A New Chapter in Performance: Harley-Davidson Enters the World Stage

In 2026, Harley-Davidson enters the world of MotoGP. Not as a manufacturer taking on Ducati, Honda or Aprilia, but with its own one-make series, created in partnership with Dorna Sports, the promoter of the MotoGP World Championship.

This partnership puts race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide bikes on the same circuits, on the same weekends and in front of the same crowd as the MotoGP prototypes.

For Harley-Davidson, it is a change of scale: a brand known for long-distance touring takes its place in the programme of the most-watched motorcycle sport in the world.

A partnership between Harley-Davidson and Dorna Sports

Jochen Zeitz, then chief executive of Harley-Davidson, presented the project as a major step in the brand’s history. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, sees it as a way to introduce MotoGP to audiences who have seen little of Grand Prix racing.

Each partner brings what the other lacks. Harley-Davidson supplies the bikes, its racing experience and a community of enthusiasts all over the world. Dorna brings the sporting organisation, access to Grand Prix circuits and the visibility of a MotoGP weekend.

How the series is organised

The series brings together six to eight professional teams, each running two riders. They all race on the same base: a factory-prepared Road Glide, with some freedom on setup so each team can refine its own strategy.

To keep the field fair, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing provides central logistics and technical support: parts supply, setup advice and help at every circuit. Dorna, for its part, puts the series into the official weekend schedule, like the other classes.

Its place in the MotoGP calendar

The Harley-Davidson series runs as a support class at six MotoGP weekends, with two races per weekend, in North America and Europe. The crowd that comes for the Grand Prix also sees the bagger races, with no extra trip.

The circuits and dates of the 2026 season are covered in our article on the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup 2026.

The series is not trying to compete with the MotoGP prototypes. It adds contrast: big V-Twin touring bikes among the Grand Prix machines, which brings variety and spectacle to the whole weekend.

An international strategy

The project underlines the ambition of Harley-Davidson: to reach a wider audience and grow its presence in markets where the brand is less well known. Jochen Zeitz stressed the need to evolve the brand’s DNA while respecting its heritage.

MotoGP offers a unique showcase for this. Its races draw a young, international audience, often more familiar with sportbikes than with baggers. For Harley, it is a chance to show its bikes to riders who would never have walked into a dealership.

What the partnership changes for Harley racing

Until now, Harley bagger racing took place mainly in the United States, with MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers. The partnership with Dorna moves it onto a world stage, with Grand Prix circuits and an international audience.

For Harley-Davidson Factory Racing, it is also a new role: supplier and technical support for a whole grid, not just a competing team. Production models such as the CVO Road Glide ST and the limited-edition CVO 131 Road Glide RR, which the race bikes are based on, gain new visibility along the way.

Conclusion: Harley-Davidson takes its seat at the MotoGP table

With Dorna Sports, Harley-Davidson is doing more than launching a championship. The brand is taking its place in the MotoGP paddock, alongside the biggest names in motorcycle sport, without giving up what defines it: the V-Twin, the bagger and the spirit of touring.

At Legendary Parts, we are following this new step closely, and we help riders who want to maintain or upgrade their Harley with the right parts.