The new Harley-Davidson championship set to feature on the 2026 MotoGP undercard will see riders battle it out on the manufacturer’s Road Glide model.
Further details about the new one-make championship, which was revealed by Autosport on Friday, were announced at the official launch over lunchtime at the French Grand Prix on Saturday.
Harley-Davidson’s president and CEO Jochen Zeitz spoke at the launch alongside Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
“I don’t know how much you know about Harley-Davidson’s racing history, but actually the first motorcycle ever produced by the company in 1903 was intended to race,” explained Zeitz. “So racing is really in our DNA.”
Harley-Davidson press conference
Photo by: Dorna
While Harleys already feature on the American racing scene in the King of the Baggers series, Zeitz emphasised the significance of this global series.
“This is the first time since the 1970s… that we’re actually taking racing back onto circuits around the world.”
He also offered details about the race-prepared version of the Road Glide.
“The bike will have a top speed of over 300km/h, weigh around 280kg and… produce 200bhp. So these are really powerful machines that will be taking to the tracks of Europe and North America.”
The latest calendar information is that the series will appear on the MotoGP bill at six weekends in 2026, with two races at each. Although no specific venues were mentioned, it is clear that one of them will be the Circuit of the Americas in Harley’s homeland.
Per the official press release issued on Saturday, the series will feature “six to eight teams, each fielding two riders”.
These teams will all be supported by Harley-Davidson Factory Racing.
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