King of the Baggers without Harley: Indian wants to equip up to ten teams

• The new ARO programme includes race-ready Indian Challengers, transport, maintenance, tyres and technical and logistical support.
• MotoAmerica is opening the class to additional manufacturers in 2027 and raising the prize money by 114 percent to 300,020 US dollars.
• Honda, BMW and Ducati have not yet confirmed any plans to enter.

Since it was founded, King of the Baggers has thrived on a single duel: Harley-Davidson versus Indian. After the 2026 season, Harley is withdrawing its factory team and focusing instead on the Bagger World Cup, a spec series held as part of MotoGP. That raised the question of who will fill the grid of heavyweight racing baggers in the future. On 9 November, Indian presented an answer that goes far beyond its own factory team. The manufacturer wants to supply up to ten teams with motorcycles, logistics and technical support, and is also inviting three major brands from Japan and Europe to take on the challenge.

What does Indian offer teams in King of the Baggers?

Indian will provide participating teams with race-ready Indian Challengers, organise the transport of the bikes and take care of maintenance between race weekends. The tyres also come from the manufacturer. On top of that, there is technical and logistical support throughout the season.

The programme runs under the name ARO. The abbreviation stands for American Racing Operations, Indian’s racing department, which also builds the motorcycles. It is being implemented together with Vance & Hines Motorsports. The team has been running the Indian factory team since 2026 and is responsible for developing the race bikes, technical support and managing the entire programme. Indian also sees the model as an opportunity for the individual teams to bring in their own sponsors.

The package covers exactly the items that make up a large part of the budget over a full season. Some points are still open, however. Ten teams is the planned upper limit, and there is no final entry list yet. Indian has not yet said which costs the teams will still have to cover themselves despite the support.

Professional teams and riders can apply to Craig Koontz, Racing Team Manager at Vance & Hines Motorsports. Vance & Hines and Indian will review the applications together and select the teams.

Why is Indian inviting Honda, BMW and Ducati?

Indian wants more competition in the class and is prepared to accept that it will no longer win every race. Kennedy explicitly named Honda, BMW and Ducati as manufacturers he would like to see on the grid.

He summed up his stance in the announcement: “We want to race against the best, regardless of who builds the motorcycle. We’re willing to accept the challenge, and the possibility that we won’t win every race, because that’s what real competition is all about.”

Kennedy also said that fans want to see manufacturers go head to head, pushing their technology, their riders and their motorcycles to the limit. He sees it as Indian’s job to make this kind of racing possible. With the new programme, the manufacturer wants to show the other brands that it is serious about the future of the class. Kennedy hopes they will commit as well.

Back in October, Kennedy had publicly expressed his disappointment at Harley-Davidson’s withdrawal. He stressed that it is precisely the rivalry and the risk of defeat that make competition valuable. Indian would stand by MotoAmerica, Kennedy said at the time. For now, however, the invitation to Honda, BMW and Ducati is just an offer. None of the three manufacturers has announced plans to field a team in King of the Baggers.

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

From 2027, additional manufacturers can apply to MotoAmerica to run production-based tourers and baggers in the class. Whether a model is approved is decided by the series after a technical and sporting review.

At the announcement on 4 November, MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey recalled that the class was originally created for the American V-twin bagger. Fans had been surprised that Harley-Davidson would rather race in a spec series abroad than fight for a national championship in the USA. For Rainey, this has created a new situation: “Their departure has opened the door for other manufacturers.” According to him, there is already interest from new brands.

How wide that door is open is not yet entirely clear. The information released so far does not say whether only American V-twin manufacturers or international brands as well will be admitted if they meet the technical requirements. MotoAmerica plans to publish the full rulebook before the start of the 2027 season. The series is also working with several engine suppliers to make it easier for teams to access competitive technology.

Some technical key points have already been set. Engine speed will be limited to 7,000 rpm for Harley-Davidson and 7,500 rpm for Indian, 200 rpm less than before in each case. Anyone competing for the full season must use a MotoAmerica spec ECU with prescribed software. This means traction control and wheelie control are banned. Teams that only take part in individual events or a maximum of three race weekends are exempt. The aim is for the engines to last longer and need rebuilding less often, which should ease the teams’ budgets.

How much prize money is there in King of the Baggers in 2027?

In 2027, MotoAmerica will pay out a total of 300,020 US dollars (around 269,600 euros), 114 percent more than in 2026. Money goes to the top twelve in every race across seven race weekends. The season starts at the Daytona 200.

Two races are held per weekend, with 42,860 US dollars (around 38,500 euros) distributed. The winner of a race receives 3,000 US dollars (around 2,700 euros). In addition, the King of the Baggers Challenge returns. There, the six fastest qualifiers of a weekend race for 5,000 US dollars (around 4,500 euros), which goes entirely to the winner. Over the season, this adds up to a further 35,000 US dollars (around 31,500 euros).

Indian is adding its own manufacturer bonus on top. It is paid out per race to up to twelve Indian riders and is staggered by finishing position, with 1,500 US dollars (around 1,350 euros) for first place. Over the seven weekends, this adds up to 124,600 US dollars (around 112,000 euros). The best-placed Indian rider in the championship also receives a bonus of 20,000 US dollars (around 18,000 euros) and a new model year 2027 Indian Challenger. Its US list price is 27,999 US dollars (around 25,200 euros). Indian puts the value of its overall package, including the motorcycle, at more than 150,000 US dollars (around 134,800 euros).

Suppliers also pay bonuses. Drag Specialties is on board for the sixth year in a row and is providing 86,000 US dollars (around 77,300 euros) for all 14 races. Öhlins rewards the three best privateers in each race, and Accossato Racing pays the top three riders using the manufacturer’s brake calipers and master cylinders. If all programmes are paid out in full, up to 613,919 US dollars (around 551,700 euros) will be in the pot in 2027.

What does Indian’s programme mean for King of the Baggers without Harley?

Above all, the programme is intended to ensure that there are enough motorcycles on the grid despite Harley’s departure. Whether this will once again become a competition between several brands depends on whether another manufacturer actually enters.

At the beginning of October, Harley-Davidson announced that it would end its factory participation and official team support in King of the Baggers after 2026. To round things off, the 2026 title went to Hayden Gillim of the Vance & Hines Indian factory team. For 2027, Indian therefore remains the only factory effort in the class. With the ARO programme, teams that previously relied on Harley support get a new route to factory equipment.

A lot is at stake for MotoAmerica. The series reports more than eight million TV viewers and 5.5 million social media followers for the 2026 season. King of the Baggers is one of its most popular classes. New rules, higher prize money and Indian’s offensive are intended to ensure that the heavyweight tourers continue to race at full strength on American circuits, even without their old rival.

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