We cannot deny that bagger races were curious to us as soon as we learned about them. At the end of the day, here we breathe passion for two wheels and, if possible, even more so for competition, so everything that has to do with racing has our curiosity beforehand and in the case of baggers they now have our attention.
Surely if you think about preparing a motorcycle to hit the track with it you will never think of a bagger, that’s what sports, naked, trail, scooters are for… anything rather than a motorcycle with similar characteristics. But, of course, in the United States things are different and even more so when it comes to looking for spectacle.
So the experiment ended up coming to fruition, and the baggers with their suitcases and everything have been so widely accepted that they could now become a MotoGP support category. Although there have already been The King of the Bagger races that have coincided with the championship, this has happened, for now, only in the Grand Prix of the Americas.
But what Harley-Davidson is proposing and Dorna is willing to listen to is that they be part of the support races that compete on the same weekends as the championship. Something similar to what the BMW Boxer CUP once was but with Harley.
The arrival of the bagger to MotoGP is expected to be made official next week
For the moment we have to wait for more official information, but on the 18th, coinciding with the MotoGP tests, a press conference is expected at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to talk about the bagger and Harley-Davidson project. And be careful, this is interesting because it is not proposed to speak as MotoAmérica, but as a manufacturer directly.
In fact, riders like John Hopkins, Marco Melandri and Simo Crafar are going to ride as a presentation along with official Harley-Davidson rider Kyle Wyman. Who knows if Rubén Xaus or Jeremy McWilliams’ experience in the series encourages other veterans to return to action.
What is certain is that all this is not a secret because Jochen Zeitz, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson has spoken about it and so has Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports. That means that everything is so advanced that perhaps what we will know next week are the details.
Jochen Zeitz: “Racing is a fundamental pillar of the Harley-Davidson brand, reflecting our commitment to performance and innovation. By partnering with Dorna/MotoGP, we seek to expand our racing presence globally, fueling the passion of our customers and fans. “This MotoGP test is a key first step in realizing these ambitions and demonstrating our dedication to racing excellence.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta: “Harley-Davidson is an iconic brand, and we are always interested in ways to partner with them to attract more fans to MotoGP, the most exciting sport in the world.”
