King Of The Baggers
Last October, MotoAmerica debuted an event called “King of the Baggers.” The race consisted of American touring bikes with v-twins, full fairings, and saddle bags. Though the idea seems ridiculous, these race-prepped baggers are surprisingly fun to watch. As a result, King of the Baggers is set to return for a three race series in 2021.
Last year’s winner was Tyler O’Hara on the S&S tuned 2020 Indian Challenger. This year, however, Harley-Davidson is entering the race themselves to secure victory for 2021. The factory race team is using a Road Glide Special with the top dog Screamin’ Eagle 131 Milwaukee-Eight crate engine. Pro-rider Kyle Wyman will pilot the race modified 2,147cc v-twin and all of its 131lb-ft of torque.
Kyle Wyman is the son of Kim Wyman, the owner of Harv’s Harley-Davidson in NY. As a result, Kyle started his flat track racing career on Harley-Davidson XR750s at the age of 15. He has since gone on to win the Daytona 200 in 2019, as well as six races in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 series.
“I am very excited and honored to be the rider of the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide Special,” says Wyman. “To be a Factory rider for Harley-Davidson is something I’ve dreamed of since I was little, watching my hero Scott Parker win Grand National Championships on the Harley-Davidson XR750.”
Any qualified AMA License holder may enter into King of the Baggers. In addition, Harley-Davidson says they “will offer a nearly $30,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the three-race King of the Baggers series.”
The first race begins at Road Atlanta from April 30-May 2. The following two races are Road America June 11-13, and finally Laguna Seca from July 9-11. In the meantime, check out our review of last year’s winner, the Indian Challenger Limited.
