Tag Archives: King Of The Baggers

Troy Herfoss’ ride for 2024 revealed

Herfoss Joins Indian for 2024 KOTB and SHNC

Indian Motorcycle and S&S will field Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024.

Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger

Troy Herfoss transcends boundaries between on and off-road competitions, as he’s recorded championship titles in several forms of motorcycle racing, including Australian Dirt Track, Supermoto, and Supersport. Herfoss was the 2008 AMA Supermoto champion and a Moto X-Games silver medalist.

Troy Herfoss’ King of the Baggers Indian Challenger
Troy Herfoss

To have the opportunity to don Indian Motorcycle Red leathers and compete on behalf of such a historic brand is a true honour. As a motorsports enthusiast in Australia, I’ve been envious of all the bagger racing taking place in the states, and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to pilot an S&S Indian Challenger and ride for a factory team that has a championship to its name.

Troy Herfoss alongside Tyler O’Hara for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan National Championship in 2024

Tyler O’Hara enters his fifth year aboard the S&S Indian Challenger, having won the inaugural KOTB race in 2020, and the class championship in 2022. In addition, 2024 will mark O’Hara’s second year piloting the S&S Indian FTR within the SHNC class, where he’s earned back-to-back class championships.

Tyler O’Hara and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine
Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle

We’re excited to welcome Troy to the Indian Motorcycle family, as he’s a seasoned road racer with a wealth of experience competing at a high level. Backed by the performance capabilities of Indian Motorcycle, we feel we have three riders who could each win a championship in 2024. Jared of course is eyeing a record-setting 10th-career AFT championship, while Tyler and Troy could both very well be in the hunt for the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan championship. Our team has put in the work this offseason, so we’re excited to get the season rolling and head out to Daytona.”

Troy Herfoss and the King of the Baggers Indian Challenger alongside the FTR Super Hooligan machine

In addition to its factory efforts, Indian Motorcycle is offering up to $131,999 in KOTB privateer contingency and up to $67,249 in SHNC contingency.

The MotoAmerica road racing season will begin in just over a month with the Daytona 200 and round one of three of the series’ championships commencing on March 7 through 9 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Along with the 82nd running of the Daytona 200, the “Great American Motorcycle Race,” opening rounds of the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship, BellisiMoto Twins Cup Championship, and Mission Super Hooligan National Championship will also take place during the three-day event.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Indian Challenger RR – 2022 King Of The Baggers Race Replica 

Indian Challenger RR Tyler O'Hara King of the Baggers
The Indian Challenger RR will be built to the same specifications as Tyler O’Hara’s King Of The Baggers championship-winning Challenger.

When you’ve got to have the baddest bagger on the block, Indian Motorcycle is now offering the Indian Challenger RR to the public. It’s built to the same specifications and by the same hands as the bike Tyler O’Hara raced to the 2022 King Of The Baggers championship. 

Related: 2023 Indian Motorcycle Lineup | First Look Review

Just 29 will be built, a nod to O’Hara’s #29 championship-winning bike, and they’re a near duplicate of the bike O’Hara rode during the 2022 season, including a hot-rodded V-Twin that likely produces in excess of 170 hp.  

Indian Challenger RR Tyler O'Hara King of the Baggers

“Originally, the thought of roadracing baggers was perplexing to many, and even downright offensive to some road racing purists,” said Gary Gray, Vice President of Racing, Technology, and Service for Indian. “But in just three short years, King Of The Baggers has emerged as the hottest thing in motorcycle racing as these bikes have rapidly evolved in their sophistication, and we thought it would be awesome to give people the opportunity to own the bike that holds the crown.” 

Related: 2023 Indian Sport Chief | First Ride Review

As you might expect with a race-tuned bagger, this motorcycle is not street legal, but it is a true racebike that will get your blood pumping on the track. As Gary Gray said, “Put in the right hands, it will reach the podium in MotoAmerica’s Mission King Of The Baggers race series.” 

Indian Challenger RR Tyler O'Hara King of the Baggers

Those courageous enough to own one will have to fork up $92,229, which sounds like a lot until you take a look at the extensive list of components and R&D that have gone into making the Challenger the class of the KOTB field. 

Indian Challenger RR Tyler O'Hara King of the Baggers

Indian Challenger RR Specifications 

  • S&S 2-1 race exhaust 
  • 17-inch race rims 
  • Dunlop race tires 
  • S&S billet adjustable triple clamps 
  • Ohlins FGR250 forks  
  • TTX Ohlins rear shock 
  • S&S chain drive conversion 
  • Carbon fiber saddlebags 
  • Fiberglass rear fender 
  • Saddlemen raised race seat 
  • S&S adjustable fairing mount 
  • Aero headlight insert 
  • Aero windshield 
  • S&S belly pan 
  • S&S rear set foot controls 
  • S&S camshafts 
  • 112 CID big bore cylinder/piston kit 
  • S&S air intake system with 78mm throttle body 
  • CNC ported cylinder heads 
  • S&S Billet adjustable rockerarms 
  • Hayes rear caliper, EBC rear rotor, and SBS pads 
  • Brembo M4 front calipers, 330mm rotors, and SBS pads 
  • S&S automatic chain tensioner 
  • Maxx full adjustable ECM 
  • AIM DL2 data logger/dash 
  • Quickshifter kit 
  • S&S billet clutch cover 
  • S&S adjustable handlebars 
  • S&S race modified swingarm 
Indian Challenger RR Tyler O'Hara King of the Baggers

To learn more about the Indian Challenger RR, visit Indian’s website

The post Indian Challenger RR – 2022 King Of The Baggers Race Replica first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com

King Of The Baggers goes bigger in 2022

MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers
Six Rounds In 2022, Including Daytona

Thanks to the rousing success of the debut season of the MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship, MotoAmerica, the home of the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America, is excited to announce an expanded, six-round King Of The Baggers Series for the 2022 season.

Fittingly, the 2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship will kick off during Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the Baggers taking to the High Banks of Daytona International Speedway for the first time, March 10-12, in conjunction with the Daytona 200.

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger – Tyler O’Hara

From there, the series will head to Georgia and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, April 22-24, the site of last year’s thrilling opening round that was won by Indian Motorcycles Tyler O’Hara. The championship will then revisit Road America, the site of last year’s second round, June 3-5, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, a stone’s throw from Harley-Davidson’s headquarters in Milwaukee.

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is where Kyle Wyman wrapped up the 2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship for Harley-Davidson, and the iconic track in Monterey, California, will play host to round four of the series, July 8-10.

Kyle Wyman wrapped up the 2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship for Harley-Davidson at Laguna Seca

The final two rounds of the 2022 series will take place at tracks that are new to the King Of The Baggers – Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota, the home state of Indian Motorcycles, July 29-31, and New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, September 9-11.

The three-round 2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Series generated more than 19 million impressions and an engagement of 1.2 million on social media with the races delivering over 1.1 million views and 43,000 total hours of viewing time on YouTube.

“The popularity of last year’s three-round King Of The Baggers Series was such that it left our fans, teams, sponsors, and racers wanting more,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “So, we are giving them what they want – a six-race championship held at the three tracks that the Baggers competed on last year with an additional three rounds, including our first visit to Daytona International Speedway, added to the series. We know the 2022 season, which will be MotoAmerica’s eighth as the home to the AMA Superbike Championship, will be as exciting as ever and the expanded King Of The Baggers Championship will be a huge part of that.”

Last year’s King Of The Baggers Championship came down to a fierce battle between Harley-Davidson’s Wyman and Indian’s O’Hara with Wyman winning the decisive final round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to take home the title. Those two will again spearhead the efforts of the Harley-Davidson and Indian factories on their H-D Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide and Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian Challenger, respectively.

2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship

  1. March 10-12 Daytona International Raceway Daytona Beach, FL
  2. April 22-24 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GA
  3. June 3-5 Road America Elkhart Lake, WI
  4. July 8-10 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA
  5. July 29-31 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, MN
  6. September 9-11 New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, NJ
MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers

Source: MCNews.com.au

Ducati Boasts Double Podiums At Laguna Seca

​​This weekend saw the breaking of a couple of records at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by none other than Loris Baz, who broke the record for the weekend’s fastest lap  – his best this season. 

Baz also did his team proud, challenging Yamaha’s Jake Gagne for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati.

Loris Baz on his Ducati machine

“It’s been a great weekend; the best we’ve had so far,” Baz says. “We’ve had no real issues all weekend; besides the small fumble on Friday, we’ve been strong all weekend. I think since Road America, race one, we finally found a bass setup that I like on the bike, so I’m riding better and better.”

“I’ve really enjoyed riding the V4 R at Laguna Seca. I was able to put pressure on Jake during race one and race two. We put on a great show in front of the many fans around the track. Considering how new this project is, we are getting better and better, so I look forward to the future.”

The results won Baz two second-place podiums, punting him into fifth place. 

Toni Elias isn’t far behind either. His battle at the Panera Bread Ducati boosted him from 8th to 7th as he subbed in for Kyle Wyman, who broke his left arm at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on June 13.

Wyman plans on focusing his efforts on winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship (if you’re interested in baggers on a racetrack, check out the interview we did on Patricia Fernandez).

Toni Elias shaking hands

“I am really happy to come here and have the opportunity to ride Kyle’s bike,” says Elias. “I felt what it was like to be racing again, feeling the pressure, the nervousness, and battling all the way up until the last corner. It’s been amazing. We worked on improving every session to get better and better. We suffered with traction, and that’s what made me suffer a little, but in general, we made good steps forward.”

“I felt super great with Kyle’s team – a lot of good people. They were very open and listened to my opinion, which can be difficult when coming into a new team. Overall, it was a good experience, and now I have more information on the Ducati, so I look forward to the future to hopefully continue riding for the brand.”

Jake Gagne ahead of Loris Baz at Laguna Seca

Here are the official specs of the weekend’s results:
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5

P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 225

P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 160

P3 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 145

P4 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 137

P5 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 122

P10 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 49

Best of luck to these young men in the continuation of the season.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Harley’s Kyle Wyman clinches 2021 King of the Baggers title

The three-round Mission King Of The Baggers Championship wrapped up on Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, making up Round 5 of the MotoAmerica series where Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle’s rider Kyle Wyman left no doubt why he was the favourite. When the lights went out he took the lead, with a dominant performance that saw him clinch the title in the same fashion that he dominated the championship.

King Of The Baggers – 2021 MotoAmerica Round 5 Laguna Seca

Wyman started from the pole and was never headed in the eight-lap race. He gained more than a full second on second-place finisher and Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian rider Tyler O’Hara on almost every lap of the race until he decided to slow his pace just a bit towards the end, with victory well within reach.

At the checkers, he took the win by just under four-and-a-half seconds over O’Hara. Third place went to DTF Performance/Hoban Brothers Performance Racing Harley-Davidson’s Michael Barnes, who added yet another podium finish in yet another motorcycle road race class on yet another brand of motorcycle to his record.

Wyman, who had broken his elbow in a crash last month at Road America, made a miraculous recovery from his injury, and he talked about it after the race.

Kyle Wyman

“Those guys are world-class doctors and surgeons, putting me back together, knowing exactly the timeline and how he needed to fix everything for me to be able to get what I needed to get done. Honestly, we didn’t make any changes to the bike ergonomically for me to ride it. It was just a matter of Friday it was like, okay, this is the lap time I can do without braking so hard that I’m screaming in my helmet. Then here’s a lap I can do when it really sucks. Then just decided from there how hard I wanted to push. I pushed pretty hard in the beginning of the race and saw the board grow pretty quickly, so I was pretty happy with that. I could kind of keep a steady rhythm from there and not have to brake too hard. That’s all it was. It was just more brake force and the more I have to hold my body weight, especially these downhill left-handers in 2 and 11 and stuff like that. Structurally it’s been good. It’s been a very fast recovery. If I was only racing Superbike this year, I probably would have ridden the Superbike, but both would have been a lot. I would have jeopardized both. So, my plan was just to focus on this. Pretty minimal laps for a race weekend. After doing double duty riding on the Harley only is like a vacation, so it was pretty awesome. Got it done.”

Kyle Wyman – 2021 MotoAmerica Round 5 Laguna Seca

Travis Wyman and Ben Bostrom completed the top five respectively, ahead of Hayden Gillim, Frankie Garcia, Patricia Fernandez, Zack Nation and Eric Stahl.  Five of the top six on the day were Harley mounted, with three Indians in the top-ten.

Kyle Wyman’s title win was a dominant one, finishing the season on 70-points, to runner up Tyler O’Hara’s 45-points. Hayden Gillim was third on 39-points, ahead of Frankie Garcia (36) and Travis Wyman (33).

Kyle Wyman topped the podium from O’Hara and Barnes – 2021 MotoAmerica Round 5 Laguna Seca

Source: MCNews.com.au

Interview: Patricia Fernandez

I’m just going to come out and say it – the motorcycle community is (mostly) full of lads with a love for bikes and a passion for tweaking things that they broke. 

So what happens when the world’s fastest female racer gets on a Bagger for the track?

I’m chewing a bit on the tip of my pencil as I contemplate this. 

Patricia Fernandez is no joke – the 36-year old Oklahoman has been racing professionally since 2012, and has ridden everywhere, on pretty much anything you can think of. 

She’s hopped from superbikes to sidecars, dirt bikes, even competing in the newer racing Bagger classes like the Bagger Racing League(BRL) and King Of The Baggers(KOTB).

Most importantly, she’s done it all in a world where most pro racers (if not all) are guys.

There was so much to ask her, so I decided to go with a little of everything.

Tell us about your inspiration for motorcycles, how that all started.

I always loved motorcycles – can’t remember a time when I didn’t.

Patricia Fernandez working on a motorcycle
Patricia Fernandez working on a motorcycle

When I was younger, I just thought motorcycles were cool, and I always asked for a motorcycle or a dirt bike, and obviously, it was a hard no. 

The first time I recall seeing a girl on a sportbike was in the Matrix movie. Neo’s little girlfriend was on a semi-truck, then got on a Ducati and ended up riding it off on the highway or whatever. 

To me, that was the first time I remember seeing a female on a motorcycle. I thought it was so bad-ass. 

When that scene came in the Matrix, I was like, ‘Oh my God. There’s a bad-ass, hot chick on a bad-ass bike, and she’s riding the wheels off it and stuff’. And I just thought it was so awesome.

Now, Black Widow has just come out – and looking at the difference between my past and the present? Huge difference. Now you see women on bikes everywhere. 

Later down the road, I had left my parent’s house – I wasn’t allowed a motorcycle as long as I was under that roof, so I left – and I signed up with The Motorcycle Safety Foundation Class. 

I went into a big parking lot with a little Rebel 125, and I did the course. 

It was funny because they say that women have a lower center of gravity, and for the sportbikes, we have naturally stronger legs and core, where men have a naturally stronger upper body. 

I didn’t really use my own upper body until I went to the big bike after the course – and then the upper body became an issue, and I started to change training and stuff. 

When I started to get into the world of pro racing, I had problems with my starts, and we went to a drag strip where a multi-time champ was coaching the classes.

He said, ‘Women are actually better at starts because they have better reaction times.’ 

Ha! I knew I was meant to ride, but that little tip was great! 

No one ever really talks about that stuff. 

I’ll tell you this: To any woman that gets on the back with a man – I think you’re braver than someone that rides solo, to be honest. 

Riding on the back like that, you have less control. So I think it’s cool that solo female riders are more common now, that women are perceived as stronger characters and capable of handling a bike.

 

How did you find the world of pro racing?

When I started pro racing, there weren’t very many girls, and it was nasty. Pro Racing was a whole different level of competition. 

It’s interesting – at first, when I got into the world of racing, everyone wanted to help me. I was the only girl on the track; they would offer their aid, I wasn’t a threat to them. 

But then I felt as I progressed and as I became faster, they didn’t want to help me. And then I became their competition – and that’s when it started becoming ugly. 

I remember I first wanted pink rims and all this other stuff, but we had to end up hiding it. 

I got to the point where I had to tuck my hair in my leathers, make the bike black, had to make it super incognito because guys would tell me they’d target or fixate on me, or they’d hit me. 

Patricia Fernandez warming up on a bike for the track
Patricia Fernandez warming up on a bike in anticipation of a day at the track.

I’ve had my own teammates tell me they would take me out before they’d ever let me beat them.

In the last 10 years that I’ve been around, that’s gone downhill a lot more, but I think that’s also because there are more women, and we’re around more. 

I’m also more established now, so I think it’s harder to bully me around versus a newbie that just started. I really took it for a while, though. 

I remember a guy would bump you or push you on the track, kind of intimidate you. And then I got tired of it – I got to the point where someone did that to me, and I pushed him right back. 

The racer came in after the round was over, and he literally said to me, ‘I wanted to push you and thought that you would lean back…and when you pushed right back, I didn’t mess with you.’ 

And it was a light bulb moment to me – that if I stand my ground and don’t let them bully me, then I won’t get bullied.

Funny thing – I have found (in the world of motorcycle racing at least) women aren’t necessarily competitive against men. But I did an all-female race down in Mexico…and let me tell you, that was just about the nastiest race I’ve ever been in. 

We women might not feel like we need to compete against other guys but put 20 girls together at one time in a room…there’s going to be some hair pulling, haha. 

Groups of women competing like that terrify me. 

One thing to note – overseas, I never experienced any of that underhanded competition there. There’s a lot more community, and everyone just likes each other a lot. It’s more so the really competitive sport of racing on a pro-level – that is where I’ve experienced the most of that stupidity.

 

You competed in road racing overseas. Besides the camaraderie, how did you find the differences between racing in the Western and Central hemispheres?

Well…they refer to it as ‘proper road racing’ there… they don’t like when we call it road racing, haha. 

100%, night and day difference. 

They do everything they can to make it as safe as possible, and it’s impressive to see – and when I’d fly out there a couple of weeks early, I’d be impressed at how much maintenance work they do on a daily basis. 

But at the end of the day, you’re on roads – it’s hard to wrap your mind around like, ‘Okay, apex the tree, hit the wall.’ 

Patricia Fernandez competing at the Ulster Grand Prix
Patricia Fernandez competing at the Ulster Grand Prix

There are so many uncontrollable factors. Either you want to do it, or you don’t. Other pro-racers have gone with me, and they’re like, ‘Absolutely not’ because there’s such a tiny margin for error. 

I remember the first couple of times I went to the Ulster Grand Prix, I was like, ‘What’s on the ground?’ It looked almost like markers when you saw them from far away – but they were actually PEOPLE that lay on the ground for a better view. You’re not allowed to be on the road surface, but they’d want to get as close as they could. 

The first few laps out, I had to get stuff like that out of my head – it was so different compared to what I was used to.

There was one incident, maybe 2018, 2017, I can’t remember. I DO remember commenting on it right before it happened, though…people would take selfie sticks, and they’d stand behind the hedges and stick the selfie stick out over the hedge on the road to get a good view or whatever. 

And there was actually an incident where a selfie stick ended up hitting a racer’s shoulder, and it knocked him off the bike and broke his collarbone and stuff…all because some dude stuck his stick outside the hedge to get a better view. 

And so now they have to make announcements about it, warning people off. 

And I’m like, ‘It’s absolutely ridiculous that they even have to do that – that would never happen here,’ haha.

I think the way I approach proper road racing mentally is a lot different as well. 

For proper road racing, my team – my boyfriend Cory West, and everyone else – knows that they can’t bring up anything negative in any way, shape, or form for the whole week.

I’ve been involved with incidents where a rider goes down or does whatever, and you just don’t talk about it. Don’t bring it up because you can’t think about it. It’s just, ‘Have fun.’ You don’t bring up anything that will unbalance you. You can do it on a circuit but not racing on the road with so many uncontrollable variables. 

So literally all my crew, my boyfriend, everyone knows, there’s a big mental thing because it’s hard to go out and race with the realization of some of the things that can go wrong.

What’s the saying, ‘The faster you go’? Haha.

 

As the ‘world’s fastest female racer’, you’re getting some amazing times clocked. Would you say that the promotion of your female presence interferes at all with your career?

When I have to get ready for photoshoots that show my body off, I’m sweating, freaking out. I would rather do a run any day of the week if I could be completely honest. And I hate cardio. It’s the devil.

Funny how the photoshoots came about, actually – when I first started riding and stuff, I was just a short cute girl, and I felt I was really dismissed. No one ever thought I was going to amount the anything. And to be honest, I didn’t intend to be a pro-racer, but I liked riding and stuff, and it took me where it was. 

On the track, there were a few girls that were around, and they had really bad reputations of sleeping around. They weren’t necessarily there to go racing.

I had a really good coach at the time, Jason Pridmore, who’s now an announcer for MotoAmerica. 

And I remember him telling me, ‘I’m not going to help you unless you’re serious about racing. If you are just trying to come to the paddock to meet guys or do whatever, I don’t want to help you.’ 

And I was like, ‘No, I’m 100% serious and dedicated.’

And so, for a very long time, I didn’t post or do a lot of feminine things or anything because I really wanted to be taken seriously as a racer. 

Later, I was working for Motul, and the lady who was in charge of marketing at Motul approached me and was like, ‘Why don’t you ever think about doing some glamorous stuff? You’re a pretty girl.’

And I was like, ‘No, no, no. I’m serious. I want to be taken seriously.’ 

And she goes, ‘Think about your name.’ 

My name tag on social media is Lady_Racer926.

She goes, ‘You’re a lady first, and you’re also a racer. You’re already accredited. You need to market yourself. You have something no one else has.” 

This was after I was already pro and was racing overseas – and it was a light bulb moment to me. Then I was like, man, maybe I should start utilizing that. 

A three-part photo: Patricia Fernandez in a bikini, on a super bike, and in full leathers.
A three-part photo: Patricia Fernandez in a bikini, on a superbike at the Ulster Grand Prix, and sporting full leathers prior to a race.

It worked. 

Now, I’ll have a world record photo of me racing overseas or doing something huge, and social media is like, man, whatever. But if you have a photo of me in a bikini, it’s 10,000 likes.

I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with these people?’, haha. 

But that’s the way the world works. 

One racer could be a second faster, but if this other racer has 100,000 followers on social media, that guy will most likely get the sponsorship before the other rider.

 

You’ve done sidecar racing. You’ve done dirt biking. You’ve taste-tested so many different, diverse niches of the motorcycle industry. Is all of this a conscious decision to give something a try, or is it just, ‘hop in my sidecar and don’t die’?

So, it’s 100% ‘hop in my sidecar and don’t die’, haha! 

So, with the sidecar, I was at a club race meeting to race my motorcycle, and they called me to the registration office. A guy shows up, and they’re talking about a monkey (I figured out later that the passenger in a sidecar is called a monkey). 

It happened to be a race weekend where they were doing an exhibition thing, and they had the sidecar races. I guess the guy came to the registration office and asked if there was anybody that could be the monkey for his sidecar (his guy didn’t show up). 

And the office was like, ‘We know someone crazy enough to do that.’ 

I told him that I had never done sidecar racing before and asked him if it was hard, and he was like, ‘Oh, we’ll practice in the parking lot.’ 

No joke! We did a couple of laps, and I was like, ‘Ok, let’s do this.’

I always joke around and say I’ll try anything twice. Surprisingly enough, this was also the same thing with the Bagger. 

Patricia Fernandez sitting next to her Indian Racer Bagger at the Bagger Racing League

When they recommended me, when Cory approached me and asked if I’d like to race a Bagger, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ I’m super short’.

That was my biggest concern. I like to lie and say I’m 5’3′- it rounds up, right?

My whole thing is, I’ll try it. And that’s what I said to Cory. ‘I don’t know if I’ll be good, but I’m willing to try it.’ 

But it’s cool because everything correlates in a certain type of way. When you do the dirt bike stuff, you’re on smaller bikes, but getting control of the rear end breaking loose and learning how to control that, actually makes you a better rider in the rain on the sportbikes. 

And when you’re on a sportbike, and you’re in the rain, and it gets loose, it’s almost the same thing as being on a dirt bike. 

If you just talk about controls and skills, it may look different, but it all relates.

 

How did you find the bagger as a race bike?

It doesn’t matter what you put me on – if I’m riding solo, I’ll just ride around. But put ONE PERSON next to me, and then I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s on. I have to win.’ 

I always joke around and say, ‘I’d race an ostrich, a unicycle, whatever – just let me race.’ 

With the Bagger, I went out, and I was like, ‘Oh, let me try it.’ 

And every lap, I told them not to clock me because I was nervous, but they did anyway.

My first lap was 210. My second lap was 209, 208 – every lap was just dropping. 

And then I came in, and I was like, ‘I think I CAN ride one of these.’ 

And they’re like, ‘Ohh, you’re riding one all right.’ 

They already knew – it’s just about getting comfortable and adapting to something that’s a little different. 

A view of Patricia Fernandez trying out the Indian Bagger for the Bagger Racing League

It is a little difficult because you don’t get a lot of seat time on the Baggers like you do a sportbike. These motors really aren’t made for what we’re doing. So you actually want to keep your seat time down.

I was used to hour-long sessions on the sportbikes. On those, if I run out of gas, I can come in, splash a bit of gas in or change tires and go right back out and ride for an hour straight. You can’t really do that on these baggers. Not at this performance level, considering how fast and hard we’re riding them. 

It was definitely weird hearing, ‘Take a break, don’t ride.’ 

I’m like, ‘I want to ride….’

 

There’s, of course, the King Of The Baggers (where you made your debut), and then there’s the Bagger Racing League. Do you prefer to promote one or the other?

I will promote anything that I do. 

a side profile of the Indian Bagger

So when I race in the Bagger Racing League, I promote the Bagger Racing League. When I race King Of the Baggers, I’m going to promote King Of the Baggers. 

As a racer, I’m not an organizer, and I’m not an owner. 

For me, what’s best is to race. I want to race everywhere. Every day, every week, every chance I get. 

When they first did that Bagger race last year at Laguna Seca, I think everyone thought it was going to be a one-time exhibition thing. And when it got four and a half million views in 10 days (or whatever it was), they were like, ‘Holy cow, this is a big deal.’ 

Now, it’s such a big deal that there’s competition – obviously, whenever something becomes really popular, multiple people want to capitalize on it.

 

Do you see yourself doing anything else, going into any other niches of the motorcycle industry?

 I’ll never NOT ride a motorcycle, but it’s a sport like any other, so usually, the older you get, it does become a little more difficult – and we’re in a sport where age, unfortunately, takes its toll. 

I guess it’s one of those things where the future is kind of bittersweet. As a racer, you know you won’t be able to race as much later on. 

For me, I’ll do anything – race a Bagger, be involved in user test or development, coach, advocate for women or rallies – anything that keeps me close to the world of riding and racing.

Stuff like that, it’s always going to be a part of me. 

The Custom-built Indian Bagger for the Bagger Racing League that Patricia Fernandez rides

I definitely don’t think I have the engineering brain for the designing part of things, though it’s cool to be a part of the customization of my Indian Bagger. I mean, everything we’re doing now is basically testing and development for these motorcycles. The parts that we’re developing now, in a couple of years, people will be able to buy, to build their race Bagger. 

Also…I actually would really like to go back to paramedic school. 

One of the sides of being a motorcycle racer is you meet a lot of really nice paramedics and nurses, haha! Every other race, you’re like, ‘Hey, it’s me again,’ haha. 

It would be cool to maybe be a paramedic at a racetrack once in a while to be able to help out.

I can also see myself at 80 years old with all-gray hair, still on a motorcycle, and going to a rally being all like, ‘I was the first woman to race a Bagger,’ trying to help other girls be a part of it. 

That would be something really neat to do if I stopped racing – maybe marketing or organizing for an event.

Bottom line, as long I can still ride, I’ll be happy.

 

Do you have any parting words that you could offer to any females wanting to start motorcycle riding or racing? Any advice you can give?

Just do it. 

I’m serious, haha, that’s all I got. 

Just. Do. It. 

Patricia Fernandez in transit with her tires for racing

They asked me that question on TV this past weekend, and it was funny – they’re like, ‘What advice do you have?’. 

I’m like, ‘Do it. Go out there, take a class, get your license, buy a motorcycle.’ 

The best thing you can do in this industry is buy a motorcycle and promote it. 

I mean, if you think about it, I wouldn’t have even been allowed to buy a motorcycle however many years ago. Crazy thought, but true. If I came in with cash to a dealership a couple of generations ago, they would refuse to sell me a bike because I was a woman. 

Now, women are racing and doing everything they couldn’t in the past. 

My biggest advice is if you want to do it, do it.

Never let anyone push you beyond your limits – because that’s the biggest risk to feeling safe and comfortable. 

Whatever your speed is, whatever your pace – whatever makes you feel comfortable, you do that. 

Don’t ever let someone make you do something that makes you uncomfortable because that’s when dangerous situations happen, whether it’s on the street or a race track. That’s what I tell ladies. 

This past weekend, I met a lot of ladies that were interested in riding, and I’m like, ‘Well, tell me this, has your husband or your boyfriend ever scared you when you were on the back?’ 

And they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah.’

I’m like, ‘You need to ride then. You need to get your own license – because, at the end of the day, no one can steer you but you. If you want to go 15 miles an hour, you go 15 miles an hour. If you want to go 50, go 50.’ 

But that’s the biggest thing when I try advocating for people – especially women. And even if you try riding and it’s not good for you, you’ll end up a better passenger anyways. 

This is for any ladies that are nervous or scared about the concept of riding: 

Learn it, but learn at your own pace.

Keep riding. 

Above all else, make sure to enjoy it.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

A closer look at the ‘King Of The Baggers’ winning Indian Challenger

King Of The Baggers

Indian recently took line honours at the inaugural Drag Specialties King of the Baggers invitational at Laguna Seca Raceway. Facing a field of 11 Harley-Davidsons, highly accomplished racer Tyler O’Hara captured the win onboard the S&S Cycle Indian Challenger.

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger – Tyler O’Hara

Veteran rider Frankie Garcia put his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger on the box with a third-place finish. That made it two out of three podium positions for the Indian Challenger to kick some sand in the face of the Harley faithful.

2020 King of the Baggers – Laguna Seca

The historic race played out in truly dramatic fashion. Barely, 24-hours after an accident where he “looped” his 272 kilogram machine during qualifying, Frankie Garcia rebounded taking the holeshot. But it was O’Hara who immediately established a commanding lead through the first three laps.

The MotoAmerica Speedfest of Monterey saw the King of Baggers debut

With five laps remaining, an off-track mishap sent O’Hara back to third and Garcia to second, allowing veteran rider Hayden Gillim to take the lead.

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger – Tyler O’Hara

From there, O’Hara began a patient, methodical comeback, working his way past Garcia and dramatically passing Gillim while diving into the famed “Corkscrew” during the penultimate lap.

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger – Tyler O’Hara

O’Hara held strong for the final lap winning the inaugural race by 1.9 seconds, earning the title “King of the Baggers.”

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger

Technical Specifications
S&S Cycle Indian Challenger

  • Bike: 2020 Indian Challenger
  • Engine: Stock bore Indian 108″/1768cc PowerPlus
  • 
Stage 2 cams
  • CNC ported heads
  • K&N air filter
  • 
S&S engine covers for ground and pipe clearance
  • One-off stainless race exhaust
  • Full Spectrum Battery
  • 
Chain drive conversion to allow easy final gear ratio changes
  • Chassis: Custom tuned Fox shock valved and extended to increase ground clearance
  • 
FTR 1200 forks on S&S machined triple clamps  valved for weight and riding style
  • Brembo Calipers – upgraded specification
  • 
Custom aluminium fuel cell for weight reduction and air flow to engine
  • 
PM billet wheels on S&S built hubs 17″ F&R
  • Dunlop Tyres
  • Body & Cockpit: Air Tech Carbon Fibre bags, fenders & tank cover For weight reduction
  • Saddleman Seat shaped to get rider in correct position
  • Custom made S&S rear set foot controls to provide ground clearance and better position for racing
  • Klockwerks Bars – Klip Hangers to adjust height and pullback to suit rider position

S&S Cycle Indian Challenger Image Gallery


King of the Baggers Results

Pos Name Make Time/Gap
1 Tyler O’Hara IND 13:m8.0
2 Hayden Gillim HD +1.994
3 Frankie Garcia IND +14.246
4 Travis Wyman HD +46.5
5 Cory West HD +56.032
6 Eric Stahl HD +01:21.8
7 Tony Sollima HD +01:29.7
8 Josh Chisum HD +01:46.0
9 Logan Lackey  HD  +1 Lap

Source: MCNews.com.au