{"id":4836,"date":"2026-09-08T10:31:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T10:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blacktopmedia.co.uk\/?p=4836"},"modified":"2026-09-08T10:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T10:31:08","slug":"harley-davidson-take-on-motogp-with-the-bagger-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blacktopmedia.co.uk\/?p=4836","title":{"rendered":"Harley-Davidson Take On MotoGP With The Bagger World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Climbing aboard the Harley-Davidson Road Glide Limited, we fired up the engine and set off for Silverstone. Our destination was the UK round of MotoGP, where we were joining the Harley-Davidson team for the Bagger World Cup\u2014alongside a passionate crowd of owners who\u2019d snapped up official hospitality packages (more on that later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With music blasting through the Road Glide\u2019s stereo, we rolled into the circuit and navigated straight to the infield Harley Village. Settling into the dedicated, secure owner parking, it didn’t take long before we were making new friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup made its debut as a dedicated global support series for select MotoGP weekends, bringing heavy-metal American V-twin performance to world-class Grand Prix venues. Highly sophisticated prototype MotoGP machines and heavy-metal Harley-Davidsons sound like quite the dichotomy, but the Harleys provided close, edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting racing that was more than a match for the GP grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Series Overview & The Bikes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanning six iconic rounds across North America and Europe\u2014COTA, Mugello, Assen, Silverstone, MotorLand Arag\u00f3n, and the Red Bull Ring finale\u2014the weekend format features two full-length sprint races alongside main Grand Prix sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The machines are purpose-built racers built on Harley-Davidson\u2019s Grand American Touring platform\u2014specifically the Road Glide, hence our choice of transport for the trip. Powered by a race-tuned Milwaukee-Eight 131R V-Twin producing over 200 hp, these are full race-spec weapons. Stripped for heavy weight reduction, they feature specialised track suspension, upgraded race brakes, high-lean-angle pegs\/exhausts, and aggressive front fairings capable of pushing top speeds close to 186 mph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dunlop was the only manufacturer able to provide a tyre capable of coping with the extremes of 360+ kg, 200+ bhp, and zero traction control. The result is plenty of sliding. Fast, dramatic, and a complete handful to ride, the bikes buck and slide out of corners. The one-make nature of the series keeps the machinery equal, leaving everything down to setup and rider skill. It\u2019s a fantastic spectacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Teams & Key Riders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grid features four main international outfits boasting an impressive mix of road racers, MotoE champions, and ex-MotoGP stars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n