Harley-Davidson will end its factory racing participation and official team support in the Mission King of the Baggers Championship after the 2026 season. The decision removes one of the class’s two principal factory-backed manufacturers and forces MotoAmerica to examine how the series can continue in its current form.

MotoAmerica said the timing creates challenges because the announcement arrived late in its planning process. The sanctioning body also described the Harley-Davidson–Indian rivalry as a central part of King of the Baggers’ identity, calling it a performance contest between two distinctive American manufacturers. MotoAmerica said it is “actively exploring all available options” to keep supporting the class, while thanking its fans and participants.

A move to the Bagger World Cup

Harley-Davidson is redirecting its factory racing resources rather than abandoning bagger competition. The company will concentrate on the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, a spec class scheduled to support six MotoGP rounds during its inaugural year. Harley-Davidson expects the 2027 World Cup to expand with more teams, riders and races.

Harley-Davidson CEO Artie Starrs presented the new championship as a way to put the company’s fastest motorcycles on a larger international stage. He also described it as a racing-development and demonstration platform for Screamin’ Eagle performance products. That gives Harley-Davidson’s factory effort a different role: instead of continuing its direct American manufacturer rivalry in MotoAmerica, it will be tied to a championship accompanying MotoGP.

The withdrawal follows a highly successful 2026 season for Indian. The Vance & Hines Motorsports-built Indian Challenger won 10 of the 14 races, while Hayden Gillim secured the championship with eight victories, a single-season record. Indian’s factory team also set a record with 24 podium finishes.

Indian has committed to returning in 2027 with Gillim and 2024 champion Troy Herfoss, targeting the brand’s first consecutive King of the Baggers title. Private teams may still compete with Road Glides, but Harley-Davidson’s departure leaves the class facing a major structural question: whether it can maintain the same competitive momentum with only one manufacturer at its centre.