We laughed our heads off after we first heard about King of the Baggers racing. Big, open-road touring sofas from Harley and Indian going face to face in a race sequence beginning at Laguna Seca? It sounds as preposterous now because it did then.
However there is a ton of v-twin cruiser riders in america – certainly, the Sturgis scene is likely one of the strongest in all of motorcycling, even when there’s a number of grey beards obscuring the lurid t-shirt slogans nowadays. People positive do love their cruisers, and it appears folks have been greater than prepared to come back out and watch among the least racy bikes on this planet performing unnatural feats within the arms of alien-grade asphalt surgeons.
“Initially, the considered highway racing baggers was perplexing to many, and even downright offensive to some highway racing purists.” says Gary Grey, VP of Racing, Expertise and Service for Indian Bike, in a press launch. “However in simply three quick years, King of the Baggers has emerged as the most popular factor in bike racing.”
Indian Bike
Nicely, there’s nowt as queer as folks, as they used to say earlier than a TV present hijacked a wonderfully good phrase, and plenty of a weird thought has turn out to be a business success. Indian has determined if it is in for a penny, it is in for a pound. “We thought it might be superior to provide folks the chance to personal the bike that holds the crown,” says Grey, asserting the launch of what must be the world’s weirdest observe bike.
The Indian Challenger RR is now on sale for a rare US$92,229 – almost sufficient to get you three model new Ducati Panigale Rs that will be out of sight inside three corners. Alternatively, put the Challenger and the Duke subsequent to one another in a pit storage anyplace on this planet, and I do know which one’s going to attract a crowd.
The Challenger race duplicate retains its vestigial saddlebags – albeit in carbon fiber, as befits a machine of its standing. It will get 17-inch race rims, sticky Dunlops, race-spec Ohlins forks and shock and a particular raised race seat. The crew has been via the S&S catalog and ticked each conceivable field, from a 2-in-1 exhaust, to adjustable triples, a sequence drive conversion, adjustable fairing mounts, rearset footpegs, camshafts, intakes, rocker arms, chain tensioners, a race modified swingarm and extra.
Indian Bike
The entrance brakes are Brembo M4s on 330-mm rotors. They seem like they’re on vacation, and are simply lacking a Hawaiian shirt and a boozy drink in a coconut. There are dataloggers and quickshifters and plenty of stickers. The engine’s received a 112-ci (1,835-cc) large bore equipment fitted, and ported heads, and is presumably tuned up the wazoo, or a minimum of very near the wazoo.
“This bike is the true deal,” says Grey. “Very like after we launched the venerable FTR750, the Challenger RR is a real race bike and isn’t road authorized. Put in the correct arms, it should attain the rostrum in MotoAmerica’s Mission® King of the Baggers race sequence.”
Solely 29 of those celebrations of silliness shall be made, and probably they’re already spoken for. I am unable to faux to grasp what is going on on right here, however I can actually get pleasure from it. Try the Challenger successful its first race in 2020 beneath, as chaos ensues round it.
MotoAmerica Drag Specialties King of the Baggers Race Highlights at Laguna Seca 2020
Supply: Indian Bike