandstands, demo opportunities and to bring the Harley Davidson culture and community to the GP paddock. Baggers and racing is just one part of it. The most powerful thing about Harley Davidson is the fans, the community and the dealerships and that network.”

The Baggers’ unique drone and bulky bashing of bars will be a fresh sight for MotoGP in 2026. The curiosity factor will ensure a healthy honeymoon period and generate interest for Dorna and some international chatter for Harley Davidson. This contract also opens the door for more novelty sideshows to come.

Photos by motogp.com