MotoGP announces 2026 calendar for unique new support class

MotoGP has revealed the six-round calendar for the inaugural Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup that will take place on the support bill in 2026.

MotoGP first announced plans for a Bagger series in May, having partnered with iconic American brand Harley-Davidson last November following the final round of the 2024 season.

Bagger racing has become a hugely popular series in the MotoAmerica Championship, with MotoGP hoping to replicate that during grands prix weekends in 2026.

The Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will consist of six rounds, beginning at the Americas Grand Prix on 27-29 March.

The next round will be held during the Italian Grand Prix on 29-31 May, followed by the Dutch Grand Prix on 26-28 June, the British Grand Prix on 7-9 August, the Aragon Grand Prix on 28-30 August and the Austrian Grand Prix on 18-20 September.

Each round will consist of two races each, with at least six teams consisting of two riders each. Harley-Davidson hopes to field eight teams.

Several former MotoGP names have been attached to Bagger racing over the years, including Jeremy McWilliams and Bradley Smith.

Speaking to Crash.net last November about the possibility of Bagger racing coming to MotoGP, Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz said: “So far the reaction [during a demo at Barcelona] has been extraordinary, a lot of positive feedback and shoulder-clapping of our racers, or our mechanics, and I think it’s a good sign so far from what we’ve seen that there’s definitely a lot of interest to create a new space outside of what MotoGP has been doing so successfully already.”

With US media giant Liberty Media now owner of MotoGP, growing the series in America is a major strategic goal for the company.

Uniting one of the most iconic US brands in Harley-Davidson with MotoGP through the Bagger World Cup can be seen as part of this strategy.

For US fans, too, they will be able to watch Bagger racing for free on the new 24/7 MotoGP channel that launched from this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Dorna's chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta said of the new Harley-Davidson cup: "We’re always looking for ways to innovate and expand, both at the track for our record crowds as we continue our evolution, and to grow the reach of the sport even further – staying faithful to what fans love about MotoGP but finding ways to connect with new audiences. 

"The Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup fulfils the brief. 

"It will be a fantastic addition to race weekends for fans onsite at the same time as connecting our sport to one of the most iconic lifestyle and cultural brands in North America – and the world."