Harley Ups the Ante For King of the Baggers Competition

Bagger Racing

When MotoAmerica announced last year that it was going to host a bagger racing series, it was met with quite a few raised eyebrows. After all, baggers are made for cruising, not carving up corners at high speeds, right? Regardless, the series proved to be a smash hit in its inaugural season, and now it's being expanded to a three-round format for 2021, with a host of other changes taking place as well.

Photos: MotoAmerica

Factory Team

Harley-Davidson has also announced that it will be fielding the new H-D Screamin' Eagle factory racing team for this year's King of the Baggers series, which will consist of a specially prepped Road Glide Special powered by a Screamin' Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 crate motor, piloted by pro rider Kyle Wyman.

Photos: MotoAmerica

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Promising Combination

The special crate motor is Harley's most powerful street-legal offering, producing a whopping 131 pound-feet of torque. That, along with Wyman's presence, figure to help Harley improve on last year's second-place finish in the King of the Baggers event.

Photos: MotoAmerica

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Notable Accolades

Wyman has a host of accomplishments to his credit, including a 2019 Daytona 200 win, a seventh-place finish in the 2020 HONOS Superbike series, and a number of various other podium finishes throughout his career.

Photos: MotoAmerica

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Solid Debut

Last year, Wyman was a MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike racer when he decided to give the King of the Baggers series a try. He hopped on the Trask Performance Harley-Davidson and wound up finishing fourth out of 13 racers - not a bad way to make a debut.

Photos: MotoAmerica

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Dream Come True

Needless to say, Wyman is excited to get the chance to do this on an official level. "To be a factory rider for Harley-Davidson is something I've dreamed of since I was little. I look forward to our first race at Road Atlanta and competing aboard this amazing machine."

Photos: MotoAmerica

>>Join the conversation about the King of the Baggers Competition in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

Cash Contingency

In addition to its factory effort, Harley will also be offering $30,000 in a cash contingency program for qualified racers riding Harleys in the King of the Baggers competition in an effort to attract new talent. This year's series kicked off at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and will travel to Road America in Wisconsin on June 11–13, followed by the last event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California on July 9–11.

Photos: MotoAmerica

>>Join the conversation about the King of the Baggers Competition in the Harley-Davidson Forum.

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