MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race One Results From Daytona (Updated)

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race One Results From Daytona (Updated)

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Rispoli Wins Mission King Of The Baggers Opener At Daytona

Gus Rodio Takes First REV’IT! Twins Cup Win, O’Hara Wins Mission Super Hooligan National Championship Race

Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson's James Rispoli (43) leads teammate Hayden Gillim (79) with Tyler O'Hara (1) giving chase in the Mission King Of The Baggers race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica. — Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli (43) leads teammate Hayden Gillim (79) with Tyler O’Hara (1) giving chase in the Mission King Of The Baggers race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 10, 2023) – Seemingly everyone had some sort of issue to deal with in the opening round of the Mission King Of The Baggers series at Daytona International Speedway, but Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli dealt with his better than the rest to take his first career victory in the class.

Rispoli was running second and giving chase to early leader Kyle Wyman when he made the save of his life and somehow stayed on board his Road Glide despite a seemingly endless and viscous tank slapper on the high banks. Once he got that under control, he was keeping the pressure on Wyman when the H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide expired with five laps to go. From there it was a battle to the finish with Rispoli and his teammate Hayden Gillim joined by the second factory Harley of Travis Wyman. The two Vance & Hines riders then got a scare when Travis Wyman’s Road Glide suffered a mechanical failure on the banking. The fear of oil on the banking brought out the red flag and Rispoli had his first win in the bag with Gillim second.

Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Tyler O’Hara finished third on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Indian Challenger despite having to start from the back row when the team failed to get him and his teammate Jeremy McWilliams out of pit lane in time for the sighting lap.

Mission King Of The Baggers winner James Rispoli (center) is flanked in Victory Lane by teammate Hayden Gillim (left) and Tyler O'Hara (right). Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica. — Mission King Of The Baggers winner James Rispoli (center) is flanked in Victory Lane by teammate Hayden Gillim (left) and Tyler O’Hara (right). Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.

The first of the Team Saddlemen Harley was ridden to fourth place by Cory West, who finished 13.1 seconds off the lead and well clear of McWilliams, who was just 1.4 seconds ahead of Baggers rookie and former Superbike racer Jake Lewis.

In addition to the two factory Harleys, Bobby Fong was another knocked out of the race with mechanical problems on his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian Challenger.

REV’IT! Twins Cup – All Rodio

Gus Rodio (96) ran away and hid in REV'IT! Twins Cup Race One at Daytona. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica. — Gus Rodio (96) ran away and hid in REV’IT! Twins Cup Race One at Daytona. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.

MotoAmerica races at Daytona International Speedway are normally decided by less than a second. Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Racing’s Gus Rodio decided to flip that as he rode to his first career victory in the REV’IT! Twins Cup class by an unheard of 8.538 seconds.

Rodio was initially embroiled in a battle at the front with four others, though that was broken up when Dominic Doyle crashed and took Ben Gloddy with him. It also hindered Jackson Blackmon’s progress as he had to take evasive action to avoid the carnage. That left Rodio to battle with defending REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis.

Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Blackmon, in his first race back after a long rehabilitation of a badly broken ankle, didn’t give up and he was rewarded with an eventual second place after he caught and passed the reeling Davis, who would end up fourth. Blackmon was hounded to the finish line by Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, but he barely beat Schultz to the line by just .060 of a second.

Fifth place went to Ed Sullivan, the Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing rider whose real job is crew chief for Mathew Scholtz’s Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike.

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship

If getting Daytona’d isn’t a verb, it ought to be. The definition would be: Daytona’d (verb) to lead the entire race only to be beaten by a fraction of a second on the draft run from the final chicane to the finish line on the tri-oval of Daytona International Speedway.

Many have suffered the fate of being Daytona’d and on Friday it was Bobby Fong’s turn. Fong and his Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle-backed FTR1200 led 99.9 percent of the six-lap Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at the Speedway, but it was the .1 percent that hurt as Tyler O’Hara beat him to the line by .064 of a second on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods-sponsored FTR1200.

O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams completed the podium in third, the Northern Irelander 1.2 seconds behind O’Hara and .144 of a second ahead of Cory West and the Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.

Fong’s teammate Kyle Ohnsorg finished a lonely fifth.

Bobby Fong (50) leads eventual winner Tyler O'Hara (1) in Super Hooligan National Championship Race One on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica. — Bobby Fong (50) leads eventual winner Tyler O’Hara (1) in Super Hooligan National Championship Race One on Friday. Photo By Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.

Notes…

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin will start Saturday’s Daytona 200, sponsored in part by Pirelli and Bridgestone, from pole position after leading the 15-minute Time Attack final qualifying session with his 1:48.741. He will be joined on the front row by Celtic/Tytlers Cycle/TSE Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

In addition to a solid effort that led to a front-row starting position, Scott and his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki were victors in the second annual MotoAmerica Pit Stop Challenge that was held at the end of on-track action on Friday.

Quotes

Tyler O’Hara – Super Hooligan National Championship, Winner

“It was a good race. Bobby (Fong) had really good pace all weekend. That was the first time we got to ride together, and he had a really clean, open track. I was in the back learning and made a few mistakes myself and he gapped me. I was able to reel him back in, and then the lapper there through the chicane definitely played a big role. I don’t know if I was going to be able to draft pass him on the finish. He basically broke the draft. It was a good race. Just to sweep the podium, Indian Motorcycle, that’s huge for any motorcycle… all of our sponsors, Progressive have come on board this year, and Mission Foods. Everybody. Parts Unlimited. To win at Daytona is special. Just coming here it’s an amazing feeling. Just really enjoying it. Having fun and really just continuing to develop these motorcycles. It’s a lot of fun.”

Gus Rodio – REV’IT! Twins Cup, Winner

“I didn’t really know what to expect coming here. There as a lot of unknowns, of course. It’s the first race of the year, my first race in the class since last year at Daytona. I’ve been training with Brandon (Paasch). He’s like my big brother. It’s really cool to have somebody like that that I can just go out and stay at the house, spin laps, and really learn something from him. I’m always chasing him. So, I’m really happy. I can’t ask for anything more. My Rodio racing Aprilia feels incredible. I’ve never really felt a bike that I just clicked with, and I just feel like I’m one with this motorcycle right now. Obviously, that makes me happy so I’m having fun while I’m riding. I can put together clean laps and just stay consistent by myself and just stay focused throughout the race.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – James Rispoli, Winner

“I saw my life flash twice and then it just kept going. I was like, ‘maybe I’ll get out of it.’ It just kept going all the way up the banking. I don’t know, man. I summoned all the energy from my ancestors to keep that one going straight. But at the end of the day, to be honest, it was a really fun race. Once we saw Tyler (O’Hara) and Jeremy (McWilliams) not on there (the grid), the game plan is always to race hard but a little different because the Harleys react the same way. So, me and Hayden (Gillim) were just clicking off laps, passing each other in good spots. I think we figured out where he was strong, where I was strong, and we just made it work. To be honest, it’s a shame to see both factory Harleys go out, but I kind of feel like we were tracking them down a little bit in some areas. Maybe he was just blowing up. I don’t know. I feel like me and Hayden did a phenomenal job of just working together. You got to do that here at Daytona. Then me and Hayden started making quite a bit of mistakes out there, running wide and stuff. I was just hoping nobody else would catch up. I saw some people coming. Travis (Wyman) got in there with us, and he had a little bit of a moment. Thankfully, he’s super solid and got right off the line. But I’m just stoked. Vance & Hines have worked their butts off this off-season. We go out in FP1 and if we’re slow a mile an hour, it’s all forgotten, and it can’t be. These guys work so hard. We’re in the fight. Yeah, we might not have the mile an hour, but we lasted, and we got one and two. It’s the first King Of The Baggers (round). I’m super proud of my team and my teammate. We’ll just keep going. Terry (Vance) – just get the red numbers out because we’re looking at the red plate, baby.”

MotoAmerica: Riding Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide 131R Bagger Racebike

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Riding Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide 131R Bagger Racebike

Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2022 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.

Kyle Wyman’s Harley-Davidson Road Glide 131R Bagger

When Hogs Fly

By Chris Ulrich

Racing Is Entertainment

A bagger and a racetrack are not two things that really seem to go together with a positive outcome. Or at least not until 2020, when MotoAmerica hosted the King Of The Baggers invitational exhibition race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Purists scoffed at the concept and MotoAmerica took a lot of heat, but they pulled it off, gaining a massive amount of exposure and more importantly, attracting a new audience to the sport of road racing. Even Superbike mechanics came out to the pit wall to watch the race, and none of the bikes oiled the track.

That wildly successful first event led to King Of The Baggers (KOTB) races being included in three rounds during the 2021 MotoAmerica season, and all three of those races were aired on FOX Sports TV. The rival Bagger Racing League held two events, and Baggers are starting to gain traction at the club level, too, with forward thinking club racing organizations, like the California Racing Association (CRA), adding a class for baggers, giving riders an opportunity to test and race outside of the major sanctioned events.

My first on-track experience with a bagger wasn’t riding, but following, when I was asked by MotoAmerica to shoot some onboard footage at Laguna Seca (from my Suzuki GSX-R1000R 2-Seat Superbike) following Ben Bostrom on a Feuling Parts Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Bostrom was on the gas from pit out, despite the Big Twin bucking and wobbling all over the racetrack. He was faster than I expected and it was impressive to watch. Big movement while pushing the limits at speed on the racetrack is part of the game when you take a bike that was originally designed to cruise down the highway or meander through the canyons. That’s right, meander.

Based on a production Road Glide Special, the bagger racebike weighs 631 pounds in race trim and is set up very high to get cornering clearance out of a very wide motorcycle. Seat Height is a tall 36.6-inches.

While Harley-Davidson didn’t have an official team in the exhibition races, the brand obviously saw value in going racing and established a link between new model development, the Screamin’ Eagle Performance department, and racing in the KOTB series, which allowed the group to justify going racing. But there was a caveat for 2021: All members of the racing team had to continue to do their day jobs at Harley-Davidson, meaning anyone participating the KOTB program would be volunteering on their own time. Like most racing projects, it was part marketing, part engineering, and all fueled by passion.

Helping justify the racing program was the fact that there has been a shift in the market, with more riders wanting a more functional street motorcycle combining higher performance with the traditional bagger look and feel. Going racing allows Harley-Davidson’s Screamin’ Eagle Performance parts and accessory department to develop parts in racing and use the on-track success to reinforce the motor company’s high-performance credentials in the bagger arena. To Harley-Davidson’s credit, new 2022 models carry styling cues and upgrades from the 2021 KOTB racebikes. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday still works when applied correctly.

The Harley-Davidson 131R (which stands for 131 cubic inches engine displacement) racebike. The left-side footpeg and shift lever are mounted to the CNC-machined billet cover of the primary drive case, which houses a chain running from the crankshaft to the separate transmission's input shaft. — The Harley-Davidson 131R (which stands for 131 cubic inches engine displacement) racebike. The left-side footpeg and shift lever are mounted to the CNC-machined billet cover of the primary drive case, which houses a chain running from the crankshaft to the separate transmission’s input shaft.

Zero To Racing In Four Months

Harley-Davidson’s new official KOTB program kicked off in January 2021, with the first race scheduled at Road Atlanta in April. A ton of work had to be done to get the bikes on track in such a short amount of time. The group chose Superbike race team owner/rider Kyle Wyman as the lead rider for the project with his brother, Travis, filling a second spot on the team starting at the second round.

In 2021, Kyle won the KOTB Championship, taking wins at Road America and Laguna Seca. Travis finished fifth overall with a best finish of third. It’s clear Harley-Davidson showed up to win.

The Harley-Davidson 131R (which stands for 131 cubic inches engine displacement) racebike. The right-side footpeg and brake lever mount on the CNC-machined billet transmission cover. Note trellis-style swingarm machined out of a 400-pound block of billet aluminum.

Top Secret Tech Details

Wyman’s 2021 Championship-winning Harley-Davidson Road Glide 131R is heavily modified for KOTB racing. Given the rivalry between Indian and Harley-Davidson, engineers were reluctant to give away very many details of their winning weapon.

Everything is big on this bagger racebike from the massive air-cooled engine to the 65-inch wheelbase and 631-pound race weight. The dimensions of the motorcycle are extreme.

Electronics are limited, so the baggers must run the stock ECU and are not allowed to use data acquisition during race events. For testing, Harley-Davidson engineers run data through an AIM MXS 1.2 data logger dash. That means most of the performance modifications are old school, i.e. mechanical. But just looking at the parts used and engineering time required, I’d estimate the build cost for a top-line bagger to be between $150,000 and $200,000 without including the cost of the stock bike.

With a 65-inch wheelbase, the Harley-Davidson Bagger needs a lot of lean angle to turn, which requires cornering clearance gained by raising the bike a bunch. Footpegs are 18.8 inches off the pavement and 17.7 inches below the seat. Few riders at Inde could touch down both feet at once, and dragging knees took an effort.

At the heart of the Road Glide is an air-cooled 45-degree V-Twin Milwaukee-Eight 131R engine. HD engineers used an upgraded version of the Screamin’ Eagle 131 cubic inch (2,151cc) crate engine offered as an aftermarket replacement engine for the road. Upgraded camshafts are used and the shape of the piston dome has been changed to increase compression, and higher flow injectors are added to improve performance. The end result is an engine that Harley-Davidson claims puts out around 150 bhp and over 150 lbs.-ft. of torque at the rear wheel. Heat dissipation is the limiting factor for the Milwaukee-Eight engine, so engineers added larger fins to the cylinder heads and put the horn housing back onto the bike to push more air to the rear cylinder. A large oil cooler is fitted in the opening in the carbon-fiber front fairing; engineers pay close attention to the oil temperature to balance heat dissipation without having to increase oil viscosity, which reduces power output. On the racetrack the engine averages 6,000 rpm with redline set between 6,600 and 6,800 rpm, well above the stock rev limit.

On the chassis side, the big challenge is to create enough cornering clearance and still get the bike to go around the racetrack. There are some challenges to converting a bagger that comes with floor boards into a racetrack-capable machine with footpegs. There is no way to mount rearsets on the frame, so the billet primary drive and transmission covers are machined with peg mounts. The peg to ground height is 18.8 inches (480 mm) and the seat height is 36.6 inches (930mm), which is roughly four inches higher than an average sportbike. The peg-to-seat distance is 17.7 inches (450mm), which is a bit cramped for me. For better race ergonomics, the set-back stock handlebars have been replaced by a one-piece motocross/flatrack style bar. A large pommel was also added to the rear of the fuel tank so the riders can actually hang off, and the unit used on the bike I rode was version 4.0.

The KOTB race spec Road Glide must use the stock mild-steel, backbone-style frame, but the rest of the chassis is wide open. The rake is stock, sitting around 25.5 degrees, but the trail is around 160mm, which is close to the stock trail on the stock Road Glide, but very extreme compared to a sportbike. The stock triple clamps were replaced with custom made, fully adjustable units. Like the stock bike, the fork mounts on the triple clamps are also offset (pushed out forward) from the steering stem, which increases the wheelbase and trail numbers. The conventional forks have been replaced by inverted 43mm Öhlins FGR 250 racing front forks. At the rear there is a set of Öhlins-built Screamin’ Eagle Shocks. The custom swingarm is machined from a 400-pound piece of billet aluminum down to the 18-pound unit used on the racebike. The swingarm mounts directly to the engine using rubber bushings, so there is a bit of movement when leaned over. Wheelbase on the bike tested was 65-inches (1651mm).

Stopping the Bagger is a set of radial-mount Accossato racing mono-bloc calipers with 34mm titanium pistons combined with a Brembo RCS master cylinder. The big bagger uses a set of 300mm front brake rotors, which is on the small side for such a heavy bike. Harley-Davison plans to upgrade the brake system to use Brembo mono-bloc calipers combined with a set of 330mm front rotors.

At the rear, Harley-Davidson engineers used another 34mm piston radial-mount front caliper with a 300mm single disc. Wyman, a former dirt tracker, relies on the rear brake to get the Bagger to rotate around the middle of the corner. The Road Glide rolls around on 17-inch Core Moto Apex 6 forged aluminum wheels.

Kyle (#1) and Travis (#10) Wyman's 2022 Harley-Davidson 131R Road Glide Special racebikes pose at Inde Motorsport Ranch. — Kyle (#1) and Travis (#10) Wyman’s 2022 Harley-Davidson 131R Road Glide Special racebikes pose at Inde Motorsport Ranch.

A Bagger On Track

I hate to admit it, but for the first time in a long time, I was nervous and maybe a little intimidated to ride a motorcycle. I think the last time I’d had anxiety (besides normal pre-race jitters) about riding a motorcycle on a racetrack was at Brno Circuit in 2004, but that was on a MotoGP bike on course with all the MotoGP riders.

I was at Inde Motorsports Ranch in the Arizona’s high desert about to throw a leg over a 631-pound bagger. I don’t know why, but the bike just looks intimidating. Maybe it was fear of the unknown. It may have also been because due to scheduling conflicts, I hadn’t been on a bike in a few months.

Another view of Kyle's upgraded 2022 bike in new graphics. — Another view of Kyle’s upgraded 2022 bike in new graphics.

But my nerves calmed as I got suited up and threw my leg over the top of the Road Glide KOTB special. I could feel the weight of the bike as the crew let it down off the stand, stabilizing it with both feet. The 36-inch seat height combined with the big cylinders mounted high in the frame makes the bike a little unwieldly until you get used to it. Wobbling slightly, I clicked it into gear, opened the throttle while slipping the clutch and rolled out for my first laps behind 2021 KOTB Champion Kyle Wyman.

That unwieldy feeling carried onto the track, but corner-by-corner, I started to understand what I needed to do to ride the Road Glide. With a 65-inch wheel base, there isn’t much pitch on the brakes so you don’t get the same sensations from the front tire on corner entry. The most difficult part comes at turn-in, as the extreme height of the bike and high center of gravity make it difficult to initiate turn-in, but then the bike falls into the corner quicker than expected with a ton of momentum heading to full lean. I struggled to get my knee on the ground so it was difficult to judge lean angle. At the apex the Road Glide was really stable and gave great feedback. I pushed the front over one of the sealer patches, but it has so much trail that front came back immediately. And, surprisingly, it still finished the corner well. There was traction on corner exit; I think the weight of the bike helps drive the rear tire into the pavement. The lack of pitch to the rear didn’t cause any problems.

The Milwaukee-Eight engine was torquey, but also delivered smooth, linear power through the rev range. I was a little surprised how soft the power was in the lower part of the rev range, from first touch to about 1/3rd throttle. Power picked up as the revs climbed into the rev limiter which looked like it was set around 6,500. The engine makes a ton of power and torque on paper, but the sensation of power and acceleration is diminished by the weight of the bike.

Remote Reservoir Screamin' Eagle by Öhlins 36mm dual shocks were developed by the Swedish suspension manufacturer with extensive testing and input from Kyle Wyman and his crew. Photo by Brian J. Nelson. — Remote Reservoir Screamin’ Eagle by Öhlins 36mm dual shocks were developed by the Swedish suspension manufacturer with extensive testing and input from Kyle Wyman and his crew. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

The transmission ratios are spread out, so the throw between gears can be problematic. I had to be very deliberate during upshifts and downshifts on the bike. I didn’t time a downshift right on the first lap and caught a neutral off the back straight. I made sure I gave the bike a proper two-stroke blip every time I downshifted after that moment.

By the end of the four-lap sessions, I started to gain some confidence on the bike and pick up the pace. By this time, I figured out the timing on turn-in; my inputs just had to be very smooth and deliberate. I definitely needed to roll the bike into the corner. I could get my knee down in most corners, which was reassuring. And, once I figured it out, the Road Glide generally felt like a normal motorcycle; it stopped, turned, and accelerated, but with a character unique to a custom bike doing something it wasn’t designed to do. Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide Bagger actually gets around the racetrack pretty quickly, which is impressive.

Specifications: 2020 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special Racebike

Engine Configuration: 45-degree V-Twin

Engine Displacement: 131 cubic inches (2,152cc)

Engine Cooling: Air

Combustion Chamber Design: Screamin’ Eagle Stage IV Heads

Valves Per Cylinder: 4

Intake Valves Per Cylinder (Material): 2 (Stainless Steel)

Exhaust Valves Per Cylinder (Material): 2 (Inconel)

Bore x Stroke: 4.31-inches x 4.5-inches (109.474mm x 114.3mm)

Connecting Rod Length (center-to-center): 8.015 inches (203.6mm)

Connecting Rod Material: Steel

Claimed Peak Rear-Wheel Horsepower: 150 bhp

Claimed Peak Rear-Wheel Torque: 150 lbs.-ft.

Engine Redline: 6,800 rpm

Valvetrain Type: Pushrod

Valve Adjustment Interval: Self-adjusting Hydraulic Lifters

Intake Valve Diameter: 41mm

Exhaust Valve Diameter: 34mm

Fuel Delivery System: Digital Fuel Injection

Throttle Body Venturi Size: 64mm

Air Filter Type: K&N Oiled Pleated Fabric Element

Exhaust System Type (Material): 2-1 (Stainless Steel)

Ignition System: Digital (Stock)

Lubrication System: Dry Sump, Screamin’ Eagle Pro High-Volume Oil Pump

Oil Capacity: 4-quarts Engine, 1-quart Transmission, 1-quart Primary

Engine Oil: Screamin’ Eagle SYN3 Full Synthetic 20w50 Motorcycle Oil

Fuel Capacity: 20 liters (5.3 gallons)

Transmission Type: 6-speed, Constant Mesh

Clutch Type: Multi-plate, Wet, Screamin’ Eagle High Capacity

Clutch Actuation System: Cable

Clutch Spring Type: Coil

Number Of Clutch Springs: 3

Number Of Clutch Plates: 10

Drive Plates: 10

Driven Plates: 10

Primary Drive: Link-Plate Chain

Primary Drive Gear Teeth: 24-26

Final Drive Sprocket Teeth: 47-53

Frame Design (Material): Stock FL Backbone (Steel)

Rake/Trail: 25.5 degrees/160mm

Measured Wheelbase: 65 inches (1,651mm)

Swingarm Type: Asymmetric Billet Aluminum Alloy

Seat Height: 36.6 inches (930mm)

Footpeg Height: 18.8 inches (480mm)

Footpeg to Seat: 17.7 inches (450mm)

Front Forks: Inverted Öhlins FGR250 Racing

Fork Tube Diameter: 43mm

Fork Adjustments:

Rebound Damping: 30-Click Range

Compression Damping: 30-Click Range

Spring Preload: 18-Turn Range

Front Wheel Travel: 130mm

Rear Wheel Travel: 81.5mm

Rear Suspension Type: Remote Reservoir Screamin’ Eagle by Öhlins 36mm Dual Shocks

Rear Shock Adjustments:

Rebound Damping: 36-Click Range

Compression Damping: 22-Click Range

Spring Preload: 25mm Range

Front Brakes: 300mm (11.8-inch) Dual Discs, Radial-mount 4-piston Accossato PZ001 Calipers

Rear Brake: 300mm (11.8-inch) Disc, 4-piston Brembo Caliper

Front Wheel: Core Moto Apex-6 17-inch x 3.50-inch Forged Aluminum Alloy

Rear Wheel: Core Moto Apex-6 17-inch x 6.00-inch Forged Aluminum Alloy

Front Tire: 120/70-R17 Dunlop KR448

Rear Tire: 200/60-R17 Dunlop KR451

Claimed Racing Weight: 631 pounds

Weight Distribution, Percent: (46F/54R)

Estimated Build Cost: $150,000 – $200,000

0322_RW_MARCH_AB_V18_WHEN HOGS FLY_H-D RACE BAGGER_WEB

MotoAmerica: Twins Cup Race One Results From Daytona

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Twins Cup Race One Results From Daytona

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

23_1_DAY_TWN_R1_res

MotoAmerica: Super Hooligan Race One Results From Daytona

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Super Hooligan Race One Results From Daytona

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

23_1_DAY_RSD_R1_res

MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Challenge Race Results From Daytona

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Challenge Race Results From Daytona

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

23_1_DAY_KTB_R1_res

MotoAmerica: Baggers Q2 Cancelled, Kyle Wyman Gets Pole Position

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Baggers Q2 Cancelled, Kyle Wyman Gets Pole Position

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

Editorial Note: MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying Two was cancelled Friday when one of the racebikes suffered a mechanical failure and dumped fluid on the front straightaway heading into Turn One, requiring a lengthy cleanup. MotoAmerica decided to set the grid based on the results from Qualifying One, putting Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson rider Kyle Wyman on pole position.

23_1_DAY_KTB_R2_grid

MotoAmerica: Herrin Takes Pole Position For 81st Daytona 200 (Updated)

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Herrin Takes Pole Position For 81st Daytona 200 (Updated)

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

23_1_DAY_SSP_Q3_res

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

It’s Back-to-Back Pole Positions For Josh Herrin at The Daytona 200

Herrin banks an early flyer to take P1 in the 2023 Daytona 200 Time Attack

Sunnyvale, Calif., March 10, 2023 – Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York) put his number one Ducati Panigale V2 in P1 for the 2023 Daytona 200, his second pole position in a row in the great race.

Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team missed the day’s first session due to an electrical gremlin. Still, they turned the tide when it mattered. Herrin had to lay it on the line with the second of only two timed laps in the Time Attack session enough to put him on pole position. Herrin was the only rider into the 1:48-second bracket in the session as he headed Yamaha’s PJ Jacobsen and Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

Teammate and Daytona rookie Xavi Forés continued to learn the Daytona high banking with his 1:51.538 in Qualifying 2 placing him 14th on the grid for the 81st running of the Daytona 200.

2023 Daytona 200 Time Attack Results – Top 5

P1 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 1:48.741

P2 – PJ Jacobsen (Yamaha) 1:49.005

P3 – Tyler Scott (Suzuki) 1:49.027

P4 – Danny Eslick (Triumph) 1:49.186

P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 1:49.219

Xavi Forés (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #12):

“P14 will be a bit tough but this is a very long race and anything can happen. There will be time to make up and get into the lead pack. But I am very much looking forward to starting the race. We have some work to do to get the bike sorted for me and we will get this done to be ready for tomorrow.”

Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #1):

“It was a pretty crazy session,” Herrin said. “I thought everybody was going to split up into their own little qualifying groups, but they went out together. I didn’t think we’d be able to go that fast in the group. The oil dry slowed us down a little in turn one just because the field was a bit worried about the track conditions, but for the most part, I wasn’t sure I was going to get into the ’48’s because I made a little mistake early in the lap. The draft was so powerful with the other bikes and we were able to pull it off. Hats off to the team because we missed the first session with a couple of issues so we had to go into the session with a super-fast pace and we got P1 for the second year in a row.”

The 81st running of the Daytona 200 from the Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for 1:10 pm EST.

More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:

SCOTT EARNS FRONT ROW, ESCALANTE SETS FASTEST SUPERSPORT LAP FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI AT DAYTONA

BREA, CA – March 11, 2023 – Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s triple threat victory for the 81st Daytona 200 posted a new lap record on Friday and will start from the first, second, and fourth row when the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport season officially kicks off Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

Sophomore Supersport ace Tyler Scott led the way for the squad in Friday’s Time Attack for pole position, posting the session’s third best time at 1:49.005 aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.

Scott was the revelation of the 2022 season as a rookie, posting a maiden race win among multiple podiums and figures to be an even bigger factor in this year’s title fight. He said, “I thought qualifying went well for my first Daytona 200. I started out around tenth in the first session, but we kept getting a little faster and at the end of the Time Attack, we ended up on the front row. That was the goal and where I wanted to be. The Suzuki GSX-R750 feels great, and I think our team is really working well. The plan now is to give it our best shot and win the race.”

Former class champ and Superbike regular Richie Escalante immediately took to the team’s GSX-R750, earning a slot in the middle of Row 2 with the fifth fastest time at 1:49.186. The Mexican star was even more impressive in the preceding qualifying session, clocking the fastest ever lap for a Supersport machine at Daytona International Speedway at 1:48.133.

Escalante said, “Yesterday in Q1, I was down the time sheets a little, but the bike felt really good. For today, the team did an amazing job and gave me a great bike for Q2. I was super happy to do a 1:48, but throughout I was happy with our pace and how the bike felt. My goal was to do well in Sector 1, the corners, and then to see what happened in the draft. In the 15-minute Time Attack, I didn’t have a good draft after we came in for the tire change, but I felt great about how well the Suzuki GSX-R750 performed. The bike is amazing. We have been working on our pit stops as well as race strategy. The goal is to get a good start, perform our pit stops, and see what happens. It has been exciting so far.”

Team newcomer Teagg Hobbs has shown considerable promise in his team debut as well. Hobbs was 11th best in the Time Attack at 1:50.138 and will thus start from the center of Row 4.

After qualifying, the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki crew earned $7,500 and $1,000 worth of VP Racing fuel for winning the Pit Stop challenge contest.

For more racing news, results, and special team content please visit https://suzukicycles.com/racing/road-racing.

ABOUT SUZUKI

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2023 season marks Team Hammer’s 43rd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Race bikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 129 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 345 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

Daytona 200: Escalante Quickest In Qualifying Heading Into Time Attack

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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Daytona 200: Escalante Quickest In Qualifying Heading Into Time Attack

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

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MotoAmerica: Fong Captures Super Hooligan Pole Position At Daytona

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Fong Captures Super Hooligan Pole Position At Daytona

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

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MotoAmerica: Rodio Tops Q2, But Davis Takes Twins Cup Pole At Daytona

David Swarts

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March 10, 2023

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MotoAmerica: Rodio Tops Q2, But Davis Takes Twins Cup Pole At Daytona

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

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MotoAmerica: King Of The Baggers Race One Results From Daytona (Updated)

March 10, 2023

The finish line at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Align Media, courtesy Pirelli.

KurveyGirl.com brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

At our online motorcycle parts store, you’ll find a specialized selection of quarter turn “Dzus” fasteners, titanium hardware, premium tire valve stems, Vesrah racing brake pads, Brembo parts and accessories, and other unique hardware specifically designed for race and trackday motorcycles.

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More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Rispoli Wins Mission King Of The Baggers Opener At Daytona

Gus Rodio Takes First REV’IT! Twins Cup Win, O’Hara Wins Mission Super Hooligan National Championship Race

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 10, 2023) – Seemingly everyone had some sort of issue to deal with in the opening round of the Mission King Of The Baggers series at Daytona International Speedway, but Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli dealt with his better than the rest to take his first career victory in the class.

Rispoli was running second and giving chase to early leader Kyle Wyman when he made the save of his life and somehow stayed on board his Road Glide despite a seemingly endless and viscous tank slapper on the high banks. Once he got that under control, he was keeping the pressure on Wyman when the H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide expired with five laps to go. From there it was a battle to the finish with Rispoli and his teammate Hayden Gillim joined by the second factory Harley of Travis Wyman. The two Vance & Hines riders then got a scare when Travis Wyman’s Road Glide suffered a mechanical failure on the banking. The fear of oil on the banking brought out the red flag and Rispoli had his first win in the bag with Gillim second.

Defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Tyler O’Hara finished third on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Indian Challenger despite having to start from the back row when the team failed to get him and his teammate Jeremy McWilliams out of pit lane in time for the sighting lap.

The first of the Team Saddlemen Harley was ridden to fourth place by Cory West, who finished 13.1 seconds off the lead and well clear of McWilliams, who was just 1.4 seconds ahead of Baggers rookie and former Superbike racer Jake Lewis.

In addition to the two factory Harleys, Bobby Fong was another knocked out of the race with mechanical problems on his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian Challenger.

REV’IT! Twins Cup – All Rodio

MotoAmerica races at Daytona International Speedway are normally decided by less than a second. Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Racing’s Gus Rodio decided to flip that as he rode to his first career victory in the REV’IT! Twins Cup class by an unheard of 8.538 seconds.

Rodio was initially embroiled in a battle at the front with four others, though that was broken up when Dominic Doyle crashed and took Ben Gloddy with him. It also hindered Jackson Blackmon’s progress as he had to take evasive action to avoid the carnage. That left Rodio to battle with defending REV’IT! Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis.

Trackday Winner/Blackmon Racing’s Blackmon, in his first race back after a long rehabilitation of a badly broken ankle, didn’t give up and he was rewarded with an eventual second place after he caught and passed the reeling Davis, who would end up fourth. Blackmon was hounded to the finish line by Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz, but he barely beat Schultz to the line by just .060 of a second.

Fifth place went to Ed Sullivan, the Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing rider whose real job is crew chief for Mathew Scholtz’s Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike.

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship

If getting Daytona’d isn’t a verb, it ought to be. The definition would be: Daytona’d (verb) to lead the entire race only to be beaten by a fraction of a second on the draft run from the final chicane to the finish line on the tri-oval of Daytona International Speedway.

Many have suffered the fate of being Daytona’d and on Friday it was Bobby Fong’s turn. Fong and his Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle-backed FTR1200 led 99.9 percent of the six-lap Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at the Speedway, but it was the .1 percent that hurt as Tyler O’Hara beat him to the line by .064 of a second on his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods-sponsored FTR1200.

O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams completed the podium in third, the Northern Irelander 1.2 seconds behind O’Hara and .144 of a second ahead of Cory West and the Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America.

Fong’s teammate Kyle Ohnsorg finished a lonely fifth.

Notes…

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin will start Saturday’s Daytona 200, sponsored in part by Pirelli and Bridgestone, from pole position after leading the 15-minute Time Attack final qualifying session with his 1:48.741. He will be joined on the front row by Celtic/Tytlers Cycle/TSE Racing’s PJ Jacobsen and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott.

In addition to a solid effort that led to a front-row starting position, Scott and his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki were victors in the second annual MotoAmerica Pit Stop Challenge that was held at the end of on-track action on Friday.

Quotes

Tyler O’Hara – Super Hooligan National Championship, Winner

“It was a good race. Bobby (Fong) had really good pace all weekend. That was the first time we got to ride together, and he had a really clean, open track. I was in the back learning and made a few mistakes myself and he gapped me. I was able to reel him back in, and then the lapper there through the chicane definitely played a big role. I don’t know if I was going to be able to draft pass him on the finish. He basically broke the draft. It was a good race. Just to sweep the podium, Indian Motorcycle, that’s huge for any motorcycle… all of our sponsors, Progressive have come on board this year, and Mission Foods. Everybody. Parts Unlimited. To win at Daytona is special. Just coming here it’s an amazing feeling. Just really enjoying it. Having fun and really just continuing to develop these motorcycles. It’s a lot of fun.”

Gus Rodio – REV’IT! Twins Cup, Winner

“I didn’t really know what to expect coming here. There as a lot of unknowns, of course. It’s the first race of the year, my first race in the class since last year at Daytona. I’ve been training with Brandon (Paasch). He’s like my big brother. It’s really cool to have somebody like that that I can just go out and stay at the house, spin laps, and really learn something from him. I’m always chasing him. So, I’m really happy. I can’t ask for anything more. My Rodio racing Aprilia feels incredible. I’ve never really felt a bike that I just clicked with, and I just feel like I’m one with this motorcycle right now. Obviously, that makes me happy so I’m having fun while I’m riding. I can put together clean laps and just stay consistent by myself and just stay focused throughout the race.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – James Rispoli, Winner

“I saw my life flash twice and then it just kept going. I was like, ‘maybe I’ll get out of it.’ It just kept going all the way up the banking. I don’t know, man. I summoned all the energy from my ancestors to keep that one going straight. But at the end of the day, to be honest, it was a really fun race. Once we saw Tyler (O’Hara) and Jeremy (McWilliams) not on there (the grid), the game plan is always to race hard but a little different because the Harleys react the same way. So, me and Hayden (Gillim) were just clicking off laps, passing each other in good spots. I think we figured out where he was strong, where I was strong, and we just made it work. To be honest, it’s a shame to see both factory Harleys go out, but I kind of feel like we were tracking them down a little bit in some areas. Maybe he was just blowing up. I don’t know. I feel like me and Hayden did a phenomenal job of just working together. You got to do that here at Daytona. Then me and Hayden started making quite a bit of mistakes out there, running wide and stuff. I was just hoping nobody else would catch up. I saw some people coming. Travis (Wyman) got in there with us, and he had a little bit of a moment. Thankfully, he’s super solid and got right off the line. But I’m just stoked. Vance & Hines have worked their butts off this off-season. We go out in FP1 and if we’re slow a mile an hour, it’s all forgotten, and it can’t be. These guys work so hard. We’re in the fight. Yeah, we might not have the mile an hour, but we lasted, and we got one and two. It’s the first King Of The Baggers (round). I’m super proud of my team and my teammate. We’ll just keep going. Terry (Vance) – just get the red numbers out because we’re looking at the red plate, baby.”

MotoAmerica: Riding Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide 131R Bagger Racebike

March 10, 2023

0322_HD_A_KWP-4513_P_WEB — Chris Ulrich riding Kyle Wyman's MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers 2021 Championship-winning Harley-Davidson at Inde Motorsport Ranch near Tucson. Photos by Brian J. Nelson and Kevin Wing.