The MotoAmerica Drag Specialties King of the Baggers race at Laguna Seca last Saturday produced some fun, and exciting racing. Something different, for sure, but we understand it excited onlookers and provided for some interesting track action (see video below).
In a sea of Harley-Davidsons, the two Indian Challengers finished first and third, with Tyler O’Hara on the winning bike. You can find full race results here.
Even here you get censored lol
Ah this is a joke, they should just put slicks on them and run them like they come out of the factory, no modifications!
junk racing junk
Why no Japanese V-Twins?
The silence is defecating.
I thought it had something to do with the panniers had to be integrated into the bodywork rather than just attached hardbags, so for example my old Ducati ST3 wouldn’t qualify because it had separate side panels covering the subframe that were not part of the hard panniers, said panniers were mounted to a completely separate frame. I think the only Japanese bike that would qualify, and I could be completely making this up in my head, but doesn’t Yamaha/Star make a proper bagger?
Does my Super Duke GT qualify, it has bags?
I seem to recall people asked the same questions about Ducati Multistradas and IIRC it has something to do with the hard panniers are not integrated bodywork.
Besides that would be like putting an air-cooled 911 on a race track with a group of air-cooled VW Beetles, where’s the fun in that kind of race?
Indian is establishing their technological superiority!! American ingenuity!! Can’t downplay Tyler O’Hara though!! Brilliant!!
The best video was where Garcia pull a wheely and endo-ed the bike from pit lane! LOL
Wonder if someone will enter one of those new big inch Beemer boxers next time around….
The thing that would’ve made that better would’ve been to put a load of amateurs like, erm, me on them.
Would probably need the airbag suits inflated full-time.
Quick note to say thanks. Very enjoyable video.
That is the Challenger – Indian’s smaller bagger.
That was a great show! Indian earned b(r)agger rights in a heads-up run what you brung race on a demanding track. Their marketing department will have a blast with this.
Kudos to 2nd place Harley, that bike & rider were laying down serious go-fast up the hill to the Corkscrew.
The Indian is clearly a cheater build because that is not a Chief.
My sentiments exactly, A Roadmaster may have been more of an equal competitor. But Indian has actually built a touring version of the Scout for sale. But yes, smaller, lighter, more power and more ground clearance. The one above looks like a FTR1200 based bagger which really looks like a hoot.
Hardly a cheater. The winning bike was the Indian Challenger, a full size touring bagger. It’s essentially Indian’s version of the Road Glide. And it’s badass.
I like the Moto America races. They raced at Barber recently.
That was fun, stupid, stupid fun.
I enjoyed it too. Seeing some of them over cook the turns and stand it up to save it reminds me of when I had taken my dyna to the track years ago and had to do the same thing. Just because I club raced didn’t mean I shouldn’t also learn to push my big bike to the limit too.
Did the 4th place bike have a turbo on it? I thought the airplane guys were the only ones putting turbos on air cooled engines.
Anybody know where to find laptimes? I’d be interested to see how these ran compared to some of the other classes.
I own a Indian bagger and love it, but this was like watching sumo wrestling you want to look away but you can’t.
With all of the horrible things going on in the world, I really needed a good laugh. This was it. Thank You.