Harley’s Top Touring Bike Is About to Tackle the Brand’s Most Important Mission Yet

The bar and shield just completed first tests for an initiative that’s putting the Road Glide on the world stage.

Orange and black Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Akrapovic exhaust and black seat on red and white surface.

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Published March 25, 2026

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Updated March 26, 2026

While Harley-Davidson’s win in the King of the Baggers Championship last year capped off a monumental season of racing success, the bar and shield isn’t resting on its laurels for 2026.

Far from it. In addition to returning to KOTB to defend the title and add a fourth notch to its belt, Harley is also taking its big bike expertise overseas as part of a brand-new racing endeavor.

Motorcycle racer in black and red gear leaning into a turn on a black race bike numbered 34. — The Bagger World Cup just completed its first tests at Circuit of the Americas this past weekend.

It’s called the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, and the series just completed its inaugural round of testing this past weekend. As it follows the MotoGP calendar around the world throughout this year, it’ll not only put the focus on Harley’s premiere touring bike but also show off the brand in front of an international audience.

A showcase of V-twin performance

That’s because Harley-Davidson will exclusively field race-prepped Road Glides for the running of the Bagger World Cup. Not unlike those campaigned in King of the Baggers, they’re to be highly modified machines based on the brand’s Grand American Touring platform.

Red and black Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle with number 33 and sponsor logos on a rear stand. — Kyle Wyman’s championship-winning steed is a far-sight different to your average Road Glide.

Accordingly, they’ll all come powered by Milwaukee‑Eight 131R competition engines delivering over 200 ponies. For perspective, even Harley’s $100,000 CVO Road Glide RR pales in comparison to that figure, as its Screamin’ Eagle 131 V-twin ‘only’ puts down 153 horsepower.

To handle all that grunt, each bike will ride on a bespoke chassis and suspension setup, with trick milled swingarms and premium Öhlins goodies being just some of what you can expect.

Moreover, as part of its Bagger Cup assignment, Harley’s Road Glide will don various other competition paraphernalia like powerful Brembo brakes, sticky Dunlop tires (the official series sponsor) and full titanium Akrapovič exhausts.

Two motorcyclists leaning sharply on black racing bikes on a track with red, white, and blue markings. — Even with bikes weighing over 600 pounds, riders don’t have trouble dragging knees through hard cornering.

However, much as the race bikes will incorporate significant weight cuts and state-of-the-art aerodynamic improvements over stock, they’ll still tip the scales quite a bit heavier than their MotoGP counterparts.

With minimum dry totals coming to 617 pounds versus 346 pounds, respectively, riders are still heaving around a bagger and quite a bit more weight, even if the fairings are carbon and the cases are merely shells.

Making its mark on a global stage

Suffice to say then, that, between the bellowing American V-twin powertrains, the bigger platforms and the bold bagger style, the series is set to see some bikes unlike anything lining the MotoGP grid.

Black racing motorcycle with number 34 on front fairing ridden on a race track curb. — They’re baggers in looks, mainly, but they do have to adhere to a minimum curb weight to keep things fair.

It’s a big part of what makes the endeavor so ambitious. While King of the Baggers makes for an easy enough lateral among American riders (who may already rep the bar and shield and probably follow other MotoAmerica classes like Super Hooligan), the Bagger Cup is putting Road Glides in front of a markedly different European fanbase.

Even with speeds hitting in excess of 186 mph and lap times just a few seconds off, it may as well be a different sport. Imagine running NASCAR and F1 in the same weekend, and you can start to get a handle on the divide.

Moreover, with four teams fighting for the title over six events as part of MotoGP race weekend double-header entertainment, Harley will be putting its Road Glide to the test at some of the world’s most exotic circuits.

Racing motorcycle with number 33 leaning into a corner on a track with red and white curbs. — As the reigning KOTB champion, Kyle Wyman brings plenty of competition experience.

As such, though the Bagger Cup kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, the series is anything but domestic. The schedule includes everywhere from Mugello to Silverstone, with Austria’s Red Bull Ring serving as the backdrop for the season finale.

Coming soon

If you want to catch the first round of the 2026 FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, it’s being held this weekend (March 27–29) at Circuit of the Americas.

Practice and qualifying will take place on Friday, March 27, followed by Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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