Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup 2027: 16 races and three new tracks, but Italian team Cecchini bows out

The Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup is expanding, but losing its only Italian team. At EICMA in Milan, the Milwaukee-based manufacturer unveiled the 2027 calendar for its one-make series, which supports MotoGP: eight rounds and 16 races, with Le Mans, Barcelona and Portimao joining the schedule and Silverstone dropping off. Two new teams are coming on board, while Cecchini Racing Garage will not be taking part.

The announcement was made on November 4, just over a month after the end of the inaugural season, in which Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing) was crowned the category’s first champion at the Red Bull Ring. The 2026 season featured twelve races across six weekends: Austin, Mugello, Assen, Silverstone, Aragon and Spielberg.

The series will once again kick off at the Circuit of The Americas, where the baggers will race during the US GP weekend from April 23 to 25, following an official pre-season test at the same track on April 17 and 18. Le Mans, the first of three new venues, hosts races three and four in mid-May. Mugello follows two weeks later, then Barcelona in mid-June. It marks a return to the Montmeló circuit for Harley-Davidson: the racing baggers made their European debut there in 2024, two years before the World Cup was launched.

Racing takes place at Assen from June 25 to 27, followed by a break of around two months before Spielberg at the end of August. MotorLand Aragon is on the schedule from September 17 to 19, with the season finale in Portimao in early October, where the series’ second champion will be crowned. The calendar visits seven countries, extending the season from April through October.

In 2026, the grid was small, with four teams and around ten riders, depending on wildcard entries. Alongside Joe Rascal Racing were the Americans from Saddlemen Race Development, Indonesia’s Niti Racing and Cecchini Racing Garage. The Italian team will not be competing in 2027, replaced by Kyle Wyman Racing and Mad Monkey, each fielding one bike. That brings the total to five teams and 11 confirmed bikes.

The inaugural season delivered racing that appealed especially to a broader audience beyond hardcore motorsport fans. There were five different race winners, every team reached the podium, and four riders were still in contention for the title before the final round. For the new season, Harley-Davidson has also announced a more competitive bike, with a new aerodynamic fairing currently in development. Dynojet moves from technical partner to Presenting Sponsor, with the championship becoming the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Tuned by Dynojet, while Dunlop renews its deal as the exclusive tyre supplier.

The expansion is aimed primarily at the crowds attending major MotoGP weekends. Jeffrey Schuessler, Harley-Davidson’s Director of Global Racing Programs, explained the plan, which is expected to boost overall attendance by nearly 60%. "The calendar is growing by two rounds, and we expect total attendance across race weekends to increase by nearly 60%, from more than 800,000 spectators in 2026 to around 1.3 million in 2027," he said.

"More races, more teams, more riders, more fans and more competition: that’s our ambition for the championship’s second season," the American executive added. The first test will once again be in Austin, in April, where Harley-Davidson hopes to bring dealers, H.O.G. members and MotoGP fans together for the second season of its World Cup.

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