MotoAmerica’s full-figured big-bore race gets five rounds for the new year.

By Andrew Cherney, www.motorcyclecruiser.com

“Are you kidding me?!” was the reaction in many corners of the moto racing world when MotoAmerica announced it was having a bagger race series last year. The next most common phrase about pitting some of motorcycling’s least racy bikes against each other on a racetrack was something along the lines of “when pigs fly,” but it turns out all the haters misread the room; MotoAmerica has just announced the King of the Baggers race is not only returning for 2021, but it’s expanding to a five-round format.

By all accounts, the first King of the Baggers race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last October was a huge success, so much so that it’s coming back in 2021 but this time in a five-round series that will also be held in conjunction with the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Series. “Honestly, the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers debut race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca went better than we even dreamed of,” MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey said. “The popularity of the event was crazy, so how could we not do more?”

Which means we’ll be seeing a reprise of the ages-old Harley-Davidson versus Indian rivalry and it’s sure to be a doozy. You might recall that Indian won last year’s contest, with Tyler O’Hara taking the checkered flag on a race-prepped Challenger bagger, with Harley’s Hayden Gillim coming in a close second on his Electra Glide Standard. The 2021 series  kicks off at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, running April 30 to May 2, and wraps up with the MotoAmerica season finale at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama on September 17 through the 19. The other rounds will be at Road America, Laguna Seca and the Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

This year’s running will also adopt a different format from the debut event which was an invitational; the 2021 series is open to all qualified AMA license holders. They’ll compete for championship points that will be awarded at every round with a national champion getting crowned at the end of the season. Rainey said that the new format “…should bring new teams and new bike builds to the series from the aftermarket and motorcycle dealers who specialize in baggers.” Of that we’re certain, and it’ll be interesting to see how much performance ingenuity the more open setup will bring out.