The Baggers Are Here: Everything You Need to Know About MotoGP’s Boldest New Series

The Baggers Are Here: Everything You Need to Know About MotoGP’s Boldest New Series
When Harley Davidson and Dorna Sports announced the Bagger World Cup at EICMA in Milan last November, the reaction was split almost perfectly down the middle. Half the paddock thought it was the most exciting thing to happen to motorcycle racing in years. The other half thought someone had lost their mind. This weekend at COTA, both sides find out who was right.
The FIM Harley Davidson Bagger World Cup makes its racing debut at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday March 28, running alongside the MotoGP Sprint. Two races across the weekend, nine riders, four teams, and machines that have absolutely no business going around a Grand Prix circuit at the speeds they are about to go around one.
What Exactly Are These Things?
At their core, the race machines are modified Harley Davidson Road Glide tourers built on the Grand American Touring platform, engineered by Harley Davidson Factory Racing specifically for circuit competition. The Milwaukee Eight V Twin 131R engine has been extensively modified, producing over 200 horsepower and more than 245 Nm of torque from a machine that weighs around 280 kilograms. That is a touring bike. A machine designed for cross country comfort runs. It is now being asked to hit 300 kilometres per hour on the back straight at COTA. The spectacle is going to be extraordinary.
Dunlop has been confirmed as the official tyre supplier for the series, providing specially developed slicks in sizes 120/75 R17 front and 200/65 R17 rear, tailored specifically to the high performance demands and considerable weight of the race baggers. Getting 280 kilograms of American iron to stop, turn and accelerate on a circuit like COTA is a unique engineering challenge. Watching nine riders figure it out in real time should be genuinely compelling viewing.
The Teams
Four teams from four corners of the world make up the inaugural grid. Saddlemen Racing from the USA bring serious credentials, having claimed the 2024 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship in MotoAmerica. They are led by David Echert and arrive as arguably the most experienced bagger racing outfit on the planet.
Joe Rascal Racing represents Australia, helmed by James Tonna and expanded to three riders for the inaugural season after receiving special approval from the series organisers. Cecchini Racing Garage brings European Grand Prix engineering pedigree to the grid, with team boss Fabrizio Cecchini carrying over 30 years of MotoGP paddock experience. Niti Racing from Indonesia complete the entry list as the first Indonesian team ever to compete on the MotoGP stage.
The Riders
The standout name on the grid is Eric Granado, the Brazilian former MotoE World Cup competitor who brings genuine Grand Prix level experience to what is otherwise a field built largely from national bagger and hooligan racing backgrounds. He topped the pre season test at COTA with a best lap of 2 minutes 13.413 seconds. Cody Wyman from the USA has made his name in MotoAmerica Super Hooligan with multiple wins and podiums, while 19 year old Australian Archie McDonald, the youngest on the grid, has won five Australian flat track championships and comes in as the wildcard to watch.
The Test
The series held its first ever official test at COTA on March 21 and 22, with all nine riders completing 578 timed laps across two days of running. The bikes were allocated through a lottery ceremony at the start of the test, meaning no rider had ridden their specific machine before the moment they climbed on it for the very first time at one of the most demanding circuits on the MotoGP calendar. That detail alone tells you everything about the spirit of this series.
Harley Davidson’s Director of Global Racing Programs Jeffrey Schuessler described the feedback on reliability and overall performance as very positive. He noted interesting differences in riding styles across the nine riders, with some bringing a smooth and technical approach and others showing a more aggressive point and shoot style. Given the weight and torque characteristics involved, the gap between those two approaches could produce some very entertaining moments when the racing starts properly.
The Calendar and the Bigger Picture
The 2026 Bagger World Cup runs across six rounds at COTA, Mugello, Assen, Silverstone, Aragon and the Red Bull Ring in Austria, where the championship finale takes place. Garages for the Bagger World Cup teams are located inside the fan zone at each venue, placing spectators directly alongside the teams in a deliberate attempt to create a more accessible, immersive atmosphere than a traditional Grand Prix paddock allows.
Series leadership originally targeted six to eight teams and 12 to 16 riders for the inaugural season. Nine riders and four teams is a slimmer grid than the ambition suggested. Building a brand new global series takes time, and the interest from additional race organisations is reportedly strong. What matters most at COTA this weekend is not the size of the grid. It is whether the racing delivers on its considerable promise.
American V twin culture meeting European Grand Prix infrastructure. Baggers doing 300 kilometres per hour past packed grandstands at COTA. Harley Davidson on the MotoGP stage for the first time in its history. Whatever your view on the concept, you are going to want to watch. And that is exactly the point.