Bagger Racing 2027: Harley and MotoAmerica Go Separate Ways

• Bagger World Cup 2027: 16 races in seven countries, with Le Mans, Barcelona and Portimão new to the calendar
• Harley race bike: two to three percent more power, rev limit raised from 7,000 to 7,200 rpm
• King of the Baggers: spec ECU without traction control, Indian as the only factory team

Racing with heavy touring motorcycles is splitting into two worlds in 2027. On one side is the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, in which every team rides the same Harley and which tours European and American Grand Prix circuits as part of the MotoGP support programme. On the other side is King of the Baggers, the US series in which Harley and Indian have battled each other as factories since 2021. After Harley-Davidson withdrew its factory team from the American championship at the beginning of October, both camps have now presented their plans for the coming season. The differences are clear.

What changes in bagger racing in 2027?

In 2027, Harley-Davidson is going all in on its own one-make cup, while King of the Baggers continues in the USA without a Harley factory team. The Bagger World Cup calendar is growing and the race bike is being developed further. King of the Baggers gets new technical rules, and manufacturers from outside the USA will be allowed to enter in future.

The key difference lies in the basic concept of the two series. In the Bagger World Cup, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing builds identical Road Glides and hands them to the teams, so it comes down to riders, setup and tactics. King of the Baggers, by contrast, is a manufacturer competition in which different motorcycles are brought to a similar level through a balancing system. Until now, the Harley-Davidson Road Glide and the Indian Challenger were eligible there.

Private teams may still race Harleys in the US series, just without official factory support. However, the rev limit for Harley engines at King of the Baggers 2027 is 7,000 rpm, compared with 7,200 rpm in the World Cup.

What does the 2027 Bagger World Cup calendar look like?

The 2027 Bagger World Cup comprises eight race weekends with a total of 16 races in seven countries. The season starts at the end of April in Austin and ends at the beginning of October in Portugal.

In its first year, the series had six race weekends with twelve races. New to the calendar are Le Mans, Barcelona and Portimão. Barcelona is not entirely unfamiliar territory: that is where Harley-Davidson’s race baggers were first seen in Europe in 2024, two years before the series launched. Silverstone, still part of the debut season in 2026, is missing from the provisional calendar.

The dates at a glance:

• April 23 to 25: Circuit of The Americas, Austin (USA), with official testing beforehand on April 17 and 18
• May 14 to 16: Le Mans (France)
• May 28 to 30: Mugello (Italy)
• June 11 to 13: Barcelona (Catalonia)
• June 25 to 27: Assen (Netherlands)
• August 27 to 29: Red Bull Ring (Austria)
• September 17 to 19: MotorLand Aragón (Spain)
• October 1 to 3: Portimão (Portugal), season finale

Each weekend consists of two free practice sessions, one qualifying session and two races with full points. Harley-Davidson expects around 1.3 million spectators at the track across the 2027 events. In 2026, according to the manufacturer, there were more than 800,000. This makes the World Cup a fixed part of the support programme of the 2027 MotoGP season.

Which teams will race in the 2027 Bagger World Cup?

So far, five teams with a total of eleven motorcycles have been confirmed for 2027. The riders are due to be announced in the coming weeks, and according to Harley-Davidson several contracts have already been signed.

Joe Rascal Racing, Saddlemen Race Development and NitiRacing will each field three motorcycles. Kyle Wyman Racing and Mad Monkey / Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson will each bring one bike to the grid. With Kyle Wyman, the field includes a name who raced for the Harley factory team in King of the Baggers for years.

The title defence is also confirmed: Archie McDonald, who won the first season for Joe Rascal Racing, will ride for the team again in 2027. The Australian only secured the title at the final race weekend in Austria, where four riders still had a shot at the championship. In total, the debut season produced five different race winners. According to Harley-Davidson, talks with further interested parties are still ongoing, so the entry list is considered provisional.

What changes on the Harley race bike for 2027?

The Bagger World Cup race bike gets around two to three percent more power in 2027, and the rev limit rises from 7,000 to 7,200 rpm. Until now, the Road Glide-based machine produced more than 200 hp (149 kW) at a weight of around 280 kg (617 lbs).

The gearbox will in future feature a new quickshifter sensor developed by Dynojet together with Harley-Davidson. A quickshifter allows upshifts without using the clutch and without closing the throttle. On the chassis side, new fork caps allow the front end to be raised. The rear shocks can be adjusted independently in rebound and compression, and a revised swingarm is designed to improve rear-wheel traction. There is also active tyre pressure monitoring, which provides riders and teams with more data. Several measures are also intended to increase durability over an entire season.

Still in development are a new fairing with less aerodynamic drag and more adjustment options for the handlebar controls, footpegs and seat. Jason Kehl, technical director of Harley-Davidson Factory Racing, describes some of the updates as a direct result of feedback from the teams, including the higher rev limit and the new fork caps. All improvements are available to every participant. Harley-Davidson also intends to feed its racing experience into production motorcycles and Screamin’ Eagle parts.

What new rules apply to King of the Baggers in 2027?

For King of the Baggers 2027, MotoAmerica is setting fixed rev limits and mandating a spec ECU. The aim is for engines to last longer and need rebuilding less often.

Harley-Davidson motorcycles may rev to a maximum of 7,000 rpm, while the Indian with its smaller engine is allowed 7,500 rpm. The existing balancing system between the brands remains in place. Anyone contesting the full season must use MotoAmerica’s Maxx ECU Race control unit with prescribed software. This means traction control and wheelie control are banned. Wildcard entries and teams competing in no more than three races are exempt.

Technical director Tige Daane justifies the changes with the strain of a long season. Fewer major engine rebuilds should help teams protect their budgets and spend more time on track. MotoAmerica is also in talks with several engine suppliers to make competitive equipment easier to obtain. The final rulebook is due to be published before the start of the season.

Which manufacturers can compete in King of the Baggers in 2027?

From 2027, manufacturers from outside the USA will also be able to compete in King of the Baggers. To do so, they must apply for homologation of production-based tourers and baggers, which MotoAmerica will review on technical and sporting grounds.

According to the series, other manufacturers have shown interest. MotoAmerica has not yet named any. What is certain, however, is that Indian wants to bring more motorcycles to the grid. The factory team, run by Vance & Hines, will use a new evolution of the PowerPlus 108 engine in 2027. It will continue to be ridden by champion Hayden Gillim and Troy Herfoss, the 2024 champion. Who else will ride for Indian is still open.

Indian goes into the season in a strong position. In 2026, the factory team won ten of 14 races, eight of them going to Gillim and two to Herfoss.

How is MotoAmerica reacting to Harley-Davidson’s withdrawal?

MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey openly criticises Harley-Davidson’s decision. However, he also sees the departure as an opportunity for other manufacturers.

In the series’ announcement, the three-time world champion says: “Our fans were surprised that Harley-Davidson had decided to run in a spec exhibition series abroad and not compete against the other manufacturers in America for a national championship.”

Rainey stresses that the series was created for American V-twin baggers and that Indian is now bringing significantly more motorcycles to the grid. Harley-Davidson itself did not attribute its withdrawal to the balancing rules in King of the Baggers, but to a new racing strategy. The Bagger World Cup is the most important programme in this strategy, alongside an offering for grassroots racing. In six years of King of the Baggers, Harley and Indian have each won three titles.

What partners and offers are there at the 2027 Bagger World Cup?

Dynojet becomes title sponsor in 2027, with the series officially named the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup tuned by Dynojet. Dunlop remains tyre supplier and will continue to provide technical support at the track.

Dynojet has already been working with Harley-Davidson as a technical partner for years. Dunlop also supports the series’ prize money programme. Further details on both partnerships are expected in the coming weeks.

For the season opener in Austin, Harley-Davidson is offering a three-day fan pass. It includes seats in a dedicated grandstand at Turn 15, reserved motorcycle parking, storage for riding gear and a joint parade lap on fans’ own motorcycles. On top of that come Q&A sessions with the riders, paddock tours, autograph sessions and access to the hospitality area. The early-bird price is 149 US dollars (approx. 132 euros), while Harley Owners Group members pay 109 US dollars (approx. 97 euros).

Frequently Asked Questions