KING OF THE BAGGERS: DESERT THUNDER AT PODIUM CLUB

Having spent a lot of time around professional motorcycle racing, I know the etiquette: don’t crowd the riders. Let them approach you when they’re ready. My immediate mission was simple — get close to the bikes and geek out over the technology and high-quality parts adorning them. One thing immediately caught my eye: a race bike fitted with what looked like rain tires. With no rain anywhere in the Arizona forecast, I asked one of the master mechanics, Jason Motal, about it. He explained that the bike was a spare/swap machine, and the orange wheels with rain tires were a visual cue that it wasn’t track-ready. Simple, smart, and effective. Despite the fast pace and high-stress environment, Jason was incredibly generous with his time. He’s been involved in King of the Baggers since before the series even officially began, and it showed. We talked about how long it can take for race-developed parts and technology to trickle down to consumer bikes — longer than you might expect — and, on the flip side, how quickly he and the team can make changes to the race bikes when needed. Watching that level of efficiency up close was impressive.

Throughout the day, the riders cycled in and out of the pits and garage. Sometimes they’d only do a couple of laps before coming back in for adjustments. Other times, they’d stay out for 20 minutes or more, putting on an incredible show in the process. Either way, it was nonstop action. I watched these racers do things on 600-plus-pound Harley baggers that honestly didn’t seem possible. I’m convinced they could lap an advanced-group track rider on a superbike — and sound better doing it. I had been pushing the event organizers for some Q&A time with the three racers, but as the sun began to set and the track lighting proved limited, I wasn’t sure it would happen. That said, I shifted gears and focused on filming and documenting the incredible parts and technology on the race bikes.

Then came the surprise. At the end of the day, I was given a few minutes with each racer. First up was James Rispoli. I asked him how riding on the track compares to riding on the street. Without hesitation, he said, “Nothing compares to riding on the track.” That said, he did mention owning a Harley-Davidson Road Glide and how much he enjoys riding it on the street. I later followed him on Instagram and saw the custom paintwork on his bike — it looks absolutely incredible. After a long day of riding, he was enthusiastic, approachable, and genuinely happy to speak with me.

Next was Kyle Wyman, who I’d met years ago at ChampSchool. I’ll never forget him giving me a two-up ride on a Yamaha® naked bike — on a wet track — in upstate New York. I may or may not have questioned my life choices during that ride. Knowing his role in developing the Harley-Davidson CVO™ RR, I asked how much feedback he provided to the engineering team. His answer? “A lot.” He went into detail explaining how the CVO RR was born directly from racing. I couldn’t agree more — it was the bike that made me fall in love with the CVO Road Glide® ST. Hearing that his racing knowledge was welcomed and valued by Harley-Davidson was awesome. I also asked him about the development of technologies like quick shifters and auto-blippers on the bikes he races, and whether that kind of tech could eventually make its way to consumer models. He was understandably guarded in his response, but he did hint that it’s maybe a possibility down the road. Hearing that was exciting — I’d love to see that technology make its way onto my own CVO ST someday.

There aren’t enough words — or enough video footage (coming soon) to my YouTube channel — to fully describe what I felt that day. Watching those massive bagger race bikes do things I never thought possible was EPIC. The sound alone should be sold on Spotify. The King of the Baggers series was the missing piece of MotoAmerica racing. Now that it’s here, we get to watch these machines perform at an unbelievable level.

2026 is shaping up to be a must-watch year for this phenomenal series.