British MotoGP Star Takes on King of The Baggers

Britain’s Bradley Smith is to take on the ever-growing King of the Baggers (KOTB) championship, as he’s signed for the Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Race Team for 2025.

Smith forms one part of a three-rider team, which sees him joining the experienced pairing of Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli, all riding Road Glides in the 14-race series. Smith has placed on the podium in all four classes of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, notching up three wins in 125cc GP (now known as Moto3) and a best championship finish of second coming in 2009 in the same class. 

The switch to bagger racing, though, will likely be one of his toughest challenges to date, as the Oxfordshire rider will have to adapt to the heavyweight V-twin class after a career of riding lightweight sport bikes and prototype racing machines.

“It's great to be welcomed into the Factory Harley-Davidson Race Team,” said Smith. “I am very excited to be racing in the US and joining King of the Baggers. The class has gone from strength to strength over the last four years and Harley-Davidson and its factory riders have done a tremendous job since the project began in creating a great motorcycle. I hope my knowledge and experience from around the world will help to bring the bike back to Victory Lane in 2025 and 2026.”

The King of the Baggers series kicks off on March 6 to 8 with the teams heading to the Daytona International Speedway for the opening round. 2025 will mark Wyman’s fifth season with the Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory team, with James Rispoli in his second year with the squad.

Smith isn’t the only former MotoGP racer to be heading across the pond to race a bagger in 2025, with Loris Baz, who has joined the Indian Factory Racing ‘Wrecking Crew’ team, and Ruben Xaus, who raced for two seasons in MotoGP, also racing in the KOTB series.

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