Saddlemen Race Development is gearing up for its most ambitious season to date, taking American V-twin bagger racing to the world stage in the inaugural 2026 Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, held in conjunction with the FIM MotoGP series.

For the first time, Team Saddlemen riders Jake Lewis and Cory West will compete internationally, racing all six double-header rounds of the Bagger World Cup at select MotoGP events across Europe and the United States.

Co-developed by Harley-Davidson and MotoGP’s governing body, the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup brings race-prepped touring motorcycles powered by thunderous V-twin engines to an international audience. The 2026 championship will visit iconic circuits in Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Spain, Austria, and the United States, showcasing a uniquely American racing discipline on some of the world’s most prestigious racetracks.

Jake Lewis enters his fourth season with Saddlemen Racing Development as one of the most accomplished riders in modern American road racing. With multiple championships and race wins to his credit, Lewis finished second overall in the 2025 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Championship and is eager to translate his MotoAmerica King of the Baggers experience to a global field of elite competitors.

Joining him is Cory West, a proven veteran and one of the most successful riders in American bagger and hooligan racing. The 2024 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan National Champion returns for his fifth consecutive season aboard Harley-Davidson machinery with the Saddlemen team, bringing championship experience and consistency to the international effort.

Both riders will campaign specially prepared, race-tuned Saddlemen Drag Specialties Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles, built to the full extent of the Bagger World Cup rulebook. The program is backed by a powerhouse list of partners, including Harley-Davidson, Screamin’ Eagle, Drag Specialties, Mission Foods, and additional industry-leading sponsors.

Saddlemen’s racing philosophy extends far beyond bagger competition. From flat track and road racing to land speed record attempts, the company uses competition as a real-world testing platform to refine its products. That approach has helped cement Saddlemen’s reputation as the “Gel Seat Experts,” while directly influencing the development of its new Performance Carbon Fiber product line—designed alongside the team’s racing carbon fiber program and now available for Harley-Davidson riders worldwide.

As the 2026 season approaches, Saddlemen Race Development is poised to make history, carrying American bagger racing across continents and onto the global MotoGP stage.